Grammys 2014: Jay Z Leads With 9 Nominations as Rap Dominates

 By 
Brian Anthony Hernandez
 on 
Grammys 2014: Jay Z Leads With 9 Nominations as Rap Dominates

Jay Z ended Friday's "Grammy Nominations Concert Live" event with nods in nine categories, leading the pack for the 56th Grammy Awards, which will air Jan. 26 on CBS.

Up for seven nominations each are Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake. Drake and Bob Ludwig snagged five nods, while Daft Punk, Lorde, Bruno Mars, Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift earned four nominations.

The veteran rapper came out on top on the strength of his 12th studio album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. This year, Jay Z gave away one million copies of the album, purchased for $5 each by Samsung, to one million Samsung Galaxy owners, who had to download an app to snag a copy. The marketing stunt influenced the Recording Industry Association of America to "modernize" its 55-year-old certification process to immediately include digital sales.

To be eligible for a nomination, recordings had to be released between Oct. 1, 2012, and Sept. 30, 2013. Notable snubs include Miley Cyrus ("Wrecking Ball" and "We Can't Stop" were eligible, though Bangerz was not), Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Justin Bieber.

Album Of The Year

The Blessed Unrest — Sara Bareilles

Random Access Memories — Daft Punk

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar

The Heist — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Red — Taylor Swift

Record Of The Year

"Get Lucky" — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams

"Radioactive" — Imagine Dragons

"Royals" — Lorde

"Locked Out Of Heaven" — Bruno Mars

"Blurred Lines" — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams

Song Of The Year

"Just Give Me A Reason" — Jeff Bhasker, Pink & Nate Ruess, songwriters (Pink Featuring Nate Ruess)

"Locked Out Of Heaven" — Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

"Roar" — Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry & Henry Walter, songwriters (Katy Perry)

"Royals" — Joel Little & Ella Yelich O'Connor, songwriters (Lorde)

"Same Love" — Ben Haggerty, Mary Lambert & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert)

Best New Artist

James Blake

Kendrick Lamar

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Kacey Musgraves

Ed Sheeran

Best Pop Solo Performance

"Brave" — Sara Bareilles

"Royals" — Lorde

"When I Was Your Man" — Bruno Mars

"Roar" — Katy Perry

"Mirrors" — Justin Timberlake

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

"Get Lucky" — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams

"Just Give Me A Reason" — Pink Featuring Nate Ruess

"Stay" — Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko

"Blurred Lines" — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams

"Suit & Tie" — Justin Timberlake & Jay Z

Best Dance/Electronica Album

Random Access Memories — Daft Punk

Settle — Disclosure

18 Months — Calvin Harris

Atmosphere — Kaskade

A Color Map Of The Sun — Pretty Lights

Best Rock Performance

"Always Alright" — Alabama Shakes

"The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" — David Bowie

"Radioactive" — Imagine Dragons

"Kashmir" (Live) — Led Zeppelin

"My God Is The Sun" — Queens Of The Stone Age

"I'm Shakin'" — Jack White

Best Rock Album

13 — Black Sabbath

The Next Day — David Bowie

Mechanical Bull — Kings Of Leon

Celebration Day — Led Zeppelin

…Like Clockwork — Queens Of The Stone Age

Psychedelic Pill — Neil Young With Crazy Horse

Best Alternative Music Album

The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You — Neko Case

Trouble Will Find Me — The National

Hesitation Marks — Nine Inch Nails

Lonerism — Tame Impala

Modern Vampires Of The City — Vampire Weekend

Best R&B Performance

"Love And War" — Tamar Braxton

"Best Of Me" — Anthony Hamilton

"Nakamarra" — Hiatus Kaiyote Featuring Q-Tip

"How Many Drinks?" — Miguel Featuring Kendrick Lamar

"Something" — Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway

Best Urban Contemporary Album

Love And War — Tamar Braxton

Side Effects Of You — Fantasia

One: In The Chamber — Salaam Remi

Unapologetic — Rihanna

New York: A Love Story — Mack Wilds

Best R&B Album

R&B Divas — Faith Evans

Girl On Fire — Alicia Keys

Love In The Future — John Legend

Better — Chrisette Michele

Three Kings — TGT

Best Rap Performance

"Started From The Bottom" — Drake

"Berzerk" — Eminem

"Tom Ford" — Jay Z

"Swimming Pools (Drank)" — Kendrick Lamar

"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

"Power Trip" — J.Cole Featuring Miguel

"Part II (On The Run)" — Jay Z Featuring Beyoncé

"Holy Grail" — Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake

"Now Or Never" — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Mary J. Blige

"Remember You" — Wiz Khalifa Featuring The Weeknd

Best Rap Album

Nothing Was The Same — Drake

Magna Carta…Holy Grail — Jay Z

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar

The Heist — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Yeezus — Kanye West

Best Country Solo Performance

"I Drive Your Truck" — Lee Brice

"I Want Crazy" — Hunter Hayes

"Mama's Broken Heart" — Miranda Lambert

"Wagon Wheel" — Darius Rucker

"Mine Would Be You" — Blake Shelton

Best Country Album

Night Train — Jason Aldean

Two Lanes Of Freedom — Tim McGraw

Same Trailer Different Park — Kacey Musgraves

Based On A True Story — Blake Shelton

Red — Taylor Swift

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Guided Tour — The New Gary Burton Quartet

Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue — Terri Lyne Carrington

Life Forum — Gerald Clayton

Pushing The World Away — Kenny Garrett

Out Here — Christian McBride Trio

Best Gospel Album

Grace (Live) — Tasha Cobbs

Best For Last: 20 Year Celebration Vol. 1 — Donald Lawrence

Best Days Yet — Bishop Paul S. Morton

God Chaser (Live) — William Murphy

Greater Than (Live) — Tye Tribbett

Best Tropical Latin Album

3.0 — Marc Anthony

Como Te Voy A Olvidar — Los Angeles Azules

Pacific Mambo Orchestra — Pacific Mambo Orchestra

Sergio George Presents Salsa Giants — Various Artists

Corazón Profundo — Carlos Vives

Best Americana Album

Old Yellow Moon — Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell

Love Has Come For You — Steve Martin & Edie Brickell

Buddy And Jim — Buddy Miller And Jim Lauderdale

One True Vine — Mavis Staples

Songbook — Allen Toussaint

Best Comedy Album

Calm Down Gurrl — Kathy Griffin

I'm Here To Help — Craig Ferguson

A Little Unprofessional — Ron White

Live — Tig Notaro

That's What I'm Talkin' About — Bob Saget

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BONUS: 13 Ways the '90s Made a Comeback in 2013

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