Every year, the Grammys are filled with hotly contested winners, losers and also-rans, and the 2019 ceremony will be no exception. From tight races between heavy hitters to categories filled with first-timers, this year crowded crop of nominations is alternately fascinating, surprising and sometimes downright bizarre.
Ahead of the telecast on Sunday (Feb. 10), we’ve broken down everything you need to know about the nominations in the 12 most interesting categories outside of the Big Four (record of the year, album of the year, song of the year and best new artist) at this year’s Grammy Awards. Who will walk away with a golden gramphone in hand is anyone’s guess, but whether you care about gospel, country, electronic/dance, rock or anything else, check out our analysis below.
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”
Let’s jump right in with the wackiest category of all, shall we? The nominees for best pop solo performance are nothing short of bonkers, running the gamut from a last-minute live version of Camila Cabello’s “Havana” — a song that honestly should have dominated last year’s ceremony in its original form — to a piano version of the title track off Lady Gaga’s Joanne, whose album cycle is well and truly past its moment. (Gaga’s LP, an homage to her late aunt, already garnered two nominations last year, including one in this same category for “Million Reasons.”)
Throw in a pair of tracks that dubiously blur the lines of what exactly constitutes “pop” in 2019 — the experimental alt of Beck’s “Colors” and the mumbling hip-hop singalong of Post Malone on “Better Now” — and the category becomes a mixed bag of head-scratching proportions. The only truly current pop banger in the category is Ariana Grande’s cleverly feminist “God Is A Woman,” which could bode well for the superstar come Sunday (even if she won’t be at the ceremony, following a disagreement with Grammy producers.)
Best Pop Vocal Album
Camila Cabello, Camila
Kelly Clarkson, Meaning of Life
Ariana Grande, Sweetener
Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes
P!nk, Beautiful Trauma
Taylor Swift, Reputation
In a post-Drake era where the very definition of “pop” feels at times fractured beyond recognition, these are exactly the kind of nominees traditionalist pop lovers crave in the best pop vocal album category. With not a single rock band or rapper in sight, the field is diva versus diva versus diva as matriarchs like Kelly Clarkson and P!nk square off against the next generation of superstars like Ariana Grande and Camila Cabello.
While Shawn Mendes may be the lone male nominee (for his excellent eponymous third LP), the true outlier here is actually Taylor Swift’s Reputation. The follow-up to 2016 album of the year winner 1989 was Swift’s first foray into darker, urban sounds and — despite its record-breaking, critically acclaimed tour and chart dominance — Reputation was largely snubbed by The Recording Academy this year. In fact, best pop vocal album is the one and only category Taylor’s nominated in, which may have something to do with her choosing to skip this year’s ceremony altogether. As for the rest? We propose a sing-off of truly epic vocal gymnastics to decide the winner.
Best Electronic/Dance Album
TOKiMONSTA, Lune Rouge
Jon Hopkins, Singularity
Justice, Woman Worldwide
Sofi Tukker, Treehouse
SOPHIE, Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
A battle of SOPHIE versus Sofi? The former mononymous producer spent years crafting records for everyone from Madonna to Charli XCX behind a shroud of mystery before unveiling her public persona and face for the first time with the release of “It’s Okay to Cry,” the first single off Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides. The album received universal acclaim for SOPHIE’s rejection of sampling in favor of creating waveforms from scratch, and has since been marked as a pivotal shift in the direction pop music could be headed as we enter a new decade.
Meanwhile, Sofi Tukker, the NYC-based duo, have generated massive buzz around Treehouse (thanks in large part to their single “Best Friend” being used in Apple’s multi-platform campaign to launch the iPhone X), and the dance-pop bangers keep coming on songs like “F**k They” and “Baby I’m a Queen.” The most compelling backstory, however, perhaps belongs to TOKiMONSTA, the LA-based DJ producer who crafted the electro-R&B of Lune Rouge after recovering from a near-fatal brain disease which temporarily robbed her of the ability to walk, speak and even grasp the very concept of music.
Best Rock Song
Greta Van Fleet, “Black Smoke Rising”
Twenty One Pilots, “Jumpsuit”
Bring Me the Horizon, “MANTRA”
St. Vincent, “Masseduction”
Ghost, “Rats”
In the race for best rock song, the guys of Greta Van Fleet remain the genre’s of-the-moment golden boys. While the debate remains divided over whether the best new artist nominees are the second coming of Led Zeppelin or simply a blatant rip-off of the iconic rockers, “Black Smoke Rising” marks a welcome return to the glory days of classic rock for the genre’s most ardent fans. Other interesting songs of note in the category include the high-concept acoustic/hard rock hybrid of Twenty One Pilots’ “Jumpsuit” as well as the weaponized glam of St. Vincent’s “Masseduction.” However, the momentum could very well swing in Greta Van Fleet’s direction as the wonder boys of rock’s past, as well as its future.
