With so much music being streamed, swapped and downloaded from so many outlets these days, it’s valid to ask whether we can arrive at any sort of Grammy consensus anymore.
The nominations for the 56th annual ceremony, announced late Friday, give us the answer: No. Successfully predicting musical consensus is, more than ever, a fool’s game. Click through to see this year’s snubs and surprises. (Sony BMG / Getty Images)
For many reasons, it’s tough to weep for Jay Z. After all, he earned the most nominations this year with nine. However, as is normally the case, the world’s most famous rapper was denied solo nominations in the major categories. (Joel Ryan / Invision / Associated Press)
Lorde was passed over in the best new artist category, even though “Royals” got nominated in two of the big four: Song of the year (where she’s nominated alongside songwriters Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor) and record of the year. (Ryan Pierse / Getty Images)
One of the biggest Grammy nomination surprises was best new artist nominee James Blake, a British singer and electronic music producer who recently won Britain’s coveted Mercury Prize but didn’t make much of a mark on the American charts and got scant commercial radio airplay. (Paul A. Hebert / Invision)
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That a few other left-field nominees prevailed over higher profile artists in that category serves as a reminder that the 12,000 voting members of the Recording Academy have some pretty protestant tastes — and that buzz doesn’t always matter. Miley Cyrus ruled social media but didn’t receive any nominations. (John Shearer / Invision / Associated Press)
Many expected Drake’s “Nothing Was the Same” to occupy a slot among contenders for album of the year. Instead, Drake got the shaft and Kendrick Lamar’s “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” earned mention alongside Taylor Swift’s “Red,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “The Heist,” “Random Access Memories” by French dance duo Daft Punk and Sara Barielles’ album. (Robb Cohen / Invision / Associated Press)
Despite the praise for his adventurous “Yeezus,” West only received two nominations for it: one in best rap album, and another for “New Slaves” as best rap song. Kanye haters will no doubt be gunning for him to suffer the ultimate ego buster: losing in both categories to the much dismissed Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, the upstart rapper-producer team whose seven nominations are among the most for any artists. (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images for Surface Magazine)
Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience” was missing from the album of the year category, despite being a seeming shoo-in. (John Shearer / Invision / Associated Press)
