With the general field categories at the Grammys expanded to eight nominees each for the first time in history, there were lots of unexpected results. Big names like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Beyonce were snubbed from the top four categories, and in their place were some big surprises. Scroll down for the biggest shockers for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist, and check out the complete list of nominations here.
Foremost among the surprises was the breakthrough for singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile. Before this year she only ever contended for one award: Best Americana Album for “The Firewatcher’s Daughter” in 2016. But this year she’s one of the top nominees across all genres with six bids including Album of the Year for “By The Way, I Forgive You” and Record and Song of the Year for “The Joke.” We didn’t see any of those nominations coming; she had 100/1 odds in all three of those categories based on the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users.
But the Album of the Year nomination for singer H.E.R.‘s self-titled album was so unexpected she wasn’t even in our predictions center. It was released more than a year ago, back on October 20, 2017, just a few weeks into the Grammy eligibility period (October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018). It peaked at number-47 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, but I have a feeling we’ll see it rise higher than that as the Grammys approach. H.E.R. was also nominated for Best New Artist, but we knew she had a shot at that prize.
Post Malone surprised us too, but maybe he shouldn’t have. His sophomore album “Beerbongs and Bentleys” was a blockbuster, but the reviews were divided, so we didn’t predict his nomination for Album of the Year, especially since the final decisions in the general field categories are made by nomination review committees that often look beyond name recognition and record sales (see above re: Brandi Carlile and H.E.R.).
Who else surprised us on this year’s Grammy ballot? See all the nominees that surprised us below.
OUT OF NOWHERE
This was the only nominee so surprising that it wasn’t in our predictions center.
Album of the Year
“H.E.R.,” H.E.R.
BIG SHOCKERS
These contenders were nominated despite distant 100/1 odds
Album of the Year
“Beerbongs and Bentleys,” Post Malone
“By the Way, I Forgive You,” Brandi Carlile
Record of the Year
“The Joke,” Brandi Carlile
Song of the Year
“The Joke,” Brandi Carlile
Best New Artist
Chloe x Halle
Margo Price
Jorja Smith
CLOSE CALLS
These nominees didn’t number among our top eight predicted nominees, but they were close.
Record of the Year
“All the Stars,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA
“Rockstar,” Post Malone feat. 21 Savage
Song of the Year
“All the Stars,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA
“In My Blood,” Shawn Mendes
Best New Artist
H.E.R.
Be sure to make your Grammy predictions so that Hollywood record executives and top name stars can see how their music is faring in our Grammy odds. Don’t be afraid to jump in now since you can keep changing your predictions until winners are announced on Sunday, February 10. And join in the fierce debate over the 2019 Grammys taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our music forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
