2016 Grammy Award Nominations Snubs and Surprises

Fans were scratching their heads about Nick Jonas, Courtney Barnett and more.

ByABC News
December 7, 2015, 12:00 PM

— -- The 2016 Grammy nominations were announced this morning, and as expected, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar dominated the categories, with Lamar leading with 11 nods overall.

There were plenty of unexpected surprises and some downright snubs, with some fans asking where was Adele, who's been breaking Billboard records with her latest release, "25."

The British songstress who already has 10 Grammys wasn't snubbed; she just didn't make the cut. Her album, including the first single, "Hello," were released after the Grammy's deadline of Oct. 1, 2014 to Sept. 30, 2015.

So now that we have straightened that out, here's a list of five snubs and surprises:

Nick Jonas

He may have had one of the biggest hits of the summer, "Jealous," but Jonas' highly-anticipated solo album didn't make the cut.

D'Angelo

Fans waited 14 years for D'Angelo's "Black Messiah," his follow-up to his breakthrough release, "Voodoo." While his political statement album was not nominated for album of the year, it did get recognized in the R&B album category, while his single "Really Love" nabbed a nod for one of the five best records of the year, among better known hits by Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran.

Madonna

Yes, she's Madonna and her "Rebel Heart" has some of her strongest tracks in years, but that didn't keep her from being shut out at this year's Grammy nominations.

Courtney Barnett

If you haven't heard of Courtney Barnett, you're not alone. The Australian singer-songwriter received a nod in the Best New Artist category, which is never without controversy. Remember when Esperanza Spalding won over Justin Bieber in 2011 and his fans went ballistic? Well, once again Barnett may not be much of a chart-topper but critics love her.

Rihanna

Rihanna and Kanye West's offbeat but catchy collaboration with Paul McCartney, "FourFiveSeconds," seemed a shoo-in for record of the year. Instead, the single got no love and neither did Rihanna, whose "Bitch Better Have My Money" was ignored too.