LOS ANGELES (US) – Beyonce dominated nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards on Tuesday, which has seen an inclination towards alternative artists over mainstream musicians. On the other hand, Canadian singer The Weeknd, called the process “corrupt.”
Beyonce’s nine nods made her the second most nominated Grammy artist in history, with a total of 79. It included projects that were a celebration of Black culture in a year that saw racial turbulence in the United States.
The biggest shutout for the highest honors in the music industry was The Weeknd, whose critically acclaimed album “After Hours,” was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts for four weeks.
Variety called the omission of the R&B singer, who has been chosen to play the halftime show at the Super Bowl next year, “the biggest snub in memory.”
The Weeknd, in a Twitter post, said: “The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency.”
The Recording Academy’s chair and interim CEO, Harvey Mason, said in a written statement that he understood The Weeknd’s disappointment.
Mason said, “We were thrilled when we found out he would be performing at the upcoming Super Bowl and we would have loved to have him also perform on the GRAMMY stage the weekend before. Unfortunately, every year, there are fewer nominations than the number of deserving artists.”
The Grammys will be handed out in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, and will have Trevor Noah as host.
British singer Dua Lipa, pop star Taylor Swift and rapper Roddy Ricch got six nominations apiece.
Swift and Dua Lipa will compete for album of the year, along with R&B singer Post Malone, British band Coldplay, female band Haim, avant-garde Briton Jacob Collier, American soul band Black Pumas and American alternative R&B singer Jhene Aiko.
While established artists like Katy Perry, Maren Morris, The Chicks, Halsey and the Jonas Brothers got no nominations, K-pop sensation BTS got its first major Grammy nod, for single “Dynamite” in the best pop group performance field, which came as a breakthrough for a South Korean group.
Beyonce’s nominations came for her song “Black Parade” and visual album “Black is King,” along with her collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion on the single “Savage.”
Swift’s coronavirus lockdown album “Folklore” brought her back to the album of the year contest, while her single “Cardigan” was among the song of the year entries.