Machine Gun Kelly Isn't Holding Back About His Grammys Snub

In the music industry, winning — or simply being nominated — for a Grammy has always been considered the pinnacle of musical achievement. Having a gold gramophone under one's belt implies the given artist measures up to the best of the best, considering how winners are determined through a stringent voting process involving songwriters, producers, performers, engineers and other professionals working in the music industry.

But, in recent years, many artists, both winners and nominees, have distanced themselves from the whole thing. For instance, three-time Grammy winner The Weeknd notably slammed the award show in 2020 for failing to be transparent about the voting process. "The Grammys remain corrupt," he tweeted at the time. "You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency..." Halsey also called out the Recording Academy that same year, saying that snagging a nomination involves a lot of networking. "The Grammys are an elusive process," she posted to her Instagram Stories, per People. "It can often be about behind the scenes private performances, knowing the right people, campaigning through the grapevine, with the right handshakes and 'bribes' that can be just ambiguous enough to pass as 'not-bribes.'"

This year's round of Grammy nominations is no different. Artists and fans alike have questioned its relevance since many deserving acts have been snubbed or under-nominated. And at the forefront of it all is Machine Gun Kelly.

On November 23, a new slate of Grammy nominations were announced. Jon Batiste got an astounding 11 nominations, Justin Bieber, H.E.R., and Doja Cat all got eight nominations, and Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo each got seven nods. On the flip side, the likes of Halsey, Bo Burnham, BTS, and Drake, were all severely under-nominated, despite having impressive records this year. Some were left completely empty-handed, including Miley Cyrus, Lorde, and Machine Gun Kelly.

After the nominations were announced, Machine Gun Kelly was quick to express his disappointment on social media. "wtf is wrong with the grammys," he tweeted, likely referring to his snub. But many fans rallied behind him, saying he deserved recognition. "Trust me. You deserve a Grammy but the Grammys don't deserve you," one fan said. "You deserved that nomination for ttmd more then anything with it being a number one album, having a sold out tour with it, and for bringing back that entire genre," tweeted another.

Machine Gun Kelly's reaction was valid considering how his latest album, "Tickets to My Downfall," skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard 200 chart. But, while he has yet to receive a Grammy nomination, MGK just won the American Music Award for Favorite Rock Artist. The AMAs are largely voted by fans, which is who ultimately matters anyway. As one of MGK's tweets said: "winning a fan voted award >>>"