The 2021 Grammy Awards nominations were announced today. Beyoncé leads the field with nine total nominations, including Song of the Year (“BLACK PARADE”) and Record of the Year (“BLACK PARADE” and “Savage Remix”). She’s also featured in Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song, Best Music Film (Black Is King), and Best Music Video (“Brown Skin Girl”). The Grammys take place on January 31 and air on CBS. Check out all the nominees here.
Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, and Roddy Ricch are all tied for the next-highest nominations total at six. Swift’s nominations are for: Album of the Year (folklore), Song of the Year (“cardigan”), Best Pop Solo Performance (“cardigan”), Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (“exile” featuring Bon Iver), Best Pop Vocal Album (folklore), and Best Song Written for Visual Media (Cats’ “Beautiful Ghosts”).
Dua Lipa, who won Best New Artist in 2019, is being recognized in Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Best Pop Vocal Album.
Phoebe Bridgers is up for her first ever Grammys. She’s featured in Best New Artist, as well as Best Alternative Music Album (Punisher), Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Performance (“Kyoto”). All of the Best Rock Performance nominees are female-led acts: Bridgers, Fiona Apple, Big Thief, HAIM, Brittany Howard, and Grace Potter.
In addition to Best Rock Performance, Fiona Apple will compete against Phoebe Bridgers in Best Rock Song (“Shameika”) and Best Alternative Music Album (Fetch the Bolt Cutters). And, along with their Best Rock Performance nod, HAIM are up for Album of the Year for Women in Music Pt. III.
Another Best New Artist nominee is Megan Thee Stallion. Her other nominations are for Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song, all for “Savage Remix.”
At last year’s Grammys, Billie Eilish won five of her six nominations; notably, she swept the big four categories, too. She has four nominations this year: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance for “everything i wanted,” and Best Song Written for Visual Media for the James Bond track “No Time to Die.”
Kanye West picked up one Grammy nod this year: Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Jesus Is King. Another big name, Drake, was recognized in three categories: Best Music Video (“Life Is Good”), Best Melodic Rap Performance (“Laugh Now, Cry Later”), and Best Rap Song (“Laugh Now, Cry Later”).
Follow all of Pitchfork’s coverage of the 2021 Grammy Awards.
