Call it The Weeknd effect.
After the “Blinding Lights” singer was shockingly shut out of the Grammy nominations last year — leading the artist to …
Call it The Weeknd effect. After the “Blinding Lights” singer was shockingly shut out of the Grammy nominations last year — leading the artist to vow that he would boycott the awards in the future — his presence was strongly felt when the 2022 contenders for music’s top prize were announced Tuesday. A surprise last-minute rule change — not announced until moments before the contenders were revealed — expanded the number of nominees in the Big 4 categories (Album, Record and Song of the Year, plus Best New Artist) from eight to 10. This is no doubt to avoid having another glaring omission such as when The Weeknd came up empty after his blockbuster “After Hours” album had produced a string of hits. Ironically, The Weekend nabbed three nominations after last year’s shutout. He’s up for his collaborations on Doja Cat’s “Planet Her” and Kanye West’s “Donda,” including the single “Hurricane.” Although it’s pretty safe to say that he won’t show up when the awards are held Jan.
