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Grammys 2021: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch Top Nominations

Brittany Howard scores five nominations, women dominate country and rock categories, and Mickey Guyton makes history

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Beyoncé earned a pack-leading nine nominations for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, while Dua LipaTaylor Swift, and Roddy Ricch followed close behind with six nods each. The Grammys will air January 31st, 2021, on CBS from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. ET, with Trevor Noah serving as host.

The nominees were announced today, November 24th, at a ceremony featuring Dua Lipa, Imogen Heap, Lauren Daigle, Mickey Guyton, Yemi Alade, Nicole Benedetti, Pepe Aguilar, Sharon Osbourne, and interim Recording Academy president Harvey Mason, Jr.

Beyoncé’s one-off single “Black Parade” helped her rack up a handful of nominations, including Record and Song of the Year, plus Best R&B Performance and Song. Her feature on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” remix earned her an additional Record of the Year look, plus nods for Best Rap Performance and Song. Bey capped things off with a Best Music Film nomination for Black Is King and Best Music Video for “Brown Skin Girl.”

Dua Lipa also earned nominations for Record and Song of the Year for her hit “Don’t Start Now,” plus Album of the Year for Future Nostalgia. Swift is up in two of the three main categories as well: Song of the Year for “Cardigan” and Album of the Year for Folklore. And Roddy Ricch notched a Song of the Year look for his solo smash “The Box,” while he and DaBaby are up for Record of the Year for “Rockstar.”

In the Album of the Year category, Dua Lipa and Swift will compete against Jhené Aiko’s Chilombo, the deluxe edition of Black Pumas’ self-titled debut, Coldplay’s Everyday Life, Jacob Collier’s Djesse Vol. 3, Haim’s Women in Music Pt. III, and Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding.

Song of the Year will boast “Black Parade,” “The Box,” “Cardigan,” “Don’t Start Now,” Post Malone’s “Circles,” Billie Eilish’s “Everything I Wanted,” H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe,” and JP Saxe and Julia Michaels’ “If the World Was Ending.” Record of the Year, meanwhile, will feature “Black Parade,” the “Savage” remix, “Rockstar,” “Everything I Wanted,” “Don’t Start Now,” and “Circles,” plus Doja Cat’s “Say So” and Black Pumas’ “Colors.”

As for Best New Artist, heavy hitters like Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat will be up against Phoebe Bridgers, Ingrid Andress, Chika, Noah Cyrus, D Smoke, and Kaytranada.

Outside of the major general field categories, Brittany Howard is primed for a big night after picking up five nominations in an array of categories, including Best Rock Performance and Song for “Stay High,” Best Alternative Album for Jaime, Best R&B performance for “Goat Head,” and Best American Roots Performance for “Short and Sweet.” The Rock Performance category for 2021 is also particularly notable for only featuring women or women-fronted bands, with “Stay High” up against Big Thief’s “Not,” Bridgers’ “Kyoto,” Haim’s “The Steps,” and Grace Potter’s “Daylight.”

Similarly, the Best Country Album category was also dominated by women: Ingrid Andress’ Lady Like, Brandy Clark’s Your Life Is a Record, Miranda Lambert’s Wildcard, Little Big Town’s Nightfall, and Ashley McBryde’s Never Will. Beyoncé also made additional history as her nine nominations brought her total Grammy nods to 79, making her the most nominated female artist in history. She’s also now tied with Paul McCartney for the second-most Grammy nominations of all time, while husband Jay-Z — who picked up three nominations this year — has tied Quincy Jones for most career nominations with 80.

Arguably the most significant nomination of the night, however, belonged to Mickey Guyton, who became the first black female solo artist to earn a Grammy nod in a country category, picking up a look for Best Country Solo Performance for “Black Like Me.” She’s also the first black woman nominated in a country category since 1975, when the Pointer Sisters were nominated for, and won, Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “Fairytale” (which was also up for Best Country Song).

But while the 2021 Grammy nominations overall seem to reflect the Recording Academy’s growing dedication to diversifying its field, the industry’s continued shortcomings were on display in the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category, which featured only men: Jack Antonoff, Dan Auerbach, Dave Cobb, Flying Lotus, and Andrew Watt.

