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Hunter Hayes

Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

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GRAMMY Premiere Ceremony Performers, Presenters Announced

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Hosted by Hunter Hayes, Premiere Ceremony to present awards in approximately 70 GRAMMY categories; ceremony to stream live at GRAMMY.com/live
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Jan 29, 2015 - 7:00 am

The GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will take place at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Sunday, Feb. 8, from 12:30–3:30 p.m. PT, and present the first GRAMMY Awards of the day in approximately 70 categories. The ceremony will be hosted by current GRAMMY nominee Hunter Hayes and will stream live internationally at GRAMMY.com/live.

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Hunter Hayes To Host GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony | GRAMMYs

Attended by nominees and industry VIPs, the star-studded ceremony will feature performances by current nominees Angie Fisher, Cheyenne Jackson & Alexandra Silber, Old Crow Medicine Show, Ana Tijoux, and an all-star jazz quartet featuring Nathan East, Robert Glasper, Billy Hart, and Joe Lovano. Presenting the first GRAMMY Awards of the day in approximately 70 categories will be current nominees Rosanne Cash, Gloria Gaynor, Hilary Hahn, Smokie Norful, and John Waters as well as five-time GRAMMY-winning producer Jimmy Jam.

Hayes is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for "Invisible." He has received four previous GRAMMY nominations.

East, Fisher, Hart, Jackson & Silber, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Tijoux each have one nod: East for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Nathan East; Fisher for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "I.R.S."; Hart for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Enjoy The View; Jackson & Silber for Best Musical Theater Album for West Side Story; Old Crow Medicine Show for Best Folk Album for Remedy; and Tijoux for Best Latin Rock, Urban Or Alternative Album for Vengo.

Glasper and Lovano have two nominations each: Glasper for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Jesus Children" and Best R&B Album for Black Radio 2; Lovano for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Recorda Me" and Best Latin Jazz Album for The Latin Side Of Joe Henderson.

Hahn, Gaynor and Waters each have one nomination: Hahn for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for In 27 Pieces — The Hilary Hahn Encores; Gaynor for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling) for We Will Survive: True Stories Of Encouragement, Inspiration, And The Power Of Song; and Waters for Best Spoken Word Album for Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America.

Norful has two nominations: Best Gospel Performance/Song for "No Greater Love" and Best Gospel Album for Forever Yours.

Cash has three nominations: Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song for "A Feather's Not A Bird," and Best Americana Album for The River & The Thread.

The live stream of the Premiere Ceremony will remain on GRAMMY.com as video on demand for 30 days following the event. Following the ceremony, the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. ET/PT. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GRAMMYs
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The Ultimate GRAMMY Viewer's Guide

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Get ready for Music's Biggest Night with this handy guide to all the action taking place at GRAMMY.com
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
Feb 2, 2015 - 12:13 pm

Each year the GRAMMY Awards telecast delivers iconic music moments that ripple through all parts of popular culture. More than just an awards show, the GRAMMYs has the power to influence fans (engaging in a game of Lorde karaoke), artists, fashion (Pharrell Williams' hat), social media, and music sales. This is what we call "The GRAMMY Effect," and it can even manifest itself in a metal fan headbanging to Taylor Swift.

What happens on the GRAMMY stage transcends the show itself, and music fans everywhere are looking forward to seeing what the 57th GRAMMY telecast brings on Feb. 8.

With GRAMMY Week in full force, we want to make sure you experience the full GRAMMY.com Effect too. So, we've created this Ultimate GRAMMY Viewer's Guide to ensure you don't miss a thing, without even leaving your couch.

GRAMMY Live-Blog
Beginning Monday, Feb. 2, the GRAMMY live-blog will be your one-stop destination for breaking GRAMMY Week news, photos and more. Then on Feb. 8 it will segue into the only official live-blog complement to Music's Biggest Night. Beginning at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT, join us for exclusive coverage of the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony before we dive into one hour of exclusive red-carpet coverage as the stars arrive in style. Then, as you tune in to the telecast beginning at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, join us for up-to-the-minute commentary on the telecast, breaking news and reactions on this year's GRAMMY winners, the only live updates you'll find anywhere from the GRAMMY "mosh pit." And, of course, to share your thoughts during the performances and as winners are announced.

