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Janelle Monáe and Kendrick Lamar Lead the Way In This Year’s Grammy Nominations

Janelle Monáe and Kendrick Lamar Lead the Way In This Year’s Grammy Nominations

The Grammys are sort of like powdered sugar mini-donuts. No one’s going out of their way to get them, but you won’t turn one down if it’s offered. At this point, the Grammys are almost as famous for how many times they’ve gotten it wrong as they are for the awards themselves, and this year probably won’t be any different. But still, the award show itself generally provides at least a couple memorable performances and, you never know, this could be the year they actually get a few things right. A few of the nominees are definitely deserving.

There was a lot of love for women, with Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves, Janelle Monáe and Cardi B getting a ton of well-deserved nominations. The Black Panther soundtrack, which is effectively just a very strong Kendrick Lamar album, came through with a lot of attention too. Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” got a lot of attention, as did Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s “Shallows” from the Star Is Born soundtrack.

Those all make sense, but there are some headscratchers on here too. Greta Van Fleet, most famous for being very bad, got a Best Rock Album nom (for their debut EP). Margo Price, currently on her third studio album, scored a Best New Artist nomination. But that’s all part of what makes the Grammys so …unexpected, let’s say. Check out the full list of nominees below.

Album of the Year

H.E.R. – H.E.R.
Brandi Carlile – By the Way, I Forgive You
Drake – Scorpion
Various Artists – Black Panther: The Album
Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
Post Malone – Beerbongs & Bentleys
Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy
Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

Record of the Year

Cardi B – I Like It
Brandi Carlile – The Joke
Childish Gambino – This Is America
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Drake – God’s Plan
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars
Post Malone & 21 Savage – Rockstar
Zedd & Maren Morris – The Middle

Song of the Year

Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars
Ella Mai – Boo’d Up
Drake – God’s Plan
Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
Brandy Carlile – The Joke
Zedd & Maren Morris – The Middle
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Childish Gambino – This Is America

Best New Artist

Chloe x Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith

Pop

Best Pop Solo Performance

Beck – Colors
Camila Cabello – Havana (Live)
Ariana Grande – God Is a Woman
Lady Gaga – Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)
Post Malone – Better Now

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Christina Aguilera ft. Demi Lovato – Fall In Line
Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – Girls Like You
Justin Timberlake ft. Chris Stapleton – Say Something
Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – The Middle

Best Pop Vocal Album

Camila Cabello – Camila
Kelly Clarkson – Meaning of Life
Ariana Grande – Sweetener
Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes
Pink – Beautiful Trauma
Taylor Swift – Reputation

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Tony Bennett & Diana Krall – Love Is Here to Stay
Willie Nelson – My Way
Gregory Porter – Nat “King” Cole & Me
Seal – Standards (Deluxe)
Barbra Streisand – The Music… The Mem’ries… The Magic!

Rap

Best Rap Performance

Cardi B – Be Careful
Drake – Nice for What
Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, & James Blake – King’s Dead
Anderson .Paak – Bubblin
Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk, & Swae Lee – Sicko Mode

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Christina Aguilera ft. Goldlink – Like I Do
6LACK ft. J. Cole – Pretty Little Fears
Childish Gambino – This Is America
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage – Rockstar

Best Rap Song

Drake – God’s Plan
Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, & James Blake – King’s Dead
Eminem – Lucky You
Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk, & Swae Lee – Sicko Mode
Jay Rock ft. Kendrick Lamar – Win

Best Rap Album

Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy
Mac Miller- Swimming
Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap
Pusha-T – Daytona
Travis Scott – Astroworld

Rock

Best Rock Performance

Arctic Monkeys – Four Out of Five
Chris Cornell – When Bad Does Good
THE FEVER 333 – Made An America
Greta Van Fleet – Highway Tune
Halestorm – Uncomfortable

Best Metal Performance

Between the Buried and Me – Condemned to the Gallows
Deafheaven – Honeycomb
High on Fire – Electric Messiah
Trivium – Betrayer
Underoath – On My Teeth

Best Rock Song

Greta Van Fleet – Black Smoke Rising
Twenty One Pilots – Jumpsuit
Bring Me the Horizon – MANTRA
St. Vincent – Masseduction
Ghost – Rats

Best Rock Album

Alice in Chains – Rainier Fog
Fall Out Boy – M A N I A
Ghost – Prequelle
Greta Van Fleet – From the Fires
Weezer – Pacific Daydream

Best Alternative Music Album

Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Beck – Colors
Björk – Utopia
David Byrne – American Utopia
St. Vincent – Masseduction

