The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, airing March 14, is one of the most highly anticipated award ceremonies that celebrates the successes of various music genres yearly. That is not to say all of the current nominees are more deserving than other projects released in 2020.
Some nominees that did stand out, like Beyoncé’s “Black Parade” and Doja Cat’s “Say So,” were appropriately nominated for Record of the Year alongside other famous artists such as Billie Eilish, DaBaby and Dua Lipa. However, there are other artists and tracks from this past year that deserved recognition in major categories.
This award ceremony tends to cause controversy when it comes to the nominees chosen by The Recording Academy; people on social media often make assumptions that the Grammys are “rigged,” with voting irregularities being questioned constantly. Music fans are fuming at the lack of recognition for some of 2020’s most impactful album releases, so here are five projects/songs that should have been spotlighted as nominees.
The Weeknd – “After Hours”
One of the biggest snubs that everyone is talking about is The Weeknd’s biggest track of the year. “Blinding Lights” was not nominated for Record of the Year. The track debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Charts and is The Weeknd’s 10th top-10 hit, also making it one of Billboard’s Hot 100 Songs of 2020. However, the controversy surrounding this specific snub is that The Weeknd denied performing at the Grammys to perform at the Super Bowl, thus taking him off the list of contenders for Best Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
Rina Sawayama – “Sawayama”
This album was undoubtedly one of the most unique pop albums of 2020, and it was wrongfully ignored by many. Rina Sawayama and her debut album “Sawayama” was released over the summer, with popular tracks such as “XS” and “Paradisin’” catching the attention of pop, R&B and nu-metal fans alike. While the album was a hit with Billboard critics and others, it did not seem to make enough of a splash for it to be nominated for any major categories such as Album of the Year or Best Pop Vocal Album. Sawayama would have also been a great contender for Best
New Artist.
Mac Miller – “Circles”
A year following his death, Mac Miller’s sixth and final studio album, “Circles,” was posthumously released in early 2020 with rave reviews and talks of being nominated for this year’s Grammy Awards. However, this eclectic project did not make it, for some reason, as a nominee for Album of the Year, Best Rap Album or Song of the Year for “Good News.” Critics and fans were both surprised to not see Miller nominated for at least one of these categories even though “Circles” debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard 100.
Selena Gomez – “Rare”
“Rare” skyrocketed to No. 1 on the Hot Billboard 200 during its first week after being released in early January, leading several pop fans to believe that it would be a strong contender for Best Pop Album this Grammys season. Many were shocked to find out that not only was the dance-pop album not nominated in that category but was also snubbed for Record of the Year for the song “Lose You to Love Me,” which earned Gomez her first No. 1 song on the Hot Billboard 100.
Halsey – “Manic”
Halsey’s third studio album, “Manic,” has to be one of the most frustrating snubs of this year, with the album peaking at No. 2 on the Hot Billboard 200 and making history by being the longest-running Billboard Hot 100 top-10 hit by a female artist. The album would have given other nominees a run for their money with the country-pop fusion song “You should be sad” soaring through the charts during the beginning of 2020.
