However this December, like every December, the nominations for the 2015 Grammy Awards are a disappointing show of the year in music. In fact, it seems that the Recording Academy has somehow outdone itself in the absurdity of some nominations, and the myopic scope of nominees is unfortunately unsurprising.
The 2014 Grammys were overshadowed by the flurry of nominations and awards that went to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. The pair nabbed a staggering four awards: Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance, and the wins seemed so wrong, even Macklemore himself knew he shouldn’t have walked away with an award that belonged to Kendrick Lamar.
With the nominees for the 2015 Grammy Awards released, it appears we’re in for some déjà vu. Iggy Azalea, who has been accused of bursting into the scene and white-washing hip-hop this year just as Macklemore did last year, has been nominated for Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Best Pop/Duo Performance and Best Rap Album. We’ll see if Iggy and her debut album, “The New Classic,” make like Macklemore and steal the hip-hop spotlight while stirring up some outrage.
Even categories that fly relatively under the radar fell flat. The nominees in Best Comedy Album are as predictable as the Best Record nominees, with a list of comedians including Patton Oswalt, Jim Gaffigan and Sarah Silverman. Sure, all three are great comedians with plenty of excellent material, but to claim that any of them stole the show in comedy this year is hilariously tone deaf.
There are, however, a few beacons of light amidst the generally disappointing nominations. The Best Dance/Electronica Album is chock full of great nominees, including Aphex Twin for “Spyro” and Little Dragon’s “Namuba Rubberband.” Arcade Fire got a nod for Best Music Video with their production of “We Exist,” and St. Vincent grabbed a Best Alternative Album with her eponymous 2014 album, an award she more than deserves.
Still, the rest of the nominees are enough to convince any music fan to keep the TV off when the 2015 Grammys air Feb. 8. The worst part, however, is that the list of nominations is as predictable as they are disappointing, yet we find ourselves tuning in and live tweeting the awards each year.
This year is no exception. Despite my frustration with everything that is the Grammys, I’m afraid I’ll catch myself flipping on CBS that evening anyway, if only with the hope of incredible performances from Nicki Minaj or Beyonce, both of whom have been nominated this year. All that’s left to do is hope and pray there won’t be another performance combining my favorite and least favorite artists (I’m looking at you, Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons this year), saving me from perhaps the most complicated mix of emotions I’ve ever experienced. A music fan can only hope.
