<\/p>\n
The 68th annual Grammy Awards have begun airing live from Los Angeles on CBS and Paramount+. Kendrick Lamar\u2019s dominance continues\u2026<\/p>\n
The 68th annual Grammy Awards<\/a> have begun airing live from Los Angeles on CBS and Paramount+.<\/p>\n Kendrick Lamar\u2019s<\/a> dominance continues at the Grammys, where he leads the nominations<\/a> with nine this year. He\u2019s followed closely by Lady Gaga,<\/a> Jack Antonoff and Canadian record producer\/songwriter Cirkut, who boast seven nominations each.<\/p>\n Comedian Trevor Noah returns to host the show for his sixth consecutive time \u2014 and his last.<\/a><\/p>\n But who will win? Read along as AP reporters follow tonight\u2019s awards and music\u2019s biggest stars.<\/a><\/p>\n The Latest:<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that music had the power to change my life, and God had the power to change my life,\u201d he said in his acceptance speech. \u201cI want to tell y\u2019all right now: Jesus is for everybody, Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by no music label. Jesus is Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n Kendrick Lamar stands atop hip-hop\u2019s Grammy hill: He\u2019s now the most-awarded rapper in the ceremony\u2019s history. So far, he\u2019s won four awards including best rap song, melodic rap performance, rap performance and rap album. His latest victory of the night means Lamar broke Jay-Z\u2019s record to become the rapper with the most career Grammys. Jay-Z has 25; after he took home rap album, Lamar\u2019s total is 26. He entered with the most Grammy nominations with nine. He\u2019s also up for album of the year.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an honor to be here,\u201d he said in his acceptance speech. He was presented the award by Queen Latifah and Doechii. \u201cHip-hop is always going to be right here. \u2026 We\u2019re gonna be having the culture with us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBefore I say thanks to God, I\u2019m gonna say: ICE out,\u201d Bad Bunny said, accepting his award. \u201cWe\u2019re not savage, we\u2019re not animals, we\u2019re not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n Recordings commercially released in the U.S. between Aug. 31, 2024 and Aug. 30, 2025 were eligible for nominations.<\/p>\n Sabrina Carpenter\u2019s \u201cMan\u2019s Best Friend,\u201d up for six Grammys, released just one day before the cutoff. Taylor Swift\u2019s \u201cThe Life of a Showgirl,\u201d on the other hand, dropped in October and will have to wait until the 2027 show.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanna say I\u2019m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant,\u201d Dean said in her acceptance speech. \u201cI\u2019m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated.\u201d<\/p>\n The best new artist award is for musicians, duos or groups who produce at least five songs or an album, and who have recently made waves in music culture. Up for the Grammy: <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not good at talking about myself, but I express it through the music,\u201d the best rap album winner said.<\/p>\n What was that? Lorde and her latest album \u201cVirgin\u201d<\/a> were shut out this year. Her previous project \u201cSolar Power\u201d got the silent treatment at the 2022 awards.<\/p>\n And no blinding lights for The Weeknd, who called the award show \u201ccorrupt\u201d<\/a> over a previous snub but seemed to squash the beef with a return to the Grammys stage last year. His album \u201cHurry Up Tomorrow\u201d was submitted in over a dozen categories but wasn\u2019t recognized.<\/p>\n There are no rap or country artists in the best new artist lineup, despite artists like Ella Langley and Megan Moroney having big years.<\/p>\n Trevor Noah praised Olivia Dean for fighting TicketMaster from ripping off fans. She won partial refunds for her fans last year after criticizing the ticket resale business for being exploitative.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause if the fans can\u2019t afford tickets, we can\u2019t have live music concerts, and how would we find out which CEOs are having affairs on the Jumbotron,\u201d Noah said.<\/p>\n After Trevor Noah\u2019s monologue, Sabrina Carpenter took flight with an airport-themed rendition of \u201cManchild.