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 Ricch
“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)
“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 New Artist
Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion

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 feat. Quavo
“Dynamite” — BTS
“Rain on Me” — Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
“Exile” — Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver

Best Pop Vocal Album
Changes — Justin Bieber
Chromatica — Lady Gaga
Future Nostalgia — Dua Lipa
Fine Line — Harry Styles
Folklore — Taylor Swift

Best Dance/Electronic Album
Kick I — Arca
Planet’s Mad — Baauer
Energy — Disclosure
Bubba — Kaytranada
Good Faith — Madeon

Best Dance Recording
“On My Mind” — Diplo and Sidepiece
“My High” — Disclosure feat. Amine and Slowthai
“The Difference” — Flume feat. Toro y Moi
“Both of Us” — Jayda G
“10%” — Kaytranada

Best Rock Album
A Hero’s Death — Fontaines D.C.
Kiwanuka — Michael Kiwanuka
Daylight — Grace Potter
Sound and Fury — Sturgill Simpson
The New Abnormal — The Strokes

Best Rock Song
“Kyoto” — Phoebe Bridgers, Morgan Nagler, and 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 Rap Album
Black Habits — D Smoke
Alfredo — Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist
A Written Testimony — Jay Electronica
King’s Disease — Nas
The Allegory — Royce Da 5’9″

Best Rap Performance
“Deep Reverence” — Big Sean feat. Nipsey Hussle
“Bop” — DaBaby
“What’s Poppin” — Jack Harlow
“The Bigger Picture” — Lil Baby
“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé
“Dior” — Pop Smoke

Best Melodic Rap Performance
“Rockstar” — DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch
“Laugh Now, Cry Later” — Drake
“Lockdown” — Anderson .Paak
“The Box” — Roddy Ricch
“Highest in the Room” — Travis Scott

Best Rap Song
“The Bigger Picture” — Dominique Jones, Noah Pettigrew, and Rai’shaun Williams, songwriters (Lil Baby)
“The Box” — Samuel Gloade and Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Laugh Now, Cry Later” — Durk Banks, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Ron LaTour, and Ryan Martinez, songwriters (Drake feat. Lil Durk)
“Rockstar” — Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro IV, and Rodrick Moore, songwriters (DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch)
“Savage” — Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe, and Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé)

Best Alternative 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 feat. Justin Bieber
“Ocean” — Lady A
“Sugar Coat” — Little Big Town
“Some People Do” — Old Dominion

Best Country Song
“Bluebird” — Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, and Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“The Bones” — Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, and Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
“Crowded Table” — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, and Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)
“More Hearts Than Mine” — Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, and Derrick Southerland, songwriters (Ingrid Andress)
“Some People Do” — Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey, and 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 Latin Rock or Alternative Album
Aura — Bajofondo
Monstruo — Cami
Sobrevolando — Cultura Profética
La Conquista del Espacio — Fito Paez
Miss Colombia — Lido Pimienta

Best R&B Performance
“Lightning and Thunder” — Jhené Aiko feat. John Legend
“Black Parade” — Beyoncé
“All I Need” — Jacob Collier feat. Mahalia and Ty Dolla $ign
“Goat Head” — Brittany Howard
“See Me” — Emily King

Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Sit on Down” — The Baylor Project feat. Jean Baylor and 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, and Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper feat. H.E.R. and Meshell Ndegeocello)
“Black Parade” — Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk, and Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“Collide” — Sam Barsh, Stacey Barthe, Sonyae Elise, Olu Fann, Akil King, Josh Lopez, Kaveh Rastegar, and Benedetto Rotondi, songwriters (Tiana Major9 and EARTHGANG)
“Do It” — Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Anton Kuhl, Victoria Monét, Scott Storch, and Vincent Van Den Ende, songwriters (Chloe x Halle)
“Slow Down” — Nasri Atweh, Badriia Bourelly, Skip Marley, Ryan Williamson, and Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Skip Marley and H.E.R.)

