Music’s biggest night is still two months away, but the nominations for the 2019 Grammy Awards are here and, shocking though it may seem, they’re almost interesting this year. A half-decent Album of the Year category includes Noisey favorites like Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy, Janelle Monae’s Dirty Computer, Kacey Musgraves’s Golden Hour, and Brandi Carlile’s By The Way, I Forgive You, while songs from Kendrick Lamar and SZA, Drake, and Childish Gambino are all in the running for Record of the Year. There’s even space for Led Zeppelin in the Best New Artist category!
None of this matters, of course, because the Grammys will somehow conspire to give all of the awards to Post Malone, but let’s enjoy this almost intriguing list while we can.
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Album of the Year
H.E.R.: H.E.R.
Brandi Carlile: By the Way, I Forgive You
Drake: Scorpion
Various Artists: Black Panther: The Album
Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour
Post Malone: Beerbongs & Bentleys
Cardi B: Invasion of Privacy
Janelle Monáe: Dirty Computer
Record of the Year
Cardi B: “I Like It”
Brandi Carlile: “The Joke”
Childish Gambino: “This Is America”
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper: “Shallow”
Drake: “God’s Plan”
Kendrick Lamar & SZA: “All the Stars”
Post Malone & 21 Savage: “Rockstar”
Zedd & Maren Morris: “The Middle”
Song of the Year
Kendrick Lamar & SZA: “All the Stars”
Ella Mai: “Boo’d Up”
Drake: “God’s Plan”
Shawn Mendes: “In My Blood”
Brandy Carlile: “The Joke”
Zedd & Maren Morris: “The Middle”
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper: “Shallow”
Childish Gambino: “This Is America”
Best New Artist
Chloe x Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith
Rap
Best Rap Album
Cardi B: Invasion of Privacy
Mac Miller: Swimming
Nipsey Hussle: Victory Lap
Pusha-T: Daytona
Travis Scott: Astroworld
Best Rap Song
Drake: “God’s Plan”
Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, & James Blake: “King’s Dead”
Eminem: “Lucky You”
Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk, & Swae Lee: “Sicko Mode”
Jay Rock ft. Kendrick Lamar: “Win”
Best Rap Performance
Cardi B: “Be Careful”
Drake: “Nice for What”
Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, & James Blake: “King’s Dead”
Anderson .Paak: “Bubblin”
Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk, & Swae Lee: “Sicko Mode”
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Christina Aguilera ft. Goldlink: “Like I Do”
6LACK ft. J. Cole: “Pretty Little Fears”
Childish Gambino: “This Is America”
Kendrick Lamar & SZA: “All the Stars”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage: “Rockstar”
Pop
Best Pop Solo Performance
Beck: “Colors”
Camila Cabello: “Havana (Live)”
Ariana Grande: “God Is a Woman”
Lady Gaga: “Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)”
Post Malone: “Better Now”
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Christina Aguilera ft. Demi Lovato: “Fall In Line”
Backstreet Boys: “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper: “Shallow”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B: “Girls Like You”
Justin Timberlake ft. Chris Stapleton: “Say Something”
Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey: “The Middle”
Best Pop Vocal Album
Camila Cabello: Camila
Kelly Clarkson: Meaning of Life
Ariana Grande: Sweetener
Shawn Mendes: Shawn Mendes
Pink: Beautiful Trauma
Taylor Swift: Reputation
Rock/Alternative
Best Rock Performance
Arctic Monkeys: “Four Out of Five”
Chris Cornell: “When Bad Does Good”
THE FEVER 333: “Made An America”
Greta Van Fleet: “Highway Tune”
Halestorm: “Uncomfortable”
Best Metal Performance
Between the Buried and Me: “Condemned to the Gallows”
Deafheaven: “Honeycomb”
High on Fire: “Electric Messiah”
Trivium: “Betrayer”
Underoath: “On My Teeth”
Best Rock Song
Greta Van Fleet: “Black Smoke Rising”
Twenty One Pilots: “Jumpsuit”
Bring Me the Horizon: “MANTRA”
St. Vincent: “Masseduction”
Ghost: “Rats”
Best Rock Album
Alice in Chains: Rainier Fog
Fall Out Boy: M A N I A
Ghost: Prequelle
Greta Van Fleet: From the Fires
Weezer: Pacific Daydream
Best Alternative Music Album
Arctic Monkeys: Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Beck: Colors
Björk: Utopia
David Byrne: American Utopia
St. Vincent: Masseduction
We’ll update this list as more nominations come through.
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