GRAMMY Live
Beginning at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT on Feb. 8, GRAMMY Live will deliver exclusive GRAMMY coverage you won't want to miss. From the only place to view the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony (see below) and live interviews from the red carpet, to the backstage action at the 57th GRAMMY Awards and the official GRAMMY wrap-up show, GRAMMY Live is the best second screen in the biz.

GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony Live Stream
Tune in to GRAMMY.com/live beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT to watch current GRAMMY nominee Hunter Hayes host the event that will reveal the first GRAMMY Awards of the day. Approximately 70 GRAMMY categories will be announced during the Premiere Ceremony, which will also feature performances by current nominees Angie Fisher, Cheyenne Jackson & Alexandra Silber, Old Crow Medicine Show, Ana Tijoux, and an all-star jazz quartet featuring Nathan East, Robert Glasper, Billy Hart, and Joe Lovano.

Photos
If it's true that a picture is worth 1,000 words, you'll have a lot to say about our one-of-a-kind GRAMMY photo galleries. Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 4, visit the Photos section of GRAMMY.com for exclusive snapshots from GRAMMY Week events, including the star-studded Producers & Engineers Wing event honoring Nile Rodgers, the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute to Bob Dylan, Clive Davis' and The Recording Academy's Pre-GRAMMY Gala, and more. Then, on Sunday we'll bring you up-to-the-minute photos from the red-carpet arrivals to GRAMMY performances and backstage as winners embrace their GRAMMY gold. 

Video
We'll be on the ground with our cameras in hand during GRAMMY Week, so keep checking the Video section of GRAMMY.com for interviews and other footage from GRAMMY Week events.

News
Ariana Grande, Madonna, Sam Smith, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, and Pharrell Williams are among the performers for the 57th GRAMMY Awards. Check back as we announce more GRAMMY performers and special segments. Also, stay here for all the GRAMMY winners news after the telecast on Sunday.

Polls
Who do you think GRAMMY voters are going to choose in categories such as Song Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Best New Artist, among others? Cast your votes and tell us what you think.

App
With the latest news, photos, video, the ability to stream GRAMMY Live, and more, the GRAMMY App is your perfect on-the-go mobile companion. Download the app for Apple or Android platforms. 

Winners List
Why wait until after the show to see a complete list of winners? We'll be updating our list all day as winners are announced, beginning with the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony, which will be streamed live at GRAMMY.com/live starting at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT.

GRAMMY.com Newsletter
Want to be the first to receive our official GRAMMY wrap-up report following the 57th GRAMMY Awards telecast on the morning of Monday, Feb. 9? Sign up for our GRAMMY.com newsletter. We'll keep you informed about the exciting content we're producing all year round.

Don't forget: The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place live on Sunday, Feb. 8 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Press Photo of Jhené Aiko

Jhené Aiko

Photo: Justin Jackson /J3 Collection

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63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony Announced 63rd-grammy-awards-premiere-ceremony-lineup-2021-grammys

Participating Talent For 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony Announced: Jhené Aiko, Burna Boy, Lido Pimienta, Poppy And More Confirmed

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Streaming live internationally Sunday, March 14, via GRAMMY.com, the 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will feature a number of performances by current GRAMMY nominees like Rufus Wainwright, Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science and many others
GRAMMYs
Mar 2, 2021 - 7:00 am

The Recording Academy has announced details for the Premiere Ceremony ahead of the annual GRAMMY Awards telecast this month. 

Preceding the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show, the 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will take place Sunday, March 14, at noon PT, and will be streamed live internationally via GRAMMY.com.

Nominations for the 2022 GRAMMYs Awards show are officially here! See the full list of nominations.

Hosted by current three-time GRAMMY nominee Jhené Aiko, the Premiere Ceremony will feature a number of performances by current GRAMMY nominees, including: Nigerian singer, songwriter and rapper Burna Boy, jazz band Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, blues musician Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, classical pianist Igor Levit, Latin electropop musician Lido Pimienta, singer, songwriter and performance artist Poppy, and singer, songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright. 

Kicking off the event will be a tribute performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of the classic Marvin Gaye track "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)". The special all-nominee ensemble performance will feature Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra, Thana Alexa, John Beasley, Camilo, Regina Carter, Alexandre Desplat, Bebel Gilberto, Lupita Infante, Sarah Jarosz, Mykal Kilgore, Ledisi, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, PJ Morton, Gregory Porter, Grace Potter, säje, Gustavo Santaolalla (Bajofondo), Anoushka Shankar, and Kamasi Washington.