\u201d<\/p>\n Carpenter had an elaborate set for her performance in a faux airline terminal. There was a giant arrivals\/departures board in the old style of numbers and letters that flipped instead of today\u2019s digital version.<\/p>\n There were huge cheers in the auditorium as Trevor Noah announced the various celebrities in the audience. There were also huge cheers when he said Nicki Minaj is not here.<\/p>\n Host Trevor Noah said in his opening monologue that Ms. Lauryn Hill is performing tonight, for the first time since 1999.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you understand how long ago that is?\u201d he said from a circular platform in the middle of the audience. \u201cBack in 1999, the president had had a sex scandal, people thought computers were about to destroy the world, and Diddy was arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n Don Lemon posed on the red carpet with his husband Tim Malone and singer Brandi Carlile, who kissed him on the cheek.<\/p>\n Lemon was originally in town to cover the Grammys, but was arrested and hit with federal civil rights charges<\/a> over his previous coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a Minnesota church. He was released from custody Friday.<\/p>\n In a statement posted to social media, Lemon said his actions were protected by the First Amendment and that he \u201cwill not be silenced.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI look forward to my day in court,\u201d Lemon wrote.<\/p>\n All eyes will be on the six-time host, who has usually kept overt politics out of his duties, but has had a few zingers for President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n Reacting to Bad Bunny\u2019s sizzling opening performance in 2023, Trevor Noah raved: \u201cAbsolutely incredible! You know, every time I listen to him, I get hips I never knew I had. It even makes Trump want to learn Spanish.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump also got zinged in 2025 in his monologue, with the comedian quipping that \u201cthere\u2019s been a few changes in Washington, so I\u2019m going to enjoy tonight, because it may be my last time I get to host anything in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n Sunday caps Noah\u2019s run that started in 2021 as the world emerged from the pandemic and endured against a backdrop of wars, wildfires and federal agents clashing with protesters in U.S. cities.<\/p>\n The Grammys are underway with a high-octane performance of \u201cAPT.\u201d by Bruno Mars and Ros\u00e9.<\/p>\n Sabrina Carpenter couldn\u2019t help but note how quiet the photographers were on the Grammys carpet, exclaiming: \u201cChappell (Roan) really started, she started a movement.\u201d<\/p>\n During the 2024 MTV Music Awards, Roan confronted a photographer on the carpet who seemingly told her to \u201cshut the f\u2014 up,\u201d sparking a conversation about red carpet etiquette.<\/p>\n On the red carpet, the Osbourne family spoke about what will be their first Grammy awards since their patriarch, Ozzy Osbourne died last year. He\u2019ll receive a special tribute during the in memoriam segment.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were at sound check the other day, and it\u2019s going to be quite the show,\u201d Jack Osbourne said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be very emotional for me,\u201d Kelly Osbourne added.<\/p>\n Chaka Khan, Cher, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Fela Kuti and Whitney Houston received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy at the Grammys Special Merit Awards on Saturday night.<\/p>\n \u201cMusic has been my prayer, my healing, my joy, my truth,\u201d Khan said as she accepted the award. \u201cThrough it, I saved my life.\u201d<\/p>\n She was the only recipient who appeared at the ceremony at the small Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on the eve of Sunday\u2019s main Grammys ceremony.<\/p>\n Family accepted the Lifetime Achievement Awards for the Nigerian Afrobeat legend Kuti, who died in 1997, and the singing superstar Houston, who died in 2012.