GRAMMYs 2016: Nominees

Kicking off awards season with an underwhelming bang, the nominations for next year's Grammy's have been announced. It's been a good year for brits and a confusing year for pop music with some exceptions. Kendrick Lamar leads with a humongous eleven nominations and Taylor Swift and The Weeknd trail behind with seven.

GRAMMYs 2016: Nominees

Miraculously, Lamar and Swift share two nominations for Bad Blood. Not only that, but they are both nominated for Album of the Year in the same year for the second consecutive time (the last time was in 2014).

The Weeknd's huge success comes as somewhat of a surprise to me in a year when some of his songs have been questionable in quality. Particularly Earned It which has garnered three of his seven nominations which, at least in my estimations, was weak and repetitive.

Also making up the list with multiple awards are Drake with five, and Alabama Shakes and Chris Stapleton both up for four each including Album of the Year. D'Angelo and the Vanguard, Ed Sheeran, Florence + the Machine, Kanye West, and Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars (both sharing for Uptown Funk) as well as James Bay for his debut album and single are up for three.

British nominees who have done well in the more competitive categories are of course Ed Sheeran, James Bay, and Florence + the Machine. In addition, Lianne La Havas gets her first nomination for her hugely acclaimed second album, Blood, as well as nominations for Wolf Alice, Jamie xx, and Muse. Our best representation comes in rock categories.

Before you ask, Adele's recent music came out after this year's GRAMMY eligibility so you'll have to wait for next year to see what happens there.

So here they all are with some of my own musings thrown in, too. For categories all of whose nominees I've listened to, who I think will win is in bold, who I want to win, on the other hand, is in italic. The full version of the list is available here.

Record of the Year

  • The best made song, vocally and instrumentally/technically.

Really Love – D'Angelo
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson
Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
Blank Space – Taylor Swift
Can't Feel My Face – The Weeknd

Song of the Year

  • The best written song, regardless of how the song was recorded. The Grammy goes to the songwriter, not the singer unless they are the same.

Alright – Kendrick Lamar
Blank Space – Taylor Swift
Girl Crush – Little Big Town
See You Again – Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran

Album of the Year

  • The best album regardless of genre. Featured artists are not awarded.

Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes
To Pimp a Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar
Traveller – Chris Stapleton
1989 – Taylor Swift
Beauty Behind the Madness - The Weeknd

Best New Artist

  • The artists are new to the USA as any previous work may not have been released there.

Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
Tori Kelly
Meghan Trainor

Best R&B Performance

If I Don't Have You – Tamar Braxton
Breathing Underwater – Hiatus Kaiyote
Planes – Jeremih Featuring J Cole
Earned It – The Weeknd

Best Pop Vocal Performance

Heartbeat Song – Kelly Clarkson
Love Me Like You Do – Ellie Goulding
Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
Blank Space – Taylor Swift
Can't Feel My Face – The Weeknd

Best Pop Vocal Album

  • Separate to the less popular Best Pop Instrumental Album category.

Kelly Clarkson, Piece by Piece
Florence + The Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Mark Ronson, Uptown Special
Taylor Swift, 1989
James Taylor, Before This World

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

  • Title and featuring artists are awarded their own Grammys.

Florence + The Machine, "Ship to Wreck"
Maroon 5, "Sugar"
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"
Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Bad Blood"
Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"

Best Rock Album

Chaos and the Calm – James Bay
Kintsugi – Death Cab for Cutie
Mister Asylum – Highly Suspect
Drones – Muse

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern - Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap
Shadows In The Night - Bob Dylan
Stages - Josh Groban
No One Ever Tells You - Seth MacFarlane
My Dream Duets - Barry Manilow (& Various Artists)

Best Dance Recording

  • Producers and mixers are awarded the Grammy.

We're All We Need - Above & Beyond Featuring Zoë Johnston
Go - The Chemical Brothers
Never Catch Me - Flying Lotus Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Runaway (U & I) - Galantis
Where Are Ü Now - Skrillex And Diplo With Justin Bieber

Best Dance/Electronic Album

Our Love - Caribou
Born In The Echoes - The Chemical Brothers
Caracal - Disclosure
In Colour - Jamie XX
Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü - Skrillex And Diplo

Best Rock Performance

Don't Wanna Fight — Alabama Shakes
What Kind Of Man — Florence + The Machine
Something From Nothing — Foo Fighters
Ex's & Oh's — Elle King
Moaning Lisa Smile — Wolf Alice

