FEBRUARY 2, 2017 – Kanye West, Justin Bieber and Drake may all sit out the Grammy awards in February, despite each receiving multiple nominations.
According to the gossip site TMZ, all three artists object to the award show’s representation. Neither Bieber (who has four nominations) nor Drake (who has eight) find the awards “relevant or representative, especially when it comes to young singers”, according to sources.
Meanwhile, West – who has criticised the lack of diversity at the Grammys – is reportedly upset that he has received 21 Grammys but never when he was head-to-head against a white singer. West had already said he may not attend the ceremony if Frank Ocean wasn’t nominated. Ocean, however, chose not to submit his last album, Blonde, for consideration.
Speaking to the New York Times in November, Ocean said: “It just doesn’t seem to be representing very well for people who come from where I come from and hold down what I hold down.”
He added: “I think the infrastructure of the awarding system and the nomination system and screening system is dated. I’d rather this be my Colin Kaepernick moment for the Grammys than sit there in the audience.”
The 59th Grammy awards are on 12 February and will be hosted by James Corden.
