Justin Bieber, not getting a Grammy MIAMI, FL – JUNE 03: Singer Justin Bieber sits courtside as he watches the Miami Heat host the Indiana Pacers during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at AmericanAirlines Arena on June 3, 2013 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

This morning, the 2016 Grammy nominations were announced. Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the way with 11 nominations while Taylor Swift and the Weeknd each picked up seven. Now this is the Grammy awards we’re talking about, so there are some things which strike me as odd.

Eligibility confusion

Chaos ensued on Twitter when certain musicians didn’t receive nominations, specifically Adele and Justin Bieber – but they couldn’t have. The Grammy eligibility period is between Oct. 1st, 2014 and September 30th, 2015. Adele’s 25 came out November 20th, while Bieber’s Purpose came out a week earlier, November 13th – over a month after the cutout date. Bieber still got a nom for Best Dance Recording for the Skrillex and Diplo-led Where Are Ü Now. Next year, both should get plenty of nominations.

SNUBS 

With only five nominees in each category, snubs always happen. Carly Rae Jepsen was shutout despite making one of the best pop albums of the year in Emotion. Rapper Future didn’t get a single nomination for DS2. FourFiveSeconds had the star power of Kanye West, Rihanna, and Paul McCartney behind it, and was a hit, yet it didn’t receive a single nom. Hugely popular artists making the snub list include Prince, Mumford and Sons, Luke Bryan, and Lana Del Rey, all of whom released an album within eligibility. There’s just not enough room for everybody.

James Bay nominated for Best Rock Album

The five nominees for best rock album include James Bay (Chaos and the Calm), Death Cab for Cutie (Kintsugi), Highly Suspect (Mister Asylum), Muse (Drones), and Slipknot (.5: The Gray Chapter). The category has a history of nominating alternative or folk rock performers, but Bay’s nomination is strange. His music trends the lines more of an Americana and blues sound with some folk. Yes, there are some rock undertones, but I wouldn’t call it a rock album. It’s weird to see Bay vs Slipknot in the same category, but that’s the beauty of the Grammys. Muse’s Drones is also a weird one, because it’s not a great album – but they’ve been nominated in the category before.

A list of full nominees can be found here. What Grammy nominee (or lack thereof) struck a chord with you?

About Liam McGuire

Social +Staff writer for The Comeback & Awful Announcing. Liammcguirejournalism@gmail.com