<\/p>\n The audience gave a collective moan of disappointment when academy President Harvey Mason jr. said Cher wasn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n \u25b6 Read our dispatch from the event<\/a><\/p>\n There is a plethora of potential history-making moments at this year\u2019s award show \u2014 and some that already have happened. Here are a few to keep in mind: <\/p>\n The best new artist category is constantly evolving<\/a> as the Grammys try to keep up with ever-complicated measures of fame. A screening committee determines whether artists have attained the necessary \u201cbreakthrough or prominence\u201d required for nomination.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s a new exception this year: acts featured on previous album of the year nominees are now considered new enough for eligibility. Their contributions just have to fall below 20% of the album\u2019s playing time.<\/p>\n The star attraction inside the Crypto.com Arena is a, wait for it, 640-pound (290-kilogram) block of cheddar cheese.<\/p>\n Which would be totally on brand if the Grammys were being held in Wisconsin.<\/p>\n The block is inspired by multiple musical genres, with guitars, mics, and keyboards carved into it.<\/p>\n The sculpture is drawing puzzled looks and questions from the well-dressed crowd eager to pose with it.<\/p>\n Nearby is a grilled cheese station that\u2019s using the excess cheese trimmed from sculpture for artisan sammies selling for $22 each.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget napkins to wipe the grease off.<\/p>\n First-time Grammy winner Shaboozey became emotional backstage as he reflected on immigration, his family\u2019s sacrifices and why he felt compelled to address the topic publicly.<\/p>\n He reflected on the broader role immigrants play in American life and music.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I think about the people who made my life easier or helped me along the way, we\u2019re all from somewhere else,\u201d said Shaboozey, who won best country duo\/group performance with Jelly Roll. He described watching his mother work long shifts as a registered nurse to support their family.<\/p>\n \u201cCountry music itself is an immigrant story,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Asked why he spoke on the subject, Shaboozey said it was personal, not political.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s my lineage,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n Whew. At more than 3 1\/2 hours, the Premiere Ceremony has concluded. While a whopping 86 Grammy categories were announced, there\u2019s more to go for the telecast.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re wondering why it takes the telecast another 3 1\/2 hours to hand out nine awards, don\u2019t forget about the 19 or so performances promised.<\/p>\n The father-daughter combo of Fy\u00fctch and Aura V won the Grammy for best children\u2019s album, and at 8 years old she is among the youngest winners ever.<\/p>\n One of country music\u2019s Peasall sisters also won a Grammy at 8, and Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s daughter Blue Ivy got one at 9.<\/p>\n Aura V gave a shout-out to best traditional pop vocal winner Laufey.<\/p>\n \u201cI just met her on the red carpet!\u201d Aura V said.<\/p>\n Her father in an impassioned speech said \u201cshoutout to Ms. Rachel, she ain\u2019t on this record but she\u2019s doing God\u2019s work!\u201d<\/p>\n Milli Vanilli\u2019s Fab Morvan<\/a> could have been a Grammy winner again 36 years after being stripped of his first one. But he couldn\u2019t get past the Dalai Lama<\/a> to do it, though. Morvan was up for best audiobook reading for \u201cYou Know It\u2019s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli.\u201d<\/p>\n He and duo partner Rob Pilatus, who died in 1998, were stripped of their best new artist of 1989 trophy when it was revealed that they hadn\u2019t actually sung<\/a> on their debut album, which included the hits \u201cGirl You Know It\u2019s True\u201d and \u201cBlame It on the Rain.\u201d<\/p>\n The Dalai Lama won a Grammy for his narration of the audiobook \u201cMeditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.\u201d Among his competition: Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was expected to attend the Grammys.<\/p>\n The Dalai Lama was not there to accept the award, but Rufus Wainwright did so on his behalf.<\/p>\n The Colombian singer said that even though he isn\u2019t facing immigration enforcement like others in the Latino community, he stills want to support his people.