Best Progressive R&B Album
Chilombo — Jhené Aiko
Ungodly Hour — Chloe x Halle
Free Nationals — Free Nationals
Fuck Yo Feelings — Fobert Grasper
It Is What It Is — Thundercat

Best R&B Album
Happy 2 Be Here — Ant Clemons
Take Time — Giveon
To Feel Love/D — Luke James
Bigger Love — John Legend
All Rise — Gregory Porter

Best American Roots Performance
“Colors” — Black Pumas
“Deep in Love” — Bonny Light Horseman
“Short and Sweet” — Brittany Howard
“I’ll Be Gone” — Norah Jones and Mavis Staples
“I Remember Everything” — John Prine

Best American Roots Song
“Cabin” — Laura Rogers and Lydia Rogers, songwriters (The Secret Sisters)
“Ceiling to the Floor” — Sierra Hull and Kai Welch, songwriters (Sierra Hull)
“Hometown” — Sarah Jarosz, songwriter (Sarah Jarosz)
“I Remember Everything” — Pat McLaughlin and John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
“Man Without a Soul” — Tom Overby and Lucinda Williams, songwriters (Lucinda Williams)

Best Americana Album
Old Flowers — Courtney Marie Andrews
Terms of Surrender — Hiss Golden Messenger
World on the Ground — Sarah Jarosz
El Dorado — Marcus King
Good Souls Better Angels — Lucinda Williams

Best Bluegrass Album
Man on Fire — Danny Barnes
To Live in Two Worlds, Vol. 1 — Thomm Jutz
North Carolina Songbook — Steep Canyon Rangers
Home — Billy Strings
The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 1 — Various Artists

Best Traditional Blues Album
All My Dues Are Paid — Frank Bey
You Make Me Feel — Don Bryant
That’s What I Heard — Robert Cray Band
Cypress Grove — Jimmy “Duck” Holmes
Rawer Than Raw — Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album
Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? — Fantastic Negrito
Live at the Paramount — Ruthie Foster Big Band
The Juice G. — Love
Blackbirds — Bettye LaVette
Up and Rolling — North Mississippi Allstars

Best Folk Album
Bonny Light Horseman — Bonny Light Horseman
Thanks for the Dance — Leonard Cohen
Song for Our Daughter — Laura Marling
Saturn Return — The Secret Sisters
All the Good Times — Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

Best Regional Roots Music Album
My Relatives “Nikso Kowaiks” — Black Lodge Singers
Cameron Dupuy and the Cajun Troubadours — Cameron Dupuy and the Cajun Troubadours
Lovely Sunrise — Nā Wai ʽEhā
Atmosphere — New Orleans Nightcrawlers
A Tribute to Al Berard — Sweet Cecilia

Best Reggae Album
Upside Down 2020 — Buju Banton
Higher Place — Skip Marley
It All Comes Back to Love — Maxi Priest
Got to Be Tough — Toots and the Maytals
One World — The Wailers

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books and Storytelling)
Acid for the Children: A Memoir — Flea
Alex Trebek – The Answer Is … — Ken Jennings
Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia and the Richest Destructive Industry on Earth — Rachel Maddow
Catch and Kill — Ronan Farrow
Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) — Meryl Streep

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 Song Written for Visual Media
“Beautiful Ghosts” (from Cats) — Andrew Lloyd Webber and Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Carried Me With You” (from Onward) — Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, and Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
“Into the Unknown” (from Frozen 2) — Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, songwriters (Idina Menzel and AURORA)
“No Time to Die” (from No Time to Die) — Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“Stand Up” (from Harriet) — Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo, songwriters (Cynthia Erivo)

Best Music Video
“Brown Skin Girl” — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Jenn Nkiru, video directors; Lauren Baker, Astrid Edwards, Nathan Scherrer, and Erinn Williams, video producers
“Life Is Good” — Future feat. Drake; Julien Christian Lutz, video director; Harv Glazer, video producer
“Lockdown” — Anderson .Paak; Dave Meyers, video director; Nathan Scherrer, video producer
“Adore You” — Harry Styles; Dave Meyers, video director; Nathan Scherrer, video producer
“Goliath” — Woodkid; Yoann Lemoine, video director

Best Music Film
Beastie Boys Story — Beastie Boys; Spike Jonze, video director; Amanda Adelson, Jason Baum, and Spike Jonze, video producers
Black Is King — Beyoncé
We Are Freestyle Love Supreme — Freestyle Love Supreme; Andrew Fried, video director; Andrew Fried, Jill Furman, Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sarina Roma, Jenny Steingart, and Jon Steingart, video producers
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice — Linda Ronstadt; Rob Epstein, and Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola and James Keach, video producers
That Little Old Band From Texas: ZZ Top — Sam Dunn, video director; Scot McFadyen, video producer

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
Dave Cobb
Flying Lotus
Andrew Watt

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