Beyoncé Leads Grammy Award Nominees with 11

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer

NEW YORK – Welcome to Beyoncé country. When it comes to the 2025 Grammy Award nominations, “Cowboy Carter” rules the nation. She leads the nods with 11, bringing her career total to 99 nominations. That makes her the most nominated artist in Grammy history.

“Cowboy Carter” is up for album and country album of the year, and “Texas Hold ’Em” is nominated for record, song and country song of the year. She also received nominations in a wide swath of genres, including pop, country, Americana and melodic rap performance categories.

This is her first time receiving nominations in the country and Americana categories. Previously, she and her husband Jay-Z were tied for most-career nominations, at 88.

If Beyoncé wins the album of the year, she’ll become the first Black woman to do so in the 21st century. Lauryn Hill last won in 1999 for “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” joining Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston as the only Black women to take home the Grammys’ top prize.

Post Malone also received his first ever nominations in the country categories this year, having released his debut country album “F-1 Trillion” in August. That one is up for country album and “I Had Some Help,” his collaboration with Morgan Wallen, is nominated for country song and country duo/group performance. They are Wallen’s first ever Grammy nominations.

Malone is just behind Beyoncé, with seven nominations, tied with Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Charli XCX, who earned her first nominations as a solo artist.

Lamar’s ubiquitous diss track released during his feud with Drake, “Not Like Us,” is nominated for record and song of the year, rap song, music video as well as best rap performance. He has two simultaneous entries in the latter category, a career first: Future & Metro Boomin featuring Lamar, “Like That” is up for best rap performance and best rap song.

This is his third time receiving two simultaneous nominations for best rap song.

Taylor Swift and first-time nominees Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan boast of six nominations each.

Last year, women artists dominated the major categories. This year, that continues somewhat, but the main trend seems to be a variance of genre. In the album of the year category, alongside “Cowboy Carter” is André 3000’s new age, alt-jazz “New Blue Sun” and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier’s “Djesse Vol. 4.” Rising pop stars Carpenter and Roan round it out, with “Short n’ Sweet” and “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” respectively, as well as Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” and Charli XCX’s rave-ready “BRAT.”

Eilish is the only artist to have her first three albums become nominated for album of the year.

Last year, Swift won album of the year for “Midnights,” breaking the record for most wins in the category with four. This year, she becomes the first ever woman to seven career nominations in the category.

“The breadth and the variety of genres represented in the general field feels new and really exciting,” says the Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason jr. He credits an active and evolving voting body for its success. “We’ve been very intentional in how we looked at and tried to rebalance our membership. So not just gender or people of color, different racial makeup, but also genre equity and trying to make sure that all different types of music in different regions and different locations are being represented in every way possible.”

Only recordings commercially released in the U.S. between Sept. 16, 2023 through Aug. 30, 2024 were eligible for nominations. The final round of Grammy voting, which determines its winners, will take place Dec. 12 through January 3.

In the best new artist category, Carpenter and Roan will go head-to-head, alongside Benson Boone, Doechii, Khruangbin, RAYE, Shaboozey and Teddy Swims.

In the song of the year category, Beyoncé is joined by Eilish with “Birds of a Feather,” Swift and Post Malone with “Fortnight,” Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!”, Carpenter’s “Please Please Please,” Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile,” and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Shaboozey is also a first-time nominee. His “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is the biggest song of the year, having spent more weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 than any other – it is so popular, a remix of the track is also up for remixed recording.

Elsewhere, Shaboozey is nominated in the melodic rap performance category for his feature on Beyoncé’s “SPAGHETTII.” Linda Martell, the first commercially-successful Black woman musician in country, is also featured on the song, delivering the 83-year-old artist her first Grammy nomination.

For record of the year, “Texas Hold ’Em” will compete against Swift and Post Malone’s “Fortnight,” Eilish’s “Birds of a Father,” Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!”, Carpenter’s “Espresso,” Charli XCX’s “360,” and the Beatles last new song, the AI-assisted “Now and Then.”

“We’re trying to make sure we’re keeping up with how music creators and our community are using technology. And in this case, AI enhanced the record and allowed it to be eligible in the categories that it was eligible in,” Mason jr explains.

So, what’s missing? Like last year, there’s a huge dearth of Latin music – the fastest growing streaming genre in the United States – across the board, and no representation in the major categories. There are also only four entries in the best Música Mexicana album category, despite it also being one of the fastest growing genres.

And K-pop, too, seems to be absent. There are no nominations for the BTS members who’ve released solo material this year: RM’s “Right Place, Wrong Person,” J-Hope’s “Hope on the Street, Vol. 1,” and Jimin’s “Muse.” As a boy band, BTS has received five nominations across their career.

