Grammys 2018 Preview: Here's what you need to know

The 60th Annual Grammy Awards will be hosted by James Corden.

ByABC News via GMA logo
January 28, 2018, 5:33 PM

— -- The 60th Annual Grammy Awards will air live tonight from New York City's Madison Square Garden -- the first time in 15 years that Music's Biggest Night will originate from the Big Apple.

James Corden hosts the show, which begins at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Of course, there are so many Grammy categories that many will have been given out ahead of time in a pre-telecast ceremony.

The very first Grammy Awards ceremony was held in 1959 in two locations simultaneously: Beverly Hills and New York City. Only 28 trophies were handed out. The first ceremony to be televised live was the 13th Grammy Awards in 1971.

Over the past 60 years, the all-time leading Grammy winner is classical conductor Sir Georg Solti, who's won 31. Country and bluegrass star Alison Krauss is the winningest female, with 27. U2 is the group with the most Grammys: They have 22.

Honoree Jay-Z accepts the President's Merit Award onstage during the Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jay-Z, Jan. 27, 2018 in New York City.
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

JAY-Z, Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars are the leading nominees for the golden gramophones this year. Jay leads all nominees with eight nods, including Album of the Year for "4:44" and Record of the Year for "The Story of O.J." Kendrick Lamar is next with seven: his album "DAMN." is also up for Album of the Year, and his song "HUMBLE." got a nod for Record of the year.

Bruno Mars received six nods, including "24K Magic" for Record of the Year and the album of the same name for Album of the Year. Childish Gambino, also known as Emmy-winning actor Donald Glover, received five nods, including Album of the Year for "Awaken, My Love!"

PHOTO: Luis Fonsi performs onstage during  the Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jay-Z, Jan. 27, 2018 in New York City.
Luis Fonsi performs onstage during the Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jay-Z, Jan. 27, 2018 in New York City.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Performers on the show Sunday night include Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, Pink, Bruno Mars, Alessia Cara, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, Khalid, Logic, Rihanna, Sting, U2, Elton John with Miley Cyrus, DJ Khaled, Cardi B and country stars Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Emmylou Harris and Maren Morris.

Recording artist Daddy Yankee attends the Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jay-Z, Jan. 27, 2018 in New York City.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Presenters will include Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Tony Bennett, Trevor Noah, Dave Chapelle, Anna Kendrick, Sarah Silverman, Hailee Steinfeld, Nick Jonas, Shemar Moore, Eve and Donnie Wahlberg.

During the three-and-a-half-hour telecast, there will be tributes to the big names in music we lost this year, as well as tributes to the victims of concert violence, both in Las Vegas and in Manchester, England.

Here are the nominees in the main categories:

Record of the Year

"Redbone" — Childish Gambino

"Despacitio" — Luis Fonsi w/ Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber

"The Story of O.J." — JAY-Z

"Humble" — Kendrick Lamar

"24K Magic" — Bruno Mars

Album of the Year

Awaken, My Love! — Childish Gambino

4:44 — JAY-Z

DAMN. — Kendrick Lamar

Melodrama — Lorde

24K Magic — Bruno Mars

Song of the Year

"Despacito"

"4:44"

"Issues" [by Julia Michaels]

"1-800-273-8255" [By Logic, Alessia Cara & Khalid]

"That's What I Like"

Best New Artist

Alessia Cara

Khalid

Lil Uzi Vert

Julia Michaels

SZA

POP FIELD

Best Pop Solo Performance

"Love So Soft" — Kelly Clarkson

"Praying" — Kesha

"Million Reasons" — Lady Gaga

"What About Us" — Pink

"Shape of You" — Ed Sheeran

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

"Something Just Like This" ­— The Chainsmokers & Coldplay

"Despacito" — Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber

"Thunder" — Imagine Dragons

"Feel It Still" — Portugal. The Man

"Stay" — Zedd & Alessia Cara

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Nobody But Me (Deluxe Version) — Michael Bublé

Triplicate — Bob Dylan

In Full Swing — Seth MacFarlane

Wonderland — Sarah McLachlan

Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 — (Various Artists) Dae Bennett, Producer

