Grammy Nominations: 16 Snubs and Surprises

EW music critic Leah Greenblatt weighs in on unexpected nods (Cee Lo's ''F--- You''!) and who got the cold shoulder (Kesha!)

Leah Greenblatt

Published on December 2, 2010 05:45PM EST

01 of 16

Surprise

Katy Perry's roundly maligned Teenage Dream confounds its critical reception with a high-stakes Album of the Year nod, in addition to more expected noms for her hit singles ''California Gurls'' and ''Teenage Dream.''

02 of 16

Surprise

Critically acclaimed jazz bassist and singer Esperenza Spalding finds a slot alongside Justin Bieber, Florence & the Machine, Drake, and Mumford and Sons in the Best New Artist category.

03 of 16

Surprise

Raspy-voiced singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne pulls a whammy with his Song of the Year nod; his folky lament ''Beg Steal or Borrow'' will compete with the likes of Lady Antebellum, Cee Lo, and Eminem.

04 of 16

Surprise

Speaking of Cee Lo, f--- yeah! The soul crooner's delightful viral hit ''F--- You'' earns the only you-can't-say-that-on-television nomination for Song of the Year in Grammy history.

05 of 16

Snub

Recent American Idol graduates get no love — Adam Lambert alone earns a nomination, with ''Whataya Want From Me'' nabbing a Best Male Pop Vocal Performance nod.

06 of 16

Surprise

Gorillaz's Plastic Beach, one of the most widely acclaimed indie releases of the year, gets only Best Pop Instrumental Performance (for ''Orchestral Intro'') and Best Short Form Music Video (for ''Stylo'').

07 of 16

Snub

Love her or hate her, Ke$ha is entirely shut out — though Dr. Luke's Producer of the Year nod credits four of his eight listed tracks to her.

08 of 16

Surprise

Train's beyond-ubiquitous ''Hey Soul Sister,'' the best-selling single of 2010 to date, earns one nod in the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group category ... for an obscure live performance of the song.

09 of 16

Snub

Big Boi's critically adored Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty gets short shrift in the Best Rap Album category; instead, he'll have to settle for a nod for ''Shutterbug'' in Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

10 of 16

Surprise

Bruno Mars is (deservedly) everywhere — including a nod for his production team the Smeezingtons in the Producer of the Year category, Record of the Year for the ''Nothin' on You'' B.o.B. guest spot, and Song of the Year for Cee-Lo's ''F--- You,'' which he co-wrote, as well as his own ''Just the Way You Are'' for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

11 of 16

Surprise

Arcade Fire fight their way out of the alternative-category ghetto with a stunning nod for their roundly hailed The Suburbs in Album of the Year — putting them in the rather odd company of Gaga, Eminem, Lady Antebellum, and Katy Perry.

12 of 16

Snub

Despite being fully eligible, Lady Gaga's ''Bad Romance'' is shut out of the Record and Song of the Year categories, receiving only two nods for Best Female Pop Vocal and Best Short Form Music Video.

13 of 16

Snub

Habitual Grammy favorite Alicia Keys' lovely The Element of Freedom gets a surprising cold shoulder, leaving her only with noms for Jay-Z duet ''Empire State of Mind.''

14 of 16

Surprise

Sade gets two small nods for singles (''Soldier of Love'' and ''Babyfather'') in small R&B categories, but nowhere else.

15 of 16

Surprise

Glee may have been a huge financial boon to the music industry in 2010, but it earns only two noms — one for Best Compilation Soundtrack (for Glee: Vol. 1) and one for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (For ''Don't Stop Believin''').

16 of 16

Surprise

Sorry, Susan Boyle fans — the Scottish songbird gets a Best Pop Vocal Album nod for I Dreamed a Dream, but despite heavy favoring for Boyle, the median age in the Best New Artist Category remains, roughly, 22.

Grammy Nominations: 16 Snubs and Surprises

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