The Recording Academy president is responding to The Weeknd, who
called the Grammys ‘corrupt’.
Recording Academy interim president/CEO Harvey Mason, jr. attempted to
clear up the situation and defend the reputation of the committee.“The process is there so we can continue to monitor excellence. I was in the ‘core room’ this year [which decides the main categories] and I observed, and the people in it are music professionals, at the top of their craft in songwriting and producing and there are a lot of artists. And they were critically listening to every song that came across their desks. It’s a long, arduous process and people take pride in it. The people in that room care: there are no agendas in there, there’s no ‘let’s snub this person’ or that person. It’s about, ‘Let’s try and find excellence.’”
As soon as the Grammy Awards released its list of nominees yesterday, and some of the heavy hitters are noticeably absent from the top line ups. Many are reacting with surprise that the Recording Academy committees who decide the nominees have omitted The Weeknd from this year’s list. his “Blinding Lights” single is arguably one of the more successful songs of last year, according to music industry experts.