AP music editor Mesfin Fekadu was the first to report that the Grammys were in discussions to end its use of anonymous nomination review committees, which have been highly criticized for their lack of transparency. The Weeknd previously blasted the Grammy nominating process, calling it “corrupt” after he earned no nominations for the 2021 show despite having the year’s biggest single.
Thanks to his deep sources at the Recording Academy, Fekadu learned that the organization’s board of trustees was planning to discuss getting rid of the decades-old review committees. AP ran the story on a Friday morning before the board was scheduled to meet. Later that day, the Grammys rushed out a press release confirming the story and its decision to remove the review committees. The announcement came five days earlier than planned because of AP’s report, prompting several outlets to push the organization for more details.
The Weeknd poses in the press room with the awards for best R&B performance and best urban contemporary album at the 58th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Feb. 15, 2016. The artist has since criticized the anonymous Grammy nomination review committees, calling them “corrupt” after he earned zero nominations for the 2021 show despite having the year’s biggest single. The Recording Academy has recently announced that nominees will now be based purely on votes made by the academy’s 11,000+ voting members.
AP Photo / Chris Pizzello, Invision