By Creative Media Times
60th Annual Grammy Awards.
The Grammys have announced their nominees with Jay-Z leading with eight. This time, he’s up against favorite contenders such as Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars, with Lamar up for seven awards, while Mars earned six nominations.
All three artists’ albums, Jay-Z’s “4:44,” Lamar’s “DAMN.,” and Mar’ “24K Magic,” are up for album of the year alongside Lorde’s “Melodrama” and Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!.”
SZA also made a big mark this year, leading all female artists this year with 5 nominations including Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best R&B Performance (“The Weekend”.)
The remix version of Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” featuring Justin Bieber, is up for both song and record of the year categories, thus becoming the first non-English-language track to be nominated in both. The song was a massive this this summer, staying at Billboard’s Hot 100 number-one summit for 16 consecutive weeks, a record it tied with “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.
Taylor Swift received two nominations for her songwriting of Little Big Town’s “Better Man” (Best Country Song) and “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” from the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack (Best Song Written For Visual Media), though she was mostly snubbed in other major categories. Her latest “Reputation” album was not released within the Grammy eligibility date of Oct. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2017.
Ed Sheeran is also noticeably absent in any of the big four categories. While his ubiquitous single “Shape of Your” and his album “Divide” (÷) which destined to be the best selling album of the year seem assured on major categories, Sheeran had to settle in for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance categories.
Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy stated: “I’m inspired by this year’s nominees and the incredible talent each possesses. Their recordings are a true testament to how creatively alive and meaningful our music industry has become. Each nominee uses their craft to inspire, uplift, and tell stories of our world through their artistry. They provide a vibrant soundtrack that represents the highest level of excellence and continues to impact and reflect our culture.”
The 60th anniversary of the awards show is set to air live from New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Jan. 28. This marks the awards’ return to New York City after spending 15 years in Los Angeles. James Corden is set to return as host for a second consecutive year.
Album of the Year:
Bruno Mars, 24K Magic
Childish Gambino, Awaken, My Love!
Jay-Z, 4:44
Kendrick Lamar, DAMN.
Lorde, Melodrama
Song of the Year
Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber, “Despacito”
Jay-Z, “4:44”
Julia Michaels, “Issues”
Logic ft. Alessia Cara and Khalid, “1-800-273-8255”
Bruno Mars, “That’s What I Like”
Record of the Year
Childish Gambino, “Redbone”
Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber, “Despacito”
Jay-Z, “The Story of O.J.”
Kendrick Lamar, “HUMBLE.”
Bruno Mars, “24K Magic”
To see the full list of nominees, go to: grammy.com
