Ariana Grande Bails on Attending Grammy Awards 2019 Due to Conflict With Producers

It appears Ariana Grande is the latest star to decide to forgo this year’s Grammy Awards, with the pop star reportedly declining to attend the ceremony after a disagreement with producers.

According to Hits, the Florida native had a conflict with producers over which songs she would perform, with a source telling Variety that Grande initially wanted to take the stage with “7 Rings,” the latest single from her upcoming album Thank U, Next, which arrives on Feb. 8.

The insider said that Grande was “insulted” after producers refused to let her perform the song, though they later relented and said she could sing it as part of a medley. However, they reportedly wanted to choose the second song in the medley, which led to Grande pulling out of her performance. The source added that other scheduled performers did not receive the same stipulations.

Now, in addition to not performing at the show, Grande will reportedly not even be attending, despite the fact that her image is being used to promote the ceremony on billboards around Los Angeles. The 25-year-old is also nominated for two awards at the ceremony, Best Pop Vocal Performance for “God Is a Woman” and Best Pop Vocal Album for 2018’s Sweetener.

Grande’s absence from the awards would be a noticeable one, as the pop star has been at the forefront of public consciousness for much of the past year due to multiple personal events as well as a new level of professional success. In September 2018, her ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, passed away from a drug overdose, and the following month, she ended her engagement to Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson.

In November, Grande released the single “thank u, next,” which broke a number of streaming records and earned the singer her first No. 1 hit. She followed that with “Imagine” and “7 Rings,” the latter of which broke Spotify’s record for most plays within a 24-hour period.

Along with Grande, it’s been reported that Taylor Swift and Maroon 5 also won’t be attending this year’s Grammys.

Scheduled performers during the Grammys include Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Brandi Carlile, H.E.R., Dan + Shay, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Post Malone, Shawn Mendes and Janelle Monáe. Dolly Parton will also take the stage to perform music from the Dumplin’ soundtrack, and Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, Maren Morris and Katy Perry will pay tribute to Parton by performing some of her iconic songs.

The Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Photo Credit: Getty / Angela Weiss