Best Urban Contemporary Album
The Carters, Everything Is Love
Chloe x Halle, The Kids Are Alright
Chris Dave And The Drumhedz, Chris Dave And The Drumhedz
Miguel, War & Leisure
Meshell Ndegeocello, Ventriloquism
Could the students have become the masters? In a fun twist of fate, the best urban contemporary album category pits Beyoncé — nominated for Everything Is Love, her surprise collaborative album with husband Jay-Z — against protégés Chloe x Halle. (The R&B wunderkinds, who are signed to Bey’s Parkwood Entertainment, were discovered after the mega-star saw their cover of her 2013 single “Pretty Hurts” on YouTube.)
While drummer Chris Dave’s debut with The Deadhedz is jam-packed with stand-out guests including Anderson .Paak, SiR and Anna Wise, and Miguel’s War & Leisure earned the crooner his third consecutive nod in the category, the crown is still The Carters’ to lose in this category — despite both Jay and Bey’s rather contentious history with the Grammys. (In case you forgot, Jay-Z was shut out at last year’s ceremony despite leading the crowd with eight nominations for 4:44, while Beyoncé’s Lemonade controversially lost out on album of the year in 2017 to Adele’s 25.)
Best Rap/Sung Performance
Christina Aguilera feat. GoldLink, “Like I Do”
6lack feat. J. Cole, “Pretty Little Fears”
Childish Gambino, “This Is America”
Kendrick Lamar & SZA, “All The Stars”
Post Malone feat. 21 Savage, “Rockstar”
Split between heavy hitters and dark horses, the best rap/sung performance category is a packed field with more than one chart-topping hit vying for the trophy. Post Malone and 21 Savage’s collaboration “Rockstar” spent eight weeks dominating the Billboard Hot 100 in late 2017, while Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” impressively debuted at No. 1 following the release of its zeitgeist-shattering music video last May. “All The Stars” remains an awards season favorite, with three other Grammy noms (including record of the year and song of the year) as well as dual nods for best original song at the Golden Globes and Oscars. However, a dark horse like “Pretty Little Fears” by 6lack and J.Cole or “Like I Do” — Christina Aguilera’s collaboration with GoldLink off her criminally underappreciated Liberation — could still surprise the three Goliaths and pull off a major upset.
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Brothers Osborne, “Shoot Me Straight”
Dan + Shay, “Tequila”
Little Big Town, “When Someone Stops Loving You”
Maren Morris feat. Vince Gill, “Dear Hate”
Bebe Rehxa & Florida Georgia Line, “Meant to Be”
It’s hardly the first rodeo for most of 2019’s nominees for best country duo/group performance. This year would mark the fourth win in the category by powerhouse quartet Little Big Town, while songs by the Brothers Osborne have been nominated for four consecutive years without a single win to the band’s name. Meanwhile, first-time nominees Florida Georgia Line and Dan + Shay have been nearly inescapable on country radio in 2018 with “Meant To Be” (featuring Bebe Rexha) and “Tequila,” respectively. And while the spotlight on Maren Morris has largely been on focused on “The Middle,” her dance-pop collaboration with Zedd and Grey that’s up for both song of the year and record of the year in the Big Four categories, her heartfelt “Dear Hate” duet with Vince Gill — recorded in response to last year’s tragic mass shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas — has the quiet power and emotional resonance to possibly come out on top.
Best Gospel Album
Jekalyn Carr, One Nation Under God
Tori Kelly, Hiding Place
Jonathan McReynolds, Make Room
The Walls Group, The Other Side
Brian Courtney Wilson, A Great Work
Though clearly filed under the gospel/contemporary Christian music field, it would be easy to mistake this year’s best gospel album nominees for a pop vocal category. Evangelist Jekalyn Carr, who earned her first Grammy nomination for best gospel performance/song in 2016 at the age of 18, focuses her giant voice on a communal worship experience with One Nation Under God, while the soulful, acoustic Make Room earned Jonathan McReynolds his second consecutive nod in this category after last year’s Life Music: Stage Two. Meanwhile, The Walls Group’s layered harmonies and vocal gymnastics on The Other Side would sound right at home in the contemporary R&B world and Brian Courtney Wilson vibrates with Motown energy all over A Great Work.
The most conspicuous standout here, though, is Tori Kelly’s superb Hiding Place, which marks a rare pivot for a pop star venturing into gospel territory. While the former best new artist nominee’s 2016 debut, Unbreakable Smile, was executive-produced by pop maestro Max Martin and featured high-profile guest spots by Ed Sheeran and LL Cool J, she gets support from the likes of Kirk Franklin, The HamilTones and even fellow nominee McReynolds this time around. If Kelly nabs a win, it would be a major crossover moment in the seven-year-old category, where a bonafide pop singer has never been nominated before.
