The Grammy nominees for this year have been announced and social media is being flooded by people's reactions. Although many popular artists such as Jay-Z, Lorde, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, etc, received nominations, some big names and viral songs were given a miss.
The Grammy awards, which is on the verge of completing 60 years, has managed to escape certain controversies while giving birth to some others. As people wait with bated breath to find out who wins in which category, netizens burst out with their approval and criticism on the artists featuring on the nomination list.
The award show, to be held on January 28, 2018, is all set to create debates on social media before it actually takes place. So, while you wait to form your own opinions or quarrel with people over theirs, check out five takeaways from this year's nomination list announcement.
Grammy finally puts racism accusations to rest
The Grammys, like the Oscars have always been considered somewhat racist as artists of colour are often snubbed in favour of white ones. However, this year the tables have turned, with artists like Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars receiving eight, seven and six nominations respectively.
Also, for the first time ever, no white man received a nomination in the Album of the Year category, of which four are people of colour. The nominees are: "Awaken, My Love!" by Childish Gambino, "4:44" by Jay-Z, "DAMN." by Kendrick Lamar, "Melodrama" by Lorde and "24K Magic" by Bruno Mars.
The biggest snubs
Majorly popular singers like Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Harry Styles were left out entirely from the nominee list. Even Ed Sheeran, who delivered the wildly successful "Shape of You", was left out of the major categories, instead receiving nominations in Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. Calvin Harris and Lady Gaga also did not feature in the top categories.
There is also no mention of country music in them, sparking disappointment among fans. The same goes for the One Direction boys who continue being excluded from the Grammy nomination honour.
The Zayn Malik question
Former Directioner Zayn Malik was lucky enough to get his name associated with this year's Grammys, but it is a big question whether that will be any good for him.
His duet with Taylor Swift, "I Don't Want to Live Forever", has been nominated in the Best Song written for Visual Media category as it featured in Fifty Shades Darker. However, if the song wins a Grammy, the songwriters will be given the award and they are Swift, Sam Drew and Jack Antonoff, not Zayn.
Despacito makes a mark
Despacito has been an audience favourite from the moment it was released, but fans were a little sceptical about it featuring in the Grammys as foreign language songs are generally not nominated in major categories. However, this foot-tapping number by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber has secured a spot in three top categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
Luis Fonsi expressed his delight and gratitude for the nomination on Instagram.
The Justin Bieber - Selena Gomez debate
Amidst reports of heartthrobs Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez getting back together, the Grammy nominations have created a rift between the fans of the stars. While Justin Bieber was recognised for his work, Selena was not included in any of the categories this year.
2017 was a bad year for Selena as she fought with mental illness and kidney failure. Yet she has released five songs, which fans argue are worthy enough to be mentioned at the Grammys.
JB's fans, on the other hand, are miffed with the Bad Liar singer after a video of her was released soon after the nomination announcement.
Check out what fans have to say:
