The Weeknd Receives Zero Nominations For 2021 Grammy’s In Shocking Snub

Despite the release of his record-breaking, highly acclaimed fourth studio album, After Hours, The Weeknd shockingly received zero nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards.

With 14 songs and three bonus tracks, After Hours was released in March as the cloud of quarantine took its position over the world. The album is a lyrical masterpiece that enters the psyche of a self-loathing, lonely and reconciling bad guy.

The Weeknd tends to create different characters of himself for his albums. His character in the dark grunge of the After Hours world usually wears a blood-red suit, black leather gloves and bloodied face. This character and The Weeknd’s commitment to this striking appearance is one of many reasons After Hours is so captivating.

Plus, After Hours has a most compelling cinematic aspect that’s apparent in the music videos, animations and short films.

Still, The Weeknd wasn’t nominated for single Grammy, even in the “Big Four” which includes Best Album, Song, Record and New Artist (not relevant to him).

After Hours broke records like spending 40 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, the most ever. The Weeknd was also recognized throughout the year—by TIME, for example—as the album’s artistry marks a significant point in The Weeknd’s music career. After Hours also garnered stellar reviews from publications like Variety and Pitchfork.

Despite being one of the most surprising and flame-catching snubs of the Grammy Award 2021 nominations, Recording Academy chief Harvey Mason Jr. told Variety he doesn’t think this puts the nominating process into question.

“The process is there so we can continue to monitor excellence. I was in the ‘core room’ this year [which decides the Big Four] and I observed, and the people that were in it are music professionals — they are excellent, at the top of their craft in songwriting and producing, and there are a lot of artists,” Mason told Variety.

“They were critically listening to every song that came across their desks — or virtual desks — so I don’t think it shows a flaw in the process,” Mason continued.

Still, fans are heated.

The Weeknd is one of several surprising snubs that also include artists like Pop Smoke, Harry Styles and Cardi B. The full list of nominees is available here.

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