The nominations for the 66th annual Grammy Awards were unveiled on Friday morning, revealing a list of 94 categories. The most exciting discovery was that all top nominees were female – deserving, highly-talented, and previously under-recognized artists finally receiving acknowledgment. Notably, SZA emerges as the leader, with nine nominations, followed by Victoria Monét with seven, and then several other artists with six nominations each, like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Brandy Clark, and the trio known as Boygenius. Janelle Monae, Lana Del Rey, and Dua Lipa also left strong imprints, particularly since seven of the eight nominees in the key Album and Record of the Year categories are women. Neal Portnow’s controversial “step up” comment, aimed at women in the music industry, is met with stark contrast and refreshing changes this year.
Now, we celebrate the recognition of artists and songs that haven’t received ample acclaim in the past, such as Miley Cyrus, whose single “Flowers” is nominated in the top categories. The absence of nominations for celebrated artists like Morgan Wallen and the emergence of traditional yet often-unnoticed artists like Victoria Monét add complexity to the nominations. Animals of note include an unexpected two nominations for Aqua and a single surprise nomination for Victoria Monét’s toddler. However, not all stars made it to this year’s Grammy list – known artists such as Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, and groups like Måneskin were noticeably absent. Old grudges and feuds in the music industry emerged, leading to unexpected exclusions of significant artists and films from the nomination list.
Despite the ongoing intricacies faced by the Recording Academy, the nominations for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards sparked excitement, disappointment, and deep ambiguity about the music industry landscape. All of these revelations are worth exploring and questioning.
