Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X lead historically diverse, youthful Grammy 2020 nominations

Lizzo led all artists with eight Grammy nominations, including album, song, record and best new artist. To think about sitting in a room with, like, every person I grew up idolizing,” Eilish added, “is terrifying.” The history-making aspect of the latest Grammy slate extends to Lil Nas X, the openly gay rapper who earned nominations for record, album and new artist, propelled by his genre-hopping, record-breaking hit single “Old Town Road.” “Today’s announcement reflects a new era for the Recording Academy — an army of engaged members that welcomes diversity, embraces creativity and champions young musicians on the rise,” Dugan said in a statement issued Wednesday. The title track earned her a nomination among song of the year contenders, joining Lady Gaga’s “Always Remember Us This Way” from “A Star Is Born”; Eilish’s “Bad Guy”; veteran country star Tanya Tucker’s comeback hit “Bring My Flowers Now”; H.E.R.’s “Hard Place”; Del Rey’s “Norman F— Rockwell”; Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi’s wounded ballad “Someone You Loved”; and Lizzo’s breakthrough hit “Truth Hurts.” The best new artist nominations include one of the day’s big surprises: Black Pumas, the nascent Austin, Texas-based duo of singer Eric Burton and guitarist-producer Adrian Quesada, who earned a Grammy nomination individually in 2008 for his playing on Grupo Fantasmo’s album “Sonidos Gold” in the Latin rock or alternative album category. In addition to Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts,” Eilish’s “Bad Guy” and Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” — the remix version he released in collaboration with country singer Billy Ray Cyrus — the record of the year nominations, which award musical performance and record production, are Bon Iver’s “Hey, Ma,” Grande’s “7 Rings,” H.E.R.’s “Hard Place,” Khalid’s “Talk” and Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower.” The most nominated artists following Lizzo, Eilish and Lil Nas X, with five each, are Beyoncé — also notable in her absence from the top four categories — H.E.R. Although this year’s nominations signal the Recording Academy membership’s support for artists and recordings that are at the heart of the most important conversations over pop music in 2019 — such as the blurring of genre lines as exemplified in “Old Town Road” — the hard proof of voters’ commitment to a new definition of musical currency will come with the announcement of winners in January.