Current nominees Bill Burr, Chika, Infante and former Recording Academy Chair Jimmy Jam will present the first GRAMMY Awards of the day. Branden Chapman and Bill Freimuth are the producers on behalf of the Recording Academy, Greg Fera is executive producer and Cheche Alara will serve as music producer and musical director.

Music fans will be given unprecedented digital access to GRAMMY Awards content with GRAMMY Live, which will stream internationally on GRAMMY.com and via Facebook Live, the exclusive streaming partner of GRAMMY Live. GRAMMY Live takes viewers behind the scenes with backstage experiences, pre-show interviews and post-show highlights from Music's Biggest Night. GRAMMY Live will stream all day on Sunday, March 14, including during and after the GRAMMY Awards evening telecast. IBM, the Official AI & Cloud Partner of the Recording Academy, will host GRAMMY Live for the first time entirely on the IBM Cloud.

The 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live following the Premiere Ceremony on CBS and Paramount+ from 8 p.m.–11:30 p.m. ET/5 p.m.–8:30 p.m. PT. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit the Recording Academy's social networks on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Read More: The 64th GRAMMY Awards: Everything You Need To Know About The 2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show & Nominations

All of the Premiere Ceremony performers and the host are nominated this year, as are most of the presenters. Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra for Best Latin Jazz Album (Tradiciones); Aiko for Album Of The Year (Chilombo), Best R&B Performance ("Lightning & Thunder" featuring John Legend) and Best Progressive R&B Album (Chilombo); Alexa for Best Jazz Vocal Album (Ona); Beasley with Somi With Frankfurt Radio Big Band for Best Jazz Vocal Album (Holy Room: Live At Alte Oper), Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album (MONK'estra Plays John Beasley), Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella ("Donna Lee") and Best Arrangement, Instrumentals and Vocals ("Asas Fechadas" with Maria Mendes); Burna Boy for Best Global Music Album (Twice As Tall); Burr for Best Comedy Album (Paper Tiger); Camilo for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album (Por Primera Vez); Carrington + Social Science for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Waiting Game); Carter for Best Improvised Jazz Solo ("Pachamama"); Chika for Best New Artist; Desplat for Best Instrumental Composition ("Plumfield"); Gilberto for Best Global Music Album (Agora); Holmes for Best Traditional Blues Album (Cypress Grove); Infante for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano) (La Serenata); Jarosz for Best American Roots Song ("Hometown"), Best Americana Album (World On The Ground); Kilgore for Best Traditional R&B Performance ("Let Me Go"); Ledisi for Best Traditional R&B Performance ("Anything For You"); Levit for Best Classical Instrumental Solo (Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas); Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano) (Bailando Sones Y Huapangos Con Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez); Morton for Best Gospel Album (Gospel According To PJ); Pimienta for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album (Miss Colombia); Poppy for Best Metal Performance ("BLOODMONEY"); Porter for Best R&B Album (All Rise); Potter for Best Rock Performance ("Daylight"), Best Rock Album (Daylight); säje for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals ("Desert Song"); Santaolalla with Bajofondo for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album (Aura); Shankar for Best Global Music Album (Love Letters); Wainwright for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Unfollow The Rules); and Washington for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Becoming).

Click the below to view the program book for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony.

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2021 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Winners & Nominees List

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57 fun facts about the 57th GRAMMY nominees mary-j-blige-katy-perry-57th-grammy-nominee-facts

Mary J. Blige to Katy Perry: 57th GRAMMY nominee facts

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Dig deeper with 57 fun facts about this year's class of GRAMMY nominees, including Iggy Azalea, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, Pharrell Williams, and more
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

By now you've seen the full list of 57th GRAMMY nominees. But with 83 categories, it's a lot of information to absorb. We've dissected the list to bring you factoids about this year's nominees that are sure to make you the star attraction at your group GRAMMY viewing party. So dig in with our list of 57 Fun Facts About The 57th GRAMMY Nominees and mark your calendar for Music's Biggest Night on Sunday, Feb. 8 from 8–11:30 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. 

Sam Smith is nominated for each of the "Big Four" awards — Album, Record and Song Of The Year and Best New Artist. At 22, he's the second youngest artist ever to achieve that feat. Mariah Carey was just 20 when she was nominated for all four awards 24 years ago.

Female artists account for four of the five Record Of The Year nominees. It's the first time in 16 years — and only the fourth time in GRAMMY history — that women have dominated the category to that degree.

