Upspoken women are making their voices heard at this year’s 61st Annual Grammy Awards. From Alicia Keys on hosting duties to our Black women nominees, don’t forget to tune into the show on Sunday, February 10.
Cardi B, the Queen herself, has been nominated for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (alongside Maroon 5), Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Album. SZA has been nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Song Written for Visual Media. Beyoncé has been nominated alongside Jay-Z, as “The Carters,” for Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best Music Video and Best R&B Performance. H.E.R. has been nominated for Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song and Best R&B Album. Further, Lalah Hathaway has been nominated for three Grammys, Janelle Monáe for two, Bettye LaVette for two, Ella Mai for two and Jorja Smith for one.
That’s a total of 24 Grammy nominations among black women, talk about some #BlackGirlMagic –let’s show our sisters some love!
In honor of Black History Month and Sunday’s ceremony, we can’t help but shout out the Black women who paved the way for this year’s nominees. Here are some record-setting Black women who have broken the #Grammys glass-ceiling.
Beyoncé is the youngest artist to win 20 Grammys at the age of 33. In 2009, Beyoncé was also the first woman to win 6 Grammys in one night. Obviously, no one’s shocked Yonce made the list.
Mariah Carey, at the age of 20, is the youngest artist to receive nominations in each of the 4 General Field categories–Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. I mean, who doesn’t jam to MC for some holiday cheer.
Aretha Franklin AKA The Queen Of Soul won the most consecutive awards in any category, winning 8 consecutive awards for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female (1967-1974).
Ella Fitzgerald is the first woman to receive an Album of the Year nomination and the first woman to receive a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. These “firsts” have us all Dream[ing] A Little Dream of Ella!
Elizabeth Cotten is the oldest female artist to win a Grammy at the age of 90 years young! Jackie Joyner Kersee was right, “age is no barrier. It’s a limitation you put on your mind.”
Check out our 2019 Upspoken Grammy Playlist to hear this years’ Upspoken nominees’ must listen to songs and albums:
Invasion of Privacy Album, by Cardi B
I Like It, by Cardi B
Girls Like You, by Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B
Be Careful, by Cardi B
All The Stars, by SZA
Everything is Love Album, by The Carters
APES***, by The Carters
SUMMER, by The Carters
H.E.R. Album, by H.E.R.
Best Part, by H.E.R. feat. Daniel Caesar
Focus, by H.E.R.
Dirty Computer Album, by Janelle Monáe
PYNK, by Janelle Monáe
Jorja Smith (Best New Artist Nominee)
Y O Y, by Lalah Hathaway
Honestly Album, by Lalah Hathaway
Made For Love, by Charlie Wilson feat. Lalah Hathaway
Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight, by Bettye LaVette
Things Have Changed Album, by Bettye LaVette
Boo’d Up, by Ella Mai‘s
In the words of our host Alicia Keys: “All women are naturally badass!! All women are so powerful, so incredible and so unique!” We can’t wait to watch our Upspoken women SHINE on Sunday!