The nominations for the 59th annual Grammy Awards are here, and if there’s one inarguable, inescapable takeaway from this year’s lineup, it’s that the traditional record-release model is totally dead. Why, just look at how many of this year’s big honorees-to-be unleashed their albums via streaming platforms: Beyoncé’s Lemonade—which earned nine nominations—was a surprise-release album-video combo that made its debut earlier this year on Tidal and HBO. Drake’s multiple-nominee Views was initially an Apple exclusive. And Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book (which earned the rapper several nods, including Best New Album) never even saw a physical edition. So, clearly, the old-school model is gone, and streaming dominates all, right?
Well, sure—except for the fact that Adele’s gargantuan 25, which was held off from streaming services for more than six months after its release, yielded five nominations, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. And country singer Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth—which picked up two major nominations, including Album of the Year—debuted in the Top 10 with a large number of traditional album sales. So, clearly, the hot take from this year’s nominee list is that people still love buying albums … except, of course, when they can love streaming them!
But maybe the real surprise of this year’s Grammy nominees is how many really excellent releases wound up getting nominated—not surprising, considering the year we’ve had. But look through the list, and you’ll see all kinds of pleasant surprises: Maren Morris’ country gem Hero landed a bunch of nods, including one in the Best New Artist category; Best Urban Contemporary Album included great entries from up-and-comers like Gallant and KING; and both Stranger Things soundtracks wound up with a slot in the Best Soundtrack Score for Visual Media field. Check out the highlights of the Grammy nominees below.
Record of the Year:
Adele, “Hello”
Beyoncé, “Formation”
Lukas Graham, “7 Years”
Rihanna feat. Drake, “Work”
Twenty One Pilots, “Stressed Out”
Album Of The Year:
Adele, 25
Beyoncé, Lemonade
Justin Bieber, Purpose
Drake, Views
Sturgill Simpson, A Sailor’s Guide To Earth
Song Of The Year:
Adele, “Hello”
Beyoncé, “Formation”
Justin Bieber, “Love Yourself”
Lukas Graham, “7 Years”
Mike Posner, “I Took A Pill In Ibiza”
Best New Artist:
Kelsea Ballerini
The Chainsmokers
Chance The Rapper
Maren Morris
Anderson .Paak
Best Pop Solo Performance:
Adele, “Hello”
Beyoncé, “Hold Up”
Justin Bieber, “Love Yourself”
Kelly Clarkson, “Piece by Piece” (Idol Version)
Ariana Grande, “Dangerous Woman”
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, “Closer”
Lukas Graham, “7 years”
Rihanna feat. Drake, “Work”
Sia feat. Sean Paul, “Cheap Thrills”
Twenty One Pilots, “Stressed Out”
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
Andrea Bocelli, Cinema
Bob Dylan, Fallen Angels
Josh Groban, Stages Live
Willie Nelson, Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin
Barbra Streisand, Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway
Best Pop Vocal Album:
Adele, 25
Justin Bieber, Purpose
Ariana Grande, Dangerous Woman
Demi Lovato, Confident
Sia, This Is Acting
Best Dance Recording:
Bob Moses, ”Tearing Me Up”
The Chainsmokers featuring Daya, ”Don’t Let Me Down”
Flume featuring Kai, ”Never Be Like You”
Riton featuring Kah-Lo, “Rinse & Repeat”
Sofi Tukker, “Drinken”
Best Dance/Electronic Album:
Flume, Skin
Jean-Michael Jarre, Electronica 1: The Time Machine
Tycho, Epoch
Underworld, Barbara, Barbara, We Face a Shining Future
Louie Vega, Louie Vega Starring…XXVIII
Best Rap Performance:
Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz, “No Problem”
Desiigner, “Panda”
Drake featuring The Throne, “Pop Style”
Fat Joe & Remy Ma featuring French Montana and Infared, “All the Way Up”
ScHoolboy Q featuring Kanye West, “That Part”
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:
Beyonce featuring Kendrick Lamar, “Freedom”
Drake, “Hotline Bling”
D.R.A.M. featuring Lil Yachty, “Broccoli”
Kanye West featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream, “Ultralight Beam”
Kanye West featuring Rihanna, “Famous”
Best Rap Song:
Fat Joe & Remy Ma featuring French Montana and Infared, “All the Way Up” (Joseph Cartagena, Edward Davadi, Shandel Green, Karim Kharbouch, Andre Christopher Lyon, Reminisce Mackie & Marcello Valenzano, songwriters)
