The Grammys are an iconic awards show that honors recording artists who have released projects that went above and beyond. The Grammys release their annual list of nominees to the public, and for the past few years, their choices have been met with controversy. There has been much speculation on whether the Grammys are corrupt or, at the very least, biased in their decisions, and the nominees list for this year only further pushes this idea. 

The biggest Grammy snub from this year had to be The Weeknd. The Weeknd released his fourth studio album After Hours on March 20 of this year and it was met with not only commercial success, but immense critical acclaim. It was his most personal work to date, detailing his journey of heartbreak with famous ex-girlfriend Bella Hadid and garnered multiple hits. “Blinding Lights” was the second single off the album and became the artist’s fifth number one single. It’s the most successful single worldwide from one of the most popular albums to drop this year. Even with all the praise from critics and fans, The Weeknd was not nominated for a single category despite having one of his best years to date. The Weeknd released a statement suggesting that the reason he received zero nominations was because of his decision to perform at the Super Bowl in 2021. It is speculated that he was given an ultimatum by Grammy showrunners to either perform for them or at the Super Bowl, and his decision might have affected his nominations. 

Another artist that was snubbed of a nomination was the late rapper, Mac Miller. Mac Miller sadly passed away back in 2018 due to an accidental drug overdose. He was nominated after his passing for Rap Album of the Year in 2018 at the Grammys for his outstanding fifth studio album Swimming. His parents were flown out to attend by Grammy showrunners, only for him to lose to Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy. Many were shocked and angry for this decision, but after the release of Miller’s posthumous album Circles back in January, fans were hoping for some redemption. Mac Miller was unfortunately left out this year, ending all hope for a Grammy win from his fans. Many believed that Miller deserved a nomination due to the critical success of the album, but the Grammys simply didn’t acknowledge his work.

 A category that has received much backlash due to its lack of female representation is R&B album of the year. 2020 was an especially great year for women in R&B, with artists like Jhene Aiko, Summer Walker, Teyana Taylor, and Brandy releasing amazing projects this year. Although Jhene Aiko did receive nominations this year, she somehow missed the mark of receiving an R&B album of the year nomination like the rest of these female artists. After seeing the lack of female representation in the category, artist Teyana Taylor retired from music, feeling as though the industry is corrupt and refuses to acknowledge black female artists on the same level as everyone else. The lack of a female nomination for R&B Album of the Year has felt intentional for some fans, especially since so many of these female artists dropped musically stunning albums. 

The Grammys have always received criticism over their nominations and winners. Every year there will be an artist who doesn’t receive what they deserve, but this year especially took the cake. There is an evident bias and corruption within the music industry, and this year’s Grammys has further proved this notion. It’s a known fact that when an artist is outspoken about the Grammys, they are punished with no wins or nominations;a prime example of this is popular rap artist Nicki Minaj having never received a nomination since her debut album after speaking out against the Grammys and its corrupt system. Whether you believe there is obvious corruption within the industry or just bad luck for some artists, deserving recording artists will continue to go unacknowledged by the Grammys.