Diddy Excluded From The Grammy Awards

Sean 'Diddy' Combs not invited to the Grammy Awards despite nomination...

From The Hollywood Reporter

The last time Sean Combs’ music competed at the Grammys, a then-unknown Mark Zuckerberg had just created Facebook, Nipplegate occurred at the Super Bowl and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King garnered a record-tying 11 Oscars. It was 2004, and Combs, aka Diddy, won best rap performance by a group or duo — his third Grammy — for the thumping hit “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” featuring Nelly and Murphy Lee. The track appeared on the Bad Boys II soundtrack, which Diddy executive produced and released on his Bad Boy label.

So his return to the Grammys, two decades later with a nomination for best progressive R&B album for his The Love Album: Off the Grid, is a major feat — and a proud moment for the artist. Some would even call the nomination a win (though we should note that there is zero chance his album can compete with SZA’s game-changing SOS).

Though Diddy isn’t nominated in the major Grammy categories, his bid for best progressive R&B album is noteworthy since the award honors R&B-based projects created by contemporary acts who blaze trails, including critical darlings like Steve Lacy and Thundercat. Seventy albums were submitted for the award this year, and the 54-year-old Diddy beat out revered acts like Daniel Caesar, Kelela, Jungle and Kali Uchis, whose Red Moon in Venus ranked second on THR’s best albums of 2023 list.

Diddy’s big comeback to music’s biggest awards show didn’t last long: Less than a week after the Recording Academy unveiled its nominees, singer Cassie sued her former record label boss and boyfriend, alleging he used his power to subject her to years of sexual and physical violence. Cassie and Diddy settled two days later, but more lawsuits from women followed with claims of rape and sexual assault. Combs has denied all of the allegations.

The severity of the allegations cast a shadow over the artist — and over the awards show that recognized him. Diddy’s representative tells THR that he won’t attend the Feb. 4 Grammys. Everyone nominated for a Grammy is invited to the show, and the Academy revealed in a Dec. 11 statement to RadarOnline that it is “taking this matter very seriously and we are in the process of evaluating it with the time and care that it deserves.”