2018 Grammy Nominations Overwhelmingly Include Hip-Hop

 

For more than 60 years, the annual Grammy Awards have recognized the best music of the year, but for some reason always seems to lack the genres of hip-hop and rap. The 2018 nominations changed that, with stars Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Childish Gambino garnering 20 nods combined. They each were also nominated for record and album of the year, a recognition that hip-hop artists rarely see.

Other artists on the list include Bruno Mars, Khalid, No I.D., and SZA, all of whom have had chart-topping albums and singles this year. Not to mention, the list of nominees for all of the top categories has more people of color and women than ever before.

The "Monsters" must be bad that Lady Gaga, was not nominated for a Grammy this year. Also getting the Academy's cold shoulder was Ed Sheeran, representing a shift in how the Academy is evaluating music. This is partially due to the fact that they have been trying to ensure that its voters are a diverse group of people actively involved in the music industry.

It’s good to see increased diversity in the Grammy Awards, and hopefully this encourages more hip-hop artists, people of color, and women to continue making music.