Best Musical Theater Album
The Band’s Visit (Original Broadway Cast)
Carousel (2018 Broadway Cast)
Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert (Original Television Cast)
My Fair Lady (2018 Broadway Cast)
Once on This Island (New Broadway Cast)
With three well-loved Broadway revivals, a Tonys heavyweight and a live TV musical in the race, the Grammy for best musical theater album could go any direction. The Band’s Visit swept the Tony Awards last June, winning 10 of its 11 nominations (including best musical, best original score and best sound design). However, the Tel Aviv-set Tony darling could be considered the least music-focused of all the Grammy nominees. Led by John Legend, Jesus Christ Superstar Live is the first live TV musical to earn a nod in the category, while the revival of Once on This Island proved groundbreaking thanks to stunning performances by Broadway royalty Lea Salonga, American Idol alum Tamyra Gray and especially Glee breakout Alex Newell in a gender-bending turn as mother of the Earth Asaka.
Best Song Written For Visual Media
Kendrick Lamar & SZA, “All The Stars” (Black Panther)
Sufjan Stevens, “Mystery of Love” (Call Me By Your Name)
Miguel Featuring Natalia Lafourcade, “Remember Me” (Coco)
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, “Shallow” (A Star Is Born)
Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble, “This Is Me” (The Greatest Showman)
Each song in the best song written for visual media category is meant to act as an important piece of a larger whole — to shoulder the weight of a film’s emotional arc by helping an audience really feel something from their seats in a darkened theater. Sufjan Stevens’ “Mystery of Love” added a bittersweet melancholy to Oliver and Elio’s ill-fated Italian romance in Call Me By Your Name while “Remember Me” basically tore out the hearts of moviegoers at the end of Pixar’s Coco.
Meanwhile, crowd favorite “This Is Me” single-handedly turned Keala Settle into a star and kept audiences continually flocking to The Greatest Showman, as the musical became the leggiest movie to ever hit theaters since Titanic, while “All The Stars” brought hip-hop credibility to Black Panther’s shouts of “Wakanda forever!” However, the frontrunner for the Grammy win is likely “Shallow” from A Star Is Born. From the moment Lady Gaga’s Ally stepped on stage, gripped the mic and let out a wail –you know the one — audiences were enraptured and a star was (re)born.
Producer of the Year
Boi-1da
Larry Klein
Linda Perry
Kanye West
Pharrell Williams
After thirty years in the industry, Linda Perry — the longstanding producer and songwriter behind hits for everyone from P!nk and Gwen Stefani to Christina Aguilera and Celine Dion — is finally up for producer of the year, the first woman to earn a nomination since 2004. If Perry takes home the statue, she’ll also be the first woman to ever win the award in the 61-year history of the Grammy Awards.
Competition is stiff, however, with Pharrell Williams up for his third possible win in the category and first-time nominee Kanye West considered a frontrunner for his work on Pusha T’s Daytona, Teyana Taylor’s K.T.S.E., his own Ye and more. Plus, don’t count out Kanye’s fellow first-time nominee Boi-1da, a Jamaican-Canadian producer with credits on some of the year’s biggest hits, including Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy, Drake’s Scorpion and The Carters’ Everything Is Love.
Music Video
The Carters, “Apeshit”
Childish Gamino, “This Is America”
Joyner Lucas, “I’m Not Racist”
Janelle Monae, “PYNK”
Tierra Whack, “MUMBO JUMBO”
Some may argue that the art of the music video is less relevant in a post-MTV landscape, but these five high-concept visuals beg to differ with their powerful messages and social commentary. Both “Apeshit” and “This Is America” nearly broke the internet when they were dropped on the unsuspecting masses, with the former’s prescient themes of high art, holy matrimony and black excellence set in the Louvre and the latter’s visceral, graphic violence speaking to the experience of what it means to be black in today’s America.
Meanwhile, Janelle Monáe’s “PYNK” served up its own slice of fresh feminism as the singer and Tessa Thomson led a movement of female power in a rose-colored desert utopia. More than a year after its release, the shock value of watching the showdown between a white, MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporter and a young black man in Joyner Lucas’ “I’m Not Racist” still hasn’t worn off, and last but not least, mumble rapper Tierra Whack is the clear underdog with her unforgettable, nearly incomprehensible “MUMBO JUMBO” — one chapter of her acclaimed Whack World visual album — set in a bloody, nightmarish dentist office of the future. (Seriously, fans with weak stomachs be warned.)
The 61st Annual Grammy Awards air this Sunday, Feb. 10 on CBS.
