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Find Out Who's Nominated For Best New Artist | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

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Black Pumas, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Lizzo, Maggie Rogers, Rosalia, Tank And The Bangas and Yola are the nominees for the prestigious Best New Artist category
Rachel Brodsky
GRAMMYs
Nov 20, 2019 - 5:35 am

Today is the day the Recording Academy reveals the 62nd GRAMMY Awards nominees, including this year's list of contenders for Best New Artist. This year's nominees are (cue drumroll): Black Pumas, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Lizzo, Maggie Rogers, Rosalia, Tank And The Bangas and Yola. With so much rising talent in contention this year, let's learn a bit more about each nominee's breakout year in music.

Black Pumas 

Austin neo-soul duo Black Pumas, a.k.a. GRAMMY-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Quesada and singer/songwriter Eric Burton, originally came together in 2018, releasing their debut album last June via ATO Records. 

Billie Eilish

At just 17 years old, L.A. pop wunderkind Billie Eilish is changing the popular music game with her fresh, genre-bending sounds (and edgy fashion). Born and raised in Highland Park, Los Angeles, Eilish started gaining a following in 2016 when she released her single "Ocean Eyes" via SoundCloud. She's also largely known for her haunting 2019 single “Bad Guy," which hit number one on the Billboard Charts in August, breaking Lil Nas X’s 19-week run of "Old Town Road."

Her debut album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? debuted atop the Billboard 200 and contained four U.S. Billboard Hot 100 top 40 singles: "When the Party's Over," "Bury a Friend," "Wish You Were Gay" and "Bad Guy." 

"All I can say about that is I just don't even get it," Eilish told the Recording Academy of her rising success last year at Lollapalooza. It's just crazy to me because I grew up as a fan and I still am a fan, you know. I'm a fan of so much music and art and artists and stuff, and I grew up with their sort of mindset, and now, I'm seeing it from the other side, but also, being on the other side, it's weird. It's just something that doesn't happen, so when it happens, it's like, 'What the f***?'"

Billie Eilish On The Inspiration Behind Her Videos

Lil Nas X

20-year-old country-rapper Lil Nas X took off this year with his viral hit "Old Town Road," which was initially released independently in December of last year. After gaining popularity, the single was re-released by Columbia Records in March of this year. The Billy Ray Cyrus-assisted remix followed a month later, and both songs are featured on Lil Nas X's debut EP, 7. 

"I was doing Facebook comedy videos, then I moved over to Instagram, and then I hopped on Twitter ... where I really was a master. That was the first place where I could go viral," he told Rolling Stone last April.

Back in August, the Recording Academy discussed Lil Nas X's success, helped in large part by the popular music app TikTok: Back in February, the then-unknown rapper, two months after self-releasing the original version of the country-trap song, uploaded it to TikTok along with a "challenge": to change into Western garb before the drop. The song went viral on the app as users like Michael Pelchat, a.k.a. NiceMichael, added their own versions. A month later, Lil Nas X signed to Colombia Records and in April they released the record-breaking remix.

Check out the complete list of 62nd GRAMMY Awards Nominees

Lizzo

By now, you've definetly heard Lizzo's "Tempo" featuring Missy Elliott. Or maybe it's "Truth Hurts" or "Juice" thats been blasting near you. Lizzo's feel-good, relatable pop songs are everywhere, and keeping them a secret during the making of her latest album, Cuz I Love You, wasn't easy for the Detroit native.

"When you write these songs you get really excited about them and mind you, I had a song like 'Juice' just under my armpit in the darkness and nobody knew what it sounded like," the singer and flute player recently told the Recording Academy. "Or keeping it a secret that I had Missy Elliott on a song, at that point you just want to explode and when the album was out, I was so excited to just share the songs with people and the world."