<\/p>\n \u201cI used to paint houses in Orlando, I used to work with a lot of people who were really hustling and trying to make a better future,\u201d J Balvin said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s the fact that I felt it, I lived it, too, you know. So it\u2019s even better when you really know how it feels,\u201d he said. \u201cBut also it\u2019s beautiful when people are with us who don\u2019t know how it feels.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s nominated for best m\u00fasica urbana album for his project \u201cMixteip.\u201d<\/p>\n The best new artist nominee behind the ascending ballad \u201cOrdinary\u201d got his start on social media as part of the TikTok collective Hype House.<\/p>\n At the time, Alex Warren felt like he was playing a character. \u201cI think when I would turn the camera on, it wasn\u2019t authentically me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He said he broke free by sharing personal stories and emotions with the public, like the grief of losing his parents and joy of meeting his wife. Getting vulnerable helped listeners relate to him and his music.<\/p>\n Darren Criss was co-host at the pre-show Grammys but he also got a chance to do what he does for his day job \u2014 sing.<\/p>\n Criss was joined with his Broadway co-star Helen J. Shen to sing the title song from \u201cMaybe Happy Ending.\u201d<\/p>\n Set in a futuristic version of Seoul, \u201cMaybe Happy Ending\u201d is a love story between two helper robots who are deemed obsolete. It won five Tonys last year, including best new musical.<\/p>\n Shortly after the performance, it was time for another Broadway show to smile: \u201cBuena Vista Social Club\u201d won the best musical theater Grammy, beating \u201cDeath Becomes Her,\u201d \u201cGypsy,\u201d \u201cJust In Time\u201d and \u201cMaybe Happy Ending.\u201d<\/p>\n Steven Spielberg<\/a> completed the awards grand slam and joined the EGOT club.<\/p>\n His Grammy win for the film \u201cMusic by John Williams\u201d can go in his trophy case next to his three Oscars, four Primetime Emmys (and many more daytime Emmys) and a Tony as a producer of the musical \u201cA Strange Loop.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s the 22nd member of the EGOT club, joining Mel Brooks, Audrey Hepburn, Whoopi Goldberg and many others.<\/p>\n Spielberg released a statement saying \u201cThank you to all the Grammy voters, whose recognition of \u2018Music by John Williams\u2019 means the world to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Entertainment\u2019s awards season has coincided with the Trump administration\u2019s mass deportation campaign<\/a> in Minneapolis, forcing artists to decide whether and how to join the growing cultural revolt<\/a> against immigration crackdowns.<\/p>\n Those questions again surfaced Sunday as music\u2019s biggest stars walked the red carpet<\/a> at the Grammys. Activists spent the week pressing celebrities to don pins protesting the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in cities, working with their teams to spread the message and circulating them at the many events leading up to the ceremony.<\/p>\n Organizers saw a stronger showing of support Sunday than at last month\u2019s Golden Globes<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are folks who are known for six-stage shows, crazy costumes, being kind of rebellious, punk rock \u2014 like that\u2019s the music industry. And so, I think it makes sense that we would see good support,\u201d Maremoto Executive Director Jess Morales Rocketto said. \u201cThese pins are about so much more than a red carpet moment. It\u2019s about people taking a stand and doing what they can to show up to say that ICE should be out of our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u25b6 Read more about the anti-ICE pins on the Grammys carpet<\/a><\/p>\n Our team of hosts spends weeks preparing for the hourslong live show, researching the less well-known categories (\u201cCategory 73: best score soundtrack for video games and other interactive media,\u201d anyone?) and reaching out to representatives of the biggest pop stars to ask them to stop and chat with us on Grammys day.<\/p>\n \u201cI think what sets AP\u2019s live show apart is the wealth of music knowledge that we have between our three hosts. We all have different respective music tastes, and that means that we are pretty much ready to speak with whoever comes to say hi!\u201d says Liam McEwan, who is hosting alongside Leslie Ambriz and Gary Gerard Hamilton.