Image via Complex Original
This past year or so was a crazy time in music, and 2016 Grammy Award nominations certainly reflect that. Major acts like Taylor Swift bodied the charts, Kendrick Lamar dropped one of the most talked-about albums of our generation, and the Weeknd blossomed into a legit commercial star. There was also a nice balance of music from veterans (D'Angelo, Kanye West) and newcomers alike (Kehlani, Fetty Wap). This year’s categories are especially difficult to predict. And that makes our job all the more fun.
For clarification, our selections are based on a number of criteria: Performance quality, commercial appeal, and for better or worse, how the Recording Academy committee would potentially vet the nominees. Our projected winners aren’t necessarily our favorites, though in some cases that may be true.
Our final results: Kendrick wins several awards but fails to grab one of the Big Four, the Weeknd goes home with a handful of Grammys, and Drake will have to wait till next year to do this again. Be sure to check in Monday evening to see how accurate we are with our predictions.
Best Solo Pop Performance: Ed Sheeran “Thinking Out Loud”
Other Nominees:
Kelly Clarkson "Heartbeat Song"
Ellie Goulding "Love Me Like You Do"
Taylor Swift "Blank Space"
The Weeknd "Can't Feel My Face"
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Mark Ronson f/ Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk”
Other Nominees:
Florence + The Machine "Ship to Wreck"
Maroon 5 "Sugar"
Taylor Swift f/ Kendrick Lamar "Bad Blood"
Wiz Khalifa f/ Charlie Puth "See You Again"
Best Pop Vocal Album: Taylor Swift, 1989
Other Nominees:
Kelly Clarkson, Piece by Piece
Florence + The Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
James Taylor, Before This World
Mark Ronson, Uptown Special
Best Music Video: Taylor Swift f/ Kendrick Lamar “Bad Blood”
Other Nominees:
A$AP Rocky “LSD”
The Dead Weather “I Feel Love”
Kendrick Lamar “Alright”
Pharrell Williams “Freedom”
Best R&B Peformance: The Weeknd “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
Other Nominees:
Tamar Braxton "If I Don't Have You"
Andra Day "Rise Up"
Hiatus Kaiyote "Breathing Underwater"
Jeremih f/ J. Cole "Planes"
Best R&B Song: The Weeknd “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
Other Nominees:
Miguel "Coffee"
Jazmine Sullivan "Let It Burn"
D'Angelo and the Vanguard "Really Love"
Tyrese "Shame"
Best Rap Song: Kendrick Lamar “Alright”
Other Nominees:
Kanye West f/ Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom, and Paul McCartney "All Day"
Drake "Energy"
Common and John Legend "Glory"
Fetty Wap "Trap Queen"
Best Urban Contemporary Album: The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness
Other Nominees:
Florence + The Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Kehlani, You Should Be Here
Lianne La Havas, Blood
Miguel, Wildheart
Best Rap Performance: Kendrick Lamar “Alright”
Other Nominees:
J. Cole "Apparently"
Drake "Back to Back"
Fetty Wap "Trap Queen"
Nicki Minaj f/ Drake, and Lil Wayne "Truffle Butter"
Kanye West f/ Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom, and Paul McCartney "All Day"
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: Kendrick Lamar f/ Bilal, Anna Wise, and Thundercat “These Walls”
Other Nominees:
Big Sean f/ Kanye West and John Legend "One Man Can Change The World"
Common and John Legend "Glory"
Jidenna f/ Roman GianArthur "Classic Man"
Nicki Minaj f/ Drake, Lil Wayne, and Chris Brown "Only"
Best Rap Album: Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly
Other Nominees:
J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Dr. Dre, Compton
Drake, If You're Reading This It's Too Late
Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint
Best New Artist: Sam Hunt
Other Nominees:
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Tori Kelly
Meghan Trainor
Song of the Year: Wiz Khalifa f/ Charlie Puth “See You Again”
Other Nominees:
Little Big Town "Girl Crush"
Ed Sheeran "Thinking Out Loud"
Taylor Swift "Blank Space"
Kendrick Lamar "Alright"
Record of the Year: Mark Ronson f/ Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk”
Other Nominees:
D'Angelo and the Vanguard "Really Love"
Ed Sheeran "Thinking Out Loud"
Taylor Swift "Blank Space"
The Weeknd "Can't Feel My Face"
Album of the Year: Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color
Other Nominees:
The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness
Chris Stapleton, Traveller
Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly
Taylor Swift, 1989