The Grammys are all but upon us--the itinerary for music's biggest party has arrived. Earlier today the nominations for the 2015 Grammy Awards were announced. The nods for categories like Record of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Rap performance, Best R&B Performance and more were loaded with plenty of surprises, as well as sure things.
What do we find most interesting? Kendrick Lamar's "i" will face off against Childish Gambino, Drake and Eminem in the powerhouse Best Rap Performance category and FKA Twigs's "LP" has been put in the running for Best Recording Package. We've done a bit of triage and listed the most relevant hip-hop, and R&B categories below. If it's the full Taylor Swift-heavy list you'd like to peruse, click here.
Best New Artist
Bastille
Iggy Azalea
Brandy Clark
Haim
Sam Smith
Record of the Year
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX - "Fancy"
Sia - "Chandelier"
Sam Smith - "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)"
Taylor Swift - "Shake It Off"
Meghan Trainor - "All About That Bass"
Song of the Year
Sia - "Chandelier"
Meghan Trainor - "All About That Bass"
Taylor Swift - "Shake It Off"
Sam Smith - "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)"
Hozier - "Take Me to Church"
Best Rap Album
Iggy Azalea - The New Classic
Childish Gambino - Because the Internet
Common - Nobody's Smiling
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP2,
Schoolboy Q - Oxymoron,
Wiz Khalifa - Blacc Hollywood,
Best Rap Performance
Childish Gambino - "305"
Drake - "0 to 100/The Catch Up"
Eminem - "Rap God"
Kendrick Lamar - "i"
Lecrae - "All I Need Is You"
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Common ft. Jhené Aiko - "Blak Majik"
Eminem ft. Rihanna - "The Monster"
I Love Makonnen ft. Drake - "Tuesday"
ScHoolboy Q ft. BJ The Chicago Kid - "Studio"
Kanye West & Charlie Wilson - "Bound 2"
Best Rap Song
Nicki Minaj - "Anaconda"
Kanye West & Charlie Wilson - "Bound 2"
Kendrick Lamar - "i"
Wiz Khalifa - "We Dem Boyz"
Drake - "0 to 100/The Catch Up"
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Jhene Aiko - Sail Out
Beyonce - Beyonce
Chris Brown - X
Mali Music - Mali Is
Pharrell Williams - G I R L
Best Pop Solo Performance
John Legend - "All of Me"
Sia - "Chandelier"
Sam Smith - "Stay With Me"
Taylor Swift - "Shake It Off"
Pharrell Williams - "Happy"
Best R&B Performance
Beyoncé ft. Jay Z - "Drunk In Love"
Chris Brown ft. Usher & Rick Ross - "New Flame"
Jennifer Hudson ft. R. Kelly - "It's Your World"
Ledisi - "Like This"
Usher - "Good Kisser"
Best R&B Song
Beyonce ft. Jay Z - "Drunk In Love"
Usher - "Good Kisser"
Chris Brown ft. Usher & Rick Ross - "New Flame"
Luke James ft. Rick Ross - "Options (Wolfjames Version)"
Jhené Aiko - "The Worst"
Best R&B Album
Bernhoft - Islander
Aloe Blacc - Lift Your Spirit
Toni Braxton & Babyface - Love, Marriage & Divorce
Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio 2
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Give The People What They Want
