Steve Jennings/Getty Images for iHeartMediaLet's be honest: We all knew Taylor Swift was going to make an appearance in the major categories such as Album of the Year and Song of the Year, but what we didn't expect was that some of her pals wouldn't make the cut at all.
Nick Jonas released his highly anticipated first solo album on Nov. 10, 2014, making it eligible for the 2016 Grammys, but unfortunately for the former Jonas Brothers group member, he didn't make the cut. His song "Jealous" was easily one of the biggest hits of the summer, which only adds to our surprise at his snub.
Carly Rae Jepsen's album, Emotion, didn't make the cut either, much to the chagrin of pop music fans everywhere. With its highly successful singles and commercial success, we were sure that she would fall into at least one of the categories.
Tori Kelly, on the other hand, made the cut for a slot in the Best New Artist category. While it goes without saying that she kills each and every one of her performances, we thought her somewhat limited commercial success would keep her off the coveted list. Surprisingly enough, she was noticed!
Four of the five songs featured in the Record of the Year category were expected, as they're major hits out of T. Swift, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and The Weeknd. But the fifth song, "Really Love" by D'Angelo and the Vanguard, was a bit out of left field. Another artist who caught us off guard was Courtney Barnett in the Best New Artist category. While her album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, received amazing reviews from critics, do people really know her just yet? She certainly isn't a household name, but the 2016 Grammys seem to be honoring truly quality music over pop stars.
While Nicki Minaj certainly released some catchy tunes this year, we didn't expect her album, The Pinkprint, to make Best Rap Album over Big Sean's Dark Sky Paradise. In fact, only "One Man Can Change the World" featuring Kanye West and John Legend off of Big Sean's album received a nod.
Lana Del Rey was another artist who was completely overlooked in all categories, much to the dismay of her huge fan following.
Debatably one of the biggest snubs, however, might have been "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth. Sure, it received nods for Song of the Year, Best Song for Visual Media and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, but how in the heck did it get left out of the Record of the Year category?! The song spent 12 weeks at the top of the charts, so it's mystifying to see it completely axed from one of the top spots.