Beyoncé is dominating the 2021 Grammy nominations list while The Weeknd gets shut out completely.
The Grammy nominations are out and Beyoncé is the name dominating in most categories. Queen Bey has an astounding nine nominations in eight categories. She has been nominated for the prestigious Record and Song of the Year for “Black Parade.” That track was released in honour of Juneteenth and has been hailed as a black pride anthem especially since the rejuvenation of the Black Lives Matter movement this year.
Beyoncé is no stranger to the Grammys and has won 24 Grammys over the course of her illustrious career. She’s dominated the nominations so much that she will come up against herself in the Record of the Year category for her part as a featured guest on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage.”
Some of the other top nominees include Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, along with Roddy Ricch with six nominations. Young superstar, Billie Eilish DaBaby and Justin Bieber have received four nods. Newcomer Megan Thee Stallion will compete in at least two categories for Best New Artist and Record of the Year for “Savage.”
Every year the Grammy nominations face criticism from music lovers and those intimately involved in the industry as well. One shocker that has fans up in arms is that The Weeknd was not nominated for any Grammy. What’s shocking about this is that his “Blinding Lights” single and his “After Hours” album have been doing extremely well on the charts. The album is expected to keep raking in record sales and corporate America has recognised his efforts this year as he is the featured artist of the Super Bowl halftime which takes place a week after the Grammys. The Weeknd has three Grammy’s and ten nominations. Experts have argued his snub could have been caused because his music is not clearly defined and doesn’t fall into a set genre like R&B or Pop but that’s highly speculative. Recordings must be released between Sept. 1, 2019 and Aug. 31, 2020 to be considered for this year’s awards.
R&B singer Jhene Aiko and British jazz musician Jacob Collier scored big with their nomination for Album of the Year for “Chilombo”. In the Best New Artist Megan Thee Stallion, comes up against Doja Cat and Bridgers, rapper Chika, “Rhythm & Flow” alum D Smoke and veteran DJ-producer Kaytranada.
Other comforting news coming out of the nominations is the late Pop Smoke picked up his first nomination for Best Rap Performance for “Dior,” and Nipsey Hussle earned another posthumous nomination for “Deep Reverence,” which he did with Big Sean and Hit-Boy. Usually heavily nominated Kanye West, has just one nomination for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for his work on Jesus Is King. He has 21 Grammys. One notable change is that the rock and country music categories this year is dominated by women.
R&B sensation H.E.R. grabbed a nomination for Song of the Year with “I Can’t Breathe”. She’s also featured on two other nominated songs, one by Skip Marley and the other Robert Glasper. Lil Baby, also got a nod for “The Bigger Picture.” The 63rd annual Grammy Awards will air live on January 31 on CBS and will be hosted by Trevor Noah.
BEST REGGAE ALBUM
Upside Down 2020 – Buju Banton
Higher Place – Skip Marley
It All Comes Back to Love – Maxi Priest
Got to Be Tough – Toots & The Maytals
One World – The Wailers
RECORD OF THE YEAR
“Black Parade” – Beyoncé
“Colors” – Black Pumas
“Rockstar” – DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch
“Say So” – Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted” – Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now” – Dua Lipa
“Circles” – Post Malone
“Savage” – Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Chilombo – Jhené Aiko
Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition) -Black Pumas
Everyday Life -Coldplay
Djesse Vol.3? – Jacob Collier
Women in Music Pt. III – HAIM
Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa
Hollywood’s Bleeding – Post Malone
Folklore – Taylor Swift
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Black Parade” – Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“The Box” – Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Cardigan” – Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Circles” – Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)
“Don’t Start Now” – Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
“Everything I Wanted” – Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“I Can’t Breathe” – Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“If the World Was Ending” – Julia Michaels & JP Saxe, songwriters (JP Saxe feat. Julia Michaels)
BEST NEW ARTIST
Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
“Yummy” – Justin Bieber
“Say So” – Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted” – Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now” – Dua Lipa
“Watermelon Sugar” – Harry Styles
“Cardigan” – Taylor Swift
BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
“Un Dia (One Day)” – J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy
“Intentions” – Justin Bieber feat. Quavo
“Dynamite” – BTS
“Rain on Me” – Lady Gaga With Ariana Grande
“Exile” – Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
Changes – Justin Bieber
Chromatica – Lady Gaga
Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa
Fine Line – Harry Styles
Folklore – Taylor Swift
BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
“Lightning & Thunder” – Jhené Aiko feat. John Legend
“Black Parade” – Beyoncé
“All I Need” – Jacob Collier feat. Mahalia & Ty Dolla $Ign
“Goat Head” – Brittany Howard
“See Me” – Emily King
BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
“Sit On Down” – The Baylor Project feat. Jean Baylor & Marcus Baylor
“Wonder What She Thinks of Me” – Chloe X Halle
“Let Me Go” – Mykal Kilgore
“Anything For You” – Ledisi
“Distance” – Yebba
BEST R&B SONG
“Better Than I Imagine” – Robert Glasper feat. H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello
“Black Parade” – Beyoncé
“Collide” – Tiana Major9 & Earthgang
“Do It” – Chloe X Halle
“Slow Down” – Skip Marley & H.E.R.
BEST PROGRESSIVE R&B ALBUM
Chilombo – Jhené Aiko
Ungodly Hour – Chloe X Halle
Free Nationals – Free Nationals
F*** Yo Feelings – Robert Glasper
It Is What It Is – Thundercat
BEST R&B ALBUM
Happy 2 Be Here – Ant Clemons
Take Time – Giveon
To Feel Love/D – Luke James
Bigger Love – John Legend
All Rise – Gregory Porter
BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
“Deep Reverence” – Big Sean feat. Nipsey Hussle
“Bop” – DaBaby
“What’s Poppin” – Jack Harlow
“The Bigger Picture” – Lil Baby
“Savage” – Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé
“Dior” – Pop Smoke
BEST MELODIC RAP PERFORMANCE
“Rockstar” – DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch
“Laugh Now, Cry Later” – Drake feat. Lil Durk
“Lockdown” – Anderson .Paak
“The Box” – Roddy Ricch
“Highest in the Room” – Travis Scott
BEST RAP SONG
“The Bigger Picture” – Dominique Jones, Noah Pettigrew & Rai’shaun Williams, Songwriters (Lil Baby)
“The Box” – Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, Songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Laugh Now, Cry Later” – Durk Banks, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Ron Latour & Ryan Martinez, Songwriters (Drake feat. Lil Durk)
“Rockstar” – Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro Iv & Rodrick Moore, Songwriters (DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch)
“Savage” – Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé)
BEST RAP ALBUM
Black Habits – D Smoke
Alfredo – Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
A Written Testimony – Jay Electronica
King’s Disease – Nas
The Allegory Royce – Da 5’9?
BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM
Run To The Father – Cody Carnes
All Of My Best Friends – Hillsong Young & Free
Holy Water – We The Kingdom
Citizen Of Heaven – Tauren Wells
Jesus Is King – Kanye West
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
Dave Cobb
Flying Lotus
Andrew Watt
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
“Brown Skin Girl” – Beyoncé
“Life Is Good” – Future feat. Drake
“Lockdown” – Anderson .Paak
“Adore You” – Harry Styles
“Goliath” – Woodkid
