The major categories include some surprising, lesser-known names and notable absences as a Recording Academy in transition plans its pandemic awards show.
Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa dominate the nominations for the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, leading a diverse if somewhat scattershot collection of artists for January’s edition of music’s top awards show.
Beyoncé, with the most nods overall, received nine nominations in eight categories, including both record and song of the year for “Black Parade,” a track released during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests this summer with lyrics like “Put your fists up in the air, show Black love.” In the best record category, Beyoncé will compete against herself as the featured guest on Megan Thee Stallion’s hit “Savage.”
Swift, whose last two LPs received minimal attention from the Grammys — and did not win any prizes — got six nominations, including five for “Folklore,” the blockbuster album she recorded during the coronavirus pandemic. “Folklore” is up for album of the year and best pop vocal album, and her song “Cardigan” got two nods, including song of the year. She even got a nomination for “Beautiful Ghosts,” a song she wrote with Andrew Lloyd Webber for the much-maligned film version of “Cats.”
Lipa, the British dance-pop star who won best new artist in 2019, is up for album of the year for “Future Nostalgia,” while her disco-tinged “Don’t Start Now” was nominated for both record and song of the year. (The record category recognizes the performer and producers of a single track, while best song is for songwriters.)
