You know those online quizzes where you have to name every Disney princess in 30 seconds? Somewhere in your head, you know that an elusive princess or two is hiding in the back of your skull, but you’ll never access the information in time. Days later, you’ll be brushing your teeth and go “Oh, I got Elsa but not ANNA!†That’s probably how the Recording Academy felt generating the 2022 Grammy nominations. The New York Times reported that a grip of noms were added the night before the official list was announced. Per the Times, top categories were expanded from 8 to 10 nominations. Album of the Year nominations came late for artists such as Taylor Swift and Kanye West. Lil Nas X and Abba were blessed with Record of the Year inclusion, and Song of the Year added Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More†and Brandi Carlile’s “Right on Time.â€
“While it may seem rushed, it really was a thoughtful, well intentioned process that was also data-driven,†said academy co-president Valeisha Butterfield Jones. The academy insisted that the added nominations were just the ninth and tenth top votes in each category. Harvey Mason Jr., the chief executive of the Recording Academy, denied categorically that Donda and evermore were added to the AOTY list to gin up drama between Swift and West’s fanbases/teams. “That was not a consideration,†he said.