New categories, snubs, and Barbie? Breaking down the 2024 Grammy nominations

The 2024 Grammy nominations have been announced!

With new categories, shocking snubs, Taylor Swift smashing records and Barbie- there's a lot to discuss this year.

Let's get straight into it.

Here are some of the key takeaways, as well the full list of nominations at the end of the article.

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It's raining women, hallelujah!

The best story of the 2024 Grammy nominations, of course, is just how many women are represented in the major categories.

The majority of leading nominees are women and include superstars like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus and Olivia Rodrigo.

In both the Record and Album of the Year categories, the only man represented is Jon Batiste, who won five Grammys last year, including Album of the Year.

Take notes Brit Awards!

Taylor Swift breaks nomination record

Unsurprisingly, the unstoppable Queen Tay Tay is continuing to break records.

The shortlisting of her hit Anti-Hero makes Swift the first songwriter to score seven nominations in the Sony of the Year category - overtaking Sir Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie, who have six each.

She's also in the running for Album and Record of the Year categories alongside tough competition from Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus and SZA.

Lana Del Rey and Dua Lipa are among the other nominees for Song of the Year.

Swift's album of the year nod for Midnights is her sixth nomination in this category - and ties her with Barbra Streisand for the most nominations for a female artist.

If she wins, she will become the first artist to win album of the year four times.

SZA supremacy

SZA is the lead contender for the 66th Grammy Awards, with a whopping nine nominations.

Kill Bill, her revenge anthem cloaked in an R&B ballad, earned her nods for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best R&B Performance.

Her commercially and critically successful album_SOS_ is also up for Album of the Year and Best Progressive R&B album.

Hi Barbie!

Just like at the box office, Barbie will be seen - and heard - at the Grammys.

Music from the hit film’s soundtrack earned 11 nominations, including nabbing four of the five slots in the Visual Media Song category.

Billie Eilish’s emotional ballad What Was I Made For?  landed five nominations all by itself, including making the coveted Record and Song of the Year categories.

Dua Lipa’s catchy bop Dance the Night also got a nomination, for Song of the Year.

While I’m Just Ken has received a nomination, it’s in a songwriting category - so actor Ryan Gosling is not up for a Grammy. Sigh...

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New categories

There are three new categories at the 2024 Grammys: Best Pop Dance Recording, Best African Music Performance and Best Alternative Jazz Album.

Four of the five acts in the best African Music Performance category are nominated for the first time: ASAKE & Olamide for Amapiano, Davido featuring Musa Keys for UNAVAILABLE, Ayra Starr for Rush, and Tyla for Water.

The fifth is the already Grammy-winning Burna Boy for City Boys.

Snubs and surprises

As always, many exceptionally talented artists find themselves snubbed from the Grammy spotlight.

American singer Reneé Rapp, breakthrough Mexican sensation Peso Pluma, and the British dance music star PinkPantheress all had standout years but are notably all absent from the Best New Artist category.

Surprisingly, rap music faces a complete shutout from three of the awards' major categories: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year.

This omission is particularly striking given the presence of rap singles worthy of recognition in these categories, for instance, Drake and 21 Savage’s Rich Flex, a chart-topping hit, Doja Cat’s Paint the Town Red, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 or Travis Scott's star-studded album Utopia.

Country music shares a similar fate, with not a single artist or song making the cut in the all-genre categories of Song, Record, or Album of the Year, despite the undeniable success of artists like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, and Lainey Wilson.

And once more, the Grammys chose not to include any K-pop music in their nominations.

While the perennially snubbed BTS are currently on hiatus, individual members have made waves with solo hits, including Jungkook's collaboration with American rapper Latto on the UK garage-influenced track Seven, and Jimin's single Like Crazy.

Full list of Grammy 2024 nominations:

Record of the Year

Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture “Barbie”]

Boygenius - Not Strong Enough

Jon Batiste - Worship

Miley Cyrus - Flowers

Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire

SZA - Kill Bill

Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero

Victoria Monét - On My Mama

Album of the Year

Boygenius - The Record

Janelle Monáe - The Age of Pleasure

Jon Batiste - World Music Radio

Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd

Miley Cyrus - Endless Summer Vacation

Olivia Rodrigo - Guts

SZA - SOS

Taylor Swift - Midnights

Song of the Year

Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture “Barbie”]

Dua Lipa - Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album)

Jon Batiste - Butterfly

Lana Del Rey - A&W

Miley Cyrus - Flowers

Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire

SZA - Kill Bill

Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero

Best New Artist

Coco Jones

Gracie Abrams

Fred Again..

Ice Spice

Jelly Roll

Noah Kahan

Victoria Monét

The War and Treaty

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Daniel Nigro

Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II

Hit-Boy

Jack Antonoff

Metro Boomin

Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical

Edgar Barrera

Jessie Jo Dillon

Justin Tranter

Shane McAnally

Theron Thomas

Best Pop Solo Performance

Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture “Barbie”]

Doja Cat - Paint the Town Red

Miley Cyrus - Flowers

Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire

Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Labrinth Featuring Billie Eilish - Never Felt So Alone

Lana Del Rey Featuring Jon Batiste - Candy Necklace

Miley Cyrus Featuring Brandi Carlile - Thousand Miles

SZA Featuring Phoebe Bridgers - Ghost in the Machine

Taylor Swift Featuring Ice Spice - Karma

Best Pop Vocal Album

Ed Sheeran - - (Subtract)

Kelly Clarkson - Chemistry

Miley Cyrus - Endless Summer Vacation

Olivia Rodrigo - Guts

Taylor Swift - Midnights

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

Aphex Twin - Blackbox Life Recorder 21f

Disclosure - Higher Than Ever Before

James Blake - Loading

Romy & Fred Again.. - Strong

Skrillex, Fred Again.. & Flowdan - Rumble

Best Pop Dance Recording

Bebe Rexha & David Guetta - One in a Million

Calvin Harris Featuring Ellie Goulding - Miracle

David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray - Baby Don’t Hurt Me

Kylie Minogue - Padam Padam

Troye Sivan - Rush

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album

James Blake - Playing Robots Into Heaven

The Chemical Brothers - For That Beautiful Feeling

Fred Again.. - Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022)

Kx5 - Kx5

Skrillex - Quest for Fire

Best Rock Performance

Arctic Monkeys - Sculptures of Anything Goes

Black Pumas - More Than a Love Song

Boygenius - Not Strong Enough

Foo Fighters - Rescued

Metallica - Lux Æterna

Best Metal Performance

Disturbed - Bad Man

Ghost - Phantom of the Opera

Metallica - 72 Seasons

Slipknot - Hive Mind

Spiritbox - Jaded

Best Rock Song

Boygenius - Not Strong Enough

Foo Fighters - Rescued

Olivia Rodrigo - Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl

Queens of the Stone Age - Emotion Sickness

The Rolling Stones - Angry

Best Rock Album

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are

Greta Van Fleet - Starcatcher

Metallica - 72 Seasons

Paramore - This Is Why

Queens of the Stone Age - In Times New Roman…

Best Alternative Music Performance

Alvvays - Belinda Says

Arctic Monkeys - Body Paint

Boygenius - Cool About It

Lana Del Rey - A&W

Paramore - This Is Why

Best Alternative Music Album

Arctic Monkeys - The Car

Boygenius - The Record

Gorillaz - Cracker Island

Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd

PJ Harvey - I Inside the Old Year Dying

Best R&B Performance

Chris Brown - Summer Too Hot

Coco Jones - ICU

Robert Glasper Featuring Sir & Alex Isley - Back to Love

SZA - Kill Bill

Victoria Monét - How Does It Make You Feel

Best Traditional R&B Performance

Babyface Featuring Coco Jones - Simple

Kenyon Dixon - Lucky

PJ Morton Featuring Susan Carol - Good Morning

SZA - Love Language

Victoria Monét Featuring Earth, Wind & Fire & Hazel Monét - Hollywood

Best R&B Song

Coco Jones - ICU

Halle - Angel

Robert Glasper Featuring Sir & Alex Isley - Back to Love

SZA - Snooze

Victoria Monét - On My Mama

Best Progressive R&B Album

Diddy - The Love Album: Off the Grid

Terrace Martin and James Fauntleroy - Nova

Janelle Monáe - The Age of Pleasure

SZA - SOS

6lack - Since I Have a Lover

Best R&B Album

Babyface - Girls Night Out

Coco Jones - What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe)

