The first batch of nominees for the 2021 Grammy Awards were revealed during a livestream held Tuesday by the Recording Academy’s interim president and CEO Harvey Mason Jr.
Mason Jr. kicked off the hourlong event announcing the nominees for non-classical best engineered album and non-classical producer of the year, which include Jack Antonoff, Dan Auerbach, Dave Cobb, Flying Lotus and Andrew Watt. Last year, Billie Eilish’s brother Finneas, who produces her music and co-writes her songs with her, won the honour.
Mason Jr. also announced nominees for best remixed recording, classical best engineered album and classical producer of the year.
Artists helped announce the nominations in the 83 categories on Tuesday, including pop singer Dua Lipa, English singer-songwriter Imogen Heap, country performer Mickey Guyton, Christian singer Lauren Daigle, Mexican singer-songwriter Pepe Aguilar, Nigerian Afropop singer Yemi Alade and classical violinist Nicola Benedetti.
Beyoncé’s anthem about Black pride scored multiple nominations, making her the leading contender with nine. A winner of 24 Grammys, Beyoncé becomes the second-most nominated act in the history of the awards show with 79 nominations. She is tied with Paul McCartney, who earned a nomination this year for best boxed or special limited edition package.
Beyoncé is only behind her husband Jay-Z and Quincy Jones, who have both earned 80 nominations each. Jay-Z picked up three nominations this year for his contributions to Beyoncé’s songs: He co-wrote Black Parade and Savage, thus earning nominations for song of the year, best R&B song and best rap song. Jay-Z has won 22 Grammys throughout his career.
Multiple nominations went to Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Roddy Ricch, who each earned six nominations and followed Beyoncé as the second-most nominated acts.
Several acts earned posthumous nominations, including John Prine (best American Roots performance, best American Roots song), Nipsey Hussle (best rap performance), Leonard Cohen (best folk album) Pop Smoke (best rap performance) and songwriter LaShawn Daniels (best gospel performance/song).
Find the nominees in the major categories, below. For a full and complete list of 2021 Grammy nominees, visit the awards’ official site.
Album of the Year
Chilombo, Jhené Aiko
Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition), Black Pumas
Everyday Life, Coldplay
Djesse Vol. 3, Jacob Collier
Women in Music Pt. III, Haim
Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa
Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post Malone
Folklore, Taylor Swift
Record of the Year
“Black Parade,” Beyoncé
“Colors,” Black Pumas
“Rockstar,” DaBaby featuring Roddy Rich
“Say So,” Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now,” Dua Lipa
“Circles,” Post Malone
“Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
Song of the Year
“Black Parade,” Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“The Box,” Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Cardigan,” Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Circles,” Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)
“Don’t Start Now,” Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“I Can’t Breathe,” Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“If the World Was Ending,” Julia Michaels & JP Saxe, songwriters (JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels)
Best Pop Vocal Album
Changes, Justin Bieber
Chromatica, Lady Gaga
Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa
Fine Line, Harry Styles
Folklore, Taylor Swift
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Yummy,” Justin Bieber
“Say So,” Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now,” Dua Lipa
“Watermelon Sugar,” Harry Styles
“Cardigan,” Taylor Swift
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Un Dia (One Day),” J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy
“Intentions,” Justin Bieber featuring Quavo
“Dynamite,” BTS
“Rain on Me,” Lady Gaga featuring Ariana Grande
“Exile,” Taylor Swift featuring Bon Iver
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Blue Umbrella, Burt Bacharach & Daniel Tashian
True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter, Harry Connick Jr.