"Fancy" by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX is just the second all-female collaboration to receive a Record Of The Year nomination. The first was "The Boy Is Mine," the 1998 smash by Brandy and Monica.

"Shake It Off" is Taylor Swift's third single to receive a Record Of The Year nomination. The sassy smash follows "You Belong with Me" (2009) and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (2012).

Sia's "Chandelier" is the year's only work to be nominated for both Record Of The Year and Best Music Video.

Pharrell Williams is competing with himself for Album Of The Year. He's nominated for his own album, Girl, and as a co-producer for both Beyoncé's Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran's X.

Beck is nominated for Album Of The Year for Morning Phase. He's the first artist to be nominated in this category in each decade from the 1990s through the 2010s. He was previously nominated for Odelay (1996) and Midnite Vultures (2000).

Beyoncé is nominated for Album Of The Year for the second time, for Beyoncé. She was nominated five years ago for I Am… Sasha Fierce. Beyoncé has amassed 53 GRAMMY nominations, more than any other female artist.

Ed Sheeran's sophomore album, X, has the shortest title of any Album Of The Year finalist in GRAMMY history. The old record was held jointly by James Taylor's JT, Peter Gabriel's So and Adele's 21.

Another album titled X, by Chris Brown, is nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album. Brown won the 2011 award for Best R&B Album for F.A.M.E.

Hozier, a Song Of The Year finalist for "Take Me To Church," was born in Bray County, Wicklow, Ireland. Other Irish songwriters that have been nominated for this top GRAMMY include Gilbert O'Sullivan and U2.

Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass," which is nominated both for Record and Song Of The Year, is not the first GRAMMY-nominated song to celebrate a woman's "bass." Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back" won for Best Rap Solo Performance for 1992.

Brandy Clark, who is nominated for Best New Artist and Best Country Album, received her first GRAMMY nomination a year ago for Best Country Song. She was a co-writer (with Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves) of Miranda Lambert's hit "Mama's Broken Heart."

Haim, comprising sisters Este, Danielle and Alana Haim, are the first sister trio to receive a Best New Artist nomination.

Two all-female collaborations — "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX and "Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj — are competing for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Either would become the first all-female collabo to win in the Pop Field since "Lady Marmalade," the 2001 smash by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, and Pink.

Tony Bennett is vying for his 12th award in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category. He's nominated for Cheek To Cheek, a collaboration with Lady Gaga. Bennett is by far the most frequent winner in the category. Michael Bublé is second with four wins.

With Cheek To Cheek, Lady Gaga is vying to take best album honors in a third genre. She previously won for Best Electronic/Dance Album for The Fame (2009) and Best Pop Vocal Album for The Fame Monster (2010).

Johnny Mathis, nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Sending You A Little Christmas, received his first GRAMMY nomination in 1960, the third year of the awards. His classic rendition of "Misty" was nominated for Best Vocal Performance, Male — Single Or Track.

Miley Cyrus received her first GRAMMY nomination for Bangerz, which is a finalist for Best Pop Vocal Album. Her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, received a 1992 nomination for Best New Artist.

Coldplay, who are nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album for Ghost Stories, have previously won for Best Alternative Music Album (twice) and Best Rock Album (once).

Katy Perry is nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. This brings Perry's career total of nominations to 13. She is looking for her first win.

Deadmau5 is nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for the third time in the past four years. The Canadian musician is nominated for his seventh studio album, While (1

Mary J. Blige is nominated for Best Dance Recording as the featured artist on Disclosure's "F For You." The versatile singer has won nine GRAMMYs in four distinct genres: R&B, rap, pop, and gospel.

Slipknot, nominees for Best Metal Performance for "The Negative One," won the 2005 award in this category with "Before I Forget."

Two tracks from a tribute album to the late Ronnie James Dio are nominated for Best Metal Performance. They are Anthrax's "Neon Knights" and Tenacious D's "The Last In Line." Dio died in 2010.

The Black Keys, nominated for Best Rock Album for Turn Blue, won in that category two years ago with El Camino. Their album before that, Brothers, won the 2010 award for Best Alternative Music Album.

U2's 13th studio album, Songs Of Innocence, is nominated for Best Rock Album. All five of the band's studio albums since 1994, when this category was introduced, have been nominated for this award. U2 have amassed 46 GRAMMY nominations, more than any other group.

