The air is still buzzing as Tuesday (November 24) brought with it the highly anticipated 2021 GRAMMY nominations.
Honoring the year’s best and brightest in the music realm on January 31, 2021, the coveted tally expectedly listed the likes of chart-toppers Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, and Doja Cat as competitors for the ceremony’s top honors.
But, while jaws dropped to see Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, Jhene Aiko, and more also mentioned alongside those hitmakers, some fan groups are steam pressed their favorites were placed in interesting categories or totally shut out.
Look inside to see who made That Grape Juice‘s list of ‘2021 GRAMMY Snubs and Surprises.’
Surprise: Beyonce’s ‘Black Parade’ Up for Song of the Year and Record of the Year
Queen Bey leads all nominees with a whopping 9 mentions across the nominations tally from standalone singles and features. Chief among her listings is ‘Black Parade’ in Song and Record of the Year categories.
Snub: The Weeknd Shut Out Completely
Born Abel Tesfaye, megastar The Weeknd’s 2020 ‘After Hours’ album may house one of the biggest hits of all-time, ‘Blinding Lights,’ but glaring was his absence from the 2021 GRAMMY list of nods.
Surprise: Only Two of the Best New Artist Nominees are Actually “New”
Over the years, the Recording Academy has updated its rules for ‘Best New Artist’ (often to confusing measure). The most recent update defines the process as “any performing artist or established performing group who releases, during the eligibility year, the recording that first establishes the public identity of that artist or established group as a performer.”
As such, even though 6 of the 8 acts nominated in the 2021 ‘Best New Artist’ category have releases and Billboard chartings that predate the eligibility period (only CHIKA and Ingrid Andress are technically “new” in the traditional sense), they were still mentioned.
Snub: Clark Sisters Shut Out Completely
The legendary Gospel quartet may have won acclaim from critics and fans alike for their top-rated Lifetime biopic and long-awaited reunion album, ‘The Return,’ but – thanks to the Recording Academy – the era won’t see them win any Golden grammophones.
Surprise: Jhene Aiko’s ‘Chilombo’ grabs ‘Album of the Year’ nod
2020 has shown Aiko the third time really is the charm. ‘Chilombo,’ her third studio effort, not only earned her highest Billboard 200 placement and best first-week sales to date, it’s now also her most GRAMMY-nominated effort.
Landing nods in ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Best Progressive R&B’ album, its John Legend-assisted song – ‘Lightning & Thunder’ – also struck a chord with the voting committee as it landed in the ‘Best R&B Performance’ list.
Snub: Brandy, Toni Braxton, Teyana Taylor, Kehlani, Alicia Keys, and Summer Walker Shut Out
Aiko may be waving the flag for Female R&B with her third project, but she’s mainly doing it by her lonesome. Despite critical and fan acclaim, Brandy‘s long-awaited ‘B7,’ GRAMMY darling/R&B legend Toni Braxton‘s ‘Spell My Name,‘ Teyana Taylor‘s ‘The Album,’ Alicia Keys‘ ‘ALICIA’ (especially ‘Underdog’), and Summer Walker‘s ‘Life on Earth’ were all snubbed.
We certainly couldn’t forget about our girl Kehlani’s 2020 project, ‘It Was Good Until it Wasn’t.’
Surprise: Chloe x Halle Get Major Looks for Sophomore Album
Thanks to ‘Ungodly Hour,’ it may be time for Chloe x Halle to walk away with a GRAMMY.
Fans who cried ‘foul’ when the sister act was nominated but lost in ‘Best New Artist’ and ‘Best Urban Contemporary Album’ categories at the 2019 ceremony may see redemption at next year’s festivities as the ‘Do It’ hitmakers are listed in Best R&B Song, Best Traditional R&B performance, and Best Progressive R&B album slots.
Snub: John Legend’s ‘Bigger Love’ Gets Little Mention
It was one of 2020’s most critically acclaimed sets, but ‘Bigger Love’ didn’t get a lot of love from the Recording Academy as it’s mentioned only in the ‘Best R&B Album’ category.
Surprise: Dua Lipa Rocks 2021 GRAMMYs with 6 Nominations
Dua Lipa is being positioned to be Pop’s new “it” girl in so many ways, a measure reaffirmed by today’s announced GRAMMY nods as she nabbed 6 nominations with highlights being in the Album, Record, and Song of the Year categories.
Snub: K-Pop Largely Ignored
BTS and BlackPink may have delivered some of Pop’s biggest hits this year, but their presence (as well as other hitmaking K-Pop acts) was missed on the 2021 GRAMMY nominations list.
BTS at least landed a Best Pop Duo/Group Performance mention for their explosive hit, ‘Dynamite.’
Surprise: Harry Styles Nabs His First GRAMMY nods
Thanks to his sophomore album, ‘Fine Line,’ Styles tip toed onto this year’s list of GRAMMY nods with his first ever listings on the tally. He’s found in three categories: Best Pop Solo Performance (“Watermelon Sugar”), Best Pop Vocal Album (‘Fine Line’), and Best Music Video (“Adore You”).
Snub: Harry Styles Shut Out of Major Categories
Despite completing Styles’ transition from teen heartthrob to ‘serious artist,’ the Recording Academy seriously felt like ‘Sugar,’ ‘Adore,’ and the other content from ‘Fine Line’ didn’t deserve mention in the big 3 categories.
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Honorable mention (snubs):
- Camila Cabello‘s ‘Romance’ and singles ‘Liar,’ ‘My Oh My,’ and more snubbed completely
- JoJo‘s ‘Good to Know’ snubbed completely
- Katy Perry‘s ‘Smile’ snubbed completely
- Eminem‘s ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ unmentioned
- Halsey’s ‘Manic’ nabs no nods
- Future & Drake‘s ‘Life is Good’
- Chris Brown & Young Thug‘s ‘Go Crazy’
- Miley Cyrus’ ‘Midnight Sky’ snubbed completely
- ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ ‘Birds of Prey,’ and ‘Trolls 2’ soundtracks left out of ‘Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media’ and ‘Best Song Written For Visual Media’