<\/p>\n We adorn the space with simple black curtains and add color with a spray of flowers on top of our AP podium. As the talent wrangler, I have access to the full red carpet to find nominees and other musicians as they make their way into the arena and bring them over to be interviewed.<\/p>\n \u201cMy highlights from past shows include interviewing hip-hop legends that I grew up listening to during our first live show, interviewing Omar Apollo and The Marias the year they received their first nominations and celebrating Grammy wins with winners from the Premiere Ceremony on the red carpet,\u201d Ambriz says.<\/p>\n Joni Mitchell took the stage at the Grammys to accept the award for best historical album for \u201cArchives Vol 4, The Asylum Years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood evening ladies and gentleman!\u201d she said, standing next to fellow winner Patrick Milligan.<\/p>\n After a stretch of silence, she said \u201cOh I won?\u201d then talked about the records of the era covered by the release, including \u201cCourt and Spark\u201d and \u201cFor the Roses.\u201d She said she was mad at the music business and wanted to put a \u201chorse\u2019s ass\u201d on the latter\u2019s cover but said they wouldn\u2019t let her.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very honored to receive a Grammy for those records,\u201d Mitchell, wearing an \u201cICE OUT\u201d pin, said. \u201cThank you. I guess that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n At 46, Michelle Williams is done proving herself to others, but she still has things to prove to herself.<\/p>\n \u201cI have this sign in my dressing room back in New York that says, \u2018Beautiful girl, you can do hard things,\u2019\u201d the singer and actor said. \u201cAnd so I know what those hard things are: continue being consistent, putting in the work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know people don\u2019t want to hear that today, but that\u2019s really the key to success,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Though she rose to fame as part of R&B girl group Destiny\u2019s Child, Williams is nominated this year for best musical theater album as one of the main vocalists for \u201cDeath Becomes Her.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u25b6 Read more about the best album cover category, and this year\u2019s nominees<\/a><\/p>\n Country albums have been split<\/a> in two this year, but it might be hard to tell the difference between the two sets of nominees.<\/p>\n A best traditional country album has been added, while the existing category has been renamed best contemporary country album. The traditional nominees include Willie Nelson\u2019s \u201cOh What A Beautiful World,\u201d<\/a> his son Lukas Nelson\u2019s \u201cAmerican Romance,\u201dCharley Crockett\u2019s \u201cDollar A Day,\u201d Margo Price\u2019s \u201cHard Headed Woman\u201d and Zach Top\u2019s \u201cAin\u2019t In It For My Health.\u201d<\/p>\n The contemporary entries are Kelsea Ballerini\u2019s \u201cPatterns,\u201d<\/a> Tyler Childers\u2019 \u201cSnipe Hunter,\u201d Eric Church\u2019s \u201cEvangeline vs. The Machine,\u201d Jelly Roll\u2019s \u201cBeautifully Broken\u201d and Miranda Lambert\u2019s \u201cPostcards from Texas.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Some think the split was brought on by Beyonc\u00e9 winning best country album last year for \u201cCowboy Carter.\u201d<\/a> The Recording Academy president says the changes had been in the works, though.<\/p>\n Nineteen or so, telecast producers told the AP. In addition to all the best new artist nominees, performers include Bruno Mars, Ros\u00e9, Tyler, the Creator, Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter<\/a>, Justin Bieber, Clipse and Pharrell Williams.<\/p>\n Accepting her Grammy for best R&B performance, Kehlani wore an \u201cICE OUT\u201d pin and ended her speech with, \u201cF\u2014 ICE.\u201d The previous award recipient, non-classical songwriter of the year Amy Allen, also wore a pin.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last time I saw Ozzy Osbourne, he asked me if there was anything he could do for me,\u201d Yungblud recounted, standing next to Sharon Osbourne onstage and accepting the best rock performance award. Yungblud\u2019s response? The music was enough. The singer is part of a tribute tonight to the late rock star<\/p>\n Mariah Carey has blended pop, R&B, gospel and hip-hop into hit songs over five decades<\/a>. But it was hearing a couple of cuts off her 1990s secret grunge album that had the superstar on her feet clapping.