The nominations for the 2019 Grammys have finally arrived, and while there were plenty of expected nods in there, we also found a few surprises among them. Nobody expected the Black Panther soundtrack to be up for Album of the Year - but there were a few names we were expecting to see that weren't among the nominees either.
Eminem - Kamikaze
Eminem - Kamikaze
He caused quite the stir this year when he re-ignited his feud with Machine Gun Kelly on the song Not Alike, and while Lucky You may have been nominated for Best Rap Song, it's a surprise to see that the visceral return to form that was Kamikaze has not received the same attention among the Best Rap Album nominations.
Nicki Minaj - Queen
The fact that Nicki's fourth album hasn't made the cut this year is made even more painful by the fact that her alleged rival, Cardi B, is up for four awards - five if her include her Maroon 5 collaboration. Nicki doesn't yet have a Grammy award under her belt, so it's no wonder that she kicked up such a fuss about Travis Scott beating her to number one earlier this year.
Sam Smith - The Thrill of It All
Despite his album peaking at number one in the US (which was higher than his debut album) he's not managed to bag a single Grammy nomination this year. It's quite a shock given that In the Lonely Hour won Best Pop Vocal Album in 2015; we at least thought Promises with Calvin Harris would have got a nod.
J. Cole - KOD
His fifth record broke a number of streaming records and is looking to become his biggest selling album yet. It received positive reviews across the board and we really thought his blend of jazz, trap and "conscious hip hop" was a true contender for Best Rap Album. Alas, it is not the year for J. Cole.
Migos - Culture II
The follow-up to their Grammy nominated Culture album in 2017 did better commercially than the original which was the only reason we thought it would be a dead cert for a Best Rap Album nomination. Nevermind - they've got Culture III coming next year. Third time lucky, perhaps?
Jack White - Boarding House Reach
The former White Stripes frontman's first solo album not to be nominated for a Grammy. Lazaretto was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album in 2015, while Blunderbuss was up for Album of the Year in 2013. We doubt that someone like Jack White makes music just for the gongs though; this experimental latest offering is just as much a masterpiece without the prizes.
Honourable Mentions: Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande
While both Reputation and Sweetener are vying for Best Pop Vocal, we can't say we're not surprised that neither of them are up for Album of the Year. It's Taylor's first pop album not to get a chance at the top prize, while Ariana surely deserved it finally with her brave departure from her previous sound.
Tagged in Grammy Awards