So, how did the 60^th Grammy Awards nominations stack up? Check out our reactions, including those who were snubbed.

On November 28, 2017, the nominees/nominations were announced for the 60^th Grammy Awards.  The nominations as a whole represented relevancy, a step that the Recording Academy has been easing into over the last couple of years in particular.  Notably, there’s great diversity in the nominees, with few left-field surprises.  Arguably, this is the best crop of nominations yet because it matches the current musical climate, for better or for worse.  Here are The Musical Hype reactions to the nominations, specifically the big four categories of the coveted general field: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.

General Field

Record of The Year

“Redbone” (Childish Gambino)

“Despacito” (Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Ft. Justin Bieber)

“The Story of O.J.” (JAY-Z)

“HUMBLE.” (Kendrick Lamar)

“24K Magic” (Bruno Mars)

Notable Snubs: “Shape of You” (Ed Sheeran), “Sign of the Times” (Harry Styles)

Reaction: Two of the five nominees were expected: “Despacito” and “HUMBLE.” Two more aren’t far-fetched: “Redbone” and “24K Magic.”  The fifth, “The Story of O.J.,” is a shock. To the credit of the record, it’s rock solid.  The biggest surprise is that Ed Sheeran didn’t earn a nomination for “Shape of You.” Also, while Harry Styles’ smash “Sign of the Times” wasn’t a surefire choice, it is somewhat surprising it doesn’t appear here. Also, arguably, “1-800-273-8255” seemed a potential nominee in this category (it is nominated for song of the year, notably).

Album of The Year

“Awaken, My Love!” (Childish Gambino)

4:44 (JAY-Z)     

DAMN. (Kendrick Lamar)

Melodrama (Lorde)

24K Magic (Bruno Mars)

Notable Snubs: ÷ (Ed Sheeran), lack of rock or country nominee

Reaction: It’s clear that this is the year of the brown artist – save for Lorde who is from New Zealand.  The only surefire nominee I personally expected was Kendrick Lamar’s nod for DAMN.  Also, early on, I predicted Bruno Mars would be nominated for 24K Magic.  Lorde, who essentially earned the ‘pop’ nomination, was among my contenders, while Childish Gambino was also a possibility. Jay-Z once more surprises here, but it’s not because 4:44 is undeserving – it’s more because the rapper hasn’t been nominated for ‘the big one’ in the past.

The biggest snub again belongs to Ed Sheeran, who most considered to be a lock with ÷.  I’m surprised he wasn’t nominated, but not devastated per se. ÷ has consistently made my ‘best of lists,’ but it wasn’t atop the ranks.  Also, a bit surprising is the lack of a rock or country nominee.  That said, personally, there were few worthy to earn this distinction. In rock circles, perhaps you consider Harry Styles or Foo Fighters, but, it’s not a ‘sure’ thing.  In country circles, the best fit would’ve been Chris Stapleton (From a Room: Volume 1), but again, not a sure thing.

Song of The Year

“Despacito” (Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber)

“4:44” (JAY-Z)

“Issues” (Julia Michaels)

“1-800-273-8255” (Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid)

“That’s What I Like” (Bruno Mars)

Notable Snubs: “Sign of the Times” (Harry Styles); “Praying” (Kesha); “Million Reasons” (Lady Gaga)

Reaction: The lines have clearly been blurred between record and song in recent years.  This year’s Song of the Year category is further evidence.  Look at all five of these nominees and it’s easy to criticize their ‘song’ status versus being good ‘records.’ Expectedly, Logic makes the cut with “1-800-273-8255.” Otherwise, everything else is a bit surprising.

While the appearance of “Despacito” isn’t an utter shock, it definitely feels more ‘record’ than song, particularly compared to “1-800-273-8255.” Julia Michaels gets a bigger breakthrough than expected with “Issues,” While Jay-Z shocks again with the title track of his Album of the Year-nominated album.  That said, “4:44” is the right nominee here by all means.  Bruno Mars isn’t completely surprising, but like “Despacito,” “That’s What I Like” still feels more ‘record’ as opposed to song.

One could make an argument for a number of snubs, particularly if you consider songwriting, but again, there were few locks going into the Grammy nominations by my estimations.

Best New Artist

Alessia Cara

Khalid

Lil Uzi Vert

Julia Michaels

SZA

Notable Snubs: Brett Young

Reaction: This category feels about right.  Alessia Cara, Khalid, and SZA were locks.  Julia Michaels was always a possibility.  Even Lil Uzi Vert had been mentioned in the conversations, but it seemed a bit of a stretch.  Would I personally nominate Lil Uzi Vert for his artistry? No, but he has had a big year.  The only notable snub is Brett Young, who had a good year in country music.  However, country music didn’t have its best year overall, and that continues into the Grammys.

Photo Credits: Glassnote, Roc Nation, Interscope, Republic, Atlantic, Def Jam, RCA