Women Lead the Nominations in Major Grammy 2021 Categories

We’re still scratching our heads over The Weeknd being completely shut out by The Grammys, but there’s still reason to celebrate this year’s noms. Womxn are sweeping the 2021 Grammy Award nominations with some categories where men haven’t received a single nom.

First, let’s talk about which artists are leading the pack. Beyonce has an overwhelming nine nominations this year even though she hasn’t dropped an official album in 2020. How did she pull it off? Her Black is King project put her in several categories including Record and Song of the Year with “Black Parade,” but it was her “Savage” remix with Megan Thee Stallion that earned her nominations in unlikely rap categories. Not to mention, the song’s allowed her to achieve the rare feat of having two Record of the Year nominations. Her 79 career Grammy nominations means that she’s the most-nominated female artist in the award ceremony’s history.

Taylor Swift is set to make history as well. She has 6 nominations, making her the seventh-most nominated female artist in Grammys history, but she’s looking to set another record. If her album Folklore wins Album of the Year, she’ll be the only artist to win in that category for the third time.

The male-dominated rock category is giving womxn their long overdue shine — Best Rock Performance is seeing an all-female lineup of nominees for the first time. The country music categories are seeing major developments too, with womxn holding most of the nomination spots for Country Solo Performance and Country Song. Mickey Guyton becomes the first Black woman in the Country Solo Performance category. Best Country Album will end up going to a woman by nature of the all-female slate (save Little Big Town, which is a group with both womxn and men).

See if your favourite artists made the cut this year with the list of major categories below, and see who wins at the 63rd Annual Grammys on Jan. 31 at 8P ET, hosted by Trevor Noah.

Record Of The Year

“Black Parade” — Beyoncé
“Colors” — Black Pumas
“Rockstar” — DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch
“Say So” — Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa
“Circles” — Post Malone
“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé

Song Of The Year

“Black Parade” — Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“The Box” — Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Cardigan” — Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Circles” — Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)
“Don’t Start Now” — Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“I Can’t Breathe” — Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“If The World Was Ending” — Julia Michaels & JP Saxe, songwriters (JP Saxe Featuring Julia Michaels)

Album Of The Year

Chilombo – Jhené Aiko
Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition) – Black Pumas
Everyday Life — Coldplay
Djesse Vol. 3 – Jacob Collier
Women In Music Pt. III – Haim
Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa
Hollywood’s Bleeding — Post Malone
Folklore – Taylor Swift

Best New Artist

Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Un Dia (One Day)” — J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy
“Intentions” — Justin Bieber Featuring Quavo
“Dynamite” — BTS
“Rain On Me” — Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
“Exile” — Taylor Swift Featuring Bon Iver

Best Pop Vocal Album

Changes – Justin Bieber
Chromatica — Lady Gaga
Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa
Fine Line – Harry Styles
Folklore – Taylor Swift

Best Dance/Electronic Album

Kick I — Arca
Planet’s Mad — Baauer
Energy – Disclosure
Bubba — Kaytranada
Good Faith — Madeon

Best Rock Performance

“Shameika” — Fiona Apple
“Not” — Big Thief
“Kyoto” — Phoebe Bridgers
“The Steps” — HAIM
“Stay High” — Brittany Howard
“Daylight” — Grace Potter

Best Progressive R&B Album:

Chilombo – Jhené Aiko
Ungodly Hour — Chloe X Halle
Free Nationals – Free Nationals
F*** Yo Feelings – Robert Glasper
It Is What It Is – Thundercat

Best Rap Performance:

“Deep Reverence” — Big Sean Featuring Nipsey Hussle
“Bop” — DaBaby
“What’s Poppin” — Jack Harlow
“The Bigger Picture” — Lil Baby
“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé
“Dior” — Pop Smoke

Best Country Album

Lady Like — Ingrid Andress
Your Life Is A Record — Brandy Clark
Wildcard – Miranda Lambert
Nightfall — Little Big Town
Never Will – Ashley McBryde

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Ona – Thana Alexa
Secrets Are The Best Stories — Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez
Modern Ancestors — Carmen Lundy
Holy Room: Live At Alte Oper – Somi With Frankfurt Radio Big Band
What’s The Hurry — Kenny Washington

Best Latin Pop Or Urban Album:

YHLQMDLG — Bad Bunny
Por Primera Vez — Camilo
Mesa Para Dos — Kany García
Pausa — Ricky Martin
3:33 — Debi Nova

Best Americana Album

Old Flowers — Courtney Marie Andrews
Terms Of Surrender – Hiss Golden Messenger
World On The Ground – Sarah Jarosz
El Dorado — Marcus King
Good Souls Better Angels – Lucinda Williams

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? — Fantastic Negrito
Live At The Paramount – Ruthie Foster Big Band
The Juice – G. Love
Blackbirds — Bettye LaVette
Up And Rolling – North Mississippi Allstars

Best Global Music Album

FU Chronicles — Antibalas
Twice As Tall – Burna Boy
Agora – Bebel Gilberto
Love Letters — Anoushka Shankar
Amadjar – Tinariwen

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)

Acid For The Children: A Memoir – Flea
Alex Trebek – The Answer Is… — Ken Jennings
Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, And The Richest, Most Destructive Industry On Earth — Rachel Maddow
Catch And Kill — Ronan Farrow
Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) — Meryl Streep (& Full Cast)