Drake Roots for Rihanna and "Work" at the 2017 Grammys: "I Hope They Don't Do Us Dirty"

"That was a big ass song," the rapper says at the Manchester Arena in England

Rihanna put in a lot of work, work, work, work, work, work—but will all that hard work pay off?

"Work," featuring Drake, is nominated for Record of the Year at the 2017 Grammys. The song faces stiff competition, as Adele's "Hello," Beyoncé's "Formation," Lukas Graham's "7 Years," and Twenty One Pilots' "Stressed Out" are also in the running. Rihanna and Drake's duet is also up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with The Chainsmokers and Halsey's "Closer," Lukas Graham's "7 Years," Sia and Sean Paul's "Cheap Thrills" and Twenty One Pilots' "Stressed Out."

A video posted by P R I N C E S S A? (@theaubriheffect) on Feb 12, 2017 at 4:16pm PST

Rihanna and Drake each earned eight nominations; only Beyoncé received more recognition. However, the the rapper had to skip Sunday's ceremony at the Staples Center in L.A., as he had already scheduled a concert at the Manchester Arena in England. During his Boy Meets World Tour set, however, Drake took a moment to send Rihanna, 28, some love from across the pond.

"You know, I hope they give Rihanna some awards tonight for that 'Work' song, because that was a big ass song and she deserves it," Drake, 30, told his fans. "I hope they don't do us dirty."

As luck would have it, Drake was already a winner. During the pre-show, the Recording Academy announced "Hotline Bling" won Best Rap/Sung Performance, beating Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar's "Freedom," D.R.A.M. and Lil Yachty's "Broccoli," Kanye West, Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin and The-Dream's "Ultralight Beam" and West and Rihanna's "Famous." Drake's "Hotline Bling" also won Best Rap Song, beating Fat Joe, Remy Ma, French Montana and Infared's "All the Way Up," West and Rihanna's "Famous," Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz's "No Problem" and West, Chance The Rapper, Price, Franklin and The-Dream's "Ultralight Beam." Drake is still in the running for Album of the Year (Views), Best R&B Song ("Come and See Me"), Best Rap Performance ("Pop Style"), and Best Rap Album (Views).

Rihanna has won eight awards out of 32 nominations since 2008.

Drake, meanwhile, has won three out of 35 nominations since 2010.

Tune in to E! News at 7 p.m. and Fashion Police at 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13 for complete coverage of the 2017 Grammys.