“I definitely see room for improvement across many genres and we are continuing to invite people to be a part of the academy,” Mason jr. says. “Without the right representation we don’t get the right results. When I say right, I mean reflective and representative of what’s happening in music today. So, the work continues.”

The 2025 Grammy Awards will air Feb. 2 live on CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Here is the list of nominees:

Album of the Year: “New Blue Sun,” André 3000; “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé; “Short n’ Sweet,” Sabrina Carpenter; “BRAT,” Charli XCX; “Djesse Vol. 4, “Jacob Collier; “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” Billie Eilish; “Chappell Roan The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” Chappell Roan; “The Tortured Poets Department,” Taylor Swift.

Record of the Year: “Now and Then,” the Beatles; “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Beyoncé; “Espresso,” Sabrina Carpenter; “360,” Charli XCX; “Birds of a Feather,” Billie Eilish; “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar; “Good Luck, Babe!”, Chappell Roan; “Fortnight,” Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone.

Song Of the Year (Songwriter’s Award): “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry and Mark Williams; “Birds of a Feather,” Billie Eilish O’Connell and FINNEAS; “Die with a Smile,” Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Andrew Watt); “Fortnight,” Jack Antonoff, Austin Post and Taylor Swift; “Good Luck, Babe!”, Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Daniel Nigro and Justin Tranter; “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar; “Please Please Please,” Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff and Sabrina Carpenter; “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro and Raphael Saadiq.

Best New Artist: Benson Boone; Sabrina Carpenter; Doechii; Khruangbin; RAYE; Chappell Roan; Shaboozey; Teddy Swims.

Songwriter of the Year: Jessi Alexander; Amy Allen; Edgar Barrera; Jessie Jo Dillon; RAYE.

Best Pop Solo Performance: “Bodyguard,” Beyoncé; “Espresso,” Sabrina Carpenter; “Apple,” Charli XCX; “Birds of a Feather,” Billie Eilish; “Good Luck, Babe!”, Chappell Roan.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “us.,” Gracie Abrams featuring Taylor Swift; “Levii’s Jeans,” Beyoncé featuring Post Malone; “Guess,” Charli XCX and Billie Eilish; “the boy is mine,” Ariana Grande, Brandy and Monica; “Die with a Smile,” Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

Best Rap Performance: “Enough (Miami),” Cardi B; “When the Sun Shines Again,” Common and Pete Rock featuring Psdnuos; “Nissan Altima,” Doechii; “Houdini,” Eminem; “Like That,” Future and Metro Boomin featuring Kendrick Lamar; “Yeah Glo!”, GloRilla; “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar.

Best African Music Performance: “Tomorrow,” Yemi Alade; “MMS,” Asake and Wizkid; “Sensational,” Chris Brown featuring Davido and Lojay; “Higher,” Burna Boy; “Love Me JeJe,” Tems.

Best Pop Vocal Album: “Short n’ Sweet,” Sabrina Carpenter; “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” Billie Eilish”; “eternal sunshine,” Ariana Grande; “Chappelll Roan The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” Chappell Roan; “The Tortured Poets Department,” Taylor Swift.

Best Rap Album: “Might Delete Later,” J. Cole; “The Auditorium, Vol. 1,” Common and Pete Rock; “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” Doechii,” “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace),” Eminem; “We Don’t Trust You,” Future and Metro Boomin.

Best Country Album: “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé; “F-1 Trillion,” Post Malone; “Deeper Well,” Kacey Musgraves; “Higher,” Chris Stapleton; “Whirlwind,” Lainey Wilson.

Best R&B Album: “11:11 (Deluxe),” Chris Brown; “Vantablack,” Lalah Hathaway; “Revenge,” Muni Long; “Algorithm,” Lucky Dave; “Coming Home,” Usher.

Best Dance/Electronic Album: “BRAT,” Charli XCX; “Three,” Four Tet; “Hyperdrama,” Justice; “Timeless,” KAYTRANADA; “Telos,” Zedd.

Best Rock Album: “Happiness Bastards,” the Black Crowes; “Romance,” Fontaines D.C.; “Saviors,” Green Day; “TANGK,” IDLES; “Dark Matter,” Pearl Jam; “Hackney Diamonds,” the Rolling Stones; “No Name,” Jack White.

Best Alternative Music Album: “Wild God,” Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds; “Charm,” Clairo; “The Collective,” Kim Gordon; “What Now,” Brittany Howard; “All Born Screaming,” St. Vincent.

