Global superstar The Weeknd made his highly anticipated return to the Grammy stage after a three-year boycott, marking a turning point for the Recording Academy. His performance, a rousing medley of “Cry For Me” and “Timeless,” came after his widely public decision to step away from submitting any of his music in 2021 stemming from concerns over a lack of transparency and fairness in the awards process. Now, following the Academy’s sweeping reforms and a massive overhaul of its voting body, and initiatives to promote inclusivity, The Weeknd’s return signals a new era of accountability and integrity for the Grammys.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr shared this message during the Grammys this evening: Criticism is ok. I heard him, and I felt his conviction. What we all want is an organization dedicated to the well-being of all music makers, and one that reflects the entire music community, for now, and for future generations. So over the past few years, we’ve listened. We've acted. And, we‘ve changed. We’ve launched initiatives like the Black Music Collective, Women in the Mix, Academy Proud, and others. We have completely re-made our membership, adding more than 3,000 women voting members. The Grammy electorate is now younger, nearly 40% people of color, and 66% of our members are new since we started our transformation. This year, the 13,000 voting members of the Academy, nominated their peers and voted for the winners that you’re seeing on this stage tonight. It’s a system rooted in fairness, integrity, and the principle that every voice in our community matters. Now, charting a new course is never easy, there is still work to be done… but I firmly believe we’re on the right path. As we've seen tonight, music is a powerful force for good in the world. It heals us... it unites us. And we need that in this city right now. With that in mind, on a truly special night, what better way to bring us together, than this next artist. Someone who has seen the work this Academy has put in. I am so honored to leave you with a sentence, that I wasn’t sure, would ever be said on the Grammy stage again: My friends, my fellow music makers, please join me in welcoming back, none other than, 4 time Grammy winning artist, and global superstar, The Weeknd.