Does this mean The Weeknd and the Grammys are on the outs again?

By Paul Grein 

The Recording Academy released the list of nominations for the 68th annual Grammy Awards on Friday morning (Nov. 7). Four artists – Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter and Bad Bunny – each received nominations for album, record and song of the year. The sweep of these top awards for Lamar, Gaga and Carpenter were completely expected. It’s Lamar’s third time sweeping those categories in the same year; the second time Gaga and Carpenter have done it. Gaga last did it at the 2010 ceremony; Carpenter did it at the ceremony earlier this year

Bunny’s nominations for record and song of the year for “DtMF” were more of a surprise, but make perfect sense when you consider that the Recording Academy extended invitations to join their organization to all members of the Latin Recording Academy, who vote for the Latin Grammys.

While those were not surprising outcomes, there were plenty of surprises sprinkled through the Grammy ballot, which has 95 categories this year.

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Lamar was this year’s top nominee, with nine nods, followed by Jack Antonoff, Cirkut and Lady Gaga, with seven each.

With nine nominations, Lamar could very easily become the rapper with the most career wins when the awards are presented on Feb. 1. Having won 22 Grammys, he needs just four more trophies to top Jay-Z as the most-awarded rapper in Grammy history. Jay-Z has amassed 25 wins since 1999. Lamar has accumulated all of his wins since 2015.

Here are some of the biggest snubs and surprises in the nominations for the 68th annual Grammy Awards.

Snub: The Weeknd

The crossover star was nominated for album of the year 10 years ago with Beauty Behind the Madness, but was passed over in this category with his next three studio albums – Starboy, After Hours and Dawn FM. When he wasn’t nominated in any categories at the 2021 ceremony for his megahit “Blinding Lights,” he announced a Grammy boycott. He made a surprise, bury-the-hatchet appearance on the Grammys in February, where he performed two songs from his just-released album Hurry Up Tomorrow, “Cry for Me” and “Timeless.” But Grammy voters declined to extend the rapprochement. He was shut out again, despite being on the entry list in such categories as album of the year and best pop vocal album for Hurry Up Tomorrow; and record and song of the year for “Timeless” (featuring Playboi Carti)

Surprise: Leon Thomas

Thomas’ Mutt was a surprise album of the year nominee. Thomas is this year’s only best new artist nominee who is nominated in another of the Big Four categories. He has six total nominations, also including best R&B performance, best traditional R&B performance, best R&B song and best R&B album. Does that make him the best new artist front-runner? It just may, though Olivia Dean is coming on fast.

Snub: Alex Warren

The singer’s power ballad “Ordinary,” which topped the Hot 100 for 10 weeks, was passed over for nods for record and song of the year and best pop solo performance. Warren was nominated for best new artist.

Surprise: KATSEYE

KATSEYE received two nominations – best new artist and best pop duo/group performance for “Gabriela.” Both of these categories had more than 250 entries (337 for best new artist; 256 for best pop duo/group performance), making these nominations real achievements. KATSEYE and HUNTR/X were the only two groups nominated in the latter category. The other nominees were collaborations by solo artists who typically record separately.

Snubs: Zach Top, Megan Moroney, Ella Langley

Zach Top, Megan Moroney and Ella Langley were all thought to have a good shot at best new artist nominations. None made it. Top is nominated for three awards – best traditional country album for Ain’t in It for My Health and best country solo performance and best country song for “I Never Lie.” Shouldn’t all those nominations translate to a best new artist nod? The Academy needs to step up its outreach in Nashville and other country-friendly environs.

Surprise: Tyler, the Creator

The artist’s nomination for best rap album for CHROMAKOPIA was completely expected, but his nod for best alternative music album for his follow-up, DON’T TAP THE GLASS, was a surprise. There has historically been very little overlap in Grammy nominations in those two genres. But Beastie Boys managed to bridge the two genres. In 1999, the trio won best alternative music performance for their Billboard 200-topping album Hello Nasty and best rap performance by a duo or group for “Intergalactic,” a track from that album. The alternative nod in Tyler’s case is interesting because he, like more than a few other Black artists, has voiced his displeasure at being automatically shoehorned into rap/urban categories.

Snub: Ravyn Lenae

Lenae was passed over for nods for best new artist, record and song of the year and best pop solo performance, even though her smash “Love Me Not” was played on every pop radio station in America every hour on the hour during the voting period.

Surprise: Justin Bieber

Bieber landed his third album of the year nod for SWAG, which follows Purpose and Justice. SWAG was also nominated for best pop vocal album, putting him in a tie with Justin Timberlake for the most nods by a male artist in that category. And Bieber was also nominated for best pop solo performance for “Daisies” (the only man nominated) and best R&B performance for “Yukon.” There is no denying that Grammy voters like this guy.

Snub amid much good news: Jack Antonoff

It was a shock last year when Antonoff wasn’t nominated for producer of the year, non-classical. Surely, he’d return to the finals this year, many figured. Nope. He was passed over again. Antonoff had seven total nominations this year, a total topped only by Kendrick Lamar. Antonoff had two nods each in album, record and song of the year. This brings his career total of song of the year nods to eight, matching his frequent collaborator Taylor Swift for must nods in the history of the category. So, the Grammys like him. Just not so much in producer of the year, non-classical the last couple of years, for whatever reason.

Surprise: Addison Rae

Rae landed a best new artist nomination even though she has yet to land her first top 40 hit on the Hot 100. Even without a home-run smash, her debut studio album, Addison, reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200. Rae’s visibility as a social media personality and actress (He’s All That, Thanksgiving) obviously counted with Grammy voters.

Snub: Gracie Abrams

There were a couple of good reasons to think Abrams’ breakthrough hit “That’s So True” would wind up with a record of the year nod. She already has some history with Grammy voters – having been nominated for best new artist two years ago and again last year for “us.,” a collab with Taylor Swift that was nominated for best pop duo/group performance.  Also, “That’s So True” has the earmarks of a Swift song in a year in which Swift isn’t nominated for anything. (She didn’t release during the eligibility period.)

Snub: Elton John & Brandi Carlile

The duo’s album Who Believes in Angels? was passed over for an album of the year nod, though it was nominated for best traditional pop vocal album. And “Never Too Late” (which they co-wrote with Bernie Taupin and Andrew Watt for a 2024 documentary) was nominated for best song written for visual media.