By Laura Snapes

After controversy about the Grammys’ failure to recognise women’s achievements at the 2018 ceremony, female artists dominate key categories in the nominations for the 2019 awards. Country stars Maren Morris and Kacey Musgraves, rapper Cardi B, pop futurist Janelle Monáe and Lady Gaga could all take home major awards at the 61st Grammy award ceremony in Los Angeles next February.

Elsewhere, Kendrick Lamar and Drake dominate proceedings, with eight and seven nominations respectively. Along with Childish Gambino, AKA Donald Glover, they could rectify the other dispute that emerged from this year’s awards – namely the Recording Academy nominating but not awarding major hip-hop artists.

Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said in a statement that “reflection, re-evaluation and implementation” drove recent changes to the Grammys’ processes and nominations.

Cardi B, Brandi Carlile, Drake, HER, Post Malone, Janelle Monáe, Kacey Musgraves and Lamar’s Black Panther OST are up for album of the year, the Recording Academy’s most prestigious prize.

Guardian music critic Alexis Petridis said: “It seems like a concerted effort on the part of the Grammys to reward slightly less obvious artists than you might expect, and there’s something really pleasing about seeing talented but more tangential Nashville acts such as Brandi Carlisle and Kacey Musgraves being nominated in major categories.”

Many of pop’s biggest acts will be disappointed. Taylor Swift, who received seven Grammy nominations for her previous album, 1989, received just one for Reputation, and in best pop album, a minor category. The Carters, AKA Beyoncé and Jay-Z, as well as Ariana Grande and Travis Scott, were also left out of major categories, receiving nods in genre categories. Kanye West received one nomination as producer of the year.

More than half of the 2019 nominees in each of the four major categories (album of the year, best new artist, song of the year and record of the year) are women, with songwriter Brandi Carlile and R&B singer HER among the lesser-known. Female artists also dominate the country categories – a trend that flies in the face of the genre’s male dominance.

Only four women were nominated across all four major categories at the 2018 Grammys. Portnow compounded the issue when he said women artists needed to “step up” if they wanted to be recognised, comments he said he later regretted. In response to the outcry, the Recording Academy announced a taskforce to tackle anti-woman bias in the music industry, led by Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff, Tina Tchen.

The 2018 Grammys also sparked controversy for nominating a number of hip-hop stars yet sending few of them home with trophies. Strong showings for Cardi B, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone could change that this year.

It is a mediocre year for British acts. R&B newcomer Ella Mai has found greater success in the US than her home country, and received two nominations for her breakout single, Boo’d Up. Dua Lipa and Jorja Smith are nominated for best new artist. Seal is nominated for best traditional pop vocal album, and Arctic Monkeys for best rock performance and best alternative music album. Jon Hopkins and SOPHIE were recognised in best dance/electronic album. Recent sales suggest the UK’s ability to produce global pop superstars has dwindled.

“The most vibrant music that’s currently happening in the mainstream in Britain – the post-grime wave of UK rap – is obviously going to struggle to cross over to America,” said Petridis. “There’s a big linguistic and cultural barrier facing those artists, as well as a longstanding American aversion to hip-hop that isn’t homegrown.”

The 61st Grammy awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on 10 February 2019. Recordings released between 1 October 2018 and 30 September 2018 were eligible for consideration.

The Grammy nominations in full

Album of the year
Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy
Brandi Carlile – By the Way, I Forgive You
Drake – Scorpion
HER – HER
Post Malone – Beerbongs & Bentleys
Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer
Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
Various artists – Black Panther OST

Record of the year
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin – I Like It
Brandi Carlile – The Joke
Childish Gambino – This Is America
Drake – God’s Plan
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars
Post Malone ft 21 Savage – Rockstar
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey – The Middle

Song of the year
Brandi Carlile – The Joke
Childish Gambino – This Is America
Drake – God’s Plan
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars
Ella Mai – Boo’d Up
Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey – The Middle

Best new artist
Chloe x Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
HER
Dua Lipa
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith

Best pop album
Camila Cabello – Camila
Kelly Clarkson – Meaning of Life
Ariana Grande – Sweetener
Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes
Pink – Beautiful Trauma
Taylor Swift – Reputation

Best rock album
Alice in Chains – Rainier Fog
Fall Out Boy – Mania
Ghost – Prequelle
Greta Van Fleet – From the Fires
Weezer – Pacific Daydream

Best alternative music album
Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Beck – Colors
Björk – Utopia
David Byrne – American Utopia
St Vincent – Masseduction

Best urban contemporary album
The Carters – Everything Is Love
Chloe x Halle – The Kids Are Alright
Chris Dave and the Drumhedz – Chris Dave and the Drumhedz
Miguel – War & Leisure
Meshell Ndegeocello – Ventriloquism