Best Rock Song

Alabama Shakes, "Don't Wanna Fight"
Elle King, "Ex's & Oh's"
James Bay, "Hold Back the River"
Highly Suspect, "Lydia"
Florence + the Machine, "What Kind of Man"

Best Alternative Music Album

Sound & Color - Alabama Shakes
Vulnicura - Björk
The Waterfall - My Morning Jacket
Currents - Tame Impala
Star Wars - Wilco

Best R&B Song

Coffee - Brook Davis & Miguel Pimentel, songwriters (Miguel)
Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey) - The Weeknd
Let It Burn - Jazmine Sullivan
Really Love - D'Angelo
Shame - Tyrese

Best Rap Performance

Apparently - J Cole
Back To Back - Drake
Trap Queen - Fetty Wap
Alright - Kendrick Lamar
Truffle Butter - Nicki Minaj
All Day - Kanye West

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

One Man Can Change The World - Big Sean featuring Kanye West & John Legend
Glory - Common and John Legend
Classic Man - Jidenna featuring Roman GianArthur
These Walls - Kendrick Lamar featuring Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat
Only - Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown

Best Rap Song

All Day - Kanye West
Alright - Kendrick Lamar
Energy - Drake
Glory - Common & John Legend
Trap Queen - Fetty Wap

Best Rap Album

2014 Forest Hills Drive - J Cole
Compton - Dr Dre
If You're Reading This Its Too Late - Drake
To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar
The Pinkprint - Nicki Minaj

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Jeff Bhasker
Dave Cobb
Diplo
Larry Klein
Blake Mills

Best Country Song

Chances Are - Lee Ann Womack
Diamond Rings And Old Barstools - Tim McGraw
Girl Crush - Little Big Town
Hold My Hand - Brandy Clark
Traveller - Chris Stapleton

Best R&B Performance

Tamar Braxton, "If I Don't Have You"
Andra Day, "Rise Up"
Hiatus Kaiyote, "Breathing Underwater"
Jeremih feat. J. Cole, "Planes"
The Weeknd, "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)"

Best Traditional R&B Performance

  • Different to the contemporary pop category.

Faith Evans, "He Is"
Lalah Hathaway, "Little Ghetto Boy"
Jazmine Sullivan, "Let It Burn"
Tyrese, "Shame"
Charlie Wilson, "My Favorite Part of You"

Best R&B Song

Miguel, "Coffee"
The Weeknd, "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)"
Jazmine Sullivan, "Let It Burn"
D'Angelo and The Vanguard, "Really Love"
Tyrese, "Shame"

Best R&B Album

Leon Bridges, Coming Home
D'Angelo and the Vanguard, Black Messiah
Andra Day, Cheers to the Fall
Jazmine Sullivan, Reality Show
Charlie Wilson, Forever Charlie

Best Rap Performance

J. Cole, "Apparently"
Drake, "Back to Back"
Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"
Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake & Lil Wayne, "Truffle Butter"
Kanye West feat. Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney, "All Day"

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

Empire: Season 1
Fifty Shades of Grey
Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
Pitch Perfect 2
Selma

Best Song Written for Visual Media

  • The award goes to the songwriter not the performer.

The Weeknd, "Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)"
Common & John Legend, "Glory"
Ellie Goulding, "Love Me Like You Do"
Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"
Lady Gaga, "Til It Happens to You"

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media

Birdman
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Best Music Film

Foo Fighters, Sonic Highways
James Brown, Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
Nina Simone, What Happened, Miss Simone
Roger Waters, The Wall
Amy Winehouse, Amy

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

  • The Grammy goes to the remixer, not the singer.

Daniel Hope, "Berlin by Overnight (CFCF Remix)"
JES, Shant, & Clint Maximus, "Hold On (Fatum Remix)"
Galantis, "Runaway (U & I) (Kaskade Remix)"
Odesza feat. Zyra, "Say My Name (RAC Remix)"
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk (Dave Audé Remix)"

Best Music Video

  • The Grammy goes to the video director(s) and producer(s) which can be the performer.

LSD - ASAP Rocky
I Feel Love (Every Million Miles) - The Dead Weather
Alright - Kendrick Lamar
Bad Blood - Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Freedom - Pharrell Williams

Image courtesy of Flickr/jimillpicit

Author

Bhavesh Jadva

Bhavesh Jadva Voice Team

Former Media Editor on Voice and former Arts Award Editor on AAoV covering film, TV, music and comedy.

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