The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours,’ released in March, was one of 2020’s biggest commercial success stories, with 1.8 billion streams to date, according to Alpha Data. Its second single, “Blinding Lights” became a blockbuster with help from a popular TikTok dance trend, with 882 million streams. Despite those metrics — plus a high level of visibility on other awards shows and events, and a widespread expectation in the industry that he would be a favorite for next year’s awards — the Weeknd received zero nominations for the 2021 Grammys.
