Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff attend the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards at Los Angeles Convention Center on March 14, 2021 in Los Angeles.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
“You win some, you lose some.” There’s a lot of wisdom in that old adage.
Many artists probably had mixed feelings as they perused the nominations list for the 67th annual Grammy Awards since they were announced on Friday. They’re undoubtedly grateful for the nominations they received, but surprised and maybe even stung by the ones that eluded them.
The best example this year may be Jack Antonoff. The super-producer was passed over for a nomination for producer of the year, non-classical – a category he had won the last three years running.
Antonoff could reach out for comfort and understanding to his top collaborator, Taylor Swift, who knows a thing or two about award show highs and lows, but Swift has her own mixed feelings to process this year. (We’ll explain.)
This sort of thing happens at all awards shows. Selena Gomez was nominated for Primetime Emmys for outstanding comedy series in 2022 and 2023 as an executive producer of Only Murders in the Building, but was passed over those two years for nods for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series. So, she experienced delight and disappointment at the same time. (Happily, she was nominated in both categories this year.)
Barbra Streisand was passed over for an Oscar nod for best director for her 1991 film The Prince of Tides, but was nominated for best picture as one of the film’s producers. She too experienced that feeling of “thanks, but…”
Here are eight artists who may have had some mixed feelings about this year’s Grammy nominations.
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Taylor Swift
Why She Should Be Pleased: She’s nominated in each of the Big Three categories (album, record and song of the year) for the fourth time in her career.
Why She Might Not Be: Taylor Swift/The Eras Tour was passed over for a nod for best music film. It’s the top-grossing concert film ever made, from the top-grossing concert tour ever undertaken, so its omission here is notable. Another disappointment: “Fortnight,” her Hot 100-topping collab with Post Malone, was passed over for a nod for best pop/duo performance. (Swift is nominated in that category as the featured artist on pal Gracie Abrams’ “us.”) Those omissions are the reason she has “just” six nominations this year, far behind friendly Grammy rival Beyoncé, who nabbed 11.
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Jack Antonoff
Why He Should Be Pleased: He has five nominations, including two each for album of the year and song of the year. He’s the only producer recognized for two album of the year nominees, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department and Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet.
Why He Might Not Be: He somehow wasn’t even nominated for producer of the year, non-classical, an award he had won the last three years running. He was vying to become the first person ever to win four years in a row. If he’d had an off year, it would be one thing, but his streak ended in a year he was still clearly at his commercial and creative peak. Go figure. This is the first time in six years he hasn’t even been nominated for producer of the year, non-classical.
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Ariana Grande
Why She Should Be Pleased: Her album eternal sunshine was nominated for best pop vocal album, putting her in a tie with Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Swift for the most nominations (six) in the history of the category. She has two other nominations as well.
Why She Might Not Be: The sublime “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” was passed over for a nod for best pop solo performance. Grande has been nominated in that category four times in the past. Also, Grande wasn’t nominated in any of the Big Four categories — after nearly 12 years of pop stardom, she has still landed just two nods in Big Four categories: record of the year for “7 Rings” and album of the year for Thank U, Next both in 2020.
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Benson Boone
Why He Should Be Pleased: He’s up for best new artist. That nod could be his ticket to a performance on the Grammy telecast.
Why He Might Not Be: That was his only nod. His smash “Beautiful Things” was passed over for nods for record and song of the year and best pop solo performance. It was considered a strong contender in all three categories. His debut album Fireworks & Rollerblades was also passed over for a nod for best pop vocal album.
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Usher
Why He Should Be Pleased: His album Coming Home is up for best R&B album.
Why He Might Not Be: That was his only nod. He was passed over for best R&B performance, where he had two entries for consideration – “Risk It All” (featuring H.E.R.) and “Ruin” (featuring Pheelz). In the wake of his performance at the Super Bowl halftime show, some thought he might even have a shot at an album of the year nod, as 2022 halftime show performers Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige did in the wake of that show. Didn’t happen.
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Shaboozey
Why He Should Be Pleased: He has five nominations, including song of the year and best new artist.
Why He Might Not Be: “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which has headed the Billboard Hot 100 for 17 weeks, wasn’t nominated for record of the year. The only other single to log 17 or more weeks at No. 1 – “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus – was nominated in that category. “Old Town Road,” which logged 19 weeks on top in 2019, lost in the category to Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” – the record that bumped it out of the top spot.
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Morgan Wallen
Why He Should Be Pleased: After four years of megastardom, he finally landed his first Grammy nomination – two of them, in fact.
Why He Might Not Be: Both nods are for his featured role on Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help.” He has yet to be nominated for a record where he was the lead artist. His solo hit “Lies Lies Lies” was passed over for a nod for best country solo performance. Maybe he’ll experience that Grammy breakthrough next year.
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The Rolling Stones
Why They Should Be Pleased: The band’s Hackney Diamonds is nominated for best rock album. The Stones were the first winners in that category when it was introduced in 1995 for Voodoo Lounge.
Why They Might Not Be: That was the band’s only nomination. “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” (featuring Lady Gaga) was passed over for nods for best rock performance and best rock song. The album, produced by Grammy-winner Andrew Watt, was passed over for an album of the year nod. The Stones’ only nod in a Big Four category came when their 1978 album Some Girls was nominated for album of the year. The Stones have been criminally underrecognized by the Grammys over the years (three wins, 13 nominations). They should take solace in the lyrics of their own 1969 classic: “You can’t always get what you want/ But if you try sometimes, well, you just might find/You get what you need.”