The re-emergence of Taylor Swift. The surprise Beyoncé bounty. The attempted rehabilitation of Dr. Luke. The annual Grammy nominations announcement can be as cathartic and maddening as the ceremony itself. The 2021 nominees, which were revealed on Tuesday morning, included plenty of familiar threads and a few (occasionally frustrating) new ones. Leave it to the Recording Academy to throw a little chaos into an already chaotic year of pop culture. 

We run down some of the surprises and snubs from the nominations, which should give you enough to chew on until the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards air Sunday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. 

Taylor finds her way back

In Miss Americana, a behind-the-scenes, warts-and-all look at her career, Swift promises to make “a better album” after her 2017 effort, Reputation, is shunned in the Grammys’ big categories. By that standard, her follow-up, Lover, mostly missed the mark, nabbing just a Song of the Year nomination while being passed over elsewhere. Folklore is different. Her intimate, acoustic-adjacent 2020 project is an Album of the Year contender, and its lead single “Cardigan” Song of the Year, contributing to a total of six nods. The nominations odds were so good for Swift that even “Beautiful Ghosts,” her song from Cats, is up for a Grammy (Best Song Written For Visual Media).

The Grammys still love (to nominate) Beyoncé

The continued brush off of international pop star/local beekeeper Beyoncé Knowles Carter has been a recurring Grammys theme for years. Beyoncé may be the most nominated female artist in the Academy’s history (with 79 career nominations; she’s won the golden gramophone 24 times), but she’s been snubbed when it counts, missing out on coveted Album of the Year honors three times. In fact, Bey has only notched one big four category win in her career, in 2010, with "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” for Song of the Year. Though she won’t be winning any AOTY honors in 2021, Beyoncé did snag nine nominations — the most of this year’s crop — including four for “Black Parade” (for Song and Record of the Year, and Best R&B Performance and Song). It’s a surprisingly robust showing for a pop star who did not release an album in 2020 but did drop a feature-length film in Black Is King (that project received a nomination for Best Music Film, a category she won last year for her work on Homecoming).

That all-female Rock Performance category

Less than a year after then-Recording Academy president Deborah Dugan criticized the organization for its alleged boys club mentality, voters gave women long-deserved Grammy recognition in the rock categories with an all-female lineup of Fiona Apple, Big Thief (the Brooklyn-based group led by frontwoman Adrianne Lenker), Phoebe Bridgers, HAIM, Brittany Howard, and Grace Potter.

Dr. Luke: still here

The superproducer was briefly shunned following sexual assault allegations from Kesha in 2014 (Dr. Luke, born Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, denied the charges). However, his work with pop singer Doja Cat, under the pseudonym Tyson Trax, has seemed to help rehabilitate his reputation; his production work on Doja’s “Say So” has nabbed him a Hot 100 No. 1 and a Record of the Year nomination. 

K-pop gets the snub

Prognosticators assumed BTS’ ongoing chart success would be enough to propel them to a Record or Song of the Year nomination. Unfortunately, ARMY members will have to wait, as the K-pop stars received their lone nod in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their single “Dynamite.” 

No love for the Weeknd

The Weeknd has never been a Grammys darling, but his 2020 After Hours was expected to score big at this year’s nominations, thanks to its commercial viability (it had the year’s biggest debut before Folklore came along) and its big-budget synth-pop anthems. He’s also been a mainstay on late-night television during the pandemic, turning in unique, boundary-pushing performances. They weren't enough, as Abel came up empty handed on the nomination front. (But then, he does have bigger things to worry about.) 

The grab bag Album of the Year category 

The year’s most perplexing mix of contenders can be found in Album of the Year. Taylor? Yes. Dua Lipa? Totally. But also, a tiny psych-rock duo from Texas (Black Pumas)? A memory-holed Coldplay album? A Jacob Collier album only 10 people heard? Jhene Aiko’s beguiling Chilombo? Also, Haim’s career-best WIMPIII and Post Malone. A very strange bunch — made stranger in a year filled with more than enough worthy picks.

Best New(ish) Artist: Kaytranada

The Grammys insistence on calling established artists “new” continues apace for the 2021 ceremony, this time with Kaytranda being nominated for Best New Artist. The 28-year-old DJ and producer’s first album, 99.9%, from 2016, ended up on half-a-dozen year-end lists, and bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic charts. That seems a bit far from the Recording Academy’s definition of a “new artist,” which is “any performing artist or established performing group who releases, during the eligibility year, the recording that first establishes the public identity of that artist or established group as a performer.” 