Jack White, nominated for Best Alternative Music Album for his second solo album, Lazaretto, won three times in this category with the White Stripes. If he wins again this year, he'll become the first four-time winner in the category's history.

St. Vincent is vying to become just the second female solo artist to win for Best Alternative Music Album. Sinéad O'Connor won the first-ever award in the category for her 1990 album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who rose to fame on "The Cosby Show," is nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance as a featured artist on Robert Glasper Experiment's "Jesus Children." (The track also features Lalah Hathaway.)

Love, Marriage & Divorce by Toni Braxton and Babyface is nominated for Best R&B Album. It's vying to become the second collaboration to win in that category. Wake Up! by John Legend and the Roots took the 2010 award.

Robert Glasper Experiment are vying for Best R&B Album for Black Radio 2. Their initial Black Radio won the 2012 award in this category.

Two tracks from Lecrae's seventh studio album, Anomaly, were nominated in very different categories. "All I Need Is You" is a finalist for Best Rap Performance. "Messengers," featuring For King & Country, is nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.

With The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Eminem is vying to win Best Rap Album for the sixth time. Eminem's five previous wins make him the category leader. Kanye West is second with four wins.

Schoolboy Q was featured on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' The Heist, which was last year's winner for Best Rap Album. This year, the Los Angeles rapper is nominated in that category with his own album, Oxymoron.

Childish Gambino, nominated for Best Rap Album for Because The Internet, is the musical persona of actor Donald Glover, best known for his role on the TV series "Community."

Neil Patrick Harris received his first-ever GRAMMY nomination this year. The actor and frequent awards show host is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album for Hedwig And The Angry Inch.

Keith Urban, nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for "Cop Car," amassed four GRAMMYs for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in a six-year span (2005 through 2010).

"Meanwhile Back At Mama's" by Tim McGraw featuring Faith Hill is nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. It's their sixth nomination for vocal performance as a team.

The Band Perry are vying to become the third artist to win a GRAMMY for a recording of "Gentle On My Mind." John Hartford (the song's composer) and Glen Campbell both won 1967 GRAMMYs for recordings of the song.

Paul Epworth is vying for his second award in the category of Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical. He won three years ago, chiefly for his work on Adele's 21. This year, his projects included Paul McCartney, Foster The People and FKA Twigs.

Swedish hit-maker Max Martin is nominated for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical for the first time. In addition, he's nominated for both Record and Song Of The Year for his work on Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off."

Current nominees Beck and Jack White are among the artists who will perform at the 2015 MusiCares Person of the Year tribute gala honoring Bob Dylan on Feb. 6.

Aloe Blacc received his first career nomination for Best R&B Album for Lift Your Spirit. Blacc is among the artists who will perform at Lean On Me: A Celebration Of Music And Philanthropy, the 17th Annual GRAMMY Foundation Legacy Concert taking place Feb 5.

Taylor Swift is the lone nominee who is the subject of a current exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum. Featuring personal photographs, handwritten lyrics, tour costumes, and more, The Taylor Swift Experience is on display through May 10.

Iggy Azalea is nominated for Best Rap Album for The New Classic. Should she win, Azalea would become the first female solo artist to take home the award.

Tom Petty's nod for Best Rock Album for Hypnotic Eye with the Heartbreakers is his 18th career nomination. Petty won his first GRAMMY for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for 1989 for Traveling Wilburys Volume One. The Traveling Wilburys featured Petty and, among others, George Harrison, who is one of this year's Special Merit Awards recipients.

Paramore's Hayley Williams and Taylor York are up for Best Rock Song for the group's "Ain't It Fun." This marks the second time the two musicians have received a nomination in a songwriting category. They were previously nominated for "Decode," which was a 2009 finalist for Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media.

English rock group Bastille are among this year's nominees for Best New Artist. They are vying to become the first English collective to take home the honor since Sade won the award for 1985.

Former President Jimmy Carter is nominated for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling) for A Call To Action. If he takes the award, Carter will become the third former or future president with two GRAMMY wins, joining Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Carter is scheduled to present the award to Bob Dylan at the 2015 Person of the Year gala.

Gloria Gaynor's We Will Survive: True Stories Of Encouragement, Inspiration, And The Power Of Song is also nominated for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling). At 35 years, Gaynor has the longest gap between nominations of any current nominee. Her last nominations were for 1979, including a win for Best Disco Recording for "I Will Survive."

