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Why the 2021 GRAMMY Awards are making history

Here are GRAMMY nominees who are making waves this year.

LOS ANGELES — The 2021 GRAMMY Awards will be an awards broadcast for the books.

Between the Recording Academy working to increase diversity and inclusion practices and the ceremony happening under COVID-19 safety protocols, there are some major changes this year.

In addition to how the GRAMMYs are being run, there are quite a few notable recognitions when it comes to the nominees. 

Beyoncé leads the nominations with a total of nine this time around. Queen Bey has received a total number of 79 career nominations, which makes her the most-nominated woman in GRAMMY history. She is tied with Paul McCartney as the second most-nominated artist of all time. Her husband JAY-Z and producer Quincy Jones tie for first with 80 career nominations each.

Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch, and Taylor Swift are all tied with six nominations each. If Taylor Swift takes home Album of the Year again, she would become the only person in history to win the award three times.

All nominees in the Best New Artist category are first-time nominees, female and/or people of color — Ingrid Andress, Phoebe Bridgers, Chika, Noah Cyrus, D Smoke, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion. Other first-time nominees this year include BTS, Harry Styles, the Strokes, Poppy, Jayda G, Arca, Baauer, Madeon and Toro Y Moi.

For the first time in the history of the GRAMMY Awards, every nominee for both Best Country Album is a woman or a group fronted by a woman. The nominees include Ingrid Andress, Brandy Clark, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde and the group Little Big Town.

Every nominee for Best Rock Performance is also a woman or a group fronted by a woman, with the contenders being Fiona Apple, Bridgers, Brittany Howard, Grace Potter, sister trio HAIM and group Big Thief.

Billie Eilish, 19, has received two nods for both record and song of the year. Previously, the youngest two-time nominee in the record of the year category was Kelly Rowland, who was 21 when she was nominated for the second time. The previous youngest two-time nominee in the song of the year category was Avril Lavigne when she was 19.

Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s 9-year-old daughter Blue Ivy is the second youngest nominee in history. She was nominated for her appearance in Beyonce’s “Brown Skin Girl” music video. In 2001, 8-year-old Leah Peasall of The Peasall Sisters became the youngest winner for the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack, which won Album of the Year.

Sturgill Simpson is nominated for best rock album for Sound & Fury. He won best country album four years ago for A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. Sturgill became the first artist to have two nominations in two different categories over the course of a career. 

DYK: There were more entries submitted for the 2021 GRAMMYs than ever before — totaling 23,207.

Don't miss the 63rd GRAMMY Awards, airing at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 14 on 10 Tampa Bay!

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