Nominees for the 2021 Grammy Awards have been revealed. Now in its 63rd year, the annual ceremony recognizes the best albums, songs, and artists of the eligibility period (September 1st, 2019 – August 31st, 2020).
Already the second most nominated artist in Grammy history, Beyoncé leads all of this year’s contenders with a total of nine nominations. Queen Bey’s “Black Parade” received nods for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Additionally, her and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” remix earned nominations for Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song.
Speaking of Megan Thee Stallion, she’ll also vie for Best New Artist against Phoebe Bridgers, Kaytranada, Doja Cat, and Chika.
Bridgers received a surprising four nominations. In addition to Best New Artist, the indie songwriter’s song “Kyoto” is up for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song, and her masterful sophomore full-length Punisher is nominated for Best Alternative Music Album.
The incomparable Fiona Apple also received a trio of nominations. “Shameika” is in consideration for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song, and Fetch the Bolt Cutters is in the running for Best Alternative Music Album.
Taylor Swift, unsurprisingly, was honored for her latest album folklore. She earned six nominations, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year (“cardigan)”, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (“exile featuring Justin Vernon).
Other Album of the Year contenders include HAIM (Women In Music Pt. III), Dua Lipa (Future Nostalgia), Post Malone (Hollywood’s Bleeding), Black Pumas (Black Pumas), Coldplay (Everyday Life), Jhené Aiko (Chilombo), and Jacob Collier (Djesse Vol. 3).
Billie Eilish, who last year swept the four general music categories, received four more nominations this year. “Everything I Wanted” is up for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance, while her James Bond theme “No Time to Die” received recognition in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category.
Brittany Howard received a total of five nominations, including Best Rock Performance (“Stay High”), Best Rock Song (“Stay High”), Best Alternative Music Album (Jaime), Best R&B Performance (“Goat Head”), and Best American Roots Performance (“Short and Sweet”).
The late John Prine received two posthumous nominations for Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song, both for his final song “I Remember Everything”.
K-pop kings BTS earned their first-ever Grammy nomination in a performance category as their song “Dynamite” is up for Best Pop/Duo Group Performance.
Other notable nominees include Flying Lotus (Producer of the Year), Jay Electronica (Best Rap Album), Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist (Best Rap Album), Power Trip (Best Metal Performance), Fontaines D.C. (Best Rock Album), and Arca (Best Dance/Electronica Album).
Not everyone walked away with a nomination, however. In one of the most shocking snubbings in recent memory, The Weeknd was completely shut out of the 2021 Grammys despite having one of the year’s biggest albums.
The 2021 Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday, January 31st and will be hosted by The Daily Show anchor Trevor Noah. Due to the ongoing pandemic, it remains to be seen whether the ceremony will take place in a live capacity with an audience.
See the list of notable 2021 Grammy nominees below. You can find the complete list at the Grammys’ website.
Album of the Year:
Jhené Aiko – Chilombo
Black Pumas – Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition)
Coldplay – Everyday Life
Jacob Collier Djesse Vol. 3
HAIM – Women In Music Pt. III
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Post Malone – Hollywood’s Burning
Taylor Swift – Folklore
Record of the Year:
Beyoncé – “Black Parade”
Black Pumas – “Colors”
DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch – “Rockstar”
Doja Cat – “Say So”
Billie Eilish – “Everything I Wanted”
Dua Lipa – “Don’t Start Now”
Post Malone – “Circles”
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé – “Savage”
Song of the Year:
Beyoncé – “Black Parade”
Roddy Ricch – “The Box”
Taylor Swift – “Cardigan”
Post Malone – “Circles”
Dua Lipa – “Don’t Start Now”
Billie Eilish – “Everything I Wanted”
H.E.R. – “I Can’t Breathe”
JP Saxe feat. Julia Michaels – “If the World Was Ending”
Best New Artist:
Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion
Best Solo Pop Performance:
Justin Bieber – “Yummy”
Doja Cat – “Say So”
Billie Eilish – “Everything I Wanted”
Dua Lipa – “Don’t Start Now”
Harry Styles – “Watermelon Sugar”
Taylor Swift – “cardigan”
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy – “Un Dia (One Day)”
Justin Bieber feat. Quavo – “Intentions”
BTS – “Dynamite”
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain on Me”
Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver – “exile”
Best Pop Vocal Album:
Justin Bieber – Changes
Lady Gaga – Chromatic
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Harry Styles – Fine Line
Taylor Swift – folklore
Best Dance Recording:
Diplo & Sidepiece – “On My Mind”
Disclosure feat. Aminé & slowthai – “My High”
Flume feat. Toro y Moi – “The Difference”
Jayda G – “Both of Us”
Kaytranada feat. Kali Uchis – “10%”
Best Dance/Electronic Album:
Arca – KiCk i
Baauer – Planet’s Mad
Disclosure – Energy
Kaytranada – Bubba
Madeon – Good Faith
Best Rock Performance:
Fiona Apple – “Shameika”
Big Thief – “Not”
Phoebe Bridgers – “Kyoto”
HAIM – “The Steps”
Brittany Howard – “Stay High”
Grace Potter – “Daylight”
Best Rock Song:
Phoebe Bridgers – “Kyoto”
Tame Impala – “Lost in Yesterday”
Big Thief – “Not”
Fiona Apple – “Shameika”
Brittany Howard – “Stay High”
Best Rock Album:
Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death
Michal Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka
Grace Potter – Daylight
Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury
The Strokes – The New Abnormal
Best Alternative Music Album:
Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Beck – Hyperspace
Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
Brittany Howard – Jamie
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Best Metal Performance:
Body Count – “Bum-Rush”
Code Orange – “Underneath”
In This Moment – “The In-Between”
Poppy – “Bloodmoney”
Power Trip – “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe) – Live”
Best R&B Performance:
Jhené Aiko feat. John Legend – “Lighting & Thunder”
Beyoncé – “Black Parade”
Jacob Collier feat. Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign – “All I Need”
Brittany Howard – “Goat Head”
Emily King – “See Me”
Best R&B Song:
Rober Glasper feat. H.E.R. – “Better Than I Imagine”
Beyoncé – “Black Parade”
Tiana Major9 & Earthgang – “Collide”
Chloe x Halle – “Do It”
Skip Marley & H.E.R. – “Slow Down”
Best Progressive R&B Album:
Jhené Aiko – Chilombo
Chloe x Halle – Ungodly Hour
Free Nationals – Free Nationals
Robert Grasper – Fuck Yo Feelings
Thundercat – It Is What It Is
Best Rap Performance:
Big Sean feat. Nipsey Hussle – “Deep Reverence”
DaBaby – “Bop”
Jack Harlow – “What’s Poppin”
Lil Baby – The Bigger Picture
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé – “Savage”
Pop Smoke – “Dior”
Best Melodic Rap Performance:
DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch – “Rockstar”
Drake feat. Lil Durk – “Laugh Now, Cry Later”
Anderson .Paak – “Lockdown”
Roddy Ricch – “The Box”
Travis Scott – “Highest in the Room”
Best Rap Song:
Lil Baby – “The Bigger Picture”
Roddy Ricch – “The Box”
Drake feat. Lil Durk – “Laugh Now, Cry Later”
DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch – “Rockstar”
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé – “Savage”
Best Rap Album:
D Smoke – Black Habits
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo
Jay Electronica – A Written Testimony
Nas – King’s Disease
Royce Da 5’9” – The Allegory
Best Folk Album:
Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman
Leonard Cohen – Thanks For the Dance
Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter
The Secret Sisters – Saturn Return
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – All the Good Times
Best Americana Album:
Courtney Marie Andrews – Old Flowers
Hiss Holden Messenger – Terms of Surrender
Sarah Jarosz – World on the Ground
Marcus King – El Dorado
Lucinda Williams – Good Souls Better Angels
Best American Roots Performance:
Black Pumas – “Colors”
Bonny Light Horseman – “Deep in Love”
Brittany Howard – “Short and Sweet”
Norah Jones and Mavis Staples – “I’ll Be Gone”
John Prine – “I Remember Everything”
Best Comedy Album:
Tiffany Haddish – Black Mitzvah
Patton Oswalt – I Love Everything
Jim Gaffigan – The Pale Tourist
Bill Burr – Paper Tiger
Jerry Seinfeld – 23 Hours to Kill
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media:
Max Richter – Ad Astra
Kamasi Washington – Becoming
Hildur Guonadóttir – Joker
Thomas Newman – 1917
John Williams – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Best Song Written For Visual Media:
Taylor Swift – “Beautiful Ghosts”
Brandi Carlile – “Carried Me With You”
Idina Menzel & Aurora – “Into the Unknown”
Billie Eilish – “No Time to Die”
Cynthia Erivo – “Stand Up”
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Bill & Ted Face the Music
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Frozen 2
JoJo Rabbit
Best Music Film:
Beastie Boys – Beastie Boys Story
Beyoncé – Black Is King
Freestyle Love Supreme – We Are Freestyle Love Supreme
Linda Ronstadt – Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
ZZ Top – That Little Ol’ Band From Texas
Best Music Video:
Beyoncé – “Brown Skin Girl”
Future featuring Drake – “Life Is Good”
Anderson .Paak – “Lockdown”
Harry Styles – “Adore You”
Woodkid – “Goliath”
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical:
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
Dave Cobb
Flying Lotus
Andrew Wyatt