Grammys 2023: Drake and The Weeknd boycott awards for second year after album snubs

Drake and The Weeknd have announced that they are boycotting the 2023 Grammy Awards following years of frustration with the Recording Academy.

The Canadian rapper, 35, and singer, 32, were absent from the recent voting ballots for the Los Angeles based ceremony revealing that their ire with the organisation continues ahead of the upcoming 65th anniversary show.

The popular artists decided to not submit their 2022 works for consideration - Drake’s chart-topping album Honestly, Nevermind and The Weeknd’s Dawn FM, marking the second year in a row that they have missed the Grammys.

While the Blinding Lights singer’s anger towards the organising body started this year after his successful album After Hours was snubbed from all of the major categories, Drake’s feud with the Recording Academy dates back to 2017.

The Hotline Bling rapper previously spoke about how the Academy had only elected his tune in the rap categories.

He spoke on the OVO sound radio the day after the 2017 ceremony: “Even though ‘Hotline Bling’ is not a rap song, the only category they can manage to fit me in is a rap category.

“Maybe because I’ve rapped in the past or because I’m black, I can’t figure out why.”

The God’s Plan crooner carried on to say although he had won both sections, it “just feels weird”.

He said: “I love the rap world and I love the community, but you’re right. I write pop songs for a reason…I want to be like Michael Jackson, I want to be like artists I have looked up to. Those are pop songs, but I never get any credit for that.”

Pop singer The Weeknd has also felt frustration despite winning three Grammys previously.

The 32-year-old musician whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye initially aired his frustration to Billboard in January 2021 to “forget awards shows” as a result of him feeling a mixture of sadness and anger for the snub to his number one album, After Hours.

He said: “I use a sucker punch as an analogy. Because it just hit me out of nowhere. I definitely felt…I don’t know if it was sadness or anger. I think it was just confusion. I just wanted answers.”

The Weeknd confirmed his decision to boycott the Grammys in March 2021 when speaking to the New York Times.

He said: “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label [XO Records] to submit my music to the Grammys.”

The Weeknd and Drake are not the only artists to have boycotted the Grammys and to have been upset at the Recording Academy - Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar have previously refused to attend the ceremony and Nicki Minaj has voiced her annoyance at the organisation moving her song ‘Super Freaky Girl’ from rap to pop categories.

The voting ballots for the 2023 Grammy Awards were released on 14 October, with the Recording Academy announcing five new categories including Best Song for Social Change.

Nominations will be revealed on 15 November ahead of the 5 February ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena.