After initially being postponed, the 63rd Annual Grammys Award Ceremony kicks off this weekend. Leading the nominations is Beyonce, who is up for nine Grammys including both Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year. The additional nominations makes her the most Grammy-nominated female artist in history with an impressive 79 nominations. But despite her recognition, Beyonce will not be seen performing at this year’s event.
This weekend’s ceremony will be taking place in person across five small stages situated around LA in order to minimize interactions. Several artists have been booked to perform at the ceremony, including Cardi B, Bad Bunny, Doja Cat, Taylor Swift, and Dua Lipa. One major star not on the list, though, is Beyonce.
The Recording Academy claims that they extended an offer to Beyonce to perform, but she declined. In a statement to the LA Times, Recording Academy interim chief executive Harvey Mason said, “It’s unfortunate because she’s such a big part of the Recording Academy. We absolutely wish we had her onstage.”
Neither Beyonce nor the Recording Academy has addressed her reason for turning down the event. It may have to do with the concern over attending an in-person event, but it could also be due to the backlash the Recording Academy has faced this past year. Back in January of 2020, former Grammys CEO Deborah Dugan alleged that the Recording Academy has a history of sexual misconduct and corruption, and she wasn’t the only one to say so. After being snubbed of an award this year, The Weeknd slammed the ceremony as corrupt and called for greater transparency in the nomination process. Other artists like Ellie Goulding, Zayn, Fiona Apple, and Lil Wayne have made similar, disdainful remarks about the Grammys.
Some of the artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.