Best rap album
Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy
Mac Miller – Swimming
Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap
Pusha T – Daytona
Travis Scott – Astroworld

Best R&B album
Toni Braxton – Sex & Cigarettes
Leon Bridges – Good Thing
Lalah Hathaway – Honestly
HER – HER
PJ Morton – Gumbo Unplugged (Live)

Best dance/electronic album
Jon Hopkins – Singularity
Justice – Woman Worldwide
Sofi Tukker – Treehouse
SOPHIE – Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
TOKiMONSTA – Lune Rouge

Best country album
Kelsea Ballerini – Unapologetically
Brothers Osborne – Port Saint Joe
Ashley McBryde – Girl Going Nowhere
Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
Chris Stapleton – From a Room: Volume 2

Best Americana album
Brandi Carlile – By the Way, I Forgive You
Bettye Lavette – Things Have Changed
John Prine – The Tree of Forgiveness
Lee Ann Womack – The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone
The Wood Brothers – One Drop of Truth

Best Latin pop album
Pablo Alborán – Prometo
Claudia Brant – Sincera
Natalia Lafourcade – Musas
Raquel Sofia – 2:00 AM
Carlos Vives – Vives

Best gospel album
Jekalyn Carr – One Nation Under God
Tori Kelly – Hiding Place
Jonathan McReynolds – Make Room
The Walls Group – The Other Side
Brian Courtney Wilson – A Great Work

Best pop solo performance
Beck – Colors
Camila Cabello – Havana (live)
Ariana Grande – God Is a Woman
Lady Gaga – Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)
Post Malone – Better Now

Best pop duo/group performance
Christina Aguilera ft Demi Lovato – Fall in Line
Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
Tony Bennett and Diana Krall – ’S Wonderful
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Maroon 5 ft Cardi B – Girls Like You
Justin Timberlake ft Chris Stapleton – Say Something
Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle

Best traditional pop vocal album
Tony Bennet and Diana Krall – Love Is Here to Stay
Willie Nelson – My Way
Gregory Porter – Nat “King” Cole & Me
Seal – Standards (Deluxe)
Barbra Streisand – The Music … The Mem’ries … The Magic!

Best rap performance
Cardi B – Be Careful
Drake – Nice for What
Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake – King’s Dead
Anderson .Paak – Bubblin
Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk & Swae Lee – Sicko Mode

Best traditional R&B performance
Leon Bridges – Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand
Bettye LaVette – Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight
Major. – Honest
PJ Morton ft Yebba – How Deep Is Your Love
Charlie Wilson ft Lalah Hathaway – Made for Love

Best rap/sung performance
Christina Aguilera ft Goldlink – Like I Do
6lack ft J Cole – Pretty Little Fears
Childish Gambino – This Is America
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars
Post Malone ft 21 Savage – Rockstar

Best rap song
Drake – God’s Plan
Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake – King’s Dead
Eminem ft Joyner Lucas – Lucky You
Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk and Swae Lee – Sicko Mode
Jay Rock – Win

Best R&B song
Ella Mai – Boo’d Up
Miguel ft J Cole and Salaam Remi – Come Through and Chill
Childish Gambino – Feels Like Summer
HER – Focus
Toni Braxton – Long As I Live

Best rock performance
Arctic Monkeys – Four Out of Five
Chris Cornell – When Bad Does Good
The Fever 333 – Made an America
Greta Van Fleet – Highway Tune
Halestorm – Uncomfortable

Best metal performance
Between the Buried and Me – Condemned to the Gallows
Deafheaven – Honeycomb
High on Fire – Electric Messiah
Trivium – Betrayer
Underoath – On My Teeth

Best country solo performance
Loretta Lynn – Wouldn’t It Be Great
Maren Morris – Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Kacey Musgraves – Butterflies
Chris Stapleton – Millionaire
Keith Urban – Parallel Line

Best country duo/group performance
Brothers Osborne – Shoot Me Straight
Dan + Shay – Tequila
Little Big Town – When Someone Stops Loving You
Maren Morris ft Vince Gill – Dear Hate
Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line – Meant to Be

Best country song
Cole Swindell – Break Up in the End
Maren Morris ft Vince Gill – Dear Hate
Blake Shelton – I Lived In
Kacey Musgraves – Space Cowboy
Dan + Shay – Tequila

Best rock song
Greta Van Fleet – Black Smoke Rising
Twenty One Pilots – Jumpsuit
Bring Me the Horizon – Mantra
St Vincent – Masseduction
Ghost – Rats

Producer of the year, non-classical
BoI-1DA
Larry Klein
Linda Perry
Kanye West
Pharrell Williams

Best compilation soundtrack for visual media
Call Me By Your Name
Deadpool 2
The Greatest Showman
Lady Bird
Stranger Things