Ariana Grande, a No-Show, Wins First-Ever Grammy Award

By Variety Staff

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Ariana Grande, who is sitting out this year’s Grammy Awards following a disagreement with producers over which songs would be featured during her performance, has picked up her first ever Grammy , for best pop vocal album for “Sweetener.” The Recording Academy accepted the award on her behalf. Grande was up in a second category, for pop solo performance, but lost to Lady Gaga for “Joanne.”

Grande tweeted about her win, writing “i know i’m not there tonight (trust, i tried and still truly wished it had worked out tbh) and i know i said i try not to put too much weight into these things …. but f— ……. this is wild and beautiful. thank you so much.”

Insiders told Variety that Grande felt “insulted” that producers didn’t want her to perform her “7 Rings.” While they reached a compromise in which “7 Rings” would be part of a medley, producers insisted that the second song would be their choice, which caused Grande to pull out altogether.

Making matters even more tense, Grande’s image is being used in billboards and advertising for the Grammy Awards which, according to sources, has angered the singer’s team who feel she is being used to promote the show with no commitment to actually participate.

Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich told Variety on Grammy eve, “I’ve always believed at the end of the day, on Sunday night between 8 and 11:30, if we deliver, the rest goes away. All I can do is put good stuff up there. I’m able to put all the other mishegas out of my mind.”

Grande has been nominated four times previously, beginning in 2015 for “Bang Bang,” with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. She’s received two nods for best pop vocal album, for “My Everything” and “Dangerous Woman.”