Bruno Mars recently announced that he will skip competing in the upcoming Grammys with his Silk Sonic project, the collaboration between Mars and Anderson .Paak. The decision means the duo will not submit the album An Evening With Silk Sonic for consideration by the Music Academy voters this year. It is a surprising turn since Silk Sonic dominated the previous Grammys, sweeping four trophies thanks to the lead single Leave the Door Open. The group also earned the top honors in both the song of the year and record of the year categories during that memorable night.
The single was released in April 2021, which allowed it to be eligible for the earlier version of the awards following the album’s release later that year. Under the Grammys’ rules, eligibility and submission choices are made by record labels, who decide which tracks to nominate in each category. In a statement routed through Rolling Stone, Silk Sonic expressed gratitude for the recognition and explained their plan to approach this year with a different posture, aiming to celebrate a strong year of music across many performers while staying true to their artistic intent. Mars and Paak also thanked the Grammys for their past support, noting the duo’s surprise appearance at the 2020 ceremony as a bold moment that helped announce Silk Sonic to a wider audience.
Harvey Mason Jr., the chief executive of the Recording Academy, acknowledged the choice while noting that Silk Sonic had previously performed at recent galas. He emphasized that while the Grammys are built on a voting process that often hinges on a label’s nomination strategy, the event remains a platform where artists can highlight their latest work. The decision to forgo submission aligns with a broader conversation about how artists balance timing, thematic cycles, and the desire to preserve the momentum of a signature project across multiple releases.
Historically, Mars has been one of the most celebrated figures in Grammy history, capturing the album of the year award with his solo project 24K Magic in 2018, along with multiple wins for songs and production. Yet, this year the field is crowded with formidable contenders such as Adele, Kendrick Lamar, and Beyoncé, whose ongoing projects and public resonance heighten the competition. That competitive landscape can narrow the options for any single artist, even one with a strong track record of nominations and wins, and it underscores how strategic choices around nominations can influence visibility and impact across the awards season.
Silk Sonic’s approach reflects a broader understanding within the music industry about the rhythm of release schedules, the lifecycle of a project, and the ways awards recognition interacts with audience reach. By choosing not to place An Evening With Silk Sonic into the current awards pool, the duo may be signaling a focus on long-term fan engagement and future opportunities rather than chasing rapid awards success. The decision invites fans and critics to anticipate how Silk Sonic might present new material or reframe existing tracks in subsequent releases, tours, or special performances that continue to keep the group in the spotlight on the world stage.
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