Cardi B is also nominated, as are Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper for their song “Shallow” from A Star Is Born.
The 2019 Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday, February 10, with the Recording Academy giving out trophies in more than 80 categories. Most of these categories are divided by genre (rock, country, rap, etc.), but four of them — Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist — are open to music from every genre.
The nominees were announced on December 7. Kendrick Lamar leads the pack, with a total of eight nominations, including Album of the Year for the Black Panther soundtrack.
Drake follows behind with seven nods (including Album of the Year) for his chart-topping album Scorpion, which produced the summer hit “In My Feelings” while also driving a storm of controversy around his feud with rapper Pusha T. (Pusha also snagged a nod, gaining a nomination for Best Rap Album for Daytona.)
Album of the Year is the Grammys’ most prestigious category. This year, in addition to the Black Panther soundtrack and Scorpion, the race includes Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy, Janelle Monáe’s critically acclaimed sci-fi dystopia Dirty Computer, Kacey Musgraves’s Golden Hour, Brandi Carlile’s By the Way, I Forgive You, and Post Malone’s Beerbongs & Bentleys.
Other notable nominations include four nods for Childish Gambino’s blistering “This Is America,” including one for Best Music Video. Country underdog Musgraves continued her unexpected awards season showing with her Album of the Year nod. The Recording Academy also gave a nod to the late Mac Miller with a nomination for Best Rap Album for his final album Swimmer.
Meanwhile, in a total surprise, K-pop’s breakthrough band BTS continued its international success story, receiving its first Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package for the Love Yourself: Tear album.
And though Cardi B’s absence from the Best New Artist category will undoubtedly be debated — despite her breakthrough success in the past year, she’s ineligible for the title because she was nominated in other categories at the 2018 Grammys — she snagged a number of nominations in major categories including both Album and Record of the Year.
The nominees in 25 top categories (and a bonus category, Album Notes) follow. Visit the Grammys’ website to see the full list of nominees.
Top four categories
Album of the Year
(This award is given to an entire album and all of its songs.)
- Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B
- By the Way, I forgive You, Brandi Carlile
- Scorpion, Drake
- Beerbongs & Bentleys, Post Malone
- Dirty Computer, Janelle Monáe
- Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves
- Black Panther, Kendrick Lamar
Record of the Year
(This award goes to the overall production of a single song and is awarded to the artist who records it.)
- “I Like It,” Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin
- “The Joke,” Brandi Carlile
- “This Is America,” Childish Gambino
- “God’s Plan,” Drake
- “Shallow,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
- “All the Stars,” Kendrick Lamar, Sza
- “Rockstar,” Post Malone
- “The Middle,” Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey
Song of the Year
(This award goes to the songwriters of a song.)
- “All the Stars,” Kendrick Duckworth, Solana Rowe, Al Shuckburgh, Mark Spears, Anthony Tiffith
- “Boo’d Up,” Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai, Dijon McFarlane
- “God’s Plan,” Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels, and Noah Shebib
- “The Joke,” Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth, and Tim Hanseroth
- “In My Blood,” Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes, and Geoffrey Warburton
- “This Is America,” Donald Glover and Ludwig Göransson
Best New Artist
(This award is given to artists who have released their breakthrough recording during the Grammy eligibility period — October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018, in this case — not to artists who made their first recording during that time.)
- Chloe x Halle
- Luke Combs
- Greta Van Fleet
- H.E.R.
- Dua Lipa
- Margo Price
- Bebe Rexha
- Jorja Smith
Pop categories
Best Pop Solo Performance
- “Colors,” Beck
- “Havana (Live),” Camila Cabello
- “God Is A Woman,” Ariana Grande
- “Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?),” Lady Gaga
- “Better Now,” Post Malone
Vocal Album
- Camila, Camila Cabello
- Meaning Of Life, Kelly Clarkson
- Sweetener, Ariana Grande
- Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes
- Beautiful Trauma, Pink
- Reputation, Taylor Swift
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
- “Fall In Line,” Christina Aguilera Featuring Demi Lovato
- “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” Backstreet Boys
- “Shallow,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
- “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B
- “Say Something,” Justin Timberlake Featuring Chris Stapleton
- “The Middle,” Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey
Best Dance/Electronic Album
- Singularity, Jon Hopkins
- Woman Worldwide, Justice
- Treehouse, Sofi Tukker
- Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides, Sophie
- Lune Rouge, Tokimonsta
Urban, rap, and R&B categories
Best Urban Contemporary Album
- Everything Is Love, The Carters
- The Kids Are Alright, Chloe x Halle
- Chris Dave And The Drumhedz, Chris Dave and the Drumhedz
- War & Leisure, Miguel
- Ventriloquism, Meshell Ndegeocello
Best Rap Album
- Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B
- Swimming, Mac Miller
- Victory Lap, Nipsey Hussle
- Daytona, Pusha T
- Astroworld, Travis Scott
Best Rap Performance
- ”Be Careful,” Cardi B
- “Nice For What,” Drake
- “King’s Dead,” Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, and James Blake
- “Bubblin,” Anderson Paak
- “Sicko Mode,” Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk, and Swae Lee
Best Rap/Sung Performance
- “Like I Do,” Christina Aguilera Featuring Goldlink
- “Pretty Little Fears.” 6lack Featuring J. Cole
- “This Is America,” Childish Gambino
- “All The Stars,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA
- “Rockstar,” Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage
Best R&B Album
- Sex & Cigarettes, Toni Braxton
- Good Thing, Leon Bridges
- Honestly, Lalah Hathaway
- H.E.R., H.E.R.