Best Progressive R&B Album: “So Glad to Know You,” Avery(*Sunshine; “En Route,” Durand Bernarr; “Bando Stone and the New World,” Childish Gambino; “Crash,” Kehlani; “Why Lawd?”, NxWorries (Anderson .Paak and Knxledge).

Best Jazz Vocal Album: “Journey in Black,” Christie Dashiell; “Wildflowers Vol. 1,” Kurt Elling and Sullivan Fortne; “A Joyful Holiday,” Samara Joy; “Milton + esperanza,” Milton Nascimento and esperanza spalding; “My Ideal,” Catherine Russell and Sean Mason.

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: “Owl Song,” Ambrose Akinmusire featuring Bill Frisell and Herlin Riley; “Beyond this Place,” Kenny Barron featuring Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Johnathan Blake, Immanuel Wilkins and Steve Nelson; “Remembrance,” Chick Corea and Béla Fleck; “Solo Game,” Sullivan Fortner.

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “A Fleur de Peau,” Cyrille Aimée; “Visions,” Norah Jones; “Good Together,” Lake Street Dive; “Impossible Dream,” Aaron Lazar; “Christmas Wish,” Gregory Porter.

Best Gospel Album: “Covered Vol. 1,” Melvin Crispell III; “Choirmaster II (Live),” Ricky Dillard; “Father’s Day,” Kirk Franklin; “Still Karen,” Karen Clark Sheard; “More Than This,” CeCe Winans.

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: “Heart of a Human,” DOE; “When Wind Meets Fire,” Elevation Worship; “Child of God,” Forrest Frank; “Coat of Many Colors,” Brandon Lake; “The Maverick Way Complete,” Maverick City Music, Naomi Raine and Chandler Moore.

Best Latin Pop Album: “Funk Generation,” Anitta; “El Viaje,” Luis Fonsi; “GARCÍA,” Kany García; “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” Shakira; “ORQUÍDEAS,” Kali Uchis.

Best Latin Urban Album: “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana,” Bad Bunny; “Rayo,” J Balvin; “FERXXOCALIPSIS,” Feid; “Las Letras Ya No important,” Residente; “att.,” Young Miko.

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album: “Compita del Destino,” El David Aguilar; “Pa’ Tu Cuerpa,” Cimafunk; “Autopoiética,” Mon Laferte; “GRASA,” Nathy Peluso; “¿Quien Trae las Cornetas?”, Rawayana.

Best Reggae Album: “Take it Easy,” Collie Budz; “Party with Me,” Vybz Kartel; “Never Gets Late Here,” Shenseea; “Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired by the Film (Deluxe),” Various artists; “Evolution,” the Wailers.

Best Spoken Word Poetry Album: “Civil Writes: The South Got Something to Say,” Queen Sheba; “Concrete & Whiskey Act II Part 1: A Bourbon 30 Series,” Omari Hardwick; “Good M.U.S.I.C. Universe Sonic Sinema: Episode 1 In the Beginning was the Word,” Malik Yusef; “The Heart, the Mind, the Soul,” Tank and the Bangas; “The Seven Number Ones,” Mad Skillz.

Best Comedy Album: “Armageddon,” Ricky Gervais; “The Dreamer,” Dave Chappelle; “The Prisoner,” Jim Gaffigan; “Someday You’ll Die,” Nikki Glaser; “Where Was I,” Trevor Noah.

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: “The Color Purple”; “Deadpool & Wolverine”; “Maestro: Music by Leonard Bernstein”; “Saltburn”; “Twisters: The Album.”

Best Song Written for Visual Media: “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” from “Twisters,” Jessi Alexander, Luke Combs and Jonathan Singleton; “Better Place” from “Trolls Band Together,” Amy Allen, Shellback and Justin Timberlake; “Can’t Catch Me Now” from “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” Daniel Nigro and Olivia Rodrigo; “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony,” Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson; “Love Will Survive,” from “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” Walter Afanasieff, Charlie Midnight, Kara Talve and Hans Zimmer.

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (composer’s award): “American Fiction,” Laura Karpman; “Challengers,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross; “The Color Purple,” Kris Bowers; “Dune: Part Two,” Hans Zimmer; “Shogun,” Nick Chuba, Atticus Ross and Leopold Ross.

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Alissia; Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II; Ian Fitchuk; Mustard; Daniel Nigro.

Best Music Video: “Tailor Swif,” A$AP Rocky; “360,” Charli XCX; “Houdini,” Eminem; “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar; “Fortnight,” Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone.

Best Music Film: “American Symphony”; “June”; “Kings from Queens”; “Steven Van Zandt: Disciple”; “The Greatest Night in Pop.”

Pictured at top: Beyoncé attends a campaign event for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo | Susan Walsh, File)

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