The Weeknd surprised attendees and viewers of the 2025 Grammy Awards with an unexpected performance during Sunday night’s ceremony.

The four-time Grammy winner has been publicly boycotting the ceremony since March 2021, when he told the New York Times, “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys.”

But following several changes that Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. says are “rooted in fairness, integrity, and the principle that every voice in our community matters,” the Weeknd returned to the Grammys stage to sing tracks from his new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, which dropped Friday.

Ahead of the Weeknd’s performance, Mason Jr. acknowledged the criticism, saying, “I heard him. I felt his conviction.” The exec added, “What we all want is an organization dedicated to the well-being of all music makers, and one that reflects the entire music community for now and for future generations. So over the past few years, we’ve listened, we have acted, and we’ve changed.” He pointed to several of the Recording Academy’s initiatives that focus on highlighting artists of color and women in music, adding that the Weeknd has taken note of the organization’s efforts.

“There’s still work to be done, but I firmly believe we’re on the right path,” Mason Jr. said.

The Weeknd announced his boycott in 2021 after he was shut out of that year’s awards, citing the complicated way nominees were determined at the time and accusing the Recording Academy of a lack of transparency.

Later in 2021, the Recording Academy announced several changes to its rules, and did away with the anonymous committees the Weeknd called out. On Sunday, Mason Jr. explained, “We have completely re-made our membership, adding more than 3,000 women voting members. The Grammy electorate is now younger, nearly 40 percent people of color, and 66 percent of our members are new since we started our transformation. This year, the 13,000 voting members of the Academy nominated their peers and voted for the winners that you’re seeing on this stage tonight.”

The Weeknd has earned 14 Grammy nominations throughout his career, including this year for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his feature on “We Still Don’t Trust You” by Future and Metro Boomin.

If you missed EW and PEOPLE’s red carpet show from the Grammys, check out our interview with Green Day: