The nominations for the 63rd annual Grammy Awards were announced via livestream today, as Beyoncé leads the way with nine nominations. Following behind Queen Bey with six nods a piece are Roddy Ricch, Dua Lipa, and Taylor Swift, while Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes has received five nominations. Next up, Highsnobiety favorite Megan Thee Stallion secured four nominations, along with Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, DaBaby, Phoebe Bridgers, jazz musician John Beasley, and classical composer David Frost. The Weeknd surprisingly received no nominations in a year he largely dominated.
Megan was chosen to be a surprise guest during today's Grammys announcement, tasked with reading the nominees for the pop, contemporary, instrumental, reggae, and global music categories. At the end of her portion, however, she was the one that ended up being surprised when the Recording Academy’s interim president and chief executive, Harvey Mason Jr., interjected to congratulate her on being a first-time nominee. Simply put, her reaction is the best thing you'll see all day. Check it below.
As with every other year, much of the focus surrounding the 2021 Grammys will be on the four major categories: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist, which Billie Eilish secured the clean sweep last year. You can see the nominees for each of the big four categories below, followed by the remaining nominations.
The 63rd annual Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah, will be broadcasted on CBS on Sunday, January 31, 2021 at 8 p.m. EST.
Record of the Year Beyoncé - Black Parade Black Pumas - Colors DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch - Rockstar Doja Cat - Say So Billie Eilish - Everything I Wanted Dua Lipa - Don’t Start Now Post Malone - Circles Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé - Savage
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 Bleeding Taylor Swift - Folklore
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 Featuring 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 Pop Duo/Group Performance J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy - Un Dia (One Day) Justin Bieber Featuring Quavo - Intentions BTS - Dynamite Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande - Rain On Me Taylor Swift Featuring Bon Iver - Exile
Best Pop Vocal Album Justin Bieber - Changes Lady Gaga - Chromatica Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia Harry Styles - Fine Line Taylor Swift - Folklore
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 Metal Performance Body Count - Bum-Rush Code Orange - Underneath In the Moment - The In-Between Poppy - Bloodmoney Power Trip - Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe) - Live
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 Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka Grace Potter - Daylight Sturgill Simpson - Sound and Fury The Strokes - The New Abnormal
Best Alternative Music Album Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters Beck - Hyperspace Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher Brittany Howard - Jaime Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
Best R&B Performance Jhené Aiko Featuring John Legend - Lightning & Thunder Beyoncé - Black Parade Jacob Collier Featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - All I Need Brittany Howard - Goat Head Emily King - See Me
Best Traditional R&B Performance The Baylor Project Featuring Jean Baylor & Marcus Baylor - Sit on Down Chloe x Halle - Wonder What She Thinks of Me Mykal Kilgore - Let Me Go Ledisi - Anything for You Yebba - Distance
Best R&B Song Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello - 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 Glasper - F*** Yo Feelings Thundercat - It Is What It Is
Best R&B Album Ant Clemons - Happy 2 Be Here Giveon - Take Time Luke James - To Feel Love/d John Legend - Bigger Love Gregory Porter - All Rise
Best Rap Performance Big Sean Featuring Nipsey Hussle - Deep Reverence DaBaby - Bop Jack Harlow - What’s Poppin Lil Baby - The Bigger Picture Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé - Savage Pop Smoke - Dior
Best Country Album Ingrid Andress - Lady Like Brandy Clark - Your Life Is a Record Miranda Lambert - Wildcard Little Big Town - Nightfall Ashley McBryde - Never Will\
Best New Age Album Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal, and Jesse Paris Smith - Songs from the Bardo Priya Darshini - Periphery Superposition - Form//Less Jim “Kimo” West - More Guitar Stories Cory Wong & Jon Batiste - Meditations
Best Improvised Jazz Solo Christian Scott Atunde - Guinivere Pachamama - Regina Carter Gerald Clayton - Celia Chick Corea - All Blues Joshua Redman - Moe Honk
Best Jazz Vocal Album Thana Alexa - Ona Kurt Elling featuring Danilo Pérez - Secrets Are the Best Stories Carmen Lundy - Modern Ancestors Somi with Frankfurt Radio Big Band - Holy Room: Live at the Alte Oper Kenny Washington - What’s the Hurry
Best Jazz Instrumental Album Ambrose Akinmusire - On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science - Waiting Game Gerald Clayton - Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade - Trilogy 2 Redman Mehldau McBride Blade - Roundagain
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Gregg August - Dialogues on Race John Beasley - Monk’estra Plays John Beasley Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band - The Intangible Between John Hollenbeck with Theo Bleckmann, Kate McGarry, Gary Versace, and the Frankfurt Radio Big Band - Songs You Like a Lot Maria Schneider Orchestra - Data Lords
Best Latin Jazz Album Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra - Tradiciones Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - Four Questions Chico Pinhero - City of Dreams Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aimée Nuviola - Viento y Tiempo - Live at Blue Note Tokyo Poncho Sanchez - Trane’s Delight
Best Latin Pop or Urban Album Bad Bunny - YHLQMDLG Camilo - Por Primera Vez Kany Garcia - Mesa Para Dos Ricky Martin - Pausa Deb Nova - 3:33
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album Bajofondo - Aura Cami - Monstruo Culturo Profética - Sobrevolando Rito Paez - La Conquesta del Espacio Lido Pimienta - Miss Colombia
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano) Alejandro Fernández - Hecho en México Lupita Infante - La Serenata Natalia Lafourcade - Un Canto por México, Vol. 1 Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez - Bailando Sones Huapangos con Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez Christian Nodal - Ayayay!
Best Tropical Latin Album José Alberto “El Ruiseñor” - Mi Tumbao Edwin Bonilla - Infinito Jorge Celedon & Sergio Luis - Sigo Cantado al Amor (Deluxe) Grupo Niche - 40 Victor Manuelle - Memorias de Navidad
Best American Roots Performance Black Pumas - Colors Bonny Light Horseman - Deep in Love Brittany Howard - Short and Sweet Norah Jones & Mavis Staples - I’ll Be Gone I Remember Everything - John Prine
Best Americana Album Courtney Marie Andrews - Old Flowers Hiss golden Messenger - Terms of Surrender Sarah Jarosz - World on the Ground Marcus King - El Dorado Lucinda Williams - Good Souls Better Angels
Best Bluegrass Album Danny Barnes - Man on Fire Thomm Jutz - To Live in Two Worlds Vol. 1 Steep Canyon Rangers - North Carolina Songbook Billy Strings - Home Various Artists - The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project , Vol. 1
Best Traditional Blues Album Frank Bey - All My Dues Are Paid Don Bryant - You Make Me Feel Robert Cray Band - That’s What I Heard Jimmy “Duck” Holmes - Cypress Grove Bobby Rush - Rawer Than Raw
Best Contemporary Blues Album Fantastic Negrito - Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? Ruthie Foster Big Band - Live At the Paramount G. Love - The Juice Bettye LaVette - Blackbirds North Mississippi Allstars - Up And Rolling
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 Regional Roots Music Album Black Lodge Singers - My Relatives “Nikso Kowaiks” Cameron Dupuy and the Cajun Troubadours - Cameron Dupuy and the Cajun Troubadours Nā Wai Ehā - Lovely Sunrise New Orleans Nightcrawlers - Atmosphere Sweet Cecilia - A Tribute to Al Berard
Best Global Music Album Antibalas - FU Chronicles Burna Boy - Twice As Tall Bebel Gilberto - Agora Anoushka Shankar - Love Letters Tinariwen - Amadjar
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling) Flea - Acid For The Children: A Memoir Ken Jennings - Alex Trebek – The Answer Is… Rachel Maddow - Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth Ronan Farrow - Catch And Kill Meryl Streep (& Full Cast) - Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
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 Musical Theater 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 Max Richter - Ad Astra Kamasi Washington - Becoming Hildur Guðnadóttir - 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 Ervio - Stand Up
Best Instrumental Composition Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - Baby Jack Christian Snads - Be Water II Alexandre Desplat - Plumfield Maria Schneider - Sputnik
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella Hildur Gusnadóttir - Bathroom Dance John Beasley - Donna Lee Remyle Boef- Honeymooners Alvin Chea & Jarrett Johnson - Lift Every Voice and Sing Jeremy Levy - Uranus: The Magician
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals John Beasley & Maria Mendes - Asas Fechadas Jacob Collier - He Won’t Hold You Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnkaye Kencridk & Amanda Taylor - Desert Song Alan Broadbent & Pat Metheny - From This Place Talia Billig, Nic Hard & Becca Stevens - Slow Burn
Best Recording Package Coldplay - Everyday Life Lil Wayne - Funeral Grouplove - Healer Caspian - On Circles Desert Sessions - Vols. 11 & 12
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package Paul McCartney - Flaming Pie (Collector’s Edition) Grateful Dead - Giants Stadium 1987, 1989, 1991 Depeche Mode - Mode Wilco - Ode to Joy Various Artists - The Story of Ghostly International\
Best Album Notes Various Artists - At the Minstrel Show: Minstrel Routines from the Studio 1894-1926 Various Artists - The Bakersfield Sound: Country Music Capital of the West, 1940-1974 The Replacements - Dead Man’s Pop Various Artists - The Missing Link: How Gus Haenschen Got Us from Joplin to Jazz and Shaped the Music Business Nat Shusloff - Out of a Clear Blue Sky
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Devon Gifillian - Black Hole Rainbow Katie Pruitt - Expectations Beck - Hyperspace Brittany Howard - Jaime Sierra Hull - 25 Trips
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical Jack Antonoff Dan Auerbach Dave Cobb Flying Lotus Andrew Watt
Best Remixed Recording Phil Good - Do You Ever (Rac Mix) Deadmau5 - Imaginary Friends (Morgan Page Remix) Jasper Street Co. - Praying for You (Louie Vega Main Mix) Saint Jhn - Roses (Imanbek Remix) Bazzi - Young & Alive (Bazzi vs. Haywire Remix)
Producer of the Year, Classical Blanton Asplaugh David Frost Jesse Lewis Dmitriy Lipay Elaine Martone
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance Pacifica Quartet - Contemporary Voices Brooklyn Rider - Healing Modes Ted hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra: Hearne, T: Place Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion - Hynes: Fields Dover Quartet - The Schumann Quartets
Best Classical Instrumental Solo Kirill Gerstein - Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Igor Levit - Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas Augustin Hadelich - Bohemian Tales Daniil Trifonov - Destination Rachmaninov - Arrival Richard O’Neill - Theofanidis: Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album Stephen Powell - American Composers at Play - William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto Nicholas Phan - Clairières - Songs by Lili & Nadia Boulanger Cecilia Bartoli - Farinelli Brian Giebler - A Lad’s Love Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton - Smyth: The Prison
Best Classical Compendium Mark Stone & Christianne Stotijn - Adès Conducts Adès Clément Mao-Takacs - Saariaho: Graal Théâtre; Circle Map; Nieges; Vers Toi Qui Es Si Loin José Serebrier - Serebrier: Symphonic Bach Variations; Laments and Hallelujahs; Flute Concerto Isabel Leonard - Thomas, M.T.: From the Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke Matt Haimovitz - Woolf, L.P.: Fire and Flood\
Best Contemporary Classical Composition Thomas Adès - Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Richard Danielpour - Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua Carlisle Floyd - Floyd, C.: Prince of Players Ted Hearne - Hearne, T.: Place Christopher Rouse - Rouse: Symphony No. 5
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
