The Weeknd‘s years-long boycott of the Grammy Awards has come to an end – find out more below.
In 2021, The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) declared he will boycott the Grammys, and will not allow his label to submit his music for awards consideration. The boycott came after he was not nominated at all that year despite releasing the acclaimed ‘After Hours’ in 2020.
At the time, he tweeted that the Grammys “remain corrupt”, and said its organisers “owe me, my fans and the industry transparency”. Now, however, the Canadian pop star’s boycott has come to an end.
During the 67th Grammy Awards, The Weeknd made a surprise performance, playing ‘Cry For Me’ and ‘Timeless’, the latter of which saw he joined on stage by rapper Playboi Carti.
Taking The Weeknd’s criticism and call for “transparency” to heart, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said during the ceremony: “Criticism is ok. I heard him, and I felt his conviction. What we all want is an organization dedicated to the well-being of all music makers, and one that reflects the entire music community, for now, and for future generations. So over the past few years, we’ve listened. We’ve acted. And, we’ve changed.”
Mason Jr. went on to list some of the changes they’ve made, including launching initiatives like the Black Music Collective, Women in the Mix, Academy Proud, and others.
“As we’ve seen tonight, music is a powerful force for good in the world,” he continued. “It heals us… it unites us. And we need that in this city right now. With that in mind, on a truly special night, what better way to bring us together, than this next artist. Someone who has seen the work this Academy has put in. I am so honored to leave you with a sentence, that I wasn’t sure, would ever be said on the GRAMMY stage again: My friends, my fellow music makers, please join me in welcoming back, none other than, four-time GRAMMY-winning artist, and global superstar, The Weeknd.”
THE WEEKND’S FULL PERFORMANCE AT THE GRAMMY’S TONIGHT!
WITH SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE BY PLAYBOI CARTI pic.twitter.com/wqeIvxf8Q2
— 𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙾 𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙸 𝚇𝙾💀 (@MementoMoriXO) February 3, 2025
In a four-star review of The Weeknd’s ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’, Nick Levine wrote for NME: “If this is a swansong for The Weeknd, it’s a fitting one. Tesfaye is pushing forward before he exhausts the collective fascination with his alter ego, and that’s no small achievement. When he sings “I’d rather leave somewhat of a legacy” on ‘The Abyss’, it’s clear there’s no “somewhat” about it.”
In other Grammy-related news, Chappell Roan was crowned Best New Artist, while Doechii took home the award for Best Rap Album. Kendrick Lamar won Best Rap Song and Best Music Video for ‘Not Like Us’, and Beyoncé won Best Country Album for ‘Cowboy Carter’ – see the full list of winners here.
