Fuelled by his megahit 鈥淧eaches,鈥� Justin Bieber leads an eclectic crop of Canadian Grammy contenders with eight nominations announced Tuesday, as the Weeknd nabbed an unexpected three nods less than a year after swearing off music鈥檚 biggest night.
Following closely behind was Drake who rounded out the trio of homegrown hitmakers with a presence in two categories 鈥� 鈥淐ertified Lover Boy鈥� is up for best rap album while his track with Future, 鈥淲ay 2 Sexy,鈥� is vying for best rap performance.
Many of Bieber鈥檚 nominations came thanks to his fruit-themed single, which features Toronto-raised R&B singer Daniel Caesar who joins him in the running. 鈥淧eaches鈥� earned recognition in the categories of record of the year, song of the year, best R&B performance and best music video.
The Stratford, Ont.-raised singer also snagged a spot among the album of the year contenders and a best pop vocal album nomination for 鈥淛ustice.鈥� His song 鈥淎nyone鈥� earned a pop solo performance nomination while 鈥淟onely鈥� with Benny Blanco landed in the best pop duo or group performance category.
The Weeknd swooped in with three nominations after saying last year he planned to boycott the Grammys following an across-the-board snub for his single 鈥淏linding Lights鈥� and the album 鈥淎fter Hours.鈥�
None of his solo work received Grammy attention this year, but his appearances on other artists鈥� tracks did. He was named alongside Lil Baby on Kanye West鈥檚 鈥淗urricane,鈥� which is up for best melodic rap performance, and for his vocal contributions to Doja Cat鈥檚 deluxe edition 鈥淧lanet Her鈥� and West鈥檚 鈥淒onda,鈥� both up for album of the year.
The marquee album category saw many other familiar Canadian names among the contenders.
Toronto producer Boi-1Da, born Matthew Samuels, earned a spot for his role on West鈥檚 鈥淒onda,鈥� while Montreal鈥檚 Kaytranda is in the running as producer and writer on the song 鈥淚ntimidated,鈥� part of H.E.R.鈥檚 鈥淏ack of My Mind.鈥�
Bruno Mars鈥� longtime recording engineer Charles Moniz was tipped for his work on the side project Silk Sonic. The Burlington, Ont.-raised Moniz contributed to the hit single 鈥淟eave the Door Open,鈥� which is up for record of the year.
Joining Bieber鈥檚 鈥淧eaches鈥� in the best music video category is Olivia Rodrigo鈥檚 鈥淕ood 4 U,鈥� directed by Toronto filmmaker Petra Collins.
Meanwhile, Alex Cuba was still coming off the thrill of seeing his album 鈥淢end贸鈥� compete at the Latin Grammys last week when he learned it was headed to the main event. The Afro-Cuban鈥檚 latest release, which he said loosely translates to the 鈥渟ubstance of the soul,鈥� is nominated for best Latin pop album.
鈥淔or the first time, I recorded the entire album myself at home,鈥� he said of a project largely made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淚t blows my mind to think all of this is right from my living room here in Smithers, B.C., of all places. (It鈥檚) a beautiful town that I am very happy to call home.鈥�
Elsewhere, the electronic producer Caribou, born Dan Snaith, was named in the best dance/electronic recording category for his 10th studio album 鈥淪uddenly.鈥�
Rupert (Sevn) Thomas, Jr., the Toronto producer best known for his work with Drake and Rihanna, was among the songwriters on Giveon鈥檚 鈥淗eartbreak Anniversary,鈥� nominated for best R&B song.
Montreal singer-songwriter and poet Allison Russell pulled in three nominations. Her solo effort 鈥淥utside Child鈥� was nominated for best Americana album while she shared two other nods with Jeremy Lindsay for their song 鈥淣ightflyer,鈥� which is up for best American roots song and best American roots performance.
Joni Mitchell earned her 16th career nomination with 鈥淛oni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years鈥� in the best historical album category.
Producer Greg Wells of Peterborough, Ont., is nominated along with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nick Lloyd Weber for best musical theatre album for 鈥淎ndrew Lloyd Webber鈥檚 Cinderella.鈥�
As usual, Canadians showed up strongly in the classical categories.
Best classical solo or vocal album saw two Canadian nominees, Ottawa-born composer Nadeem Majdalany for 鈥淢ythologies鈥� and Montreal鈥檚 Yannick N茅zet-S茅guin for 鈥淪chubert: Winterreise.鈥�
N茅zet-S茅guin collected three nominations in total this year, the others as a conductor for the Philadelphia Orchestra鈥檚 鈥淧rice: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3鈥� in best orchestral performance and as a conductor on 鈥淧oulenc: Dialogues Des Carm茅lites鈥� in best opera recording.
Music journalist and historian Kevin Howes, from Richmond Hill, Ont., was nominated in the best album notes category for 鈥淐reation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology.鈥�
And while k.d. lang didn鈥檛 earn direct recognition from the Grammys, a dance mix of her song 鈥淐onstant Craving鈥� by Tracy Young grabbed a nod in best remixed recording race.
Quebec director Denis Villeneuve received similar love from a distance when his epic film 鈥淒une鈥� was named among the best score soundtracks for the work of German composer Hans Zimmer.
The 64th Grammy Awards air Jan. 31. on CBS and Citytv.
鈥擠avid Friend, The Canadian Press
