The nominations for the 2016 Grammy Awards were announced Monday, and to nobody’s surprise, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd led the pack with the most nods. Lamar pulled in the most nominations, 11, while Swift and The Weeknd received seven nods each.

Ed Sheeran took to Twitter to share his excitement about his nominations. Even though he says he wasn’t expecting any nominations, no one’s jaw dropped over his hit “Thinking Out Loud” receiving three nominations. The song, which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 (and remained there for eight weeks straight),  earned nominations for Record of The Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance. Sheeran also received a nomination as a songwriter for The Weeknd’s “Beauty Behind the Madness” for Album of the Year.

I wasn’t expecting the Grammy noms, thank you

— Ed Sheeran (@edsheeran) December 7, 2015

  Another Brit to earn three nods is James Bay. The rocker will be going up against his tour mate from earlier this year, Elle King, for Best Rock Song. After his breakout year, Bay is also up for the coveted Best New Artist and Best Rock Album for his debut album, “Chaos and the Calm.”

THREE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS. THREE!!! ???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/Xe8y3XGy0s — James Bay (@JamesBayMusic) December 7, 2015

While many of the artists that make up the nominees for the big categories are obvious Top 40 contenders, the Grammy Awards still left room for some misses. Although Drake wasn’t shut out completely (earning nods for his songs “Energy” and “Back to Back” as well as his album “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late”), his song “Hotline Bling,” one of the most ubiquitous songs of the moment, was left out, despite being released before the cut off date. Last year, the Grammy’s asked Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney to perform their collaboration “FourFiveSeconds,” but perhaps forgot about the track, seeing as it received no love from the committee.

The award show honors music released October 1 through September 30, which is why 1989 may feel a little dated and why Adele is noticeably absent. This at least will give Bieliebers and Directioners another year to hope for nominations.

Check out a selection of nominees below, and the full list here:

Best New Artist
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
Tori Kelly
Meghan Trainor

Record of the Year
“Really Love” D’Angelo and the Vanguard
“Uptown Funk,” Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
“Thinking Out Loud,” Ed Sheeran
“Blank Space,” Taylor Swift
“Can’t Feel My Face,” the Weeknd

Song of the Year
“Alright,” Kendrick Lamar
“Blank Space,” Taylor Swift
“Girl Crush,” Little Big Town
“See You Again,” Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
“Thinking Out Loud,” Ed Sheeran

Album of the Year:
Sound & Color, Alabama Shakes
To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar
Traveller, Chris Stapleton
1989, Taylor Swift
Beauty Behind the Madness, The Weeknd

Best Pop Solo Performance
“Heartbeat Song,” Kelly Clarkson
“Love Me Like You Do,” Ellie Goulding
“Thinking Out Loud,” Ed Sheeran
“Blank Space,” Taylor Swift
“Can’t Feel My Face,” The Weeknd

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Ship to Wreck,” Florence + the Machine
“Sugar,” Maroon 5
“Uptown Funk,” Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
“Bad Blood,” Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar
“See You Again,” Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth

Best Pop Vocal Album
Piece by Piece, Kelly Clarkson
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Florence + the Machine
Uptown Special, Mark Ronson
1989, Taylor Swift
Before This World, James Taylor

Best Dance Recording
“We’re All We Need,” Above & Beyond featuring Zoë Johnston
“Go,” The Chemical Brothers
“Never Catch Me,” Flying Lotus featuring Kendrick Lamar
“Runaway (U & I),” Galantis
“Where Are Ü Now,” Skrillex and Diplo with Justin Bieber

Best Dance Album
Our Love, Caribou
Born in the Echoes, The Chemical Brothers
Caracal, Disclosure
In Colour, Jamie xx
Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü, Skrillex and Diplo

Best Rock Performance
“Don’t Wanna Fight,” Alabama Shakes
“What Kind of Man,” Florence + the Machine
“Something from Nothing,” Foo Fighters
“Ex’s & Oh’s,” Elle King
“Moaning Lisa Smile,” Wolf Alice

Best Rock Song (awarded to songwriters)
“Don’t Wanna Fight,” Alabama Shakes
“Ex’s & Oh’s,” Elle King
“Hold Back the River,” James Bay
“Lydia,” Highly Suspect
“What Kind of Man,” Florence + the Machine

Best Rock Album
Chaos and the Calm, James Bay
Kintsugi, Death Cab for Cutie
Mister Asylum, Highly Suspect
Drones, Muse
.5: The Gray Chapter, Slipknot