Odds and Ends

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Author:Alex Suskind - Source: EW

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The most-nominated female artist in Grammy history is set for another banner year.

Beyoncé snagged nine nods Tuesday morning as part of the Recording Academy’s 2021 lineup. Her total includes one for Song of the Year, two for Record of the Year, and recognition in down-ballot categories such as Best R&B Performance and Best Rap Song. It’s a surprisingly robust showing for the pop star, who did not release an album in 2020 but whose presence was still felt across music, with the one-off single "Black Parade" and the release of the feature-length Black Is King  on Disney+.

Other major getters for the 2021 ceremony include Taylor Swift, with six nominations, including an Album of the Year nod for her surprise 2020 record Folklore, as well as Song of the Year for “Cardigan.” Matching her total were rapper Roddy Ricch, (including Record and Song of the Year) and singer Dua Lipa (her Future Nostalgia, is recognized in Album of the Year). Billie Eilish, who swept the 2020 ceremony with wins in the top four categories, received four nominations, including Record and Song of the Year for “Everything I Wanted.”  

Ahead of the nominations, the Recording Academy announced it was eliminating urban categories for the most part, following outcry from artists like Tyler, the Creator, who've said their music only is sorted into "urban" because of their race, not their genre. For the 2021 Grammys, Best Urban Contemporary Album will now be known as Best Progressive R&B Album. The other former category to use the word "urban," Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album, will now be split between Best Latin Pop or Urban Album (reflecting the usage of musíca urbana) and Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.

You can check out a selection of nominees in the major categories in the post below. The full list of nominations in all 84 categories can be found at the Grammys’ website. The 63 Annual Grammy Awards will air Sunday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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" — 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)
"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 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 Vocal Album

Changes — Justin Bieber
Chromatica — Lady Gaga
Future Nostalgia — Dua Lipa
Fine Line — Harry Styles
Folklore  — 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 Dance/Electronic Album

Kick I — Arca
Planet's Mad — Baauer
Energy — Disclosure
Bubba — Kaytranada
Good Faith — Madeon

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 Performance

"Shameika" — Fiona Apple
"Not" — Big Thief
"Kyoto" — Phoebe Bridgers
"The Steps" — HAIM
"Stay High" — Brittany Howard
"Daylight" — Grace Potter

Best R&B Performance

“Lightning & Thunder” — Jhene 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 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 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 R&B Song

"Better Than I Imagine" — Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello)
"Black Parade" — Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim "Kaydence" Krysiuk & Rickie "Caso" Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
"Collide" — Sam Barsh, Stacey Barthe, Sonyae Elise, Olu Fann, Akil King, Josh Lopez, Kaveh Rastegar & Benedetto Rotondi, songwriters (Tiana Major9 & EARTHGANG)
"Do It" — Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Anton Kuhl, Victoria Monét, Scott Storch & Vincent Van Den Ende, songwriters (Chloe X Halle)
"Slow Down" — Nasri Atweh, Badriia Bourelly, Skip Marley, Ryan Williamson & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (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 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 Featuring Lil Durk)
"Rockstar" — Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro IV & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (DaBaby Featuring 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 Featuring 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 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 Jazz Vocal Album

Ona — Thana Alexa
Secrets Are The Best Stories — Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez
Modern Ancestors — Carmen Lundy
Holy Room: Live At Alte Oper — Somi With Frankfurt Radio Big Band
What's The Hurry — Kenny Washington

Best Comedy Album

Black Mitzvah — Tiffany Haddish
I Love Everything — Patton Oswalt
The Pale Tourist — Jim Gaffigan
Paper Tiger — Bill Burr
23 Hours to Kill — Jerry Seinfeld

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” — Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“The Bones” — Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)  
“Crowded Table” — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen) 
“More Hearts Than Mine” — Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis & Derrick Southerland, songwriters (Ingrid Andress) 
“Some People Do” — Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (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 Americana Album

Old Flowers — Courtney Marie Andrews
Terms Of Surrender — Hiss Golden Messenger
World On The Ground — Sarah Jarosz
El Dorado — Marcus King
Good Souls Better Angels — Lucinda Williams

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)

Acid For The Children: A Memoir — Flea
Alex Trebek – The Answer Is… — Ken Jennings
Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, And The Richest, Most Destructive Industry On Earth — Rachel Maddow
Catch And Kill — Ronan Farrow
Charlotte's Web (E.B. White) — Meryl Streep (& Full Cast)

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

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Author:Alex Suskind - Source: EW