But it's not just Lizzo's songs that are addictive for their messages of self-love and positivity, it's who she is, too. The singer gets into how being naked on her album cover may have been the ultimate act of vulnerability, but it was also a moment of strength. "Vulnerability and strength is what this album is all about," she said.

 

Lizzo On 'Cuz I Love You,' Missy Elliott & More

Maggie Rogers

Maggie Rogers has a career arc like no other, and she's just getting started.

Ever since her NYU Masterclass video, which showed Pharrell tearing up at the sound of what would become her first single, "Alaska," went viral, Rogers has experienced unprecedented a level of overnight success experienced by very few new artists. In the time since, she released her debut album Heard It In A Past Life this past spring, and is currently on an expansive fall tour. She's also doing a killer job of staying grounded. 

"Writing music has always been how I've processed," the singer recently told the Recording Academy. "So much of this record that I made, Heard It In A Past Life, that is actively me processing this giant change that happened in my life. I write a song, and then I play it until I feel better, and then my life shifts, and then I write another song, and that's how albums have always happened for me. The thing that is most important to me is that I am doing this thing I love. It gives me this giant emotional release, and hopefully in some world it can do that for others. If that's all happening, then everything is good."

Maggie Rogers Talks Singing With Sheryl Crow

Rosalía

Spanish singer/songriter Rosalía, already a Latin GRAMMY darling, has been using reggaeton, R&B and hip-hop inspired beats to bring Spain's flamenco influence to the world, and has already won over numerous artists from the Spanish- and English-language worlds. To date, she's collabed with everyon from J Balvin to Pharrell Williams, James Blake and Billie Eilish. She's also racked up five Latin GRAMMYs, becoming the first female recipient of Album Of The Year since Shakira won at the Latin GRAMMYs in 2006. The moment came as a surprise to the 26-year-old: "I'm serious, I'm in shock," she said after accepting the award. "This is the last thing I expected."

Tank And The Bangas

Tank And The Bangas On "Smoke.Netflix.Chill"

New Orleans-based group Tank And The Bangas have a sound influenced by their hometown, blending hip-hop, jazz, funk, soul and even a little bit rock, but it's truly all their own. On "Smoke.Netflix.Chill," from their sophomore effort Green Balloon, they brought their playful vibes led by Tarriona "Tank" Ball's upbeat rap and spoken word verses over a laid-back, floating beat.

Yola 

Yola On Being The Queen Of Country Soul

The spirit and soul of Yola's breakout Dan Auerbach-produced album Walk Through Fire was nothing if not well-earned. Even the title came from overcoming hardship, as her kitchen literally caught fire before the project, a symbol of the adversity the Bristol-born singer/songwriter faced—and overcame to create her own masterpiece. 

"I think how people are connecting with [Walk Through Fire]," the Americana performer told the Recording Academy earlier this year. "One of my specialist subjects is that connecting to what I'm saying. And I hope by doing that then that helps people connect as well with what I mean. And that gives us a relationship across airwaves, across oceans, across an arena."

Check Out The Full List Of 62nd GRAMMY Awards Nominations

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"WE ARE ALL WINNERS": 2020 GRAMMY Award Nominees React On Social Media

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From first-time nominees Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X to GRAMMY winners James Blake, H.E.R., Ariana Grande and The Chemical Brothers, current nominees are filling their social media with messages of gratitude and joy
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 20, 2019 - 1:06 pm

With the full 62nd GRAMMY Award nominations dropping bright and early this morning, the music industry is now wide awake and celebrating on social media.

Read on to share in the excitement with some of the 2020 GRAMMY nominees: Lizzo, James Blake, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Yola, Lil Nas X, Ariana Grande and more!

First-time nominee Lizzo is "feelin' good as hell" about her momentous eight nods, which include Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Best New Artist. She took to her Twitter bright and early, not long after the news went live to share the big mood. "THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE YEAR FOR MUSIC AND IM JUST SO THANKFUL TO EVEN BE PART OF IT," she beamed in her second tweet, followed by "WE ARE ALL WINNERS." Congrats, queen!