R&B

Best R&B Performance
Toni Braxton – Long As I Live
The Carters – Summer
Lalah Hathaway – Y O Y
H.E.R. – Best Part [ft. Daniel Caesar] PJ Morton – First Began

Best Traditional R&B Performance
Leon Bridges – Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand
Betty LaVette – Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight
MAJOR. – Honest
PJ Morton – How Deep Is Your Love [ft. Yebba] Charlie Wilson – Made for Love [ft. Lalah Hathaway]

Best R&B Song
Ella Mai – Boo’d Up
Miguel – Come Through and Chill [ft. J. Cole and Salaam Remi] Childish Gambino – Feels Like Summer
H.E.R. – Focus
Toni Braxton – Long As I Live

Best Urban Contemporary Album
The Carters – Everything Is Love
Chloe x Halle – The Kids Are Alright
Chris Dave and the Drumhedz – Chris Dave and the Drumhedz
Miguel – War & Leisure
Meshell Ndegeocello – Ventriloquism

Best R&B Album
Toni Braxton – Sex & Cigarettes
Leon Bridges – Good Thing
Lalah Hathaway – Honestly
H.E.R. – H.E.R.
PJ Morton – Gumbo Unplugged (Live)

Dance

Best Dance Recording
Above & Beyond – Northern Soul [ft. Richard Bedford] Disclosure – Ultimatum [ft. Fatoumata Diawara] Fisher – Losing It
Silk City & Dua Lipa – Electricity [ft. Diplo and Mark Ronson] Virtual Self – Ghost Voices

Best Dance/Electronic Album
Jon Hopkins – Singularity
Justice – Woman
Sofi Tukker – Treehouse
SOPHIE – Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
TOKiMONSTA – Lune Rouge

Comedy

Best Comedy Album
Patton Oswalt – Annihilation
Dave Chappelle – Equanimity & the Bird Revelation
Jim Gaffigan – Noble Ape
Fred Armisen – Standup for Drummers
Chris Rock – Tamborine

Remix

Best Remixed Recording
Labrinth, Sia & Diplo present LSD – Audio (CID Remix Official Dance Remix)
Charlie Puth – How Long (EDX’s Dubai Skyline Remix)
Gabriel & Dresden feat. Sub Teal – Only Road (Cosmic Gate Remix)
Kygo, Justin Jesso – Stargazing [ft. Justin Jesso] (Kaskade Remix)
HAIM – Walking Away (Mura Masa remix)

Music for Visual Media

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Call Me by Your Name
Deadpool 2
The Greatest Showman
Lady Bird
Stranger Things

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Ludwig Göransson – Black Panther
Benjamin Wallfisch & Hans Zimmer – Blade Runner 2049
Michael Giacchino – Coco
Alexandre Desplat – The Shape of Water
John Williams – Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Packaging

Best Recording Package
Mitski – Be the Cowboy
BTS – Love Yourself: Tear
St. Vincent – Masseduction
The Chairman – The Offering
Foxhole – Well Kept Thing

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction (Locked N’ Loaded)
The Decemberists – I’ll be Your Girl
Grateful Dead – Pacific Northwest ’73-74′: The Complete Recordings
“Weird” Al Yankovic – Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of “Weird Al” Yankovic
Sarah Dodds and Shauna Dodds – Too Many Bad Habits

Best Album Notes
Various Artists – Alpine Dreaming: The Helvetia Records Story, 1920-1924 (James P. Leary)
Charles A. Asbury – 4 Banjo Songs, 1891-1897: Foundational Recordings Of America’s Iconic Instrument (Richard Martin & Ted Olson)
Sonny Clark Trio – The 1960 Time Sessions (Ben Ratliff)
Various Artists – The Product Of Our Souls: The Sound And Sway Of James Reese Europe’s Society Orchestra (David Gilbert)
Bob Dylan – Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981 (Deluxe Edition) (Amanda Petrusich)
Various Artists – Voices Of Mississippi: Artists And Musicians Documented By William Ferris (David Evans)

Producer

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Boi-1da
Larry Klein
Linda Perry
Kanye West
Pharrell Williams

Music Video/Film

Best Music Video
The Carters – Apes***
Childish Gambino – This Is America
Joyner Lucas – I’m Not Racist
Janelle Monáe – PYNK
Tierra Whack – MUMBO JUMBO

Best Music Film
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars
Whitney
Quincy
Itzhak
Elvis Presley: The King

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