ENT: Beyonce, Drake, Rihanna, Kanye West lead 2017 Grammy nominations

By Juliet Ebirim

The 2017 Grammy nominations were announced Tuesday morning and Beyoncé leads everyone with nine nominations on the heels of her hit “Lemonade” album. Rihanna, Drake and Kanye West are close behind with eight nods each.

“Lemonade” for album of the year, Beyoncé landed song and record of the year nods for “Formation,” which gained fame after her epic Super Bowl performance this year. Up against Beyoncé in all three categories is British pop sensation Adele, whose “25” is the best-selling album of 2016, fueled by the global hit “Hello.” While Beyoncé vs. Adele will certainly be the big story, Drake also joins them in the album of the year category with “Views.” He also swept up nominations for rap performance for “Hotline Bling,” and for his collaboration with Rihanna on “Work,” which is nominated for record of the year and pop duo/group performance. Rihanna got a nod for urban contemporary album for “Anti,” and for lending vocals to Kanye West’s controversial ‘Famous’, nominated for best rap song and rap/sung performance.
Rounding out the album of the year category is a newly reenergized Justin Bieber with “Purpose,” along with Americana star Sturgill Simpson’s much-acclaimed “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth.” The Grammy Awards will air live on Sunday, Feb. 12, and are hosted by James Corden.