The Weeknd Ends His Grammys Boycott with Surprise Performance

The Weeknd Ends His Grammys Boycott with Surprise Performance

The Weeknd Ends His Grammys Boycott with Surprise Performance

The Weeknd made an unexpected return to the Grammy stage during the 2025 ceremony, catching both attendees and viewers by surprise with his performance on Sunday night.

The four-time Grammy winner had publicly boycotted the awards since March 2021, when he announced he would no longer allow his label to submit his music for consideration due to the lack of transparency in the nomination process. “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys,” he told the New York Times at the time.

However, after several changes introduced by the Recording Academy, The Weeknd made his comeback to the Grammys stage, performing tracks from his new album Hurry Up Tomorrow, which was released just days prior.

The Weeknd Ends His Grammys Boycott with Surprise Performance
The Weeknd Ends His Grammys Boycott with Surprise Performance

Before the performance, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. acknowledged the Weeknd’s previous criticism, saying, “I heard him. I felt his conviction.” He continued, “What we all want is an organization dedicated to the well-being of all music makers, and one that reflects the entire music community for now and for future generations. Over the past few years, we’ve listened, acted, and changed.” He also highlighted various initiatives aimed at promoting diversity, particularly focusing on artists of color and women in music, which The Weeknd had acknowledged.

Mason Jr. added, “There’s still work to be done, but I firmly believe we’re on the right path.”

The Weeknd began his boycott in 2021 after he was excluded from that year’s nominations, criticizing the complex and opaque process for selecting nominees. In response, the Recording Academy implemented several changes, including the removal of the anonymous committees that The Weeknd had criticized. Mason Jr. shared on Sunday, “We have completely re-made our membership, adding more than 3,000 women voting members. The Grammy electorate is now younger, nearly 40 percent people of color, and 66 percent of our members are new since we started our transformation.”

This year, The Weeknd received a Grammy nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his guest feature on Future and Metro Boomin’s track “We Still Don’t Trust You.”

For those who missed the red carpet show at the Grammys, check out the interview with Green Day on EW and PEOPLE.

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