During todayâs 2021 Grammy nominations, there were two artists who were surprisingly missing from contention: Bob Dylan nor the Weeknd. The Weekndâs smash hit âBlinding Lightsâ was eligible for nomination, as was his chart-topping album After Hours. Bob Dylanâs remarkable Rough and Rowdy Ways was also released during the eligibility period (September 1, 2019âAugust 31, 2020), with its first single âMurder Most Foulâ reaching No. 1 on Billboardâs Rock Digital Song Sales chart. Since the Grammy nominations require that an artist submit their work for consideration each year, itâs unclear whether either artist did so. For example, Frank Ocean, Drake, Cardi B, and Macklemore have all chosen to withhold music from Grammy consideration in recent years.
When asked about the Weekndâs shutout in an interview with Jem Aswad for Variety, Recording Academy Chair and Interim President/CEO Harvey Mason jr. said, âYâknow, it really just comes down to the voting body that decides.â
Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for the Weeknd, Bob Dylan, and the Recording Academy for comment and more information.
The Weekndâs previous album, Starboy, won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album. Heâs been nominated for 10 Grammys in his career, winning three awards.
Bob Dylan has won 10 Grammy Awards and received 38 Grammy nominations. He was first nominated for the 1963 Grammy Award for Best Folk Recording for Bob Dylan. A decade later, he won his first Grammy for his work on The Concert for Bangladesh, which won Album of the Year.
Dylan was last nominated for the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Triplicate. He most recently won Grammy Awards in 2007 for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance (âSomeday Babyâ) and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album (Modern Times).
