The Grammy nominations are bewildering and a little more awful than usual. Announced last night, the Grammys failed to put Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience” up for Best Album even though it was, and it was the best selling album of the year. Instead they stuck it in the Pop Album category, which is not shown on TV and is kind of a throwaway.
Neither Timberlake hit, “Suit and Tie” nor “Mirrors” is nominated for Best Song or Best Record.
But Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” a hodgepodge of other songs, and Bruno Mars’s “Locked in Heaven,” which rips off The Police, are nominated in those categories.
The contenders for Album of the Year include Daft Punk, Sara Barielles, the ubiquitous Taylor Swift, and Kendrick Lamar.
Most bizarre: several nominations for Pink’s “Just Give Me a Reason,” released in the eligibility period for the Grammys that have already passed. Pink’s album and its singles should not be eligible again, for this coming year. WTF?
No nominations for Elton John’s superior “Diving Board” or Paul McCartney’s “New.” David Bowie’s great album was stuck in Best Rock Album.
Oy gevalt.
Somehow an unreleased version of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” from their “Celebration Day” soundtrack, made it into Best Group Performance, Rock.
Alicia Keys was thrown a bone for best R&B album for “Girl on Fire.”
Maybe now we know why so many hit acts went for the American Music Awards. They knew they wouldn’t be at the Grammys.
It’s a mess, that’s for sure. What a shame.
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Just Give Me A Reason,” P!nk, Nate Ruess & Jeff Bhasker, songwriters (P!nk Featuring Nate Ruess)
“Locked Out Of Heaven,” Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence & Ari Levine, songwriters (Bruno Mars)
“Roar,” Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee & Henry Walter, songwriters (Katy Perry)
“Royals,” Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor, songwriters (Lorde)
“Same Love,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis & Mary Lambert, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert)
BEST DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
“Get Lucky,” Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
“Just Give Me A Reason,” P!nk Featuring Nate Ruess
“Stay,” Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko
“Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams
“Suit & Tie,” Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The Blessed Unrest,Sara Bareilles
Random Access Memories, Daft Punk
good kid m.A.A.d. city, Kendrick Lamar
The Heist, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Red, Taylor Swift
BEST NEW ARTIST
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran
RECORD OF THE YEAR
“Get Lucky,” Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
“Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons
“Royals,” Lorde
“Locked Out Of Heaven,” Bruno Mars
“Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
“Brave,” Sara Bareilles
“Royals,” Lorde
“When I Was Your Man,” Bruno Mars
“Roar,” Katy Perry
“Mirrors,” Justin Timberlake
BESTPOP VOCAL ALBUM
Paradise, Lana Del Rey
Pure Heroine, Lorde
Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars
Blurred Lines, Robin Thicke
The 20/20 Experience: The Complete Experience, Justin Timberlake
BEST DANCE RECORDING
“Need U (100%),” Duke Dumonf f/A*M*E&MNEK
“Sweet Nothing,” Calvin Harrisf/Florence Welch
“Atmosphere,” Kaskade
“This Is What It Feels Like,” Armin VanBuuren f/Trevor Guthrie
“Clarity,” Zedd f/Foxes
BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA ALBUM
Random Access Memories, Daft Punk
Settle, Disclosure
18 Months, Calvin Harris
Atmosphere, Kaskade
A Color Map of the Sun, Pretty Lights
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
“Always Alright,” Alabama Shakes
“The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” David Bowie
“Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons
“Kashmir,” Led Zeppelin
“My God Is the Sun,” Queens of the Stone Age
“I’m Shakin’,” Jack White
BEST ROCK SONG
“Ain’t Messin’ ‘Round,” Gary Clark Jr., songwriter (Gary Clark Jr.)
“Cut Me Some Slack,” Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear, songwriters (Paul McCartney & Nirvana)
“Doom and Gloom,” Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, songwriters (The Rolling Stones)
“God Is Dead?” Tony Iommi & Ozzy Osbourne, songwriters (Black Sabbath)
“Panic Station,” Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse)
BEST ROCK ALBUM
13, Black Sabbath
The Next Day, David Bowie
Mechanical Bull, Kings of Leon
Celebration Day, Led Zeppelin
…Like Clockwork, Queens of the Stone Age
Psychedelic Pill, Neil Young & Crazy Horse
BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
The Worse Things Get …, Neko Case
Trouble Will Find Me, The National
Hesitation Marks, Nine Inch Nails
Lonerism, Tame Impala
Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend
BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
“T.N.T.,” Anthrax
“God Is Dead?” Black Sabbath
“The Enemy Inside,” Dream Theater
“In Due Time,” Killswitch Engage
“Room 24,” Volbeat f/King Diamond
COUNTRY
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Night Train, Jason Aldean
Two Lanes Of Freedom, Tim McGraw
Same Trailer Different Park, Kacey Musgraves
Based On A True Story, Blake Shelton
Red, Taylor Swift
BEST COUNTRY SONG
“Begin Again,” Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
“I Drive Your Truck,” Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington & Jimmy Yeary, songwriters (Lee Brice)
“Mama’s Broken Heart,” Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“Merry Go ‘Round,” Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
“Mine Would Be You,” Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington & Deric Ruttan, songwriters (Blake Shelton)
BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
“I Drive Your Truck,” Lee Brice
“I Want Crazy,” Hunter Hayes
“Mama’s Broken Heart,” Miranda Lambert
“Wagon Wheel,” Darius Rucker
“Mine Would Be You,” Blake Shelton
BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
“From This Valley,” The Civil Wars
“Don’t Rush,” Kelly Clarkson Featuring Vince Gill
“Your Side Of The Bed,” Little Big Town
“Highway Don’t Care,” Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
“You Can’t Make Old Friends,” Kenny Rogers With Dolly Parton
R&B
BEST R&B ALBUM
R&B Divas, Faith Evans
Girl On Fire, Alicia Keys
Love In The Future, John Legend
Better, Chrisette Michele
Three Kings, TGT
BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
“Love and War,” Tamar Braxton
“Best of Me,” Anthony Hamilton
“Nakamarra,” Hiatus Kaiyote f/Q-Tip
“How Many Drinks?” Miguel f/Kendrick Lamar
“Something,” Snarky Puppy with Lalah Hathaway
BEST R&B SONG
“Best Of Me,” Anthony Hamilton & Jairus Mozee, songwriters (Anthony Hamilton)
“Love And War,” Tamar Braxton, Darhyl Camper, Jr., LaShawn Daniels & Makeba Riddick, songwriters (Tamar Braxton)
“Only One,” PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton Featuring Stevie Wonder)
“Pusher Love Girl,” James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)
“Without Me,” Fantasia Barrino, Missy Elliott, Al Sherrod Lambert, Harmony Samuels & Kyle Stewart, songwriters (Fantasia Featuring Kelly Rowland & Missy Elliott)
BEST AMERICANA ALBUM
Old Yellow Moon, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
Love Has Come for You, Steve Martin & Edie Brickell
Buddy and Jim, Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale
One True Vine, Mavis Staples
Songbook, Allen Toussaint
BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM
Kinky Boots
Matilda
Motown the Musical
