UPDATED 11/28/17: The Recording Academy unveiled the nominees for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards Tuesday morning and they actually weren't overwhelmingly laced with peculiar omissions. Though there's still plenty to complain about, the 2018 nominees represent a major step in a refreshing direction for the often criticized awards show as it returns to New York City after spending the past 15 years in Los Angeles.
One notable move toward true diversity among this year's nominees, as pointed out by USA Today's Maeve McDermott, is that the 2018 field marks the first time (!) that a white dude artist hasn't been in the running for Album of the Year.
This is awesome, especially when considering the fact that white dudes in the past have been given Album of the Year nods for everything from actual award-worthy work to abject mediocrity in equal measure. The white dudeless 2018 nominees include Kendrick Lamar's arguable frontrunner Damn, Jay Z's 4:44, Lorde's Melodrama, Childish Gambino's Awaken, My Love!, and Bruno Mars' 24K Magic. As the Los Angeles Times and others have pointed out since McDermott's tweet started going viral, 1999 nominees Garbage—fronted by Shirley Manson—did indeed include three white dudes. Thus, the 2018 Album of the Year nominees list marks the first time this has happened period.
There are also some noteworthy victories in other categories. Lil Uzi Vert is up for Best New Artist, Dave Chappelle earned his ever-ever nomination, and Cardi B's still-ubiquitous "Bodak Yellow" bagged multiple nods.
If Uzi isn't given enough stage time Jan. 28 to perform a medley of "XO Tour Llif3," "444+222," "Neon Guts," and a Paramore cover, then I will promptly toss my laptop into traffic. Don't fuck this up, Grammys.
