2015 Grammy Nominations: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith Score Nods

Sam Smith has the most nominations of any artist this year with six

Image
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty; Larry Busacca/PW/WireImage; Theo Wargo/Getty; Simone Joyner/Getty

Update: In September 2019, Sam Smith announced that they use they/them pronouns. This content was written in December 2014 before Smith publicly announced their pronouns.

The 2015 Grammy nominations are rolling in, and the year’s hottest artists are cleaning house.

British breakout Sam Smith holds the most nominations with six, while industry vets like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams have scored multiple nods as well.

Williams and Ed Sheeran kicked off the nominations for four categories for the 57th annual Grammy Awards early Friday on CBS This Morning at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Sheeran scored a nomination for best pop vocal album for x, saying, “Now I get why you woke us up.”

Nominations in other categories were revealed throughout the day on Twitter in video posts by a number of artists, like from Alanis Morissette to Jared Leto.

Then, nominees for Album of the Year – the Grammys’ top prize – were revealed on CBS’s A Very GRAMMY Christmas, where Smith, Williams, Ariana Grande and others performed. This year’s Album of the Year contenders are: Beck, Beyoncé, Sheeran, Smith and Williams.

Newer artists won nominations for record of the year. Iggy Azalea‘s “Fancy” featuring Charli XCX, Sia‘s “Chandelier,” Sam Smith‘s “Stay with Me” (the Darkchild version), and Meghan Trainor‘s “All About That Bass” are competing against Grammy veteran Swift for “Shake It Off.”

Maroon 5, Pharrell Williams, Mary J. Blige, Tim McGraw, Ariana Grande (joined by Big Sean) and Sam Smith will perform current hits and holiday songs.

The 2015 nominees:

Album of the Year

Morning Phase Beck

Beyoncé Beyoncé

X Ed Sheeran

In The Lonely Hour Sam Smith

G I R L Pharrell Williams

Song of the Year

• “All About That Bass” – Meghan Trainor

• “Chandelier” – Sia

• “Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift

• “Stay with Me (Darkchild Version)” – Sam Smith

• “Take Me to Church” – Hozier

Best Country Album

RiserDierks Bentley

The OutsidersEric Church

12 Stories – Brandy Clark

PlatinumMiranda Lambert

The Way I’m Livin’ – Lee Ann Womack

Best Pop Vocal Album

Ghost StoriesColdplay

BangerzMiley Cyrus

My EverythingAriana Grande

PrismKaty Perry

x – Ed Sheeran

In the Lonely Hour – Sam Smith

Best Urban Contemporary Album

Sail Out – Jhené Aiko

Beyoncé – Beyoncé

XChris Brown

Mali Is – Mali Music

G I R Ll – Pharrell Williams

Record of the Year

• “Fancy” – Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX

• “Chandelier” – Sia

• “Stay with Me” (Darkchild version) – Sam Smith

• “Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift

• “All About That Bass” – Meghan Trainor

Best Pop Solo Performance

• “All of Me” – John Legend

• “Chandelier” – Sia

• “Stay with Me” – Sam Smith

• “Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift

• “Happy” – Pharrell Williams

Best Rock Song

• “Ain’t It Fun” – Paramore

• “Blue Moon” – Beck

• “Fever” – The Black Keys

• “Gimme Something Good” – Ryan Adams

• “Lazaretto” – Jack White

Best Rock Album

Ryan Adams – Ryan Adams

Morning Phase – Beck

Turn Blue – The Black Keys

Hypnotic Eye – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Songs of Innocence – U2

Best New Artist

• Iggy Azalea

• Bastille

• Brandy Clark

• HAIM

• Sam Smith

Best Country Song

• “American Kids” – Kenny Chesney

• “Automatic” – Miranda Lambert

• “Give Me Back My Hometown” – Eric Church

• “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” – Glen Campbell

• “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s” – Tim McGraw ft. Faith Hill

