Drake and The Weeknd officially decided not to submit their most recent projects to be considered for this year’s Grammy nominations on Thursday (Oct. 13), Pitchfork reports.
Both of the artists, who also happen to be Toronto natives, have had an estranged relationship with the music platform for the past few years. In 2017, Drake slammed the Recording Academy for placing his hit “Hotline Bling” into rap categories versus those for the pop genre. Last year, his grievances continued when he pulled his nominations for Certified Lover Boy and “Way 2 Sexy.” “I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artists that exist now and the ones that come after,” Drake said at the time.
On the other hand, The Weeknd spoke out against the platform after his After Hours album and the project’s single “Blinding Lights” weren’t nominated. “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys,” said the “Save Your Tears” crooner. The news comes just as Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak made the call not to submit their joint Silk Sonic album for consideration. In their case, the pair believes they have received enough accolades for the tape. Earlier this year, the duo won four awards for their smash hit, “Leave the Door Open.”
The albums that The Weeknd and Drake have decided not to submit for consideration this year include the October’s Very Own founder’s Honestly, Nevermind and The Weeknd’s Dawn FM. Although their songs like “Sticky” and “Sacrifice” don’t appear on the ballots for this year’s Grammys, the Canada natives are still credited as guests artists on other tracks that are up for nomination. Both The Weeknd and Drake have won a total of four Grammy awards each.