Last week, news broke that the Grammys had changed its voting rules, eliminating the so-called "secret committees" that many believe were responsible for the fact that The Weeknd was shut out at the Grammys this past year. However, the move hasn't exactly made The Weeknd feel all warm and fuzzy towards the organization
"The trust has been broken for so long between the Grammy organization and artists that it would be unwise to raise a victory flag,” the artist, born Abel Tesfaye, tells Variety.
"I think the industry and public alike need to see the transparent system truly at play for the win to be celebrated, but it’s an important start,” he continues. “I remain uninterested in being a part of the Grammys, especially with their own admission of corruption for all these decades. I will not be submitting [my music for consideration] in the future.”
While the Grammys of course didn't admit to being corrupt, Harvey Mason Jr., the interim Grammy boss, told Variety that even before The Weeknd was snubbed, he'd been trying for months to eliminate the committees, which have in the past been accused of self-dealing. However, Mason did appear to acknowledge that the fact that the "Blinding Lights" singer labeling the Grammys as "corrupt" played a role in the change.
“Any time an artist, especially one of that stature, calls our process into question or thinks something is unfair… the Academy is of course going to be affected by that, and want to work to make things better,” Mason tells Variety.
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