American Standard, James Taylor
Unfollow the Rules, Rufus Wainwright
Judy, Renée Zellweger
Best Rap Performance
“Deep Reverence,” Big Sean featuring Nipsey Hussle
“Bop,” DaBaby
“What’s Poppin,” Jack Harlow
“The Bigger Picture,” Lil Baby
“Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
“Dior,” Pop Smoke
Best Melodic Rap Performance
“Rockstar,” DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
“Laugh Now, Cry Later,” Drake featuring Lil Durk
“Lockdown,” Anderson .Paak
“The Box,” Roddy Ricch
“Highest in the Room,” Travis Scott
Best Rap Song
“The Bigger Picture,” Dominique Jones, Noah Pettigrew & Rai’shaun Williams, songwriters (Lil Baby)
“The Box,” Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Laugh Now, Cry Later,” Durk Banks, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Ron LaTour & Ryan Martinez, songwriters (Drake featuring Lil Durk)
“Rockstar,” Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro IV & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch)
“Savage,” Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé)
Best Rap Album
Black Habits, D Smoke
Alfredo, Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
A Written Testimony, Jay Electronica
King’s Disease, Nas
The Allegory, Royce Da 5’9”
Best R&B Performance
“Lightning & Thunder,” Jhené Aiko Featuring John Legend
“Black Parade,” Beyoncé
“All I Need,” Jacob Collier featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign
“Goat Head,” Brittany Howard
“See Me,” Emily King
Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Sit on Down,” The Baylor Project featuring Jean Baylor & Marcus Baylor
“Wonder What She Thinks of Me,” Chloe x Halle
“Let Me Go,” Mykal Kilgore
“Anything for You,” Ledisi
“Distance,” Yebba
Best R&B Song
“Better Than I Imagine,” Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello)
“Black Parade,” Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“Collide,” Sam Barsh, Stacey Barthe, Sonyae Elise, Olu Fann, Akil King, Josh Lopez, Kaveh Rastegar & Benedetto Rotondi, songwriters (Tiana Major9 & EARTHGANG)
“Do It,” Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Anton Kuhl, Victoria Monét, Scott Storch & Vincent Van Den Ende, songwriters (Chloe x Halle)
“Slow Down,” Nasri Atweh, Badriia Bourelly, Skip Marley, Ryan Williamson & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Skip Marley & H.E.R.)
Best Dance Recording
“On My Mind,” Diplo & Sidepiece
“My High,” Disclosure featuring Aminé & Slowthai
“The Difference,” Flume featuring Toro y Moi
“Both of Us,” Jayda G
“10%,” Kaytranada featuring Kali Uchis
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Kick I, Arca
Planet’s Mad, Baauer
Energy, Disclosure
Bubba, Kaytranada
Good Faith, Madeon
Best Rock Album
A Hero’s Death, Fontaines D.C.
Kiwanuka, Michael Kiwanuka
Daylight, Grace Potter
Sound & Fury, Sturgill Simpson
The New Abnormal, The Strokes
Best Rock Song
“Kyoto,” Phoebe Bridgers, Morgan Nagler & Marshall Vore, songwriters (Phoebe Bridgers)
“Lost in Yesterday,” Kevin Parker, songwriter (Tame Impala)
“Not,” Adrianne Lenker, songwriter (Big Thief)
“Shameika,” Fiona Apple, songwriter (Fiona Apple)
“Stay High,” Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)
Best Rock Performance
“Shameika,” Fiona Apple
“Not,” Big Thief
“Kyoto,” Phoebe Bridgers
“The Steps,” Haim
“Stay High,” Brittany Howard
“Daylight,” Grace Potter
Best Metal Performance
“Bum-Rush,” Body Count
“Underneath,” Code Orange
“The In-Between,” In This Moment
“Bloodmoney,” Poppy
“Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe) [Live],” Power Trip
Best Alternative Music Album
Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Fiona Apple
Hyperspace, Beck
Punisher, Phoebe Bridgers
Jaime, Brittany Howard
The Slow Rush, Tame Impala
Best Country Album
Lady Like, Ingrid Andress
Your Life Is a Record, Brandy Clark
Wildcard, Miranda Lambert
Nightfall, Little Big Town
Never Will, Ashley McBryde
Best Country Solo Performance
“Stick That in Your Country Song,” Eric Church
“Who You Thought I Was,” Brandy Clark
“When My Amy Prays,” Vince Gill
“Black Like Me,” Mickey Guyton
“Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“All Night,” Brothers Osborne
“10,000 Hours,” Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
“Ocean,” Lady A
“Sugar Coat,” Little Big Town
“Some People Do,” Old Dominion
Best Country Song
“Bluebird,” Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“The Bones,” Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
“Crowded Table,” Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)
“More Hearts Than Mine,” Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis & Derrick Southerland, songwriters (Ingrid Andress)
“Some People Do,” Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Old Dominion)
Best Latin Pop or Urban Album
YHLQMDLG, Bad Bunny
Por Primera Vez, Camilo
Mesa Para Dos, Kany García
Pausa, Ricky Martin
3:33, Debi Nova
Best Comedy Album
Black Mitzvah, Tiffany Haddish
I Love Everything, Patton Oswalt
The Pale Tourist, Jim Gaffigan
Paper Tiger, Bill Burr
23 Hours to Kill, Jerry Seinfeld
Best Musical Theatre Album
Amélie
American Utopia on Broadway
Jagged Little Pill
Little Shop of Horrors
The Prince of Egypt
Soft Power
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 Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Ad Astra
Becoming
Joker
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
© 2020 The Canadian Press