2018 Grammys snubs and surprises, why top acts were left out

Lamar kept up his part of the deal with seven nominations, including a nod for Album of the Year and Record of the Year. Sheeran, however, earned only two nominations, for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance – neither in one of the four major categories (Record, Album, and Song of the Year and Best New Artist) that pit contenders from all genres against each other.

The big news instead is that the nominations are dominated by hip-hop and R&B, a year after the #GrammysSoWhite controversy, when Beyoncé led the nominations with nine, but lost Album of the Year to Adele. In 2018, Beyoncé’s husband, Jay-Z, has the most nominations, with eight, including Record, Album, and Song of the Year. (Jay-Z, who has 21 Grammys, could pass Beyoncé and her 22 Grammys in this year's awards fest.)

He’ll face off in the major categories against Lamar, Bruno Mars (six nominations), Lorde, “Despacito,” and Childish Gambino, whose surprise total of five nominations includes bids for Album and Record of the Year.  

“Despacito,” Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s inescapable hit single, is nominated for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year. It could become the only Spanish-language song to win a top Grammy. (Interestingly, it's the remix featuring Justin Bieber that's nominated.)

Childish Gambino’s nominations in the big categories were a surprise. They also illustrate one of the most confusing elements of the Grammys every year – the fact that eligibility stretches back to the last few months of the previous year. To be eligible for the 2018 awards, an album or song must have been released between Oct. 1, 2016, and Sept. 30, 2017. That means Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!” and “Redbone,” both released in late 2016, weren't eligible for the 2017 Grammys but are eligible this year. Ditto for Bruno Mars’ "24K Magic" and Lady Gaga’s "Joanne." But at least one major 2017 album—Taylor Swift’s "Reputation," released in November – won’t be eligible until the 2019 awards.

The first two singles from "Reputation" were eligible, however, and still didn’t get any nominations. Swift is in the running for Best Song Written for Visual Media (“I Don’t Wanna Live Forever,” her duet with Zayn of One Direction) and Best Country Song (“Better Man,” written by Swift and performed by Little Big Town).

Other expected contenders who were locked out of the major categories, consigned to genre nominations, or shut out altogether include Lady Gaga and comeback pop star Kesha, both nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance; the Weeknd, whose number-one album "Starboy" was only nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album; Lana Del Rey, whose "Lust for Life" was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album; and Harry Styles, Katy Perry, and Demi Lovato, who failed to earn any solo nominations. Lorde’s "Melodrama" is up against Jay-Z, Lamar, Childish Gambino, and Mars for Album of the Year, but that’s the singer-songwriter’s only nomination.

Cardi B is in an unusual position – her gigantic hit “Bodak Yellow” is nominated for Best Rap Song, but if it wins, the award will go to songwriters Dieuson Octave, Klenord Raphael, Shaftizm, Jordan Thorpe, and Washpoppin and J White, not Cardi B. But have no fear; "Washpoppin" is Cardi B's songwriting name.  

A year after Nashville rebel Sturgill Simpson upset Loretta Lynn and Keith Urban to win the Best Country Album Grammy, the country awards seem wide open, with insiders and veterans (Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum) vying with outsiders (Chris Stapleton) and newcomers (Sam Hunt, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett) for most of the awards. Midland was thought to be a dark-horse contender for one of the major categories, following Simpson’s surprise nomination for Album of the Year in 2017, but the Texas band managed only two nominations (Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance, for “Drinkin’ Problem”). The group’s debut album, "On the Rocks," wasn’t nominated.