Beyoncé has topped the nominees for the 2021 Grammy awards, heading up a year that celebrated female artistry right across pop genres – but there were stark snubs of the Weeknd and Bob Dylan. Beyoncé earned two nominations in the record of the year category, for her solo track Black Parade and her remix of Megan Thee Stallion’s Savage, and received seven more across a further seven categories, demonstrating her versatility across R&B, rap and film-making. She now has 79 in total, extending her record as the most-nominated female artist of all time. Taylor Swift received six nominations, mostly for her album Folklore, including song and album of the year. She was also nominated for Beautiful Ghosts, her contribution to the movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats – reviled on release but becoming a camp cult classic. British successes include pop star Dua Lipa, who earned nominations in the three top categories of album, record and song of the year. Coldplay were nominated for album of the year, for Everyday Life, as was esoteric British pop producer-instrumentalist Jacob Collier, who scored three nominations overall. Harry Styles also received three nominations, though not in top categories, while UK dance duo Disclosure earned two. Rapper Post Malone appeared in the three top categories, while soul band Black Pumas, who appeared in the best new artist field last year, step up further with nominations for record and album of the year. Another rapper, Roddy Ricch, received six nominations across various categories for two songs: the atmospheric solo hit The Box, and Rockstar, his collaboration with lead artist DaBaby, who received four nominations of his own. Brittany Howard received five nominations for her captivating solo album Jaime that meanders between blues, gospel and more, following a successful number of years with her band Alabama Shakes – she adds to the four wins from 11 nominations she has had previously, both solo and with her band. Billie Eilish, who dominated the 2020 awards with material from her debut album, received another four nominations this year, for her spellbinding ballad Everything I Wanted and her James Bond theme No Time To Die. Justin Bieber also earned four, across pop and country categories. For the first time since its inception in 2012, the nominees for best rock performance were all female or female-fronted: Fiona Apple, Big Thief, Phoebe Bridgers, Haim, Brittany Howard and Grace Potter. Bridgers received four nominations, including in the best new artist category, while Apple and Big Thief received three each. Potter earned two, as did Haim, though the latter are in the top category of album of the year. Women also dominated the best country album category. It is the first time it has had five albums helmed in whole or in part by women: Little Big Town, Ingrid Andress, Brandy Clark, Miranda Lambert and Ashley McBryde. Six out of eight of the best new artist nominees are also women, including the charismatic yet divisive pop singer Doja Cat, who picked up three nominations overall. R&B singer Jhené Aiko also scored three nominations, including for album of the year. Snubbed artists include the Weeknd, who dominated charts on both sides of the Atlantic all year with his hit Blinding Lights and album After Hours, but who received no nominations at all. Neither did Bob Dylan, whose return to original songwriting after eight years away, with the album Rough and Rowdy Ways, was hugely acclaimed this year. K-pop band BTS, the world’s biggest pop group, only received one nomination, for Dynamite, their first fully English-language single. Acclaimed work by American artists including Teyana Taylor, Run the Jewels, Halsey, Summer Walker, Pearl Jam and more was overlooked – with the caveat that not all artists are necessarily submitted for Grammy consideration – as were artists from South America and Africa, who failed to break into the top categories despite strong releases from artists including Bad Bunny and Burna Boy. Posthumous nominees include John Prine, the folk and country artist who died of Covid-19 in April, and Riley Gale of thrash metal band Power Trip, who died aged 34 in August, though there were no nominations for late rappers Mac Miller and Juice Wrld. Pop Smoke, the New York rapper who was killed in a home invasion in February but who has had huge posthumous success, only received one nomination. Grammy 2020 nominations: the biggest categories Record of the year Beyoncé – Black Parade Black Pumas – Colors DaBaby – Rockstar (feat Roddy Ricch) Doja Cat – Say So Billie Eilish – Everything I Wanted Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now Post Malone – Circles Megan Thee Stallion – Savage (remix feat Beyoncé) Album of the year Jhené Aiko – Chilombo Black Pumas – Black Pumas (deluxe edition) Coldplay – Everyday Life Jacob Collier – Djesse Vol 3 Haim – Women in Music Pt III Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia Post Malone – Hollywood’s Bleeding Taylor Swift – Folklore Song of the year Beyonce – Black Parade Roddy Ricch – The Box Taylor Swift – Cardigan Post Malone – Circles Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now Billie Eilish – Everything I Wanted HER – I Can’t Breathe JP Saxe – If the World Was Ending (feat Julia Michaels) Best new artist Ingrid Andress Phoebe Bridgers Chika Noah Cyrus D Smoke Doja Cat Kaytranada Megan Thee Stallion Best pop solo performance Justin Bieber – Yummy Doja Cat – Say So Billie Eilish – Everything I Wanted Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now Harry Styles – Watermelon Sugar Taylor Swift – Cardigan Best Pop duo/group performance J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy – Un Dia (One Day) Justin Bieber – Intentions (feat Quavo) BTS – Dynamite Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – Rain on Me Taylor Swift – Exile (feat Bon Iver) Best pop vocal album Justin Bieber – Changes Lady Gaga – Chromatica Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia Harry Styles – Fine Line Taylor Swift – Folklore Best rock performance Fiona Apple – Shameika Big Thief – Not Phoebe Bridgers – Kyoto Haim – The Steps Brittany Howard – Stay High Grace Potter – Daylight Best rock album Fontaines DC – A Hero’s Death Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka Grace Potter – Daylight Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury The Strokes – The New Abnormal Best alternative music album Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters Beck – Hyperspace Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher Brittany Howard – Jaime Tame Impala – The Slow Rush Best R&B performance Jhené Aiko – Lightning and Thunder (feat John Legend) Beyoncé – Black Parade Jacob Collier – All I Need (feat Mahalia & Ty Dolla Sign) Brittany Howard – Goat Head Emily King – See Me Best rap performance Big Sean – Deep Reverence (feat Nipsey Hussle) DaBaby – Bop Jack Harlow – What’s Poppin Lil Baby – The Bigger Picture Megan Thee Stallion – Savage (remix feat Beyoncé) Pop Smoke – Dior Best rap album D Smoke – Black Habits Freddie Gibbs & the Alchemist – Alfredo Jay Electronica – A Written Testimony Nas – King’s Disease Royce Da 5’9” – The Allegory Best country solo performance Eric Church – Stick That in Your Country Song Brandy Clark – Who You Thought I Was Vince Gill – When My Amy Prays Mickey Guyton – Black Like Me Miranda Lambert – Bluebird Best country album Ingrid Andress – Lady Like Brandy Clark – Your Life is a Record Miranda Lambert – Wildcard Little Big Town – Nightfall Ashley McBryde – Never Will Best Latin pop or urban album Bad Bunny – YHLQMDLG Camilo – Por Primera Vez Kany García – Mesa Para Dos Ricky Martin – Pausa Debi Nova – 3:33 Best global music album Antibalas – Fu Chronicles Burna Boy – Twice as Tall Bebel Gilberto – Agora Anoushka Shankar – Love Letters Tinariwen – Amadjar Producer of the year, non-classical Jack Antonoff Dan Auerbach Dave Cobb Flying Lotus Andrew Watt