(CP PHOTO/Aaron Harris)

Vancouver crooner Michael Buble says he’s not going to attend the Feb. 11 Grammys despite getting the nod for best traditional pop vocal album for his live CD/DVD Caught In The Act.

But the 31-year-old Buble backpedalled on earlier harsh comments he made to The Canadian Press yesterday about why.

“I don’t think I’m going, but it’s not because they’re not televising the award,” Buble told Sun Media at a Toronto hotel.

“It depends on how much work I have to do on the record. But it is an honour. And I was just taking the piss out of it and saying that I was hoping with all these awards that they would televise our category and they’re not. It’s a bit frustrating.

“One thing that people will get to know about me is I basically say how I feel,” Buble continued. “I have a hard time filtering, but I think I could have been far more eloquent in what I said earlier. I was just trying to be funny and I don’t think it turned out very funny. I really would hate for those people that honoured me with that nomination to think that I’m too big for my britches and I’m going, ‘Yeah, screw that.’ I would never want to disrespect that award. I surely do not want to come off as some egotistical ass.”

Buble told CP earlier in the day: “They give away our best traditional pop award at a dinner before the Grammys, so I just think that’s bulls--t. I think it’s absolute crap. Our category is selling way too many records to be given away at a dinner before, so I’m just not going to show up.”

Buble told Sun Media there are actually several reasons he’s not going to the Grammys.

First of all, he said he’s still working on his new, as-yet-untitled album, and it isn’t out until May 1 so he “has nothing to sell.”

He also believes his toughest competitor in the category and his idol, Tony Bennett, will win anyways.

“It has nothing to do with the non-broadcast of the category,” said Buble. “I’m not boycotting the god-damn Grammys. I’d like to win a Grammy one day. When I found out that (the CP story) was on the wire, I felt like I got punched in the stomach. I should, by now, be a little more tactful about the words I choose to say.”

At one point, Buble was even going to accompany his girlfriend, British actress Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) to the BAFTAs (the British Oscars) that are on the same day as the Grammys.

But Buble said he will now actually be doing press in Vancouver on Feb. 11.