It’s that time of year again!
Indeed, the weekend brought with it the 2015 Grammy nominations unveiled, as per usual, of a nomination special weeks before the actual showing. But, what also comes with the ‘per usual’ showing are the jaw-dropping surprises, snubs, and all out “shut-outs” that accompany the annual spectacle.
Always a heated debate-starter, the coveted tally saw the likes of Trey Songz, Lana Del Rey, Justin Bieber, Jason Derulo, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, and Michael Jackson all go without mention.
For Bieber, whose manager made headlines for his rant regarding his 2013 Grammy shutout, this would be a third-go-round despite consistently clocking some of the year’s biggest hits.
Tuck in below for a list of other surprises and snubs:
Snub: Lady Gaga’s ‘ARTPOP’ completely shut out
Though her single ‘Applause’ was released in time for last year Grammy’s (and shut out), fans held onto hope that the Lady Gaga album would receive some form of critical acclaim from the academy.
That hope has now been dashed in every form. But hey, at least she did get some recognition for her ‘Cheek To Cheek’ album with Tony Bennett.
Surprise: Miley Cyrus finally gets a nod
Finally, the twerktastic pop diva earns her first Grammy nod for her album ‘Bangerz’ in the Best Pop Vocal Album category.
Snub: Pharrell Williams’ “Happy,” Ariana Grande’s “Problem,” John Legend’s “All of Me,” & Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” All Left Out of Major Categories
Let’s face it: there were no six songs you heard more on the radio in 2014 than Pharrell’s ‘Happy,’ Ariana Grande’s ‘Problem,’ Iggy Azalea’s ‘Fancy,’ John Legend’s ‘All of Me,’ and Katy Perry’s ‘Dark Horse.’ Interestingly, only one of these tunes galloped into the ‘Big Four’ – Azalea’s.
The other four chart-toppers may have been mentioned elsewhere amongst nominations, but in no major category.
P.S. – How did Perry’s ‘Dark Horse’ not get nominated for music video of the year? It was amazing (as were ‘Roar’ and ‘Unconditionally’)!
Surprise: Lecrae nominated in secular category
Lecrae is just a beast. This year not only saw him become the first gospel artist in history to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, but now the rapper is earning mention amongst his secular contemporaries at next year’s Grammys.
Go boy!
Snub: Nicki Minaj gets nominated again…barely
Finally, our girl Nicki Minaj gets her just due recognition from the Grammy academy. Sliding into the ‘Best Rap Song’ category with her hit ‘Anaconda,’ she also finds mention with Jessie J & Ariana Grande for their hit ‘Bang Bang.’
Surprise: Iggy Azalea nabs 4 nominations in her first official era
Unlike nemesis Nicki, Iggy didn’t have to wait years to get her first group of nods as a leading act. The Aussie rapstress, on the hems of hit ”Fancy” and her debut album “The New Classic,” landed 4 nominations in categories that do include Best New Artist and Best Rap Album. Oop!
Snub: DJ Mustard Doesn’t Cut the Mustard for ‘Producer of the Year’ nominations
He’s wielded some of the year’s biggest R&B hits from his envied soundboard, but apparently the Grammy committee wasn’t hearing it. As such, DJ Mustard goes without mention on this year’s nomination tally.
Surprise: Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’ lands nods for ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year’
Go Meghan Trainor! Her inaugural hit, ‘All About That Bass,’ landed right in the holy grail for songs at this year’s Grammys!
Snub: Michelle Williams’ ‘Say Yes,’ the biggest gospel song of the year, snubbed in any applicable category
Michelle Williams, with the assistance of Destiny’s Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Beyonce, wielded the year’s top gospel hit in the form of ‘Say Yes.’ The song is currently #1 on Hot Gospel charts.
Apparently, it was greeted by the Grammy committee with a resounding “no” as it was left out in the cold from this year’s nominations. There’s still hope for her album in next year’s running though.
Surprise & Snub: Besides ‘Album of the Year,’ no other category of “The Big Four” (Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best New Artist) have artists of color.
Yep. Congratz to Beyonce and Pharrell for at least landed in the tally’s top category, but elsewhere, it’s white-washed.
*****
Honorable mention Snub: Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Robin Thicke, Trey Songz, Jennifer Lopez, & Mariah Carey Get No Love…at all. And, where was ‘Loyal’ for ‘Rap/Sung Collabo’?
Honorable mention surprise: Usher Puckers Up For 4 nominations, 2 by his lonesome
Read the full list of nominations here.