Popular artist “The Weeknd” receives zero Grammy nominations despite releasing one of the most critically acclaimed and successful albums of the year.

Canadian singer Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, who goes by the artist name The Weeknd, is upset about the news that his new album, titled After Hours, plus one of the biggest singles that came with it, Blinding Lights, has received absolutely zero Grammy nominations, despite incredibly positive reception from fans and critics alike. Tesfaye’s newest project has reached #1 in both the Billboard Top 200 and Hot 100, becoming the #1 R&B streaming album of all time. The album also propelled the artist to have the 3^rd most Spotify monthly listeners in the world, only being beat by musical giants Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. The fact that this album has received zero recognition from the Grammy committee has left Abel frustrated on social media. “The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…”

It would seem that many share Tesfaye’s frustrations. Many agree that After Hours was snubbed out in favor for inferior works at the Grammy Awards, and that it should be having multiple nominations. They have vocalized their complaints on Twitter, Reddit, and Youtube. One of the biggest music critics on YouTube, theneedledrop, also known as Anthony Fantano, states his opinion on the matter in a video that has garnered around 300 thousand views: “I just don’t really get the lack of an After Hours inclusion. It really makes no sense whatsoever for one of the best pop records for the year.”

Many arguments against the Weeknd claim that a Grammy award is based on popularity and doesn’t matter in the long run. However, the Weeknd is one of the most popular mainstream artists out there, being well known among many places, Freedom High School included. Part of Blinding Lights’ has been owed to the very popular app TikTok, as well as its inclusion in a Fortnite emote, both of which are relevant to Freedom’s student demographic. A Grammy award allows for further credibility towards an artist, attracting record labels and further cementing an artist’s legacy in the music world. Many other celebrities agree that the Weeknd should receive more nominations, such as Elton John and Charlie Puth, who nonchalantly said the following: “How in the world did blinding lights not get nominated lol”

However the Grammy Committee responds, it can easily be said that their reputation has taken a big hit. An artist with the caliber of the Weeknd  may not need the award, but the general consensus of normal people and musical celebrities alike is that Abel Tesfaye certainly deserves it, and it’s a crime that he didn’t.