Grammy Album of the Year Nominees Announced
Music fans were treated to an all-day rollout of nominees for the 57th annual Grammy Awards on Friday, culminating in CBS’s Christmas-themed special that evening, during which the lucky contenders for the organization’s top honor, Album of the Year, were announced.
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Host LL Cool J read off the list: Beck’s Morning Phase — which was the left-field nominee of the night — followed by Ed Sheeran’s X, Beyoncé’s self-titled effort, Pharrell Williams’s GIRL, and In the Lonely Hour by this year’s Grammy darling, Sam Smith.
Smith tied Beyoncé and Pharrell for top nominations (all with a total of six each, including the album recognitions). Mega-producer Pharrell earned a full three nominations for his production alone, including work on both Beyoncé and Sheeran’s discs. Meanwhile, Sheeran racked up three nominations of his own in total.
Related: Sam Smith Leads Grammy Nominations
Beck had already dominated the Grammys’ rock division in nominations, having notched up nods for Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album earlier in the day, but his inclusion in the all-genre album category was a standout.
Friday night’s A Very Grammy Christmas special included holiday-themed performances from nominees Smith, Pharrell, Tim McGraw, and Ariana Grande, as well as Mary J. Blige and Maroon 5, with the Album of the Year nominations announced by LL Cool J at the very final minute of the telecast.
The Grammy Awards will air live Feb. 8 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. For more Grammy news on Yahoo Music, click here.