Best Pop Vocal Album

Kaleidoscope EP — Coldplay

Lust For Life — Lana Del Rey

Evolve — Imagine Dragons

Rainbow — Kesha

Joanne — Lady Gaga÷ (Divide) — Ed Sheeran

ROCK FIELD

Best Rock Performance

"You Want It Darker" — Leonard Cohen

"The Promise" — Chris Cornell

"Run" — Foo Fighters

"No Good" — Kaleo

"Go To War" — Nothing More

Best Metal Performance

“Invisible Enemy” — August Burns Red

“Black Hoodie” — Body Count

“Forever” — Code Orange

“Sultan’s Curse” — Mastodon

“Clockworks” — Meshuggah

Best Rock Song

“Atlas, Rise!” — Metallica

“Blood In The Cut” — K.Flay

“Go To War” — Nothing More

“Run” — Foo Fighters

“The Stage” — Avenged Sevenfold

Best Rock Album

Emperor Of Sand — Mastodon

Hardwired…To Self-Destruct — Metallica

The Stories We Tell Ourselves — Nothing More

Villains — Queens Of The Stone Age

A Deeper Understanding — The War On Drugs

ALTERNATIVE FIELDBest Alternative Music Album

Everything Now — Arcade Fire

Humanz — Gorillaz

American Dream — LCD Soundsystem

Pure Comedy — Father John Misty

Sleep Well Beast — The National

R&B FIELDBest R&B Performance

“Get You” — Daniel Caesar Featuring Kali Uchis

“Distraction” — Kehlani

“High” — Ledisi

“That’s What I Like” — Bruno Mars

“The Weekend” — SZA

Best Traditional R&B Performance

“Laugh And Move On” — The Baylor Project

“Redbone” — Childish Gambino

“What I’m Feelin'” — Anthony Hamilton Featuring The Hamiltones

“All The Way” — Ledisi

“Still” — Mali Music

Best R&B Song

“First Began” — PJ Morton

“Location” — Khalid

“Redbone” — Childish Gambino

“Supermodel” — SZA

“That’s What I Like” — Bruno Mars

Best Urban Contemporary Album

Free 6LACK — 6LACK

“Awaken, My Love!” — Childish Gambino

American Teen — Khalid

Ctrl — SZA

Starboy — The Weeknd

Best R&B Album

Freudian — Daniel Caesar

Let Love Rule — Ledisi

24K Magic — Bruno Mars

Gumbo — PJ Morton

Feel The Real –Musiq Soulchild

RAP FIELD

Best Rap Performance

“Bounce Back” — Big Sean

“Bodak Yellow” — Cardi B

“4:44” — Jay-Z

“HUMBLE.” — Kendrick Lamar

“Bad And Boujee” — Migos Featuring Lil Uzi Vert

Best Rap/Sung Performance

“PRBLMS” — 6LACK

“Crew” — Goldlink Featuring Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy

