The nominations for the 63rd Grammy Awards were announced this morning (November 24) and it was a mixed bag of happy surprises and pointed snubs. Let’s start with the good news. Despite being technically off-cycle, Beyoncé leads the field with nine nominations for stand-alone single “Black Parade” and her feature on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage.” (Both are nominated for Record Of The Year). It was also nice to see Dua Lipa’s blockbuster year rewarded with six nominations included the prestigious Album Of The Year.
Also picking up six nominations were Taylor Swift and Roddy Ricch. It was also encouraging to see an increased number of female artists nominated in the Best New Artist, rap and country categories — genres usually dominated by men. Less encouraging is the continued dismissal of K-Pop. BTS picked up a lone nomination for “Dynamite” in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Worse still, The Weeknd and Selena Gomez were snubbed altogether despite releasing two of the biggest songs (“Blinding Lights” and “Lose You To Love Me”) and best albums (After Hours and Rare) of the eligibility period.
Peruse nominations in the main categories below and click here for the full list of nominations. I’ll do a deep dive into each category as the ceremony on January 31, 2021 draws closer.
Record of the Year
“Black Parade” — Beyoncé
“Colors” — Black Pumas
“Rockstar” —DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch
“Say So” — Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa
“Circles” — Post Malone
“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion Featuring 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” — (Beyoncé)
“The Box” — (Roddy Ricch)
“Cardigan” — (Taylor Swift)
“Circles” — (Post Malone)
“Don’t Start Now” — (Dua Lipa)
“Everything I Wanted” — (Billie Eilish)
“I Can’t Breathe” — (H.E.R.)
“If the World Was Ending” — (JP Saxe Featuring 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 Featuring Quavo
“Dynamite” — BTS
“Rain on Me” — Lady Gaga With Ariana Grande
“Exile” — Taylor Swift Featuring Bon Iver
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
“Blue Umbrella” — Burt Bacharach & Daniel Tashian
“True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter” — Harry Connick, Jr.
“American Standard” — James Taylor
“Unfollow the Rules” — Rufus Wainwright
“Judy” — Renée Zellweger
Best Pop Vocal Album
“Changes” — Justin Bieber
“Chromatica” — Lady Gaga
“Future Nostalgia” — Dua Lipa
“Fine Line” — Harry Styles
“Folklore” — Taylor Swift
Best Dance Recording
“On My Mind” — Diplo & Sidepiece
“My High” — Disclosure Featuring Aminé & Slowthai
“The Difference” — Flume Featuring Toro Y Moi
“Both of Us” — Jayda G
“10%” — Kaytranada Featuring Kali Uchis
Best Dance/Electronic Album
“Kick” — I Arca
“Planet’s Mad” — Baauer
“Energy” — Disclosure
“Bubba” — Kaytranada
“Good Faith” — Madeon
Best Rock Performance
“Shameika” — Fiona Apple
“Not” — Big Thief
“Kyoto” — Phoebe Bridgers
“The Steps” — HAIM
“Stay High” — Brittany Howard
“Daylight” — Grace Potter
Best Rock Album
“A Hero’s Death” — Fontaines D.C.
“Kiwanuka” — Michael Kiwanuka
“Daylight” — Grace Potter
“Sound & Fury” — Sturgill Simpson
“The New Abnormal” — The Strokes
Best Rock Song
“Kyoto” — (Phoebe Bridgers)
“Lost in Yesterday” — (Tame Impala)
“Not” — (Big Thief)
“Shameika” — (Fiona Apple)
“Stay High” — (Brittany Howard)
Best Alternative Music Album
“Fetch the Bolt Cutters” — Fiona Apple
“Hyperspace” — Beck
“Punisher” — Phoebe Bridgers
“Jaime” — Brittany Howard
“The Slow Rush” — Tame Impala
Best R&B Performance
“Lightning & Thunder” — Jhené Aiko Featuring John Legend
“Black Parade” — Beyoncé
“All I Need” — Jacob Collier Featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $Ign
“Goat Head” — Brittany Howard
“See Me” — Emily King
Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Sit On Down” — The Baylor Project Featuring 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 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 Song
“Better Than I Imagine” — Robert Glasper Featuring 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 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 Featuring Nipsey Hussle
“Bop” — Dababy
“What’s Poppin” — Jack Harlow
“The Bigger Picture” — Lil Baby
“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé
“Dior” — Pop Smoke
Best Melodic Rap Performance
“Rockstar” — Dababy Featuring Roddy Ricch
“Laugh Now, Cry Later” — Drake Featuring Lil Durk
“Lockdown” — Anderson .Paak
“The Box” — Roddy Ricch
“Highest in the Room” — Travis Scott
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 Rap Song
“The Bigger Picture” — (Lil Baby)
“The Box” — (Roddy Ricch)
“Laugh Now, Cry Later” — (Drake Featuring Lil Durk)
“Rockstar” — (Dababy Featuring Roddy Ricch)
“Savage” — (Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé)
Best Country Solo Performance
“Stick That In Your Country Song” — Eric Church
“Who You Thought I Was” — Brandy Clark
“When My Amy Prays” — Vince Gill
“Black Like Me” — Mickey Guyton
“Bluebird” — Miranda Lambert
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“All Night” — Brothers Osborne
“10,000 Hours” — Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
“Ocean” — Lady A
“Sugar Coat” — Little Big Town
“Some People Do” — Old Dominion
Best Country Album
“Lady Like” — Ingrid Andress
“Your Life Is a Record” — Brandy Clark
“Wildcard” — Miranda Lambert
“Nightfall” — Little Big Town
“Never Will” — Ashley McBryde
Best Country Song
“Bluebird” — (Miranda Lambert)
“The Bones” — (Maren Morris)
“Crowded Table” — (The Highwomen)
“More Hearts Than Mine” — (Ingrid Andress)
“Some People Do” — (Old Dominion)
Best Latin Pop or Urban Album
“YHLQMDLG” — Bad Bunny
“Por Primera Vez” — Camilo
“Mesa Para Dos” — Kany García
“Pausa” — Ricky Martin
“3:33” — Debi Nova
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
“Aura” — Bajofondo
“Monstruo” — Cami
“Sobrevolando” — Cultura Profética
“La Conquista Del Espacio” — Fito Paez
“Miss Colombia” — Lido Pimienta
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
“Hecho En México” — Alejandro Fernández
“La Serenata” — Lupita Infante
“Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1” — Natalia Lafourcade
“Bailando Sones Y Huapangos Con Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez” — Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez
“Ayayay!” — Christian Nodal
Best Tropical Latin Album
“Mi Tumbao” — José Alberto “El Ruiseñor”
“Infinito” — Edwin Bonilla
“Sigo Cantando Al Amor (Deluxe)” — Jorge Celedon & Sergio Luis
“40” — Grupo Niche
“Memorias De Navidad” — Víctor Manuelle
Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
Dave Cobb
Flying Lotus
Andrew Watt
Best Music Film
“Beastie Boys Story” — Beastie Boys
“Black Is King” — Beyoncé
“We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” — Freestyle Love Supreme
“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice” — Linda Ronstadt
“That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” — ZZ Top
