Advertisement

Drake withdraws his two 2021 Grammy nominations

Drake. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Drake has withdrawn his two Grammy nominations, the organization behind the awards show has confirmed.

A representative for the Recording Academy told the Canadian Press that the Canadian rapper asked to be removed from the two categories for which he received nominations.

He had been nominated for best rap album for Certified Lover Boy and best rap performance for Way 2 Sexy, which was a collaboration with Future and Young Thug.

It’s unclear what led the singer to request the removal, but the Academy has said it will not replace Drake’s positions in the categories, leaving the existing nominations open for voting.

It’s not the first time this year’s Grammy nominations have caused problems for Canadian artists.

Story continues below advertisement

Canadian music artists Justin Bieber and The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) both took aim at the Academy late last month, for different reasons.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Bieber, 26, disagreed with the classification of his music, claiming his songs and latest album, Changes, were meant to be R&B, not pop.

Bieber was nominated four times for best pop vocal album, best pop solo performance, best pop duo/group performance and best country duo/group performance.

The Weeknd, on the other hand, received no nominations and went after the music awards show in a no-holds-barred Twitter post.

https://twitter.com/theweeknd/status/1331394452447870977

Story continues below advertisement

“The Grammys remain corrupt,” he wrote in the biting tweet. “You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…”

with files from Chris Jancelewicz

Sponsored content

AdChoices