According to Variety, Drake has withdrawn his two nominations from The 2022 Grammy Awards.
The Canadian rapper previously submitted his 2021 release “Certified Lover Boy” for Best Rap Album and its single “Way 2 Sexy” for Best Rap Performance.
It’s unconfirmed why Drake chose to withdraw his nominations however, some have speculated that it could be a result of his involvement in the ongoing Astroworld tragedy, where the rapper also performed and was indicted in court filings alongside Travis Scott.
Drake has previously called out the Recording Academy for their attitude towards Black musicians. In 2019, he had his microphone cut off mid-speech as he began to criticize the award show during his acceptance speech for Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan.” In 2017, he skipped the Grammys after criticizing The Recording Academy’s classification of “Hotline Bling” as a rap song
These actions come as the Grammys’ popularity and distinction continue to decline. The Recording Academy’s issue with representation and snubbing is very prevalent and cited as a cause for this, despite attempts to remedy their voting process. Last year’s broadcast hit a record low in ratings.