By Aaron Miller
Jay Z and Kendrick Lumar have topped the nominations for the 60th annual Grammy Awards in what can be seen as a confirmation of their dominance in the music scene.
Most of the nominees specialise in Hip Pop and R and B, but there are some talented artists frozen out of this years awards. Incredibly popular singer Ed Sheeran was shut out of the major categories, but was nominated for best pop solo performance for “Shape of You” and “Divide” snapped up a nomination for best pop vocal album.
Kanye West’s ‘my beautiful dark fantasy did not get a nod for this year’s nomination, he will be going nuts over his exclusion from the crop of talents for next year’s Grammy’s.
Among the best new artist category are rapper Lil Uzi Vert, singers Khalid and Alessia Cara, and two young women, SZA and Ms. Michaels, who in addition to being good performers are successful song writers. Ms. Cara and Khalid are also the featured singers on Logic’s “1-800-273-8255,” whose title is the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
The 60th annual awards will be broadcast from Madison Square Garden on January 28 in the New year. lt will be the first time the Grammys have been held in New York in 15 years.
The 2017 nominations have been particular in fending off any charges of racism that has blighted great awards in the past – writers and insiders have commented on the plan to ensure that a nonwhite performer wins at least one of the major awards to fairly reflect the diversity of talent in the music industry. The 2017 awards was heavily criticised when Adele beat Beyoncé for all three top trophies.
Lorde’s “Melodrama” will face Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!,” Jay-Z’s “4:44,” Kendrick Lamar’s “DAMN.” and Bruno Mars’s “24K Magic” for album of the year. Credit Nicole Fara Silver for The New York Times
Neil Portnow, the chief executive of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences- the organization that arranges the Grammys, called the mix of nominees “a really terrific reflection of the voting membership of the academy.” Those voting members, who number around 13,000, are “professionals who listen objectively to music and make a judgment,” he added.
The Grammys’ mixed record of recognizing black artists has also drawn complaints from major artists, including Frank Ocean, who refused to submit his albums “Blonde” and “Endless” for the 2017 awards, calling the boycott his “Colin Kaepernick moment.” This year, the rap star Drake did not submit “More Life,” a collection of songs he called a playlist. Drake has given no explanation for his decision.
In addition to Mr. Sheeran, some pop superstars — and longtime Grammy favorites — have a minimal presence, in genre categories down the list of this year’s 84 awards. Lady Gaga has two nods: “Million Reasons,” for pop solo performance; and “Joanne,” for pop vocal album. Harry Styles, the former One Direction heartthrob, was shut out altogether.
Taylor Swift also has two, as a songwriter: “Better Man,” which she wrote for the group Little Big Town, is up for best country song; and “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker),” for best song written for visual media. (Ms. Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do,” a recent No. 1 hit, is nowhere to be found.)
The contestants for best country album are Kenny Chesney’s “Cosmic Hallelujah,” Lady Antebellum’s “Heart Break,” Little Big Town’s “The Breaker,” Thomas Rhett’s “Life Changes” and Chris Stapleton’s “From A Room: Volume 1.” Miranda Lambert, whose “The Weight of These Wings” was considered a possible contender for album of the year, instead got nods only for country solo performance and country song (both for “Tin Man”).