Billie Eilish is another first-time nominee who's also up for Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year Best New Artist and more. The young anti-pop star, whose older brother FINNEAS produces her music, wrote "BETWEEN ME & MY BROTHER ITS 11 NOMINATIONS thank u grammyyys this is an honor." Talk about a sibling power duo!

Another first-time nominee and Best New Artist contender, Yola, is reveling in this big day. "I'm trying to find the right words for the @RecordingAcad nominations this morning, this is an absolute dream!!" the rising Queen of Country Soul first wrote on Twitter this morning.

Two hours later, the British songstress came up with a few more words to summarize her joy: "To be be nominated for four @RecordingAcad #GRAMMYs in the 10th month of my debut year is beyond a dream come true. Thank you to my incredible team and everyone who has supported and believed in me along the way. I'm truly honoured to be in the category with every artist nominated."

Country/trap king Lil Nas X also joined the first-time nominee rodeo with six nods, including for Best New Artist, Album Of The Year—for his debut EP, 7—and Record Of The Year for "Old Town Road."

"NO F***ING WAY" he wrote on Twitter. Yee-haw indeed, cowboy.

GRAMMY-winning alt-electro crooner James Blake, who was a Best New Artist nominee back at the 56th GRAMMY Awards, also took to social media to share the weight of this prestigious peer recognition. "Assume Form nominated for best alternative album! This one meant a huge amount to me. ahhhhhhhhh! LOVE YOU ALL," he wrote on Instagram.

Rising R&B powerhouse H.E.R., won her first two GRAMMYs at the 61st GRAMMY Awards, where she was a Best New Artist nominee. She is understandably thrilled about her five nominations this year, and gave her tweet the all-caps, multiple-exclamation-point treatment: "5 NOMINATIONS!!!! WHAAAAAT. THATS CRAZY!!!! AGAAAAAINNNNNN. AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. GOD IS GREAT."

Pop queen Ariana Grande may have won her first GRAMMY earlier this year, for Sweetener, but she was still blown away by today's news. She is up for five awards this year, including for Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album (the gramophone she snagged in 2019) for her 2019 follow-up, thank u, next.

In one of her excited tweets this morning she wrote, "thank u for acknowledging this music my beautiful best friends and i created in just a few weeks together. the acknowledgement is truly enough on its own for me and my heart."

GRAMMY-winning alt-rock stalwarts Cage The Elephant were stoked to earn another Best Rock Album nod, the category they won at the 59th GRAMMY Awards. The band wrote, "Such a blessing and honor to wake up this morning and see we're nominated for a GRAMMY!!! BIG LOVE!!!! @RecordingAcad #GRAMMYs2020 #GrammyNominations #GRAMMYs."

First-time nominees and Brit-rock experimenters The 1975 are celebrating their Best Rock Song nomination, sharing, "// B E S T R O C K S O N G - N O M I N A T I O N // @RecordingAcad L O V E #GRAMMYs," along with a picture featuring lyrics from the nominated song, "Give Yourself A Try."

Nigerian Afro-fusion artist Burna Boy also received his first GRAMMY nomination this year, as his major 2019 album, African Giant, is up for Best World Music Album. He joined in the conversation, retweeting a plethora of fan congrats, as well as his own post, which simply read, "African Giant #GRAMMYs @RecordingAcad!!"

Young rapper YBN Cordae officially joins the ranks of GRAMMY-nominated artists with his two first-ever nods (Best Rap Song and Best New Rap Album) for his 2019 debut LP, The Lost Boy. He shared his excitement with a tearful video of gratitude on his IG stories, as well as several tweets, one of which read, "Bro my DEBUT album got nominated for BEST RAP ALBUM..... this sh*t crazy."

He also tweeted a video of himself from just two years ago, prophesizing more was on the horizon ("This is just the beginning…give me two years"). "Don't let nobody tell you can't do whatever the f**k you put your mind too," this tweet read. Dayum, word.

