LOS ANGELES - Veteran rapper
Jay-Z topped nominees for the 2014 Grammys announced Friday with nine nods,
while Taylor Swift and Daft Punk were also among those in the running in major
categories.
But Jay-Z other major stars
including Justin Timberlake failed to score any nominations in the major
categories, which saw a mixture of rap and pop in the running for the top
honors at music’s equivalent of the Oscars next month.
In second place with seven nods apiece
were California hip hop star Kendrick Lamar and rapper Macklemore & Ryan
Lewis, as well as Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams, while rapper Drake
scored five.
The nominees in key categories were
announced during an hour-long concert at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los
Angeles, including video-link performances by Swift from Australia and Katy
Perry live from Canada.
“This year’s nominations reflect the
talented community of music makers who represent some of the highest levels of
excellence and artistry of the year in their respective fields,” said Neil
Portnow head of Grammys organizers The Recording Academy.
In the coveted Record of the Year category
songstress Swift’s “Red” will compete with French electro duo Daft Punk’s
“Random Access Memories,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s “The Heist,” Lamar’s
“Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” and Sara Bareilles “The Blessed Unrest.”
Record Of The Year candidates are Daft
Punk & Williams’ ubiquitous “Get Lucky,” New Zealand teenager Lorde’s
“Royals,” “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, Hawaiian crooner Bruno Mars’
“Locked Out Of Heaven” and Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” made infamous by
Miley Cyrus’ twerking at the MTV Video Music Awards show.
Shortlisted for Song of the Year —
for songwriters, as opposed to performers — were “Just Give Me A Reason” sung
by Pink Featuring Nate Ruess; “Locked Out Of Heaven” sung by Bruno Mars; “Roar”
sung by Katy Perry; “Royals” sung by Lorde, and “Same Love” sung by Macklemore
& Ryan Lewis.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis was also
nominated for Best New Artist, up against James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, Kacey
Musgraves and Ed Sheeran.
While big-hitters Jay-Z and
Timberlake scored lots of nods, they were mostly in rap and pop/R &B
categories respectively. Neither the rapper’s heavily marketed “Magna Carta ..
Holy Grail,” nor Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience” made it onto the Best
Album shortlist.
The 56th annual Grammys show —
music’s version of the Oscars — will be held on January 26 at the Staples
Center.
Whereas in previous years megastars
like Britain’s Adele have been nominated in most of the key categories — and
went on to a clean sweep of six Grammys last year — there appears little
likelihood of an all-conquering act next month.
Industry journal Variety said
Friday’s nominations made “for a wide-open race with no clear favorite and few
megastars in the running for top honors at the music biz’s January kudofest.”
In fact Adele did secure one nomination
Friday: in the Best Song for Visual Media category, for “Skyfall,” the theme
tune to the last James Bond movie.
Other Britons shortlisted included
veteran icon David Bowie, who won a Best Rock Album nod for “The Next Day,” his
surprise first release in a decade in March, triggering ecstasy among older
fans and arguably showing some younger stars how to do it.
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