The 2019 Grammy Awards nominees were announced early Friday, December 7, by artists Shawn Mendes, Janelle Monáe, and Alessia Cara, as well as Apple Music host Zane Lowe and members of the Recording Academy, who appeared on CBS This Morning to round out the initial announcements.
Some notable changes were made to four of the top categories — Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist — which have expanded from five nominees to eight for the first time in the show’s 61-year history.
Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations this year with eight nods, followed closely by Drake with seven. Producer Boi-1da and singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile are also high earners with six each, while Cardi B, Lady Gaga, and Childish Gambino nabbed an impressive five each.
The nominees also feature many young and less-established artists — many of whom are, notably, women — which could be a result of the Recording Academy’s attempt to diversify its voting body and improve upon the #GrammysSoMale upset of 2018.
Check out some of the major categories below, and see the full list of nominations at the Grammys website.
Record of the Year:
“I Like It” — Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile
“This Is America” — Childish Gambino
“God’s Plan” — Drake
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
“All The Stars” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“Rockstar” — Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage
“The Middle” — Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Album of the Year:
Invasion of Privacy — Cardi B
By the Way, I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
Scorpion — Drake
H.E.R. — H.E.R.
Beerbongs & Bentleys — Post Malone
Dirty Computer — Janelle Monáe
Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
Black Panther: The Album, Music From And Inspired By (Various Artists)
Song of the Year:
“All The Stars” — Kendrick Duckworth, Solána Rowe, Al Shuckburgh, Mark Spears & Anthony Tiffith, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar & SZA)
“Boo’d Up” — Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai & Dijon McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)
“God’s Plan” — Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)
“In My Blood” — Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes & Geoffrey Warburton, songwriters (Shawn Mendes)
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
“The Middle” — Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha & Anton Zaslavski, songwriters (Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey)
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)
“This Is America” — Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
Best New Artist:
Chloe x Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith
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
Best Pop Vocal Album:
“I Like It” — Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile
“This Is America” — Childish Gambino
“God’s Plan” — Drake
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
“All The Stars” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“Rockstar” — Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage
“The Middle” — Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Fall In Line” — Christina Aguilera featuring Demi Lovato
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart — Backstreet Boys
“S Wonderful — Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
“Girls Like You” — Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B
“Say Something — Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton
“The Middle — Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Best Dance Recording:
“Northern Soul” — Above & Beyond Featuring Richard Bedford
“Ultimatum” — Disclosure (Featuring Fatoumata Diawara)
“Losing It” — Fisher
“Electricity” — Silk City & Dua Lipa Featuring Diplo & Mark Ronson
“Ghost Voices” — Virtual Self
Best Dance/Electronic Album:
Singularity – Jon Hopkins
Woman Worldwide – Justice
Treehouse – Sofi Tukker
Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides –Sophie
Lune Rouge – Tokimonsta
Best Rock Album:
Rainier Fog – Alice in Chains
Mania – Fall Out Boy
Prequelle – Ghost
From the Fires – Greta Van Fleet
Pacific Daydream – Weezer
Best Rock Song:
“Black Smoke Rising” — Jacob Thomas Kiszka, Joshua Michael Kiszka, Samuel Francis Kiszka & Daniel Robert Wagner, songwriters (Greta Van Fleet)
“Jumpsuit” — Tyler Joseph, songwriter (Twenty One Pilots)
“Mantra” — Jordan Fish, Matthew Kean, Lee Malia, Matthew Nicholls & Oliver Sykes, songwriters (Bring Me The Horizon)
“Masseduction” — Jack Antonoff & Annie Clark, songwriters (St. Vincent)
“Rats” — Tom Dalgety & A Ghoul Writer, songwriters (Ghost)
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
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 R&B Album:
Sex & Cigarettes — Toni Braxton
Good Thing — Leon Bridges
Honestly — Lalah Hathaway
H.E.R. — H.E.R.
Gumbo Unplugged — PJ Morton
Best R&B Song:
“Boo’d Up” — Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai & Dijon McFarlane
“Come Through And Chill” — Jermaine Cole, Miguel Pimentel & Salaam Remi
“Feels Like Summer” — Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson
“Focus” — Darhyl Camper Jr, H.E.R. & Justin Love
“Long As I Live — Paul Boutin, Toni Braxton & Antonio Dixon
Best Rap Album:
Invasion of Privacy — Cardi B
Swimming — Mac Miller
Victory Lap — Nipsey Hussle
Daytona — Pusha T
Astroworld — Travis Scott
Best Rap Performance (single or track):
“Be Careful” — Cardi B
“Nice For What” — Drake
“King’s Dead” — Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future & James Blake
“Bubblin” — Anderson .Paak
“Sicko Mode” — Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk & Swae Lee
Best Rap Song:
“God’s Plan” — Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib
“King’s Dead” — Kendrick Duckworth, Samuel Gloade, James Litherland, Johnny McKinzie, Mark Spears, Travis Walton, Nayvadius Wilburn & Michael Williams II, songwriters
“Lucky You” — R. Fraser, G. Lucas, M. Mathers, M. Samuels & J. Sweet
“Sicko Mode” — Khalif Brown, Rogét Chahayed, BryTavious Chambers, Mike Dean, Mirsad Dervic, Kevin Gomringer, Tim Gomringer, Aubrey Graham, John Edward Hawkins, Chauncey Hollis, Jacques Webster, Ozan Yildirim & Cydel Young
“Win” — K. Duckworth, A. Hernandez, J. McKinzie, M. Samuels & C. Thompson
Best Country Album:
Unapologetically — Kelsea Ballerini
Port Saint Joe — Brothers Osborne
Girl Going Nowhere — Ashley McBryde
Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
From a Room: Volume 2 — Chris Stapleton
Best Country Song:
“Break Up In The End”— Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill & Jon Nite
“Dear Hate” — Tom Douglas, David Hodges & Maren Morris
“I Lived It” — Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley & Ben Hayslip
“Space Cowboy”— Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves
“Tequila”— Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds & Dan Smyers
“When Someone Stops Loving You”— Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill & Lori McKenna
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 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 & Florida Georgia Line
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
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 Song Written For Visual Media:
“All The Stars” — Kendrick Duckworth, Solána Rowe, Alexander William Shuckburgh, Mark Anthony Spears & Anthony Tiffith, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar & SZA), Track from: Black Panther
“Mystery Of Love” — Sufjan Stevens, songwriter (Sufjan Stevens), Track from: Call Me By Your Name
“Remember Me” — Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Miguel Featuring Natalia Lafourcade), Track from: Coco
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper), Track from: A Star Is Born
“This Is Me” — Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, songwriters (Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble), Track from: The Greatest Showman
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:
Call Me By Your Name
Deadpool 2
The Greatest Showman
Lady Bird
Stranger Things
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media:
Black Panther – Ludwig Göransson
Blade Runner 2049 – Benjamin Wallfisch & Hans Zimmer
Coco – Michael Giacchino
The Shape of Water – Alexandre Desplat
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – John Williams
Best Musical Theater Album:
The Band’s Visit
Carousel
Jseus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
My Fair Lady
Once on this Island
Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical:
Boi-1da
Larry Klein
Linda Perry
Kanye West
Pharrell Williams
The 61st annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 10, 2019.
What do you think of this year’s Grammy nominations? Let us know @BritandCo!
(photo via Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella + Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS + Andrew Toth/Getty Images for The Museum of Modern Art + Noam Galai/Getty Images + Niko Tavernise/Twentieth Century Fox)