Ziggy Marley and Anoushka Shankar are nominated for Best Reggae Album and Best World Music Album, respectively. Both artists' fathers — Bob Marley and Ravi Shankar — are GRAMMY winners and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

Kendrick Lamar's "I" is the lone song with a one-letter title to be nominated this year. It's up for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.

"The Monster" by Eminem featuring Rihanna is among the nominees for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The two stars received a 2010 nomination in this category for "Love The Way You Lie."

"Weird Al" Yankovic and Louis C.K. each received nominations for Best Comedy Album. Each has previously won in the category: Yankovic for Poodle Hat (2003); Louis C.K. for Hilarious (2011).

With six GRAMMY wins, Carrie Underwood has the most GRAMMYs by an "American Idol" alumnus. She's up for two more this year: Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

What do Arcade Fire, Tony Bennett, Glen Campbell, Alison Krauss, Barbra Streisand, Taylor Swift, and U2 have in common? Besides all being current nominees, they've all released albums that have won Album Of The Year honors.

GRAMMYs

A Great Big World's Ian Axel and Christina Aguilera

Photo: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage.com

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The Messages Behind 57th GRAMMY-Nominated Songs

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Dive into the storylines of 10 current GRAMMY-nominated songs by Arcade Fire, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, and Meghan Trainor, among others
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
Jan 30, 2015 - 11:04 am

Danish author Hans Christian Andersen once famously said, "Where words fail, music speaks." But what happens when you pair powerful lyrics with equally potent music? You get songs that fill fans' hearts and minds with stories of love, loss, recovery, and redemption.

These topics and more are highlighted in songs nominated for the 57th GRAMMY Awards. Below we dive into 10 tunes that carry an important message underneath the music, from Meghan Trainor's positive body image anthem and the heartbreak of "Say Something" by A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera, to Sam Smith's vulnerable "Stay With Me" and Glen Campbell's poignant "I'm Not Gonna Miss You."

A Great Big World With Christina Aguilera, "Say Something"
A Great Big World's Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino found themselves with a surprise hit when their breakup ballad "Say Something" featuring Christina Aguilera soared to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 after the trio performed the song on an episode of "The Voice." But before it earned a nod for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, the song served as a method of healing for Vaccarino and Axel, who were both struggling with heartbreak while writing the song. "There was this girl in my life … for three years and it was unreciprocated," said Axel during an interview with Ryan Seacrest in 2014. "I think about it now and I get the chills because it's so crazy that that's the [song] that's connecting to everybody because we felt so alone … and now it's like a healing song and people are listening to it and it's helping them."

GRAMMYs

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A Great Big World, Christina Aguilera - Say Something

Arcade Fire, "We Exist"
"We were in Kingston, and we … met some gay Jamaican kids and just kind of talked to them and realized that they were constantly under the threat of violence," Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler told The Advocate about the inspiration for "We Exist." "For me, just meeting these kids in Jamaica and then imagining this conversation between a son and his father, that was the emotional kernel." The song's video, which is up for Best Music Video, highlights the journey of a transgender teen (played by Andrew Garfield) who ultimately triumphs in joining Arcade Fire onstage at Coachella to roaring approval. "We Exist" is featured on the band's fourth studio album, Reflektor, which earned a nod for Best Alternative Music Album.

GRAMMYs

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Arcade Fire - We Exist

Glen Campbell, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You"
Nominated for Best Country Song and Best Song Written For Visual Media, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" is the final song Campbell says he will ever record, due to his battle with Alzheimer's disease. The song is more than just a solemn country ballad — illustrating, in detail, the heartbreaking experience of losing one's memory. "I'm still here but yet I'm gone," sings Campbell in the song's opening, as the accompanying video highlights footage of his early career to his present-day life. By the time the song reaches its chorus, it sounds as if Campbell has reluctantly accepted his disease: "You're the last person I will love/You're the last face I will recall/And best of all/I'm not gonna miss you."

GRAMMYs

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Glen Campbell - I'm Not Gonna Miss You

Hunter Hayes, "Invisible"
This Best Country Solo Performance-nominated song brings to light the bullying the self-described nerd Hayes says he experienced in high school. While "Invisible" opens on a somber note — "Crowded hallways are the loneliest places/For outcasts and rebels" — the anti-bullying anthem wraps with lyrics that are full of hope: "There's so much more to life than what you're feeling now/And someday you'll look back on all these days/And all this pain is gonna be invisible." Featured on 2014's Storyline, the single peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, proving Hayes' powerful message has been seen and heard by many.

