Halsey accuses the Grammys of favoring 'bribes' and 'knowing the right people' over musical quality or impact
- The 2021 Grammy Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, and Halsey received zero nominations.
- On Saturday, the singer-songwriter expressed frustration with the award show's "elusive process."
- "It can often be about behind the scenes private performances, knowing the right people, campaigning through the grapevine, with the right handshakes and 'bribes' that can be just ambiguous enough to pass as 'not-bribes,'" she wrote on her Instagram Story.
- "And if you get that far, it's about committing to exclusive TV performances and making sure you help the Academy make their millions in advertising on the night of the show," she continued.
- "Perhaps sometimes it is (!!) but it's not always about the music or quality or culture."
- Halsey said The Weeknd, who was also snubbed, "deserves better" and echoed his call for "transparency," but added, "I'm sure this post will blacklist me anyway."
Halsey accused the Grammy Awards of prioritizing industry connections and advertising dollars after she received zero nominations this year.
The 2021 Grammy Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday and Halsey's third album "Manic" was completely neglected. It was one of this year's biggest snubs — though perhaps not one of its biggest surprises.
Halsey had previously expressed doubt in the Recording Academy, telling fans, "I musta pissed somebody off a long time ago cause I don't think they fukk wit me." Indeed, her smash hit "Without Me" was similarly snubbed when nominations were announced in 2019.
Now, the singer-songwriter has expressed more explicit frustration with the award show's "elusive process."
"I've been thinking and wanted to choose my words carefully because a lot of people have extended sympathy and apology to me since the Grammy nominations," she shared via Instagram Story on Saturday evening.
"It can often be about behind the scenes private performances, knowing the right people, campaigning through the grapevine, with the right handshakes and 'bribes' that can be just ambiguous enough to pass as 'not-bribes,'" she wrote.
"And if you get that far, it's about committing to exclusive TV performances and making sure you help the Academy make their millions in advertising on the night of the show," she continued. "Perhaps sometimes it is (!!!) but it's not always about the music or quality or culture."
Halsey went on to say that "Manic" — which many critics, including those at Insider, have called her best album yet — "deserves better."
She said the same for The Weeknd, whose acclaimed album "After Hours" also received zero nominations this year, shocking critics and outraging fans.
In response, The Weeknd called the Grammys "corrupt," and Halsey echoed his call for "transparency."
"Perhaps it's unbecoming of me to say so but I can't care anymore," she wrote. "While I am THRILLED for my talented friends who were recognized this year, I am hoping for more transparency or reform."
"But I'm sure this post will blacklist me anyway," she added.
Fans rallied behind Halsey and praised her for "speaking up about the injustice in the music industry."
Recording Academy chair and interim president/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. has defended the award show's process.
"We understand that The Weeknd is disappointed at not being nominated. I was surprised and can empathize with what he's feeling," Mason said in a statement, provided to Insider on Tuesday. "His music this year was excellent, and his contributions to the music community and broader world are worthy of everyone's admiration."
"Unfortunately, every year, there are fewer nominations than the number of deserving artists. But as the only peer-voted music award, we will continue to recognize and celebrate excellence in music while shining a light on the many amazing artists that make up our global community," he said.
Representatives for the Recording Academy did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment about Halsey's post.