<\/p>\n Foo Fighters blasted through \u201cSomeone\u2019s Ugly Daughter\u201d with Taylor Momsen on lead vocals. They followed up with \u201cLove is a Scam\u201d as Carey sang along from her front table.<\/p>\n Carey was honored for her musical achievements and philanthropic efforts as MusiCares Person of the Year on Friday night, two days before the Grammy Awards<\/a>. The award is given in the week ahead of the Grammys by MusiCares, a charity that supports musicians in need.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is one of one,\u201d longtime collaborator Babyface said. \u201cMariah, you are every songwriter and producer\u2019s dream. You strike a lot of gold. You are a blueprint of a great songwriter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u25b6 Read more from our dispatch from the event<\/a><\/p>\n Steven Spielberg has a Grammy to go with his three Oscars. He won best music film as a producer of \u201cMusic by John Williams.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSinners\u201d won a pair of Grammys days after getting a record 16 Oscar nominations<\/a>. It won best compilation soundtrack for visual media and best score soundtrack for visual media.<\/p>\n Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet<\/a> is a first-time Grammy nominee and his category is an odd mix of last year\u2019s Oscar nominations and this year\u2019s. He\u2019s up for best compilation soundtrack for visual media \u2014 which usually just means movie soundtracks \u2014 for his singing as Bob Dylan<\/a> in 2024\u2019s \u201cA Complete Unknown.\u201d<\/a> His competition includes Ariana Grande<\/a> and Cynthia Erivo<\/a> from \u201cWicked\u201d<\/a> \u2013 the first one, not \u201cWicked: For Good,\u201d<\/a> which was seriously snubbed at the Oscar nominations<\/a>.<\/p>\n The category\u2019s filled out by the soundtrack of the most Oscar-nominated movie of all time, \u201cSinners,\u201d<\/a> and two other freshly minted Oscar nominees, \u201cF1\u201d<\/a> and \u201cKPop Demon Hunters.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo\u2019s \u201cDefying Gravity,\u201d which won best pop duo\/group performance. Neither was on hand to accept it, as host Darren Criss revealed after a brief interlude of the band playing \u201cUptown Funk.\u201d<\/p>\n There are 95 awards at this year\u2019s Grammys, including two new ones: best album cover<\/a> and best traditional country album.<\/p>\n All those awards can\u2019t fit into a three-hour telecast, so most of them \u2014 86, to be precise \u2014 are presented at the Premiere Ceremony.<\/p>\n But the major awards \u2014 including album of the year, record of the year, song of the year and best new artist \u2014 are presented during the main awards ceremony.<\/p>\n The pre-telecast awards ceremony, where the majority of the Grammys are handed out, opens with a performance of Earth, Wind & Fire\u2019s \u201cShining Star\u201d performed by Israel Houghton, Lila Ike, Grace Potter, Maggie Rose and Trombone Shorty.<\/p>\n The ceremony is being hosted by Darren Criss. Presenters \u2014 who announce batches of awards \u2014 include \u00c9dgar Barrera, Jesse Welles, Jimmy Jam, Sierra Hull, Trombone Shorty, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Dave Koz. Performers include Zara Larsson, Spiritbox, Tasha Combs Leonard and Criss and \u201cMaybe Happy Ending\u201d co-star Helen J. Shen.<\/p>\n The Grammys have nearly 100 awards to hand out. There\u2019s simply not enough time to fit all of that, plus performances and acceptance speeches, into a three-hour, prime-time telecast. That\u2019s where the Premiere Ceremony comes in.<\/p>\n The Premiere Ceremony runs for three hours, starting at 12:30 p.m. Pacific\/3:30 p.m. Eastern. It\u2019s where categories like best audiobook narration are handed out and it\u2019s often where many stars earn their EGOT \u2014 like Viola Davis,<\/a> in 2023 \u2014 or where people more famous for realms outside entertainment \u2014 like Barack Obama and Michelle Obama \u2014 pick up a Grammy. (The Obamas have two Grammys each.)<\/p>\n Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with nine nominations including nods in record, song and album of the year for \u201cGNX.