GRAMMYs

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Hunter Hayes - "Invisible" [Official Music Video]

Kendrick Lamar, "I"
Rapper Lamar's uplifting Top 40 ode to self-respect has earned him lots of love, including two GRAMMY nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song (with co-writer Columbus Smith); Rolling Stone ranked "I" the No. 10 song of 2014. While the anthem has resonated with a larger audience, Lamar revealed in an interview with New York radio station WQHT-FM that he wrote "I" for prison inmates and suicidal teenagers. "I wrote a record for the homies that [are] in the penitentiary," said the Compton, Calif., native. "And I also wrote a record for these kids that come up to my show, with these slashes on their wrist, saying they don't want to live."

GRAMMYs

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Kendrick Lamar - i (Official Video)

Lecrae, "All I Need Is You"
One of two tracks from Lecrae's seventh studio album, Anomaly, to earn a GRAMMY nomination this year, "All I Need Is You" is more than a song about love and hip-hop, it's Lecrae's positive take on healthy, monogamous relationships, which he believes hasn't always been a focal point in hip-hop songs. "When you see Jay Z and Beyoncé, [you think], OK, marriage is cool now. They set a trend and I think that's healthy," said Lecrae about the Best Rap Performance-nominated song during a 2014 interview with MTV.com. "It's just continuing with that trend of — what if we're monogamous? … What if we love somebody and we're not afraid to say it in a hip-hop song? You've gotta continue to set trends and be different."

GRAMMYs

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Lecrae - All I Need Is You (@Lecrae @ReachRecords)

Sia, "Chandelier"
With its airy instrumentation and soaring chorus, Sia's "Chandelier" sounds like the perfect club anthem on first listen. However, the lyrics crystallize the dark portrait of a party girl in the midst of an epiphany. "Sun is up, I'm a mess/Gotta get out now, gotta run from this," sings a troubled Sia. As it turns out, "Chandelier" is a first-person account of the Australia native's personal struggles with alcoholism and prescription drugs. Originally intended for Rihanna, Sia decided to keep the spellbinding song for herself when she "realized it was personal, and that I was attached to it somehow." The Top 10 hit earned Sia GRAMMY nominations for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year (with co-writer Jesse Shatkin), Best Pop Solo Performance, and Best Music Video.

GRAMMYs

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Sia - Chandelier (Official Video)

Sam Smith, "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)"
Smith
's quadruple-platinum smash, which earned GRAMMY nods for Record and Song Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, isn't the first song about loneliness and unrequited love. But it has emerged as an anthem for the brokenhearted, particularly for those within the gay community due to the first-time GRAMMY nominee's willingness to sing openly about his love for another man. Smith's unapologetic ballad about a one-night stand and heartache has caught on with listeners worldwide, climbing to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in several countries, including the UK, Israel and South Africa. 

GRAMMYs

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Sam Smith - Stay With Me

Taylor Swift, "Shake It Off"
The first single from Swift's 2014 hit album, 1989, "Shake It Off" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and punctuated her official foray into pop music. But the track is more than just a catchy earworm — it's Swift's jovial dismissal of the "haters." "I've had every part of my life dissected," the GRAMMY winner said in a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone. "When you live your life under that kind of scrutiny, you can either let it break you, or you can get really good at dodging punches. And when one lands, you know how to deal with it. And I guess the way that I deal with it is to shake it off." Co-written by Swift, Max Martin and Shellback, "Shake It Off" is nominated for Record and Song Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

GRAMMYs

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Taylor Swift - Shake It Off

Meghan Trainor, "All About That Bass"
Trainor not only brought booty back, she shook her boom boom to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. "All About That Bass" creatively combines the right musical "junk in all the right places," including a bouncy bass line and a sugary refrain, with a lyric that promotes a positive self-image message: flaunt your "bass" proudly, no matter your size. The anti-treble smash earned Trainor her first career GRAMMY nominations for Record and Song Of The Year (with co-writer Kevin Kadish). "It's scary going out there with a song like this," Trainor told GRAMMY.com. "But seeing the reaction really helps me being confident. It's a song that has helped so many people, and me included."

GRAMMYs

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Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy and its Affiliates. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy and its Affiliates lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy and its Affiliates.