The country superstar Morgan Wallen will not submit his latest album for consideration at the Grammy Awards, his representatives confirmed on Wednesday, rebuffing an institution that has paid him little attention during his rise as one of the most popular artists in music.
Wallen’s “I’m the Problem” has held the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart on 11 nonconsecutive weeks since its release in May.
The Recording Academy has recognized Wallen with two past nominations. Neither was for work on his previous three albums; he picked up both nods for the 2025 ceremony for his feature on “I Had Some Help,” a hit off Post Malone’s album “F-1 Trillion.”
Wallen, who didn’t explain his decision to step away from the awards, has joined an assembly of major artists who have abandoned the music industry’s most recognized honors. Drake, the Weeknd, Frank Ocean and Zach Bryan have all at times opted not to submit their music for Grammys consideration, citing reasons including concerns over the nomination process, the makeup of the voting body and the restrictions of genre-based categories.
The Weeknd boycotted the awards for several years, until a détente in February, when the singer played two songs on the telecast. In a speech before the performance, Harvey Mason Jr., the head of the Grammy Awards, said that the academy had listened to artists’ criticism of the institution as being out of touch with younger tastes, noting that it had recently refreshed much of its membership.
Hits Daily Double, the music industry gossip site, was the first to report the news of Wallen’s decision.
On “I’m the Problem,” the singer and songwriter’s moody and melancholy fourth album, Wallen delivered 37 tracks that include collaborations with Tate McRae, Eric Church and Post Malone. Songs on the album could end up receiving recognition at the Grammys if they are submitted for consideration by other songwriters — the album’s extensive roster includes the producer Charlie Handsome and the songwriter Ernest..
Wallen has a history of keeping mainstream music institutions at a distance. Last year, he won entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association Awards and was the most nominated artist, but he was absent from the ceremony.
Once rebuked by the mainstream music industry after video surfaced of him using a racial slur, Wallen faced another wave of public scrutiny last year when he was arrested and accused of throwing a chair from the sixth-story roof of a downtown bar owned by Church. He pleaded guilty to reduced charges, for misdemeanor reckless endangerment, in December.
The incident did little to dampen his popularity — he was among the most streamed artists of last year — and he is currently on a stadium tour for “I’m the Problem.”
Nominations for the upcoming Grammy Awards will be announced in November, and the awards show is scheduled for Feb. 1. Artists may submit their music for consideration through Aug. 29.
Julia Jacobs is an arts and culture reporter who often covers legal issues for The Times.
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