It was 2021. The world was messy, but Abel Tesfaye—known to basically everyone as The Weeknd—was on top of it. He had the biggest song on the planet. "Blinding Lights" wasn't just a hit; it was a literal cultural reset that stayed in the Top 10 for a record-breaking 57 weeks. Then the nominations came out. People stared at their screens, refreshing the page, waiting for his name to pop up. It never did. Zero nominations. Zip. Nada. The Weeknd at the Grammys became the biggest snub in the history of the Recording Academy, and honestly, the music industry hasn't really looked at the trophies the same way since.
Music awards are usually predictable. You have the darlings, the legacy acts, and the breakout stars. But this was different. "After Hours" was a cinematic masterpiece that blended 80s synth-pop with modern R&B grit. It was a commercial juggernaut and a critical favorite. When the snub happened, it didn't just feel like a mistake. It felt like a glitch in the matrix. Abel didn't take it lying down, either. He went straight to Twitter (now X) and called them out, saying, "The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency..." That tweet wasn't just a moment of frustration; it was a declaration of war.
The Super Bowl Conflict That Changed Everything
There’s a lot of chatter about why this actually happened. The most persistent rumor involves a literal ultimatum. Reports surfaced that the Grammys were upset because Abel chose to perform at the Super Bowl LV halftime show. Apparently, there was a "him or us" situation happening behind the scenes. If you remember that Super Bowl performance, he spent $7 million of his own money to make it perfect. He chose the global stage over the "prestigious" one.
The Academy’s interim chief at the time, Harvey Mason Jr., denied these claims. He said it all came down to the voting process and that the Super Bowl had nothing to do with it. But fans weren't buying it. Neither was Abel. The optics were terrible. You had an artist who dominated the entire year being completely shut out while lesser-known tracks occupied the categories he should have owned. It felt personal. It felt like a gatekeeping exercise gone wrong.
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Breaking Down the After Hours Era
Let’s look at the numbers because they don't lie. "Blinding Lights" broke the record for the most weeks spent in the Billboard Hot 100’s top five, top ten, top twenty, and top forty. It surpassed Chubby Checker’s "The Twist" as the number one song of all time on Billboard's charts. Imagine being the person who looked at that data and decided it didn't merit a single nomination.
The album itself was a narrative journey. It followed a character through a drug-fueled, heartbroken night in Las Vegas, complete with the red suit, the bandages, and the prosthetic makeup. It was high art in a pop package. By the time the 2021 ceremony rolled around, Abel had already announced a permanent boycott. He told the New York Times that because of the "secret committees," he would no longer allow his label to submit his music to the Grammys. He wasn't just skipping the party; he was burning the invitation and the house it came in.
Why the "Secret Committees" Mattered
The Grammys used to have these anonymous "review committees." These were groups of industry insiders who could essentially overrule the initial votes of the thousands of Academy members. They were supposed to act as a quality control measure to ensure the nominations weren't just a popularity contest. In reality, they became a black box of bias.
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After the massive backlash following The Weeknd at the Grammys controversy, the Recording Academy actually abolished these committees. They tried to pivot. They realized that the lack of transparency was killing their credibility with Gen Z and Millennials. It was a "too little, too late" situation for Abel, though. Even after the rules changed, he stayed true to his word. When he won for "Hurricane" (his collaboration with Kanye West) the following year, he didn't show up. He hasn't looked back.
The Ripple Effect Across the Industry
Abel isn't the only one who has checked out. Drake has been vocal about his disdain for the institution for years. Frank Ocean famously stopped submitting his music. Zayn Malik had some choice words about the "secret handshakes." But The Weeknd's situation was the tipping point because of how undeniable his success was.
It forced a conversation about how we value music. Is a trophy behind a glass wall more important than billions of streams and a sold-out stadium tour? For the modern artist, the answer is increasingly "no." The Weeknd proved that you don't need the Academy to be the biggest star in the world. In fact, standing up to them arguably made him even more iconic. It gave him a rebel edge that you can't buy with PR.
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Comparing the "Starboy" Wins to the "After Hours" Loss
It’s ironic because the Academy loved him before. He has three Grammys. He won for Beauty Behind the Madness and Starboy. He was the golden boy of the mid-2010s. This is why the 2021 snub felt so jarring. It wasn't like they didn't get his vibe. They had already validated him.
The shift suggests a disconnect between the old guard and where pop music was heading. After Hours was darker, more experimental, and fiercely independent in its creative direction. Maybe the committee didn't like the bandages. Maybe they didn't like the blood. Or maybe, as many suspect, they just didn't like being told "no" when it came to the Super Bowl.
What This Means for Future Artists
If you’re an aspiring artist, the Weeknd saga is a masterclass in leverage. He didn't beg for a seat at the table; he built his own. He showed that the gatekeepers only have power if you give it to them.
The legacy of this moment is that the Grammys are now in a perpetual state of trying to prove they are still relevant. Every year since, the nominations are scrutinized through the lens of "who is the next Weeknd?" They are terrified of another PR nightmare of that magnitude. It changed the math for everyone.
Actionable Takeaways for Music Fans and Industry Observers
- Follow the Data, Not the Trophies: If you want to know what’s actually moving the needle in culture, look at the Billboard Global 200 or Spotify's year-end "Wrapped" data. Awards are often lagging indicators or political maneuvers.
- Support Artist Independence: The Weeknd’s ability to boycott the Grammys came from his massive fan support. When fans buy merch and tickets directly, the artist doesn't have to play the industry's political games to survive.
- Demand Transparency: The removal of the secret committees was a direct result of public and artist outcry. Don't underestimate the power of social media pressure in forcing institutional change.
- Look Beyond the Mainstream: Often, the best music is ignored by these massive ceremonies until it's "safe" to nominate it. Explore the artists who aren't on the red carpet—that's usually where the real innovation is happening.
The Weeknd at the Grammys is a story about the end of an era. The era where a single room of people in Los Angeles got to decide what "good" music was. That power has shifted to the listeners, and honestly, the music world is better for it. Abel is still out there breaking records, and the Grammys are still out there trying to figure out how they missed the biggest song of the decade.