Grammys drop secret nominating committees after backlash

The New York Times

The Recording Academy announced it has ended the 32-year practice of using anonymous expert committees to decide who makes the final ballot in dozens of categories. The secret committees had come under fire after The Weeknd's recent album, "After Hours," didn't was completely shunned at this year's Grammys despite critical acclaim, prompting him to boycott the ceremony. “Because of the secret committees,” The Weeknd told The New York Times, “I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys.” As The New York Times' Ben Sisario explains, "Each year, the Recording Academy convenes music professionals to serve on its nomination review committees for 61 of the Grammys’ 84 categories. They whittle down the initial nomination choices by the academy’s thousands of voters to determine the ballot, and their work is intended to protect the integrity of the awards process. The committees began in 1989, but in recent years they have come under intense criticism from artists, music executives and even Grammy insiders as examples of an unaccountable system rife with conflicts of interest and mysterious agendas....The Weeknd’s rebuke came after years of complaints by musicians, particularly Black artists in genres like hip-hop and R&B, many of whom have been lauded repeatedly in genre categories but blocked in the four most prestigious awards: album, record and song of the year, and best new artist. Among the most outspoken have been Jay-Z, Drake, Kanye West and Frank Ocean."