Emily King - Special Occasion

Summer Walker - Clear 2: Soft Life EP

Victoria Monét - Jaguar II

Best Rap Performance

Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar - The Hillbillies

Black Thought - Love Letter

Coi Leray - Players

Drake & 21 Savage - Rich Flex

Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane - Scientists & Engineers

Best Melodic Rap Performance

Burna Boy Featuring 21 Savage - Sittin’ on Top of the World

Doja Cat - Attention

Drake & 21 Savage - Spin Bout U

Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole - All My Life

SZA - Low

Best Rap Song

Doja Cat - Attention

Drake & 21 Savage - Rich Flex

Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane - Scientists & Engineers

Lil Uzi Vert - Just Wanna Rock

Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Featuring Aqua - Barbie World [From Barbie the Album]

Best Rap Album

Drake & 21 Savage - Her Loss

Killer Mike - Michael

Metro Boomin - Heroes & Villains

Nas - King’s Disease III

Travis Scott - Utopia

Best Country Solo Performance

Brandy Clark - Buried

Chris Stapleton - White Horse

Dolly Parton - The Last Thing on My Mind

Luke Combs - Fast Car

Tyler Childers - In Your Love

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Brothers Osborne - Nobody’s Nobody

Carly Pearce Featuring Chris Stapleton - We Don’t Fight Anymore

Dierks Bentley Furingeat Billy Strings - High Note

Jelly Roll With Lainey Wilson - Save Me

Vince Gill & Paul Franklin - Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)

Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything

Best Country Song

Brandy Clark - Buried

Chris Stapleton - White Horse

Morgan Wallen - Last Night

Tyler Childers - In Your Love

Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything

Best Country Album

Brothers Osborne - Brothers Osborne

Kelsea Ballerini - Rolling Up the Welcome Mat

Lainey Wilson - Bell Bottom Country

Tyler Childers - Rustin’ in the Rain

Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan

Best Latin Pop Album

AleMor - Beautiful Humans, Vol. 1

Gaby Moreno - X Mi (Vol. 1)

Maluma - Don Juan

Pablo Alborán - La Cuarta Hoja

Paula Arenas - A Ciegas

Pedro Capó - La Neta

Best Música Urbana Album

Karol G - Mañana Será Bonito

Rauw Alejandro - Saturno

Tainy - Data

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

Cabra - Martínez

Diamante Eléctrico - Leche de Tigre

Fito Paez - EADDA9223

Juanes - Vida Cotidiana

Natalia Lafourcade - De Todas las Flores

Best Global Music Performance

Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily - Shadow Forces

Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia - Pashto

Burna Boy - Alone

Davido - Feel

Falu & Gaurav Shah (Featuring PM Narendra Modi) - Abundance in Millets

Ibrahim Maalouf Featuring Cimafunk & Tank and the Bangas - Todo Colores

Silvana Estrada - Milagro y Disastre

Best African Music Performance

Asake & Olamide - Amapiano

Ayra Starr - Rush

Burna Boy - City Boys

Davido Featuring Musa Keys - Unavailable

Tyla - Water

Best Global Music Album

Bokanté - History

Burna Boy - I Told Them…

Davido - Timeless

Shakti - This Moment

Susana Baca- Epifanías

Best Reggae Album

Buju Banton - Born for Greatness

Beenie Man - Simma

Burning Spear - No Destroyer

Collie Buddz - Cali Roots Riddim 2023

Julian Marley & Antaeus - Colors of Royal

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

Daisy Jones & the Six - Aurora

Various Artists - Barbie The Album

Various Artists - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Music From and Inspired By

Various Artists - Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix, Vol. 3

“Weird Al” Yankovic - Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film and Television)

John Williams - The Fabelmans

John Williams - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Ludwig Göransson - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Ludwig Göransson - Oppenheimer

Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt - Barbie

Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media

Bear McCreary - God of War Ragnarök

Jess Serro, Tripod & Austin Wintory - Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical

Peter Murray, J Scott Rakozy & Chuck E. Myers “Sea” - Hogwarts Legacy

Sarah Schachner - Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare II

Stephen Barton & Gordy Haab - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Best Song Written for for Visual Media

Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture “Barbie”]

Dua Lipa - Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album)

Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Featuring Aqua - Barbie World [From Barbie the Album]

Rihanna - Lift Me Up (From Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Music From and Inspired By)

Ryan Gosling - I’m Just Ken [From “Barbie the Album”]