The 2016 Grammy nominees were announced yesterday! I’m so excited! Here are some of the nominees, and who I’d want to win. If it were a perfect show, all my picks would win, of course!
Album of the Year
Alabama Shakes, Sound and Color
Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly (He totally got robbed by Macklemore 2 years ago!)
Chris Stapleton, Traveller
Taylor Swift, 1989
The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness
Song of the Year
Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”
Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”
Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”
Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, “See You Again” (I think this song took Wiz’s career to new heights, and it helped the whole world remember Paul Walker. Give it to Wiz!)
Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”
Record of the Year
D’Angelo and the Vanguard, “Really Love”
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk”
Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”
The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel my Face” (I’d give it to any of the 3, but I mean…Kanye danced FEVERISHLY to “Can’t Feel my Face,” so there’s that.)
Best New Artist
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
Tori Kelly (Um, she killed the VMAs & the BET Awards…and Simon turned her down on American Idol. Take that, Simon!)
Meghan Trainor
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Florence + The Machine, ” Ship to Wreck”
Maroon 5, “Sugar”
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk”
Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, “Bad Blood”
Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, “See You Again” (No contest!)
Best Rock Performance
Alabama Shakes, “Don’t Wanna Fight”
Florence + The Machine,”What Kind Of Man”
Foo Fighters, “Something From Nothing”
Elle King, “Ex’s & Oh’s” (That voice! You go, Elle!)
Wolf Alice, “Moaning Lisa Smile”
Best Urban Contemporary Album
The Internet, Ego Death
Kehlani, You Should Be Here
Lianne La Havas, Blood
Miguel, Wildheart (Miguel has put his thang down, flipped it, & reversed it all over R&B, and he needs to be recognized with a prestigious award like this. Give it to him!)
The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness
Best Rap Album
J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Dr. Dre, Compton
Drake, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly
Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint (Ok, here’s the deal. I’m torn. 2014 Forest Hills Drive is an impeccable album. Realistically, Cole should probably win…BUT Drake has a surprise mixtape nominated for a Grammy. A mixtape! That’s HUGE! Critics also called Pinkprint a flop, and it’s an amazing album from an MC, female or not. So I’d love to see her win, too. Can they all win?!)
Best R&B Performance
Tamar Braxton, “If I Don’t Have You”
Andra Day, “Rise Up”
Hiatus Kaiyote, “Breathing Underwater”
Jeremih feat. J. Cole, “Planes”
The Weeknd, “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” (I’m torn AGAIN! That’s my Libra kickin’ in. Tamar has an amazing voice, and she’s been super successful this year! The Jeremih song was insanely popular. It was practically a social media phenomenon, BUT “Earned It” was The Weeknd’s break-out record. Any of them can have it!)
Best R&B Song
Miguel, “Coffee” (The Weeknd had the better performance, but Miguel definitely had the better song, in my opinion. Have you heard Wale’s verse? No brainer.)
The Weeknd, “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
Jazmine Sullivan, “Let It Burn”
D’Angelo and The Vanguard, “Really Love”
Tyrese, “Shame”
Best R&B Album
Leon Bridges, Coming Home (This is a NO BRAINER. Leon reintroduced the Motown so effortlessly and flawlessly that I had to check and make sure I didn’t have analog cable!)
D’Angelo and the Vanguard, Black Messiah
Andra Day, Cheers to the Fall
Jazmine Sullivan, Reality Show
Charlie Wilson, Forever Charlie
Best Rap Performance
Cole, “Apparently”
Drake, “Back to Back” (The release of “Back to Back” wasn’t just a song. It was an event! It was a performance! This nomination just adds to the tally marks on Drake’s board against Meek Mill. Sheesh.)
Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen”
Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake & Lil Wayne, “Truffle Butter”
Kanye West feat. Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney, “All Day”
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Big Sean feat. Kanye West & John Legend, “One Man Can Change the World” (Since Common and John Legend won the Oscar, and Big Sean was snubbed for Best Rap Album, I’d like to see them win this!)
Common & John Legend, “Glory”
Jidenna feat. Roman GianArthur, “Classic Man”
Kendrick Lamar feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat, “These Walls”
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown, “Only”
Best Rap Song
Kanye West feat. Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney, “All Day”
Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”
Drake, “Energy”
Common & John Legend, “Glory”
Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen” (This was the song of the summer. Is there really another choice?)
Best Pop Solo Performance
Kelly Clarkson, “Heartbeat Song”
Ellie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do” (They play this in Victoria’s Secret. WINNING!)
Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”
The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face”
Let me know who you want to win in each category! The show airs February 15th at 8/7c on CBS.
