This past year or so was a crazy time in music, and 2016 Grammy Award nominations certainly reflect that. Major acts like Taylor Swift bodied the charts, Kendrick Lamar dropped one of the most talked-about albums of our generation, and the Weeknd blossomed into a legit commercial star. There was also a nice balance of music from veterans (D'Angelo, Kanye West) and newcomers alike (Kehlani, Fetty Wap). This year’s categories are especially difficult to predict. And that makes our job all the more fun.
For clarification, our selections are based on a number of criteria: Performance quality, commercial appeal, and for better or worse, how the Recording Academy committee would potentially vet the nominees. Our projected winners aren’t necessarily our favorites, though in some cases that may be true.
Our final results: Kendrick wins several awards but fails to grab one of the Big Four, the Weeknd goes home with a handful of Grammys, and Drake will have to wait till next year to do this again. Be sure to check in Monday evening to see how accurate we are with our predictions.
Best Solo Pop Performance: Ed Sheeran “Thinking Out Loud”
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Mark Ronson f/ Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk”
Best Pop Vocal Album: Taylor Swift, 1989
Best Music Video: Taylor Swift f/ Kendrick Lamar “Bad Blood”
Best R&B Peformance: The Weeknd “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
Best R&B Song: The Weeknd “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
Best Rap Song: Kendrick Lamar “Alright”
Best Urban Contemporary Album: The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness
Best Rap Performance: Kendrick Lamar “Alright”
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: Kendrick Lamar f/ Bilal, Anna Wise, and Thundercat “These Walls”
Best Rap Album: Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly
Best New Artist: Sam Hunt
Song of the Year: Wiz Khalifa f/ Charlie Puth “See You Again”
Record of the Year: Mark Ronson f/ Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk”
Album of the Year: Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color
