The GRAMMYs pulled off quite the surprise Sunday night by welcoming The Weeknd to the stage.
During the 67th GRAMMY Awards, Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of the Recording Academy, addressed the changes his organization has made over the last several years. Those changes, he reminded the A-list crowd, were borne out of criticism of The Academy.
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One of the loudest of those critics was The Weeknd. He first came out against the “corrupt” awards show in 2020 after his album, After Hours, didn’t earn any nominations.
“Because of the secret committees,” he said at the time, “I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the GRAMMYs.”
The Weeknd stuck to that the following year and did not submit his album for GRAMMYs consideration. Other artists have spoken out against The Academy too, slamming it for a lack of diversity.
Last year, however, The AP reported that The Academy added 3,000 female voting members. Additionally, since 2019, The Academy has increased its number of members who identify as people of color by 63 percent. The Academy has also started new diversity-focused initiatives.
The Weeknd’s GRAMMY Performance
Given all the changes, Mason Jr. welcomed The Weeknd back to the GRAMMYs stage on Sunday.
The singer, who’s won four GRAMMYs and been nominated 14 times, delighted the crowd with an epic performance of “Cry for Me” and “Timeless.” The songs are off of The Weeknd’s new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, which was released Jan. 31
“Take that internet,” host Trevor Noah said after The Weeknd’s performance. “We’re not the same person.”
THE WEEKND
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) February 3, 2025
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