Best Alternative Music Album
Sound & Color, Alabama Shakes
Vulnicura, Björk
The Waterfall, My Morning Jacket
Currents, Tame Impala
Star Wars, Wilco

Best R&B Performance
“If I Don’t Have You,” Tamar Braxton
“Rise Up,” Andra Day
“Breathing Underwater,” Hiatus Kaiyote
“Planes,” Jeremih featuring J. Cole
“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” The Weeknd

Best R&B Song
“Coffee,” Miguel
“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” The Weeknd
“Let It Burn,” Jazmine Sullivan
“Really Love,” D’Angelo and the Vanguard
“Shame,” Tyrese

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Ego Death, The Internet
You Should Be Here, Kehlani
Blood, Lianne La Havas
Wildheart, Miguel
Beauty Behind the Madness, The Weeknd

Best R&B Album
Coming Home, Leon Bridges
Black Messiah, D’Angelo and the Vanguard
Cheers to the Fall, Andra Day,
Reality Show, Jazmine Sullivan
Forever Charlie, Charlie Wilson

Best Rap Performance
“Apparently,” J. Cole
“Back to Back,” Drake
“Trap Queen,” Fetty Wap
“Alright,” Kendrick Lamar
“Truffle Butter,” Nicki Minaj featuring Drake and Lil Wayne
“All Day,” Kanye West featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom and Paul McCartney

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
“Only Man Can Change the World,” Big Sean featuring Kanye West and John Legend
“Glory,” Common and John Legend
“Classic Man,” Jidenna featuring Roman GianArthur
“These Walls,” Kendrick Lamar featuring Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat
“Only,” Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne and Chris Brown

Best Rap Song
“All Day,” Kanye West featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom and Paul McCartney
“Alright,” Kendrick Lamar
“Energy,” Drake
“Glory,” Common and John Legend
“Trap Queen,” Fetty Wap

Best Rap Album
2014 Forest Hills Drive, J. Cole
Compton, Dr. Dre
If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Drake
To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar
The Pinkprint, Nicki Minaj

Best Country Solo Performance
“Burning House,” Cam
“Traveller,” Chris Stapleton
“Little Toy Guns,” Carrie Underwood
“John Cougar, John deere, John 3:16,” Keith Urban
“Chances Are,” Lee Ann Womack

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Stay a Little Longer,” Brothers Osborne
“If I Needed You,” Joey+Rory
“The Driver,” Charles Kelly, Dierks Bentley & Eric Paslay
“Girl Crush,” Little Big Town
“Lonely Tonight,” Blake Shelton featuring Ashley Monroe

Best Country Song (awarded to songwriter)
“Chances Are,” Lee Ann Womack
“Diamond Rings and Old Barstools,” Tim McGraw
“Girl Crush,” Little Big Town
“Hold My Hand,” Brandy Clark
“Traveller,” Chris Stapleton

Best Country Album
Motevallo, Sam Hunt
Pain Killer, Little Big Town,
The Blade, Ashley Monroe
Pageant Material, Kacey Musgraves
Traveller, Chris Stapleton

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Empire: Season 1, Various Artists
Fifty Shades of Grey, Various Artists
Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, Various Artists
Pitch Perfect 2, Various Artists
Selma, Various Artists

Best Music Video
“LSD,” A$AP Rocky
“I Feel Love (Every Million Miles),” The Dead Weather
“Alright,” Kendrick Lamar
“Bad Blood,” Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar
“Freedom,” Pharrell Williams

Best Music Film
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown
Sonic Highways
What Happened, Miss Simone?
The Wall
Amy

KROQ has announced it’s lineup for it’s 26th annual Almost Acoustic Christmas. The holiday concert has a tradition of bringing the biggest names in alternative/indie rock to celebrate the holidays. This year, the event will be held at The Forum in Inglewood, CA over two nights- December 12th and 13th.

Night one will feature AWOLNATION, Bastille, Cage The Elephant, Disclosure, Foals, Halsey, Silversun Pickups, The Struts, Twenty One Pilots, Weezer, and X Ambassadors. Proceeds from the evening will go to Para Los Niños, a non-profit family service agency designed to raise at-risk children out of poverty and into brighter futures through positive educational opportunities and support.