“Family Feud” — Jay-Z Featuring Beyoncé

“LOYALTY.” — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Rihanna

“Love Galore” — SZA Featuring Travis Scott

Best Rap Song

“Bodak Yellow” — Cardi B

“Chase Me” — Danger Mouse Featuring Run The Jewels & Big Boi

“HUMBLE.” — Kendrick Lamar

“Sassy” — Rapsody

“The Story Of O.J.” — Jay-Z

Best Rap Album

4:44 — Jay-Z

DAMN. — Kendrick Lamar

Culture — Migos

Laila’s Wisdom — Rapsody

Flower Boy — Tyler, The Creator

COUNTRY FIELD

Best Country Solo Performance

“Body Like A Back Road” — Sam Hunt

“Losing You" –Alison Krauss

“Tin Man” — Miranda Lambert

“I Could Use A Love Song” — Maren Morris

“Either Way” — Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

“It Ain’t My Fault” — Brothers Osborne

“My Old Man” — Zac Brown Band

“You Look Good” — Lady Antebellum

“Better Man” — Little Big Town

“Drinkin’ Problem” — Midland

Best Country Song

“Better Man” — Little Big Town

“Body Like A Back Road” — Sam Hunt

“Broken Halos” — Chris Stapleton

“Drinkin’ Problem” — Midland

“Tin Man” — Miranda Lambert

Best Country Album

Cosmic Hallelujah — Kenny Chesney

Heart Break — Lady Antebellum

The Breaker — Little Big Town

Life Changes — Thomas Rhett

From A Room: Volume 1 — Chris Stapleton

ELECTRONIC FIELDBest Dance/Electronic Album

Migration — Bonobo

3-D The Catalogue — Kraftwerk

Mura Masa — Mura Masa

A Moment Apart — Odesza

What Now — Sylvan Esso

Best Dance Recording

Bambro Koyo Ganda” — Bonobo Featuring Innov Gnawa

“Cola” — Camelphat & Elderbrook

“Andromeda” — Gorillaz Featuring DRAM

“Tonite” — LCD Soundsystem

“Line Of Sight” — Odesza Featuring WYNNE & Mansionair

OTHER

Best Music Video

“Up All Night” — Beck

“Makeba” — Jain

“The Story Of O.J.” — Jay-Z

“Humble.” — Kendrick Lamar

“1-800-273-8255” — Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid

Best Traditional Blues Album

Migration Blues — Eric Bibb

Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio — Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio

Roll And Tumble — R.L. Boyce

Sonny & Brownie’s Last Train — Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi

Blue & Lonesome — The Rolling Stones

Best Americana Album

Southern Blood — Gregg Allman

Shine On Rainy Day — Brent Cobb

Beast Epic — Iron & Wine

The Nashville Sound — Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit

Brand New Day — The Mavericks

Best Folk Album

Mental Illness — Aimee Mann

Semper Femina — Laura Marling

The Queen Of Hearts — Offa Rex

You Don’t Own Me Anymore — The Secret Sisters

The Laughing Apple — Yusuf/Cat Stevens

Best Comedy Album

The Age Of Spin & Deep In The Heart Of Texas — Dave Chappelle

Cinco — Jim Gaffigan

Jerry Before Seinfeld — Jerry Seinfeld

A Speck Of Dust — Sarah Silverman

What Now? — Kevin Hart

Best Song Written For Visual Media

"City Of Stars" — Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, songwriters (Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone), Track from La La Land

"How Far I'll Go" — Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Auli'i Cravalho), Track from Moana: The Songs

"I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker) — Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew & Taylor Swift, songwriters (ZAYN & Taylor Swift), Track from Fifty Shades Darker

"Never Give Up" — Sia Furler & Gregg Kurstin, songwriters (Sia), Track from Lion

"Stand Up For Something" — Common & Diane Warren, songwriters (Andra Day Featuring Common), Track from Marshall

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)

Astrophysics For People In A Hurry — Neil Degrasse Tyson

Born To Run — Bruce Springsteen

Confessions Of A Serial Songwriter — Shelly Peiken

Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In (Bernie Sanders) — Bernie Sanders And Mark Ruffalo

The Princess Diarist — Carrie Fisher

Best Musical Theater Album

Come From Away — Ian Eisendrath, August Eriksmoen, David Hein, David Lai & Irene Sankoff, producers; David Hein & Irene Sankoff, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

Dear Evan Hansen — Ben Platt, principal soloist; Alex Lacamoire, Stacey Mindich, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, producers; Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

Hello, Dolly! — Bette Midler, principal soloist; Steven Epstein, producer (Jerry Herman, composer & lyricist) (New Broadway Cast Recording)

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

Baby Driver — Various Artists

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 — Various Artists

Hidden Figures: The Album — Various Artists

La La Land — Various Artists

Moana: The Songs — Various Artists

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media

Arrival — Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer

Dunkirk — Hans Zimmer, composer

Game Of Thrones: Season 7 — Ramin Djawadi, composer

Hidden Figures — Benjamin Wallfisch, Pharrell Williams & Hans Zimmer, composers

La La Land — Justin Hurwitz, composer

Best Music Film

“One More Time With Feeling” — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

“Long Strange Trip” — The Grateful Dead

The Defiant Ones — Various Artists

“Soundbreaking” — Various Artists

Two Trains Runnin’ — Various Artists

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

Calvin Harris

No I.D.

Greg Kurstin

Blake Mills

The Stereotypes

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