Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X Dominate The Grammy Contenders

LOS ANGELES, CA —Singer-rapper Lizzo is that artist who dominated the the nominations for the 62nd Grammy Awards, walking away with eight nods Wednesday morning. Other standouts included 17-year-old goth songstress Billie Eilish and openly gay rapper Lil Nas X. They each garnered six nominations. The trio topped a field of nominees that pay tribute to the diversity of music and music-makers, said the Recording Academy's chief.

Capping a break-out year, Lizzo and Eilish both scored nominations in the four top Grammy categories -- Album, Record and Song of the Year and Best New Artist. It's an historic year for the Grammy Awards. Never before have two artists have been nominated in all four of those categories in the same year, only one artist ever won all four categories in the same year: Christopher Cross, who pulled it off in 1981.

Notably, perennial Grammy favorite Taylor swift did not earn top album honors for "Lover," which garnered a nod for Song of the Year and the Best Pop Vocal Album cover.

Lizzo and Eilish have clearly captured the attention of the industry's leaders. Lizzo landed in the Album of the Year category with "Cuz I Love You (Deluxe)," while Eilish's "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" and Lil Nas X's "7" landed them in the field. Joining them in the category were Bon Iver for "I,I," Lana Del Rey for "Norman F*****g Rockwell," Ariana Grande for "Thank U, Next," H.E.R. for "I Used to Know Her" and Vampire Weekend for "Father of the Bride."

Arguable the year's biggest hit, the Lil Nas X-Billy Ray Cyrus collaboration "Old Town Road" led the list of nominees for Record of the Year, while Lizzo earned a nod for "Truth Hurts" and Eilish for "Bad Guy." Also vying for the honor will be Bon Iver for "Hey, Ma," Grande for "7 Rings," H.E.R. for "Hard Place, Khalid for "Talk" and Post Malone and Swae Lee for "Sunflower."

Nominations for Song of the Year -- which honors the songwriters -- went to Lady Gaga's "Always Remember Us This Way," Eilish's "Bad Guy," Tanya Tucker's "Bring My Flowers Now," H.E.R.'s "Hard Place," Taylor Swift's "Lover," Lana Del Rey's "Norman F*****g Rockwell," Lewis Capaldi's "Someone You Loved" and Lizzo's "Truth Hurts."

Vying with Lizzo, Eilish and Lil Nas X for Best New Artist are Black Pumas, Maggie Rogers, Rosalia, Tank and the Bangas and Yola.

The nominations were announced in an early morning news conference in New York with Grammy winner Alicia Keys -- who will again host the Jan. 26 ceremony at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles -- two-time Grammy nominee Bebe Rexha, Recording Academy President/CEO Deborah Dugan and Academy board Chairman Harvey Mason Jr.

Looking to distance the Recording Academy for criticism it has received in recent years over its recognition in top categories of women and black artists, Dugan hailed the diversity in this year's nominees.

"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," she said in a statement. "It's shaping up to be a year of firsts, and I can promise that the 62nd Grammy Awards will pack the same punch as this year's nominees."

Looking to drive home the point during the New York news conference, Dugan personally announced the list of nominees for Pop Solo Performance -- all five of them women.

City News Service and Patch Staffer contributed to this report.