While there are far too many nominees to share in this article, let's go out with pivotal U.K. electronic duo The Chemical Brothers, who are up for three GRAMMYs this year, including Best Dance/Electronic Album. They were first nominated (and won) back at the 40th GRAMMY Awards, for their classic 1997 track "Block Rockin' Beats."

"Joyful about today's 3 Grammy @RecordingAcad nominations for Best Dance/Electronic Album (No Geography), Best Dance Recording (Got To Keep On) & Best Music Video (We've Got To Try)! Love & gratitude to all that made it possible! #NoGeography #GRAMMYNoms #GRAMMYs #ChemicalBrothers," they shared.

Stay tuned to GRAMMY.com, our YouTube page, our social channels (follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and our newsletter (sign up below) for the latest on all things 62nd GRAMMY Awards. And don't forget to tune in on Jan. 26, 2020 to catch the Biggest Night In Music to find out who takes home the golden gramophones!

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2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List

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Photo: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

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Find Out Who Just Made History With Their GRAMMY Nominations: 2020 GRAMMYs By The Numbers

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Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Ariana Grande, H.E.R. and FINNEAS are the top-nominated artists this year, and the first three are all first-timers
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 22, 2019 - 3:20 pm

Let's be real—the 2020 GRAMMYs have been on our mind lately, especially with all the excitement that came with artists finding out about their nominations on Wednesday. Let's take a look at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards by the numbers to find out who made history and other big takeaways from the expansive nominee list.

This year's top-nominated artists, in order of most nods, are Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Ariana Grande, H.E.R. and FINNEAS. As a first-time nominee, Lizzo leads the pack with eight total nominations—her fellow top-three artists, who both earned six nods, are also first-timers and all Best New Artist nominees.

Related: Record Of The Year Nominees Revealed | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Eilish and Lizzo make history as the first time two artists have been nominated in all four General Field categories (Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best New Artist). At just 17, the "bad guy" singer is the youngest nominee to ever receive nominations in these four all-genre categories. Last year, these four categories were expanded to include eight nominees.

Another Best New Artist contender, Barcelonan nu-flamenco queen Rosalía, also makes history as the first nominee in the category that performs completely in Spanish. The "Malamente" singer also has a nomination in Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album, for her Latin GRAMMY-Album-Of-The-Year-winning LP, El Mal Querer.

One of her fellow category contenders, Puerto Rican Latin trap king Bad Bunny, is competing against himself; his Latin GRAMMY-winning debut album, X 100PRE, and his 2019 J Balvin-collab project, Oasis, are both nominated.

Read More: Find Out Who's Nominated For Best New Artist | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

FINNEAS, Eilish's older brother and producer, is also being nominated for the first time, and earned five nods. He shares three with her (Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Song Of The Year) and also is in the running for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical and Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.

Grande and H.E.R. snagged five more nods each this year, following both of their first-ever GRAMMY wins at the 61st GRAMMY Awards. This past show was H.E.R.'s debut year—she was a Best New Artist contender and took home wins for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance, the latter of which she is nominated for again.

Watch: H.E.R. Wins Best R&B Album

As for Ari, she won Best Pop Vocal Album for Sweetener last year and is in the running for this award again for her follow up, thank u, next. Her prior two albums, 2014's My Everything and 2016's Dangerous Woman, were also nominated for the same pop award. The 62nd GRAMMY Awards is the first time the "7 rings" singer is contending for Record Of The Year and Album Of The Year.

To decide who is nominated and, in the second round, take home the golden gramophones, approximately 11,000 Recording Academy voting members—music professionals across genres and disciplines, including recording artists, songwriters, producers and engineers—participate in the voting process.

2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List

This year, over 20,000 submissions were entered for GRAMMY consideration this year. Eligible music was released between Oct. 1, 2018 and Aug. 31, 2019.

