It’s Grammys season once again, and this year, it’s also Jon Batiste season. The Recording Academy unveiled its 2022 nominees today (November 23), including both surprising and not-so-surprising nods given to some of the biggest artists in the music world.
Out of the stated 21,730 eligible entries, the Recording Academy members selected the jazz and R&B maestro (and Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader) as the most-nominated artist. He scored a total of 11 nods, including in the major categories of Record of the Year and Album of the Year. Right behind Batiste are Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, and H.E.R. with eight noms each; Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo trail just behind with seven each.
Ahead of the nominees announcement, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. revealed that the so-called Big Four categories — Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist — had been expanded from 8 nominees to 10. Notably, Rodrigo scored one nomination in each of those fields. Eilish’s brother, Finneas, is up for Best New Artist just two years after Eilish won the same award in 2020.
The 64th annual show, which will air in early 2022, will also be the first Grammys to factor in sweeping changes the Recording Academy enacted earlier this year after vocal and public outcry from several major artists, including Bieber, The Weeknd, and Zayn. Chief among the changes is the end of review committees in favor of “a majority, peer-to-peer vote of voting members” for nominations, as well as a reduction in the number of categories voting members may actually vote for.
Also, all credited participants who perform, write, produce, engineer, mix, and master Album of the Year nominees will be included in the nomination, a departure from the previous rule of credited performers having “at least 33 percent or more of playing time.”
Meanwhile, the award formerly known as Best Dance Recording has been renamed Best Dance/Electronic Recording. Two new categories — Best Global Music Performance and Best Música Urbana Album — have likewise been added.
The 2022 show has not been without mild controversy already. In October, Kacey Musgraves’s latest album, Star-Crossed, was deemed ineligible to compete in the Best Country Album category, despite her status as a country-pop artist whose previous LP, 2018’s Golden Hour, took home both Album of the Year and Best Country Album in 2019. Her song “Camera Roll” from Star-Crossed, however, received two nominations: Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance.
The 2022 Grammys will air Monday, January 31, 2021, on CBS. Find this year’s nominees below.
Record of the Year
ABBA: “I Still Have Faith in You”
Jon Batiste: “Freedom”
Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga: “I Get a Kick Out of You”
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: “Peaches”
Brandi Carlile: “Right on Time”
Doja Cat ft. SZA: “Kiss Me More”
Billie Eilish: “Happier Than Ever”
Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”
Olivia Rodrigo: “Drivers License”
Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open”
Album of the Year
Jon Batiste: We Are
Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga: Love For Sale
Justin Bieber: Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)
Doja Cat: Planet Her (Deluxe)
Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever
H.E.R.: Back of My Mind
Lil Nas X: Montero
Olivia Rodrigo: Sour
Taylor Swift: Evermore
Kanye West: Donda
Song of the Year
Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits”
Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile: “A Beautiful Noise”
Olivia Rodrigo: “Drivers License”
H.E.R.: “Fight for You”
Billie Eilish: “Happier Than Ever”
Doja Cat ft. SZA: “Kiss Me More”
Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open”
Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: “Peaches”
Brandi Carlile: “Right on Time”
Best New Artist
Arooj Aftab
Jimmie Allen
Baby Keem
Finneas
Glass Animals
Japanese Breakfast
The Kid Laroi
Arlo Parks
Olivia Rodrigo
Saweetie
Best Pop Solo Performance
Justin Bieber: “Anyone”
Brandi Carlile: “Right on Time”
Billie Eilish: “Happier Than Ever”
Ariana Grande: “Positions”
Olivia Rodrigo: “Drivers License”
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga: “I Get a Kick Out of You”
Justin Bieber, Blenny Blanco: “Lonely”
BTS: “Butter”
Coldplay: “Higher Power”
Doja Cat ft. SZA: “Kiss Me More”
Best Pop Vocal Album
Justin Bieber: Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)
Doja Cat: Planet Her (Deluxe)
Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever
Ariana Grande: Positions
Olivia Rodrigo: Sour
Best R&B Album
Snoh Aalegra: Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies
Jon Batiste: We Are
Leon Bridges: Gold-Diggers Sound
Jazmine Sullivan: Heaux Tales
H.E.R.: Back of My Mind
Best R&B Performance
Snoh Aalegra: “Lost You”
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: “Peaches”
H.E.R.: “Damage”
Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open”
Jazmine Sullivan: “Pick Up Your Feelings”
Best R&B Song
H.E.R.: “Damage”
SZA: “Good Days”
Giveon: “Heartbreak Anniversary”
Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open”
Jazmine Sullivan: “Pick Up Your Feelings”
Best Rap Performance
Baby Keem, Kendrick Lamar: “Family Ties”
Cardi B: “Up”
J. Cole ft. 21 Savage and Morray: “My Life”
Drake ft. Future and Young Thug: “Way 2 Sexy”
Megan Thee Stallion: “Thot Shit”
Best Melodic Rap Performance
J. Cole ft. Lil Baby: “Pride Is the Devil”
Doja Cat: “Need to Know”
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow: “Industry Baby”
Tyler, the Creator ft. YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Ty Dolla Sign: “Wusyaname”
Kanye West ft. The Weeknd and Lil Baby: “Hurricane”
Best Rap Song
DMX ft. Jay-Z and Nas: “Bath Salts”
Saweetie ft. Doja Cat: “Best Friend”
Baby Keem, Kendrick Lamar: “Family Ties”
Kanye West ft. Jay-Z: “Jail”
J. Cole ft. 21 Savage and Morray: “My Life”
Best Rap Album
J. Cole: The Off-Season
Drake: Certified Lover Boy
Nas: King’s Disease II
Tyler, the Creator: Call Me If You Get Lost
Kanye West: Donda
Best Dance/Electronic Recording
Afrojack, David Guetta: “Hero”
Ólafur Arnalds, Bonobo: “Loom”
James Blake: “Before”
Bonobo, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs: “Heartbreak”
Caribou: “You Can Do It”
Rüfüs Du Sol: “Alive”
Tiësto: “The Business”
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Black Coffee: Subconsciously
Illenium: Fallen Embers
Major Lazer: Music Is the Weapon (Reloaded)
Marshmello: Shockwave
Sylvan Esso: Free Love
Ten City: Judgement
Best Alternative Music Album
Fleet Foxes: Shore
Halsey: If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
Japanese Breakfast: Jubilee
Arlo Parks: Collapsed in Sunbeams
St. Vincent: Daddy’s Home
Best Latin Pop Album
Pablo Alborán: Vértigo
Paula Arenas: Mis Amores
Ricardo Arjona: Hecho a la Antigua
Camilo: Mis Manos
Alex Cuba: Mendó
Selena Gomez: Revelación
Best Música Urbana Album
Rauw Alejandro: Afrodisíaco
Bad Bunny: El Último Tour Del Mundo
J Balvin: Jose
Karol G: KG0516
Kali Uchis: Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)
Who will win big this year? Find out when the 2022 Grammys hit CBS on January 31.
