LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - Pop newcomers Lizzo, Billie Eilish and country rapper Lil Nas X dominated Grammy nominations on Wednesday (Nov 20) in a list for the highest awards in the music industry that favoured diversity and women over established stars like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.
Lizzo, the body-positive Truth Hurts and Juice singer, scored a leading eight nods, including in the top categories of album and record of the year and best new artist.
"Thank you," tweeted Lizzo. "This has been an incredible year for music and I'm just so thankful to even be a part of it."
Eilish, the 17 year-old Los Angeles Bad Guy alt-pop sensation, got six nods, along with black, gay country rapper Lil Nas X, 20, whose catchy Old Town Road with Billy Ray Cyrus topped the Billboard singles charts for a record 19 weeks this year.
The trio will compete in the album of the year race with indie band Bon Iver, pop-rocker Lana del Rey, pop singer Ariana Grande, rockers Vampire Weekend and R&B artist H.E.R.
Grande got five nominations, including for her hit 7 Rings, while Beyonce scored four, mostly for the songs she wrote for the new version of animated film The Lion King and for the Homecoming concert film of her 2018 Coachella show.
Five of the eight album of the year nominees were women and four female artists will compete for record of the year, injecting new life into the Grammy Awards which has a tradition of rewarding the same artists.
Deborah Dugan, the new chief executive of the Recording Academy whose members select the nominees and winners, said the nominations marked a new era for the organization that "welcomes diversity, embraces creativity and champions young musicians on the rise."
That meant that 10-time Grammy winner Swift, whose new album Lover is one of the year's biggest sellers, was omitted for a second straight year from the album and record of the year categories, along with British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran.
Swift got three nods - song of the year for Lover, best pop vocal album and pop solo performance.
Other acts snubbed by the Grammys included K-Pop band BTS, which has a huge following in the United States but got no nominations on Wednesday; Bruce Springsteen, whose album Western Stars was well reviewed; the newly re-united Jonas Brothers who got just one nod, for single Sucker; and British singers Sam Smith and Lewis Capaldi.
The Grammy Awards, the highest honours in the music industry, and will be handed out in Los Angeles on Jan 26 in a ceremony hosted by Alicia Keys.
Key nominations for the 2020 Grammy awards:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
I, I - Bon Iver
Norman F***ing Rockwell! - Lana Del Rey
When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? - Billie Eilish
Thank U, Next - Ariana Grande
I Used to Know Her - H.E.R.
7 - Lil Nas X
Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) - Lizzo
Father of the Bride" - Vampire Weekend
RECORD OF THE YEAR
Hey, Ma - Bon Iver
Bad Guy - Billie Eilish
7 Rings - Ariana Grande
Hard Place - H.E.R.
Talk - Khalid
Old Town Road - Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
Truth Hurts - Lizzo
Sunflower - Post Malone & Swae Lee
SONG OF THE YEAR
Always Remember Us This Way - Natalie Hemby, Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
Bad Guy - Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Bring My Flowers Now - Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)
Hard Place - Ruby Amanfu, Sam Ashworth, D. Arcelious Harris. H.E.R. & Rodney Jerkins, songwriters (H.E.R.)
Lover - Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
Norman F***ing Rockwell - Jack Antonoff & Lana Del Rey, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
Someone You Loved - Tom Barnes, Lewis Capaldi, Pete Kelleher, Benjamin Kohn & Sam Roman, songwriters (Lewis Capaldi)
Truth Hurts - Steven Cheung, Eric Frederic, Melissa Jefferson & Jesse Saint John, songwriters (Lizzo)
BEST NEW ARTIST
Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalia Tank and the Bangas Yola
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
Spirit - Beyonce
Bad Guy - Billie Eilish
7 Rings - Ariana Grande
Truth Hurts - Lizzo
You Need to Calm Down - Taylor Swift
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
The Lion King: The Gift - Beyonce
When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? - Billie Eilish
Thank u, next - Ariana Grande
No. 6 Collaborations Project - Ed Sheeran
Lover - Taylor Swift
BEST RAP ALBUM
Revenge Of The Dreamers III - Dreamville
Championships - Meek Mill
I Am I Was - 21 Savage
Igor - Tyler, The Creator
The Lost Boy - YBN Cordae
BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
Love Again - Daniel Caesar & Brandy
Could've Been - H.E.R. Featuring Bryson Tiller
Exactly How I Feel - Lizzo Featuring Gucci Mane
Roll Some Mo - Lucky Daye
Come Home - Anderson .Paak Featuring Andre 3000
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Desperate Man - Eric Church
Stronger Than Truth - Reba McEntire
Interstate Gospel - Pistol Annies
Center Point Road - Thomas Rhett
While I'm Livin - Tanya Tucker