In just 64 days, ton Jan. 26, 2020, the nominees will walk the red carpet into Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles! Stay tuned to GRAMMY.com, our YouTube page, our newsletter (sign up below) and our social channels (follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) for all things 2020 GRAMMYs, and make sure to catch the show live on CBS.

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Poll: Who Will Win Best Pop Vocal Album At The 2020 GRAMMYs?

Rosalía at the 2020 GRAMMYs

Rosalía at the 2020 GRAMMYs

Photo: Rachel Luna/FilmMagic/Getty Images

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Meet Rosalía, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish & More GRAMMY 2020 Winners Backstage

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Watch 2020 GRAMMY winners FINNEAS, DJ Khaled, Elvis Costello and Cage The Elephant talk about their big moments backstage at Staples Center
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jan 30, 2020 - 8:30 am

The 62nd GRAMMY Awards officially wrapped last Sunday (Jan. 26) after an evening filled with powerhouse performances and exciting first-time GRAMMY winner moments. Let's revisit Music's Biggest Night from a new location by going backstage at Staples Center to talk with some of the freshly crowned GRAMMY winners.

2020 GRAMMY winners Rosalía, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, DJ Khaled, Elvis Costello & The Imposters and Cage The Elephant all spoke to the ever-upbeat backstage interview host Ted Stryker after their big moments. Read on to watch each of the conversations and learn more about their wins.

Watch: Rosalia 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

Shortly after taking three more Latin GRAMMYs (for a total of five to date) back home to Barcelona in November, Spanish nu-flamenco queen Rosalía earned her first GRAMMY nominations: Best New Artist and Best Latin Rock, Urban Or Alternative Album. On Sunday during the GRAMMY Premiere Ceremony, she won the latter category for her epic sophomore album, 2018's El Mal Querer.

"I can't believe that this happened, I can't believe that the people here are receiving my music with so much love. I'm so shocked and still processing," the Barcelonan star said backstage.

Read More: How Rosalía Is Reinventing What It Means To Be A Global Pop Star

She also made her GRAMMY stage debut last week, stunning viewers with her powerful vocals and choreography during a mind-blowing performance featuring her newest song, "Juro Que," and the EMQ favorite, "Malamente." When asked if she was nervous before her performance, she revealed she was, but was also thrilled about sharing her flamenco-inspired music on the acclaimed GRAMMY stage in Los Angeles. "The excitement was bigger than anything else."

Watch: Lil Nas X 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

2019 was a wild ride for genre-dancing cowboy Lil Nas X, who took us all to the "Old Town Road" multiverse. From a viral sensation on TikTok to a record-breaking No. 1 run in a matter of months, the 20-year-old now has two GRAMMYs to his name: Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, both for the megahit. He also made his shimmering GRAMMY stage musical debut with a trippy, star-studded performance of the GRAMMY-winning bop and "Rodeo."

"A year ago, I was somewhere online, promoting this song called 'Old Town Road' with barely a nickel to my name," the "Panini" artist said, rocking a fierce hot pink cowboy getup. "Now I'm here at the GRAMMYs, [with] two GRAMMY Awards."

More: 10 Unforgettable Moments From The 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Reflecting on his rapid rise toward fame and global acclaim, he revealed, "The journey has been very spiritually and mentally challenging, but it helped so much. I've completely turned, and I'm going to continue to turn, into a better version of myself."

Billie Eilish & FINNEAS: One-On-One Interview

A few minutes after taking home their final GRAMMY wins (they each earned five!), sibling wunderkinds Billie Eilish and FINNEAS caught up with Stryker backstage. When he asked where all the emotion was coming from, a teary-eyed Eilish laughingly responded, "Dawg, everywhere! Where is the emotion? It's everything… It's coming from the fact that we just won a bunch of GRAMMYs."