\u201d It\u2019s the third time he\u2019s netted simultaneous nominations in the night\u2019s biggest categories.<\/p>\n Trailing close behind are Lady Gaga and her \u201cMayhem,\u201d Jack Antonoff and Canadian record producer\/songwriter Cirkut with seven nominations each.<\/p>\n Leon Thomas, Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny and audio engineer Serban Ghenea follow with six.<\/p>\n The nominees for the return of the best album cover category are Wet Leg\u2019s \u201cMoisturizer,\u201d Bad Bunny\u2019s \u201cDeb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos,\u201d Tyler, the Creator\u2019s \u201cChromakopia,\u201d Perfume Genius\u2019 \u201cGlory\u201d and Djo\u2019s \u201cThe Crux.\u201d The award goes to the project\u2019s art directors, which includes recording artists in all cases except for \u201cGlory.\u201d<\/p>\n In recent years, covers had been assessed as part of the best recording package category, which considers all physical materials and images. The package for Charli xcx\u2019s \u201cBrat,\u201d with its pop culture-infiltrating green, won last year. That category lives on this year too, with a different crop of nominees.<\/p>\n For the creative teams, the standalone cover award amplifies what goes into building the visual worlds of music. \u201cWhen a cover in a campaign hits right,\u201d photographer Neil Krug, nominated for \u201cThe Crux,\u201d told the AP, \u201cit\u2019s part of the language and the fabric of what makes a great record a great record.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more about the best album cover category, and this year\u2019s nominees.<\/p>\nBEST CONTEMPORARY COUNTRY ALBUM: \u2018Beautifully Broken,\u2019 Jelly Roll<\/h2>\n
Kendrick Lamar is now the most-awarded rapper in Grammys history<\/h2>\n
BEST MUSICA URBANA ALBUM: \u2018Deb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos,\u2019 Bad Bunny<\/h2>\n
What\u2019s eligible for a Grammy?<\/h2>\n
BEST NEW ARTIST: Olivia Dean<\/h2>\n
Who\u2019s up for best new artist?<\/h2>\n
BEST RAP ALBUM: \u2018GNX,\u2019 Kendrick Lamar<\/h2>\n
The year\u2019s notable snubs<\/h2>\n
About Olivia Dean and Ticketmaster<\/h2>\n
Sabrina Carpenter has baggage to claim<\/h2>\n
Nicki Minaj\u2019s absence draws cheers<\/h2>\n
Noah jokes like it\u2019s 1999<\/h2>\n
Don Lemon is at the Grammys<\/h2>\n
What will Trevor Noah say?<\/h2>\n
An apt opening for the Grammys<\/h2>\n
Chappell Roan \u2018started a movement,\u2019 Sabrina Carpenter says<\/h2>\n
The Osbournes speak ahead of \u2018very emotional\u2019 ceremony<\/h2>\n
6 legends receive the Grammys\u2019 Lifetime Achievement Award<\/h2>\n
A few storylines to watch<\/h2>\n
A change to who gets considered a \u2018new\u2019 artist<\/h2>\n
The Grammys embrace the cheese \u2014 quite literally<\/h2>\n
Shaboozey speaks through tears about his family\u2019s sacrifices and immigrant roots<\/h2>\n
9 categories left to go!<\/h2>\n
A Grammy for an 8-year-old<\/h2>\n
No redemption from the rain for Milli Vanilli<\/h2>\n
The Dalai Lama beats a Supreme Court justice<\/h2>\n
J Balvin says the political moment is personal<\/h2>\n
How Alex Warren broke the influencer bubble<\/h2>\n
Darren Criss hosts. Darren Criss sings. But the happy ending is for \u2018Buena Vista Social Club\u2019<\/h2>\n
Steven Spielberg is the newest EGOT<\/h2>\n
Artists don anti-ICE pins<\/h2>\n
How the AP\u2019s live show comes together<\/h2>\n
Joni Mitchell accepts award for best historical album<\/h2>\n
Michelle Williams isn\u2019t done yet<\/h2>\n
The album covers that inspired \u2026 the album cover nominees<\/h2>\n
New country categories confound<\/h2>\n
How many performances can we expect to see?<\/h2>\n
Kehlani calls out ICE onstage<\/h2>\n
Yungblud reme<\/h2>\n
mbers Ozzy Osbourne<\/h2>\n
Mariah Carey\u2019s secret grunge album was part of her MusiCares tribute<\/h2>\n
Spielberg gets a Grammy<\/h2>\n
\u2018Sinners\u2019 sinks teeth into Grammys<\/h2>\n
Why is Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet nominated for a Grammy?<\/h2>\n
And the first Grammy goes to\u2026<\/h2>\n
Just how many Grammy Awards are there?<\/h2>\n
The Premier<\/h2>\n
e Ceremony is underway<\/h2>\n
What is the Grammys\u2019 Premiere Ceremony?<\/h2>\n
Cheat sheet: The top nominees<\/h2>\n
Best album cover is a standalone category for the first time in 50 years<\/h2>\n