The second night boasts performances by Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness, Chris Cornell, Cold War Kids, Elle King, Fall Out Boy, George Ezra, James Bay, Of Monsters And Men, Panic! At The Disco, The 1975, and The Neighbourhood. The evening will benefit Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, which provides a safe after-school environment where hundreds of boys and girls in South Central Los Angeles participate in tutoring, learn important social skills and are guided to succeed in school and enter college.

Tickets for both nights go on sale Friday, November 20th at 12pm. Get more details here.

MAY 14- The second the lights dimmed at the Fonda Theater, shrieks from teenage girls filled the room. As James Bay took center stage at the Los Angeles venue, with his long brown hair under his signature wide brimmed hat, and bright red guitar against his chest, the booming bluesy guitar riffs for “Collide” invigorated the crowd. Even on a cold and rainy Thursday night, there was excitement in the air.

Immediately, after he took lead in front of his band, it was easy to see why this 24-year-old from Hertfordshire, England is taking the music scene by storm, Bay has a presence that is undeniable. Bay combines his soulful voice, bluesy guitar solos, and contemporary songwriting into a unique sound that brings a wide range of genres together. You can’t quite pin him down into one area, because the mood and style from one song to the next is so different. It’s just James Bay.

James Bay Opens With “Collide”

Bay emerged onto the scene in 2013, after being discovered through a YouTube video and by the end of 2014, he had won the Brit award (the British equivalent of the Grammy Awards) for Critics’ Choice. Past winners include Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding, Florence and the Machine, and Adele, all of which have had massive success in the US. Clearly in good company, Bay has followed in his predecessors footsteps. But Bay knew that if anything, his early success just meant he has more to prove. In an interview with The Independent, Bay said of his Brit win: “I’m hugely appreciative of the recognition. But then I’ll go away and work on how great my live set is gonna be. I’ve got stuff to prove. That’s the crazy thing about the Critics’ Choice Award, you get it before you’ve really done much.”

Photo by Rosemary Vega

But Bay has definitely been doing “much” since his win. His debut album, Chaos and the Calm, was released in March and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart. Right before the release, he embarked on his very first headlining North American tour, starting in New York and ending in L.A.  Acknowledging that it was the last impression he’d make for the tour, Bay made sure to tell the crowd he’d give his “everything” for it. And alas- he did. His determination to prove himself was evident in every note, movement, and smile. Following “Collide,” Bay moved on to “Craving,” another song which showcased his guitar skills, skills that may not have been as obvious in his more popular songs, “Let It Go,” and “Hold Back the River.”

Towards the middle of the show, Bay gave his band a break and began an acoustic section of songs, “Running,” “Let it Go,” and “Move Together.” The slowed songs showcased the troubadour’s rasp and gritty vocals, mixed with beautiful falsettos that sent chills up and down arms. But the most powerful and emotional song was the folky, “Scars,” a song that he was only able to finish after two years of healing (and a reunion with his girlfriend). Bay really did seem to give his all to the performance, his voice echoing through the venue as the audience stood in silence taking in all his emotion.

Photo by Rosemary Vega

Changing the tempo completely, Bay picked things back up with “Best Fake Smile,” arguably the catchiest song of the record. The audience clapped and danced along to the booming chorus. At the culmination of the evening, Bay “ended” his set with “Get Out While You Can.” Again, Bay’s ability to switch from gritty vocals to beautiful high pitched falsettos was showcased in this Springsteen-esque rock song. Bay cleverly used his band to amplify this song, and they were able to showcase their talents in this one as well.

After some loud screams from the teenage girls and just about every “type” of person you could imagine in L.A. that made up the audience, Bay came back for his encore. After Bay sang “Incomplete” and a stunning cover of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You” (with an incredible guitar solo in the middle), there was no denying it: James Bay isn’t going anywhere. With his musicality, his vocal ability, his good looks, and yes, of course, that charming British accent, Bay has nowhere to go but forward.

Even though Bay was a man of little words between songs, the crowd’s enthusiasm for Bay was evident as everybody- women and men, young and old- sang along every word to every single song throughout his set. All of Bay’s emotions, musicianship, hard work and passion was left for all his fans (and some celebrities- Nick Fradiani, Niall Horan, and James Marsden were all in attendance) to see and feel as he ended the night with the song that began most people’s admiration, “Hold Back the River.” “Let’s do this again soon, Los Angeles” Bay said, which I don’t think anyone would be opposed to.