He also asked what their biggest hopes for the album were. Their answers make their GRAMMY triumph even more powerful. "I wasn't expecting anything," Eilish answered.

WATCH: Billie Eilish Performs "When The Party's Over" | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

"We just made this album that we liked. I can't stress it enough. We didn't mean for it to win a GRAMMY, you know? We made an album that we loved and that we wanted to make. That was kind of our only goal, to enjoy making it, enjoy it once it was out and enjoy performing it, so this is just unreal."

"One of the only goals we had with it was that we wanted to make an album that we love playing live because we tour so much," FINNEAS added.

Watch: DJ Khaled 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

DJ/producer DJ Khaled also took home his first GRAMMY win on Sunday for Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Higher." The uplifting track features late L.A. rapper Nipsey Hussle—the song was recorded before his death and released less than two months afterward—along with EGOT king John Legend. Hussle won two posthumous GRAMMYs, also taking home Best Rap Performance for the last single he released, "Racks In The Middle," featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy.

Watch: Behind The Board: DJ Khaled Reflects On His Early Days, Working With Music's Biggest Artists & More

"The day it started off—it was tough, it was real tough," Khaled shared, referring to NBA hero Kobe Bryant's shocking death earlier that day. "[During sound check], John Legend was playing the piano and started singing 'Higher.' It touched my soul. It made me like, 'We gonna go out here, we gonna do it for our brothers.'"

"We come to show love and spread love, for the families," he added, also sharing his excitement for the recent birth of his second son, Aalam.

Watch: Elvis Costello 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

1979 Best New Artist nominee Elvis Costello has been doing things his own way within the pop space since before 2020 Best New Artist Billie Eilish was even born, and he's still in it. On Sunday, he took home Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Look Now, his 2018 album with his band, The Imposters. It is the group's first GRAMMY win together and Costello's second—his first was in 1999 for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for "I Still Have That Other Girl," featuring Burt Bacharach.

Dive In: 2020 GRAMMYs Red Carpet: Go 'Behind The Seams' With Kéla Walker, Nikita Dragun, Tess Holliday, Shaun Ross And Ty Hunter

Introducing his bandmates, including GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-winning producer Sebastian Krys, Costello said, smiling, "We are our own tradition. Being traditional ain't a bad thing… I guess people were surprised because they think of us in terms of one kind of music from 40 years ago, but we play every kind of music."

He also talked about collaborating with Bacharach again on some of the GRAMMY-winning album's tracks and how one of the songs was one he'd written with Carole King 25 years ago. Now, they're ready to share more surprises in 2020.

Watch: Cage The Elephant 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

Alt-rock favorites Cage The Elephant, who broke through the dense alt-rock landscape of the late-'00s/early-'10s with "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" in 2009, just earned their second golden gramophone. They won Best Rock Album for Social Cues, the Kentucky group's fifth studio album. The amazingly eclectic-dressed squad, with bassist Daniel Tichenor and drummer Jared Champion both wearing Helen Anthony threads, caught up with Stryker backstage to share in the excitement.

More: 2020 GRAMMYs: Usher, Sheila E. & FKA Twigs Honor The Purple One With A Prince-Themed Medley

"I think all [albums] have their own journey, but this one took longer. I think it was exactly what it needed to be," guitarist Brad Shultz said. They also joked about how they felt their acceptance speech went ("second worst" compared to 2017). Lead vocalist Matt Shultz explains how he had typed up a speech with who to thank, along with a poem, but left it on his seat in the surprise moment of the win.

"It's just such a blessing to be able to share something with people and to bring people together, and I think that's the most gratifying thing that you can get out of any of this," Brad added. "It's such a blessing to be recognized by the Academy, and it's kind of confirmation that we're connecting with people."

