Entertainment

All you need to know about the Grammys including the British acts hoping to win

The ceremony is taking place in Las Vegas after suffering pandemic delays.
The ceremony is taking place in Las Vegas after suffering pandemic delays. The ceremony is taking place in Las Vegas after suffering pandemic delays.

The nominations for the 2022 Grammys contained a number of shocks when they were announced in November.

Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and HER each scored eight nominations, while Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo claimed seven apiece.

However, the presence of names such as Glass Animals and The Weeknd came as a surprise.

Ahead of Sunday night’s ceremony in Las Vegas, here are some of the biggest talking points from the star-studded shortlist.

Teenage Cancer Trust Concert 2022 – London
Teenage Cancer Trust Concert 2022 – London Ed Sheeran (Aaron Chown/PA)

– Who are the British artists nominated?

Unsurprisingly, Ed Sheeran’s hit Bad Habits is nominated for song of the year.

More surprising is the inclusion of 21-year-old Arlo Parks on the shortlists for best new artist and best alternative music album for her Mercury Prize-winning debut Collapsed In Sunbeams.

Oxford-formed indie band Glass Animals are also tapped for best new artist after their sleeper hit Heat Waves went to number one in the US.

– Kanye West and Drake face off

The internationally successful rappers are both nominated for best rap album, Drake for Certified Lover Boy and West for Donda.

West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, has previously demanded a public apology from Drake amid their ongoing feud.

Their conflict has been rumbling for a decade following an initial spat between rappers Lil Wayne and Pusha T, but in November last year West said it was “time to put it to rest”.

The pair reunited onstage for the Free Larry Hoover benefit concert in December, during which they covered each other’s songs.

– Can Olivia Rodrigo dethrone Billie Eilish?

In 2020, Eilish became only the second person to win the four big categories at the Grammys – best new artist, record of the year, song of the year and album of the year – in the same year.

Rodrigo is tipped to do the same this year with her album Sour and single Drivers License.

The 88th Academy Awards – Arrivals – Los Angeles
The 88th Academy Awards – Arrivals – Los Angeles The Weeknd (Ian West/PA)

– The Weeknd makes a surprise appearance on the nominations list

Last year, the R&B superstar said he would not allow his label to submit his music in protest at the event’s controversial voting system.

He called the Academy “corrupt” after he received zero nominations despite having 2020’s biggest single in the US, Blinding Lights.

However, he still features on the list three times – for his work on Doja Cat’s deluxe edition of Planet Her and Kanye West’s Donda, which are both nominated for album of the year, and for his appearance on West’s single Hurricane, which also features Lil Baby.

– Why does Fearless (Taylor’s Version) not feature on the list?

The pop superstar released a re-recording in April 2021 as part of a plan to regain control of her master recordings amid a row with her old label.

The original Fearless, released in 2008, won album of the year at the Grammys and the Country Music Association Awards.

Instead, Swift this year submitted Evermore, her latest wholly original album that arrived in December 2020, and it is nominated for album of the year.

Ivor Novello Awards 2021
Ivor Novello Awards 2021 Bjorn Ulvaeus of Abba (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

– Abba get their first Grammy nomination

The Swedish pop superstars claimed their first Grammy nomination for I Still Have Faith In You in the record of the year category.

They recently reunited for their first album in 40 years, Voyage, reaching number one in more than a dozen countries including the UK.

– Jon Batiste shocks the music world with his 11 nods

In the US, multi-genre musician Batiste is well known as bandleader and musical director of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

His 11 nominations, the most of any artist this year, are likely to increase his profile in the UK.