Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar & Bruno Mars lead Grammy nominees

I cannot recall the name of the beauty queen who said it but I would like to borrow the phrase anyway to describe the surprises in this year’s Grammy nominations. Those surprises are truly “major, major.”

For the very first time ever, hip-hop and R&B recordings dominate the nominations. Why, would you believe, even the billion times streamed Shape Of You did not make the grade and artist Ed Sheeran is not even up for trophies in the major categories? It is understandable that Taylor Swift is not. Her album Reputation will be Grammy available next year. But Lady Gaga had one, Joanne and she also has no major nomination.

What will be competing for those little grammophones at the Madison Square Garden in New York City on Jan. 28 is a huge, very fat harvest of hip-hop and R&B tunes. That is right. The big guns this time around are Jay-Z with eight nominations, Kendrick Lamar with seven nods and Bruno Mars with six. 

Change has indeed come to the Grammys and isn’t it nice to know that personal preferences and biases can be set aside to honor the deserving. And so here they are, the 2017 Grammy nominees.

Record of the Year: Redbone, Childish Gambino; Despacito, Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber; The Story Of O.J., Jay-Z; Humble, Kendrick Lamar; 24K Magic, Bruno Mars.

Album of the Year: Awaken My Love, Childish Gambino; 4:44, Jay-Z; DAMN, Kendrick Lamar; Melodrama, Lorde; 24K Magic, Bruno Mars.

Song of the Year: Despacito, Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber; 4:44, Jay-Z; 1-800-273-8255, Logic feat. Alessia Cara & Khalid; That’s What I Like, Bruno Mars.

New Artist: Alessia Cara; Khalid; Lil Uzi Vert; Julia Michaels; SZA.

Pop Solo Performance: Love So Soft, Kelly Clarkson; Praying, Kesha; Million Reasons, Lady Gaga; What About Us, Pink; Shape Of You, Ed Sheeran.

Pop Duo/ Group Performance: Something Just Like This, The Chainsmokers & Coldplay; Despacito, Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber; Thunder, Imagine Dragons; Feel It Still, Portugal: The Man; Stay, Zedd & Alessia Cara.

Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Nobody But Me, Michael Buble; Triplicate, Bob Dylan; In Full Swing, Seth MacFarlane; Wonderland, Sarah McLachlane; Tony Bennett Celebrates 90, Tony Bennett.

Pop Vocal Album: Kaleidoscope EP, Coldplay; Lust For Life, Lana Del Rey; Evolve, Imagine Dragons; Rainbow, Kesha; Joanne, Lady Gaga; Divide ¸, Ed Sheeran.

Dance Recording: Bambro Koyo Ganda, Bonobo feat. Innov Gnawa; Cola, Camelphat & Elderbrook; Andromeda, Gorillaz feat. D.R.A.M.; Tonite, LCD Soundsystem; Line Of Sight, Odesza feat. WYNNE & Mansionair.

Dance/ Electronic Album: Migration, Bonobo; 3-D The Catalogue, Kraftwerk; Mura Masa, Mura Masa; A Moment Apart, Odesza; What Now, Sylvan Esso.

Rock Performance: You Want It Darker, Leonard Cohen; The Promise, Chris Cornell; Run, Foo Fighters; No Good, Kaleo; Go To War, Nothing More.

Metal Performance: Invisible Enemy, August Burns Red; Black Hoodie, Body Count; Forever, Code Orange; Sultan’s Curse, Mastodon; Clockworks, Meshuggah.

Rock Song: Atlas, Rise, Metallica; Blood In The Cut, K-Flay; Go To War, Nothing More; Run, Foo Fighters; The Stage, Avenged Sevenfold.

Rock Album: Emperor Of Sand, Mastodon; Hardwired…To Self-Destruct, Metallica; The Stories We Tell Ourselves, Nothing More; Villains, Queens Of The Stone Age; A Deeper Understanding, The War On Drugs.

Alternative Music Album: Everything Now, Arcade Fire; Humanz, Gorillaz; American Dream, LCD Soundsystem; Pure Comedy, Father John Misty; Sleep Well Beast, The National.

R&B Performance: Get You, Daniel Caesar feat. Kali Uchis; Destruction, Kehlani; High, Ledisi; That’s What I Like, Bruno Mars; The Weekend, SZA.

Traditional R&B Performance: Laugh And Move On, The Baylor Project; Redbone, Childish Gambino; What I’m Feelin’, Anthony Hamilton feat. The Hamiltones; All The Way, Ledisi; Still, Mali Music.

R&B Song: First Began, PJ Morton; Location, Khalid; Redbone, Childish Gambino; Supermodel, SZA; That’s What I Like, Bruno Mars.

Urban Contemporary Album: Free 6lack, 6lack; Awaken My Love!, Childish Gambino; American Teen, Khalid; Ctrll, SZA; Starboy, The Weeknd.

R&B Album: Freudian, Daniel Caesar; Let Love Rule, Ledisi; 24K Magic, Bruno Mars; Gumbo, PJ Morton; Feel The Real, Musiq Soulchild.

Rap Performance: Bounce Back, Big Sean; Bodak Yellow, Cardi B; 4:44, Jay-Z; HUMBLE, Kendrick Lamar; Bad And Boujee, Migos feat. Lil Uzi Vert.

Rap/Sung Performance: Prblms, 6lack; Crew, Goldlink feat. Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy; Family Feud, Jay-Z feat. Beyonce; LOYALTY, Kendrick Lamar feat. Rihanna; Love Galore, SZA feat. Travis Scott.

Rap Song: Bodak Yellow, Cardi B; Chase Me, Danger Mouse feat. Run The Jewels & Big Boi; HUMBLE, Kendrick Lamar; Sassy, Rapsody; The Story Of O.J., Jay-Z.

Rap Album: 4:44, Jay-Z; DAMN, Kendrick Lamar; Culture, Migos; Laila’s Wisdom, Rapsody; Flower Boy, Tyler The Creator.

Musical Theater Album: Come From Away; Dear Evan Hansen; Hello Dolly!

Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: Baby Driver, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2; Hidden Figures: The Album; La La Land; Moana: The Songs.

Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: Arrival; Dunkirk; Game of Thrones: Season 7; Hidden Figures; La La Land.

Song Written for Visual Media: City Of Stars, La La Land; How Far l’ll Go, Moana The Songs; I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker), Fifty Shades Darker; Never Give Up, Lion; Stand Up For Something, Marshall.

Music Video: Up All Night, Beck; Makeba, Jain; The Story Of O.J., Jay-Z; HUMBLE, Kendrick Lamar; 1-800-273-8255, Logic feat. Alessia Cara & Khalid.

Music Film: One More Time with Feeling, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds; Long Strange Trip, The Grateful Dead; The Defiant Ones, Various Artists; Soundbreaking, Various Artists; Two Trains Runnin’, Various Artists.

For the rest of the nominations, do check out the Grammy website.