- Gumbo Unplugged Live, P.J. Morton
Best R&B Performance
- “Long As I Live,” Toni Braxton
- “Summer,” The Carters
- “Y O Y,” Lalah Hathaway
- “Best Part,” H.E.R. Featuring Daniel Caesar
- “First Began,” P.J. Morton
Rock and alternative categories
Best Rock Album
- Rainier Fog, Alice In Chains
- M A N I A, Fall Out Boy
- Prequelle, Ghost
- From The Fires, Greta Van Fleet
- Pacific Daydream, Weezer
Best Rock Performance
- “Four Out Of Five,” Arctic Monkeys
- “When Bad Does Good,” Chris Cornell
- “Made An America,” The Fever 333
- “Highway Tune,” Greta Van Fleet
- “Uncomfortable,” Halestorm
Best Alternative Music Album
- Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, Arctic Monkeys
- Colors, Beck
- Utopia, Björk
- American Utopia, David Byrne
- Masseduction, St. Vincent
Country categories
Best Country Album
- Unapologetically, Kelsea Ballerini
- Port Saint Joe, Brothers Osborne
- Girl Going Nowhere, Ashley McBride
- Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves
- From a Room: Volume 2, Chris Stapleton
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
- ”Shoot Me Straight,” Brothers Osborne
- “Tequila,” Dan Shay
- “When Someone Stops Loving You,” Little Big Town
- “Dear Hate,” Maren Morris featuring Vince Gill
- “Meant To Be,” Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line
Best Country Solo Performance
- “Wouldn’t It Be Great?” Loretta Lynn
- “Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters,” Maren Morris
- “Butterflies,” Kacey Musgraves
- “Millionaire,” Chris Stapleton
- “Parallel Line,” Keith Urban
Best Americana Album
- By The Way, I Forgive You, Brandi Carlile
- Things Have Changed, Bettye LaVette
- The Tree Of Forgiveness, John Prine
- The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone, Lee Ann Womack
- One Drop Of Truth, The Wood Brothers
Odds and ends
Best Musical Theater Album
- The Band’s Visit
- Carousel
- Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert
- My Fair Lady
- Once on This Island
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
- Black Panther
- Blade Runner 2049
- Coco
- The Shape Of Water
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Best Comedy Album
- Annihilation, Patton Oswalt
- Equanimity & The Bird Revelation, Dave Chappelle
- Noble Ape, Jim Gaffigan
- Standup For Drummers, Fred Armisen
- Tamborine, Chris Rock
Best Spoken-Word Album
- Accessory to War (Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang), Courtney B. Vance
- Calypso, David Sedaris
- Creative Quest, Questlove
- Faith – A Journey For All, Jimmy Carter
- The Last Black Unicorn, Tiffany Haddish
Best Music Video
- “Apes***, “ The Carters
- “This Is America,” Childish Gambino
- “I’m Not Racist,” Joyner Lucas
- “Pynk,” Janelle Monáe
- “Mumbo Jumbo,” Tierra Whack
Album Notes
- Alpine Dreaming: The Helvetia Records Story, 1920-1924
- 4 Banjo Songs, 1891-1897: Foundational Recordings Of America’s Iconic Instrument
- The 1960 Time Sessions
- The Product Of Our Souls: The Sound And Sway Of James Reese Europe’s Society Orchestra
- Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981 (Deluxe Edition)
- Voices Of Mississippi: Artists And Musicians Documented By William Ferris
Author: Aja Romano
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