Kanye West featuring Rihanna, “Famous” (Chancelor Bennett, Ross Birchard, Ernest Brown, Andrew Dawson, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Kejuan Muchita, Patrick Reynolds, Kanye West & Cydel Young, songwriters)
Drake, “Hotline Bling” (Aubrey Graham & Paul Jefferies, songwriters)
Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz, “No Problem” (Chancelor Bennett, Dwayne Carter & Tauheed Epps, songwriters)
Kanye West featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream, “Ultralight Beam” (Chancelor Bennett, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Kirk
Franklin, Noah Goldstein, Samuel Griesemer, Terius Nash, Jerome Potter, Kelly Price, Nico “Donnie Trumpet” Segal, Derek Watkins, Kanye West & Cydel Young, songwriters )
Best Rap Album:
Chance the Rapper, Coloring Book
De La Soul, And the Anonymous
DJ Khaled, Major Key
Drake, Views
ScHoolboy Q, Blank Face
Kanye West, The Life of Pablo
Best Country Solo Performance:
Brandy Clark, “Love Can Go to Hell”
Miranda Lambert, “Vice”
Maren Morris, “My Church”
Carrie Underwood, “Church Bells”
Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
Dierks Bentley featuring Elle King, “Different for Girls”
Brothers Osborne, “21 Summer”
Kenny Chesney and P!nk, “Setting the World on Fire”
Pentatonix featuring Dolly Parton, “Jolene”
Chris Young with Caddadee Pop, “Think of You”
Best Country Song:
Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color” (Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey & Steven Lee Olsen, songwriters)
Thomas Rhett, “Die a Happy Man” (Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett & Joe Spargur, songwriters)
Tim McGraw, “Humble and Kind” (Lori McKenna, songwriter)
Maren Morris, “My Church” (busbee & Maren Morris, songwriters)
Miranda Lambert, “Vice” (Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters)
Best Country Album:
Brandy Clark, Big Day in a Small Town
Loretta Lynn, Full Circle
Maren Morris, Hero
Sturgill Simpson, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth
Keith Urban, Ripcord
Best Rock Performance:
Alabama Shakes, “Joe” (Live from Austin City Limits)
Beyoncé featuring Jack White, “Don’t Hurt Yourself”
David Bowie, “Blackstar”
Disturbed, “The Sound of Silence” (Live on Conan)
Twenty One Pilots, “Heathens”
Best Metal Performance:
Baroness, “Shock Me”
Gojira, “Silvera”
Korn, “Rotting in Vain”
Megadeth, “Dystopia”
Periphery, “The Price is Wrong”
Best Rock Song:
David Bowie, “Blackstar” (David Bowie, songwriter)
Radiohead, “Burn the Witch” (Radiohead songwriters)
Metallica, “Hardwired” (James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters)
Twenty One Pilots, “Heathens” (by Tyler Joseph, songwriter)
Highly Suspect, “My Name is Human” (Rich Meyer, Ryan Meyer & Johnny Stevens, songwriters)
Best Rock Album:
Blink-182, California
Cage the Elephant, Tell Me I’m Pretty
Gojira, Magma
Panic! at the Disco, Death of a Bachelor
Weezer, Weezer
Best Alternative Music Album:
Bon Iver, 22, A Million
David Bowie, Blackstar
PJ Harvey, The Hope Six Demolition Project
Iggy Pop, Post Pop Depression
Radiohead, A Moon Shaped Pool
Best R&B Performance:
BJ The Chicago Kid, “Turnin’ Me Up”
Ro James, “Permission”
Musiq Soulchild, “I Do”
Rihanna, “Needed Me”
Solange, “Cranes in the Sky”
Best Traditional R&B Performance:
William Bell, “The Three of Me”
BJ The Chicago Kid, “Woman’s World”
Fantasia, “Sleeping with the One I Love”
Lalah Hathaway, “Angel”
Jill Scott, “Can’t Wait”
Best R&B Song:
PartyNextDoor featuring Drake, “Come See Me” (J. Brathwaite, Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters)
Bryson Tiller, “Exchange” (Michael Hernandez & Bryson Tiller, songwriters)
Rihanna, “Kiss It Better” (Jeff Bhasker, Robyn Fenty, John-Nathan Glass & Teddy Sinclair, songwriters)
Maxwell, “Lake by the Ocean” (Hod David & Musze, songwriters)
Tory Lanez, “Luv” (Magnus August Høiberg, Benjamin Levin & Daystar Peterson, songwriters)
Best Urban Contemporary Album:
Beyoncé, Lemonade
Gallant, Ology
KING, We Are KING
Anderson .Paak, Malibu
Rihanna, Rihanna
Best R&B Album:
BJ The Chicago Kid, In My Mind
Lalah Hathaway, Lalah Hathaway Live
Terrance Martin, Velvet Portraits
Mint Condition, Healing Season
Mya, Smoove Jones
Best Music Video:
Beyoncé, “Formation”
Leon Bridges, “River”
Coldplay, “Up & Up”
Jamie xx, “Gosh”
OK Go, “Upside Down & Inside Out”
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