Best Reggae Album

Fly Rasta – Ziggy Marley

Back on the Controls – Lee “Scratch” Perry

Full Frequency – Sean Paul

Out of Many, One Music – Shaggy

The Reggae Power – Sly & Robbie & Spicy Chocolate

Amid the Noise and the Haste – Soja

Best Rap Performance

• “3005” – Childish Gambino

• “0 to 100/The Catch Up” – Drake

• “Rap God” – Eminem

• “i” – Kendrick Lamar

• “All I Need Is You” Lecrae

Best Alternative Album

This Is All Yours – alt-J

Reflektor – Arcade Fire

Melophobia – Cage the Elephant

St. Vincent – St. Vincent

Lazaretto – Jack White

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Cheek to Cheek – Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

Nostalgia – Annie Lennox

Night Songs – Barry Manilow

Sending You a Little Christmas – Johnny Mathis

Partners – Barbra Streisand with Various Artists

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

American Hustle – Various Artists

Frozen – Various Artists

Get On Up: The James Brown Story James Brown

Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 1 – Various Artists

The Wolf of Wall Street – Various Artists

Best Rap Album

The New Classic – Iggy Azalea

Because the Internet – Childish Gambino

Nobody’s Smiling – Common

The Marshall Mathers LP 2 – Eminem

Oxymoron – Schoolboy Q

Black Hollywood – Wiz Khalifa

Best Country Solo Performance

• “Give Me Back My Hometown” Eric Church

• “Invisible” Hunter Hayes

• “Automatic” Miranda Lambert

• “Something in the Water” Carrie Underwood

• “Cop Car” Keith Urban

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

• “Fancy” Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX

• “A Sky Full of Stars” – Coldplay

• “Say Something” A Great Big World with Christina Aguilera

• “Bang Bang” Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj

• “Dark Horse” Katy Perry ft. Juicy J

Best Music Video

• “We Exist” Arcade Fire

• “Turn Down for What” DJ Snake, Lil Jon

• “Chandelier” Sia

• “Happy” Pharrell Williams

• “The Golden Age” Woodkid ft. Max Richter

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

• “Gentle on My Mind” The Band Perry

• “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s” Tim McGraw ft. Faith Hill

• “Raise ‘Em Up” Keith Urban ft. Eric Church

• “Day Drinking” Little Big Town

• “Somethin’ Bad” Miranda Lambert ft. Carrie Underwood

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

• “Blak Majik” Common ft. Jhené Aiko

• “The Monster” Eminem ft. Rihanna

• “Tuesday” I Love Makonnen ft. Drake

• “Studio” Schoolboy Q ft. BJ The Chicago Kid

• “Bound 2” Kanye West & Charlie Wilson

Best Rap Song

• “Anaconda” Nicki Minaj

• “Bound 2” Kanye West & Charlie Wilson

• “i” Kendrick Lamar

• “We Dem Boyz” Wiz Khalifa

• “0 to 100/The Catch Up” Drake

Best Music Film

Beyoncé & Jay Z: On The Run Tour – Beyoncé & Jay Z

Ghost Stories – Coldplay

20 Feet From Stardom – Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer & Judith Hill

Metallica: Through The Never – Metallica

The Truth About Love Tour: Live From Melbourne Pink

Best R&B Performance

• “Drunk in Love” – Beyoncé ft. Jay Z

• “New Flame” Chris Brown ft. Usher & Rick Ross

• “It’s Your World” Jennifer Hudson ft. R. Kelly

• “Like This” – Ledisi

• “Good Kisser” Usher

Best R&B Song

• “Drunk In Love” – Beyoncé ft. Jay Z

• “Good Kisser” Usher

• “New Flame” Chris Brown ft. Usher & Rick Ross

• “Options (Wolfjames Version)” Luke James ft. Rick Ross

• “The Worst” Jhené Aiko

For a full list of Grammy nominees, see Grammy.com.

Related Articles