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2020 GRAMMYs: Clive Davis And The Recording Academy Celebrate Sean "Diddy" Combs With Industry Icon Honor At Star-Studded Pre-GRAMMY Gala

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Record Of The Year Nominees Revealed | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

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Bon Iver, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, H.E.R., Khalid, Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lizzo, Post Malone and Swae Lee are the artists in consideration for the momentous award
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 20, 2019 - 5:38 am

The 2020 GRAMMYs are just around the corner, and now the nominations are in for the coveted honor of Record Of The Year. While we'll have to wait until the 62nd GRAMMY Awards air on CBS on Jan. 26 to find out who will win, let's take a look at which records have been nominated for one of the most anticipated GRAMMY Awards each year.

Following last year's expansion of eight nominees to the first four categories (Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best New Artist), eight songs are in the running for Record Of The Year—"Hey, Ma" by Bon Iver, "bad guy" by Billie Eilish, "7 rings" by Ariana Grande, "Hard Place" by H.E.R., "Talk" by Khalid, "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X, featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, "Truth Hurts" Lizzo and "Sunflower" by Post Malone and Swae Lee.

Record Of The Year is a cross-genre award given to the song's recording artist, the producer(s), recording engineer(s) and/or mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s). We've included all of these nominees below, along with more info and music video embeds to help you dive a little deeper into the tracks.

"Hey, Ma" - Bon Iver

GRAMMY-winning Wisconsin-bred alt-rock group Bon Iver—consisting of Justin Vernon, Sean Carey, Matthew McCaughan, Michael Lewis, Andrew Fitzpatrick and Jenn Wasner—released their fourth studio album, i,i, on Aug. 9, three years since their last, the GRAMMY-nominated 22, A Million. Ahead of the LP, the group dropped two singles on June 3, "Hey, Ma" and "U (Man Like)." 

The fellow nominees for "Hey, Ma" are BJ Burton, Brad Cook, Chris Messina and Vernon, as producers, Burton, Zach Hansen and Messina as engineers/mixers and Greg Calbi as the mastering engineer.

Bon Iver is also nominated for Album Of The Year and Best Alternative Music Album for i,i. The album is also nominated for Best Recording Package, an award for the art directors of the physical LP. Back at the 54th GRAMMY Awards, the group won the coveted Best New Artist gramophone, as well as Best Alternative Music Album for their self-titled sophomore effort.

"bad guy" - Billie Eilish

Following a massive rise to fame in 2018, first-time nominee Billie Eilish released her highly-anticipated debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? on March 29, along with its fifth single, "bad guy." As with all of her music released so far, the dark-electropop artist's older brother, a fellow first-time nominee FINNEAS produced the hit single, which later spawned a Justin Bieber remix. 

"bad guy" is nominated for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance and WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? is up for Album Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (an engineers' award). 

Eilish is also up for the coveted Best New Artist award, bringing her to six total nominations and FINNEAS is up for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical. Rob Kinelski, who assisted FINNEAS with engineering/mixing and John Greenham, who served as the mastering engineer are nominated for their work on "bad guy." 

Check out the complete 62nd GRAMMYs Awards Nominees List

"7 rings" - Ariana Grande

Earlier this year, at the 61st GRAMMY Awards, pop princess Ariana Grande won her first-ever GRAMMY, for Best Pop Vocal Album for her 2018 No. 1 album Sweetener. 2019 also saw the release of its follow up, her fifth studio album, thank u, next, on Feb. 8, which was preceded with is second viral lead single, "7 rings," on Jan. 18. 

"7 rings" is up for Record Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, while thank u, next is in the running for Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Grande, along with featured artist Social House, is also up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for the non-album single "boyfriend," bringing her to five total nominations this year.

The producers, engineers and mixers of "7 rings" are also nominated for Record Of The Year their work on it: Charles Anderson, Tommy Brown, Michael Foster and Victoria Monet, as the producers, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Billy Hickey and Brendan Morawski, as the engineers/mixers and Randy Merrill as the mastering engineer.

"Hard Place" - H.E.R.

Following her first-ever nominations and two wins at the 61st GRAMMYs in February, R&B songstress/guitarist H.E.R. dropped another emotive track, "Hard Place," on April 26. The I Used To Know Her mixtape/compilation LP followed on Aug. 30, which combined the two EPs sharing the same name into a cohesive album, along with a handful of new songs, including "Hard Place."

The mysterious vocal powerhouse is up for five more GRAMMYs this year: Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for "Hard Place," Album Of The Year for I Used To Know Her, Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Could've Been" featuring Bryson Tiller.

GRAMMY-winning hit-maker Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins shares the Record Of The Year nomination as the producer on "Hard Place;" Joseph Hurtado, Jaycen Joshua, Derek Keota and Miki Tsutsumi, as the engineers/mixers and Colin Leonard, as the mastering engineer, are also nominated for their work on the track.

"Talk" - Khalid

Past Best New Artist nominee Khalid released the sophomore follow up to his critically acclaimed, GRAMMY-nominated 2017 debut, American Teen, on April 7. The album, Free Spirit, was led by the hit single "Talk," on Feb. 7, which is currently nominated for Record Of The Year. 

The catchy electro-R&B track was produced by electronic wunderkinds Disclosure and Denis Kosiak, who thus share the Record Of The Year nod. Ingmar Carlson, Jon Castelli, Josh Deguzman, John Kercy, Kosiak, Guy Lawrence (half of sibling duo Disclosure) and Michael Romero, who engineered/mixed the track, and Dale Becker, who was the mastering engineer, are also nominated for their work on "Talk."

"Old Town Road" - Lil Nas X Ft. Billy Ray Cyrus

Rising genre-nonconformist rapper/cowboy Lil Nas X wraps up a monumental debut year with his first-ever GRAMMY nominations, earning six total. His breakout hit, "Old Town Road," featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, is up for Record Of The Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video. 

The record-breaking viral hit served as the first official "remix" of the young star's self-released track, in which he reached out to the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer to add a dose of OG country twang, after the original version infamously got pulled from Billboard's country charts. It was produced by Andrew "VoxGod" Bolooki and YoungKio, with Bolooki and Cinco serving as engineers/mixers and Eric Lagg, as mastering engineer—all of whom share the Record Of The Year nod.

Galloping forth with the smash success of "Old Town Road," Lil Nas X dropped his debut EP, 7—featuring the original and Cyrus versions of the hit—on June 21. The EP is up for Album Of The Year, and one of its other hit singles, "Panini" is up for Best Rap/Sung Performance. Lil Nas X is among the eight bright contenders for Best New Artist. 

"Truth Hurts" - Lizzo

Rapper/singer/flautist/twerk queen Lizzo has earned her first-ever GRAMMY nominations this year, rounding up eight total nods. The self-love-affirming bop maker is up for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for 2017's "Truth Hurts" alone, as well as the prestigious Best New Artist award. 

As the producers of "Truth Hurts," Ricky Reed and Tele also share the Record Of The Year nod, along with Chris Galland, Manny Marroquin and Ethan Shumaker, the engineers/mixers, and Chris Gehringer, the mastering engineer.

Additionally, her 2019 major label debut (and third LP overall), Cuz I Love You, is up for Album Of The Year and Best Urban Contemporary Album. Two of its singles, "Exactly How I Feel," featuring Gucci Mane, and "Jerome" are nominated as well—for Best R&B Performance and Best Traditional R&B Performance, respectively. 

"Sunflower" - Post Malone & Swae Lee

Finally, the eighth song in the running is the hit down-tempo track from Post Malone and Swae Lee, "Sunflower," from the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack. The two versatile young rap stars add two more nominations to their belt for the 62nd GRAMMYs; "Sunflower" is also up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Louis Bell and Carter Lang share the Record Of The Year nomination as producers, as well as Manny Marroquin, who engineered/mixed the album with Bell.

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