Nominations out for Grammys
Young blood tops list, from Eilish to Lizzo to Lil Nas X,
Lizzo, a charismatic new pop and R&B star, has been nominated for eight prizes at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards, leading a class dominated by fresh faces like Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X.
Lizzo spent much of the last decade as a struggling rapper and singer but broke through this year with hits like “Juice” and “Truth Hurts,” and a bold, body-positive persona. Little known to mainstream audiences a year ago, she is now up for every major award at the Grammys, including Album of the Year for the deluxe version of “Cuz I Love You,” Record and Song of the Year for “Truth Hurts,” and Best New Artist, the Recording Academy announced Wednesday.
Not so long ago, the Grammys were routinely criticized for rewarding journeyman stars and rock elders at the expense of pop’s younger and more vital ranks. No longer. Continuing a trend that has been building for several years, the latest crop of nominees are young, diverse and largely reflective of the forefront of pop.
Lizzo’s competition includes two artists with six nominations each: Eilish, a 17-year-old alternative auteur who has built a wildly devoted following, and Lil Nas X, a 20-year-old rapper and master of internet memes whose “country-trap” hybrid “Old Town Road” became an all-pervasive cultural phenomenon this year, breaking Billboard’s singles chart record with 19 weeks at No. 1.
Eilish’s “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” is up for Album of the Year; “Bad Guy” is up for Record and Song of the Year; and Eilish is a contender for Best New Artist. She is the youngest person to be nominated for all four top categories.
Finneas O’Connell, her brother and primary collaborator, received five nods for his work with her as a producer and songwriter.
Lil Nas X was nominated for Record of the Year for the remix of “Old Town Road” (which features country star Billy Ray Cyrus) and Album of the Year for “7,” an eight-song EP. He is also up for Best New Artist, in what may be seen as a challenge to the academy’s more conservative voting ranks, who have often been reluctant to reward artists they view as untested.
But Lil Nas X has also come to stand for many of the changes now sweeping pop music. “Old Town Road” first exploded as a hit on TikTok, the video app, and his blithe combination of rap and country highlighted the increasing blurring of genre.
Lil Nas X was not nominated in any of the Grammys’ country categories.
Among this year’s other top nominees, Ariana Grande received five nods, including Record of the Year for “7 Rings” — a recasting of Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s “My Favorite Things” — and Album of the Year for “Thank U, Next.” The young R&B singer H.E.R., who took home two awards at the most recent Grammys, is also up for five, including Album of the Year for “I Used to Know Her,” and Record and Song of the Year for “Hard Place.”
In a conspicuous rebuffing of a major star, Taylor Swift — a 10time winner and one-time darling of the academy — received three nods, but only one in a major category: “Lover,” the title track of her latest album, is up for Song of the Year. Swift’s song “You Need to Calm Down” is up for Best Pop Solo Performance and “Lover” for Best Pop Vocal Album.
Canadian nominees were led by Drake, with just two nominations for separate collaborative efforts.
The Toronto rapper shares a nod with Rick Ross for “Gold Roses” for Best Rap Song. He’s also nominated alongside Chris Brown for “No Guidance” in the R&B song category.
Jessie Reyez scored her first Grammy nomination for “Being Human in Public” in the urban contemporary album category. And Shawn Mendes grabbed a nod alongside Camila Cabello for their single “Senorita” for Best Pop Duo or Group Performance.
Daniel Caesar received his fourth Grammy nomination for “Love Again” with Brandy in the Best R&B Performance category.
Other Canadians in the running include Michael Bublé’s “Love” for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album; Alberta’s Northern Cree for Best Regional Roots Music Album for “When It’s Cold — Cree Round Dance Songs”; Nova Scotia soprano Barbara Hannigan, among a group of contributors on “Benjamin: Lessons in Love & Violence,” a Best Opera Recording Contender; and London, Ont.born songwriter Bernie Herms for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance or Song alongside Mark Hall and Matthew West for Casting Crowns’ “Only Jesus.”
In the most prestigious categories, the nominations largely went to a mixture of new faces in pop and R&B, and mid-career, alt-leaning rock artists. For album of the year, the contestants also include “i,i” by Bon Iver, the project of the experimental singer-songwriter Justin Vernon; Vampire Weekend’s “Father of the Bride”; and Lana Del Rey’s “Norman F-king Rockwell!”
The crop for Record of the Year also includes Bon Iver’s “Hey, Ma”; “Talk,” a radio hit by the young R&B-pop singer Khalid; and “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee. Song of the Year includes “Always Remember Us This Way,” as performed by Lady Gaga in the film “A Star Is Born”; “Bring My Flowers Now,” as performed by Tucker; “Norman F--king Rockwell” by Del Rey; and “Someone You Loved,” a breakout hit by 23-year-old Scottish crooner Lewis Capaldi. The 62nd Grammy Awards air Jan. 26 on CBS and Citytv.