Despite my sarcasm and pessimism towards Amereican Idol, I really do love this show. For it’s predictability, for the talent and lack therefore; it’s entertaining. So with all the being said, I’m (trying to be) hopeful for the season.

For the final round of Hollywood Week, all contestants have to perform alone in front of the judges, with absolutely no feedback to follow. After everyone has their turn, people will be split into three groups. The judges will then announce which of those groups stays, and which will have to say goodbye.

Beginning the day is Stephany Negrete, who has nobody in the audience for her due to her father having to undergo a heart procedure. She does her rendition of “Set Fire To The Rain” by Adele, and comes off pretty cliche. Her voice is nice enough, she sounded good enough, but it wasn’t anything standout. The judges say they like her to each other though, and with the amount of screen time she’s been getting, she’s probably not going anywhere.

Thomas Stringfellow performs “A Thousand Years,” and confesses to the cameras that he messed up. I agree with Keith that he did mess up, in song choice. J.Lo and Keith say they like him though.

Up next is Avalon Young with Ariana Grande’s “One Last Time”. Her tone is sweet and smooth (don’t worry, I wouldn’t know what that sounds like either but ah well), but her performance is DULL. I’m starting a drinking game: every time she does a forward hand press, take a drink.

Olivia Rox takes a risk by singing an original song. Although the song (and therefor her vocal) isn’t showcased much, it ends with the lyric, “I’m crazy about you.” The judges comment that for a 16 year old, her songwriting skills are decent, which you know means it was probably pretty generic.

John Wayne Schulz, your all american good looking cowboy, has lost his signature hat before performing. He goes onstage sans hat, and sings Keith Urban’s “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” He has a pleasant country voice, but like many contestants thus far, it’s not anything standout. He’s nice to listen to, but I’ll probably forget about him as soon as the next good looking guy comes on.

We then learn that the song selection process isn’t all that open. The contestants get a list of songs they can choose from, but to ensure variety, only three people can sing the same song. Since Olivia performed an original, it’s safe to say that that was an option among the list.

Tristan McIntosh realizes that she’s the fourth person to sign up for “What’s Hurt the Most.” This devastates her because this song means SO much to her. Later we learn that Malie kindly gave up singing the Rascal Flatt’s tune to allow Tristan to. With all the tears, I expected Tristan to be more connected to her performance. She does do a cool falsetto in the middle of the song which I like, but for the most part, she was just fine. She says she got REALLY emotional during her performance, which makes me question what she’ll be like on stage moving forward.

Mackenzie Bourg really shines with his original song, “Roses.” The song shows that unlike a lot of the other contestants (probably) he is actually an artist. I like this kid. He’s yet again, a white dude with a guitar, but unlike many of them, it seems as though there’s real substance in him too. Keith put it perfectly when he compares Mackenzie’s song to a “lost ed sheeran track.”

And then it’s a parade of great singers: Shelbie Z. sings “Alone,” and owns the stage, as usual. Her voice is big and strong and has elements of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. There’s no denying her talent. But we don’t need another Kelly or Carrie, what would Shelbie Z sound like? Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find out. Her chances seem better on Idol than they were on The Voice. Kory Wheeler, another why guy with a guitar (AND BLUE EYES!), lets his raspy voice belt out “Fix You.” James Vill does a really interesting rendition of “Wicked Game.” Showing off uniqueness is what gets me at this point of the game and makes me actually want to vote, so I like James.

Sonika Vaid is another contestant that has shown no originality or variety. She sings an Arian Grande song (again) and sounds great (again) but didn’t we see that already? Mix up song choices, do something surprising, perform bigger, do ANYTHING to make yourself memorable, Sonika.
After some awkward forcing of pretend crushes between Lee Jean and Sara Sturm, Lee sings “Stitches.” He reminds me a lot of Bieber when he started, and I mean that as a sincere compliment. Sara follows with “Somewhere only we know,” and I decide that I really like her. Although she hits a rough note towards the end of the song, her raspy voice is soothing to listen to. Plus she’s cute as a button like Lee.

Jenn Blosil is officially my favorite so far. She sings “True Colors,” but is disheartened after her performance. She felt like she didn’t do the song justice. No, she wasn’t perfect, but this is what I mean about being unique. Jenn’s voice is so obviously hers, and it makes me pay attention. Plus her hair and style are rad.
Emily Brooke, who we are again reminded wasn’t ready last year when she auditioned, also takes on “What Hurts The Most.” She makes some interesting choices throughout, like adding a really raspy soulful “SOOOO close,” which leaves me hopeful that she has lots of creativity in her. OVerall her vocals were all over the place, but she’ll be fine. She’ll make it through.

Apparently Idol is a breeding ground for germs because everyone is sick. Malie has laryngitis, and struggles to get her voice out during “Stitches.” She has moments where her voice does work and she sounds lovely. Her slowed down version is well liked by the judges. Mionne Destiny, another sick contestant, goes after “Chains.” The song choice probably didn’t do much for the little voice she had left. But Jessica Cabral did manage to overcome her illness and kills her performance. There are moments of rasp, moments where she really digs deep down for a growl, and it’s all amazing.

Emotional new dad Joshua Wicker who I liked enough before, kind of blew his “A Thousand Years” performance. Harry said there was something “soulful” about him, and I agree, but not then. He let his emotions take over, too much. CJ Johnson yells at us about going our own way a la Fleetwood Mac. I, as per usual, agree with Harry and will give his performance an “average.”
Jeneve Rose Mitchell, I will never understand. She sings “Danny’s Song,” which to mean was all over the place vocally. I couldn’t even stand looking at her awkward stage presence. Harry and J.Lo disagree completely about her. I’m team J.Lo on this one; it’s time for her to go home. Dalton Rapattoni, another example of uniqueness, ends the night really cool rendition of “Hopelessly Devoted to You.” As far as performers go, he’s one of the best so far, which is probably due to the fact that he was in a semi successful band called IM5.

After deliberation from the judges, everyone is split into three rooms. Two of the rooms continue on in the competition. Some notable people: Jordan Sasser (why?), Shelbie Z, Trenton Harmon, Malie Delgado, Lee Jean, Michelle Marie (again, why?) among many others. But we do lose a room, a room which includes a lot of people whose names we never learned, Joshua Wicker and John Wayne Schulz.
This cut brought down the 75 contestants to just 51. But tonight, they will have to bring that number down to just 24.

It’s time for the dreaded group round on American Idol. The 108 contestants who have made it through will be tested to their limits, people will have to compromise, people are tired; the drama is so intense! Who will survive Idol’s most “infamous” – as judge Jennifer Lopez put it, round?!

As the judges speak with the contestants before they begin to find their groups, Harry Connick Jr. delivers some real advice: step it up. The lackluster performances from the first Hollywood Week round weren’t promising, and our next and final Idol is supposed to be in that group? Yikes.

Per usual, some groups naturally blend well and are free from drama, while others don’t fare as well. The former Voice contestant Shelbie Z ditches her group. Dalton Rappattoni and Kassy are also ditched by Poh (sister of former Idol contestant Shi), who has decided to leave the competition all together. Both groups need to find a third member or else they’re going home!

All groups meet with vocal advisers as well as mentor Scott Borchetta, who dishes out tough advice: “If you want to go home tomorrow, do what you just did,” he told one group. People are losing their voices, are forgetting their lyrics, and are just BAD. Who will overcome their fatigue the next day for the judges? Dun dun dun….

First up is the dream team, Team Blue Eyes consisting of happy go lucky Jordan Sasser, Kory Wheeler, Kelsie Watts, and Jenna Renae. The group took on “Treasure,” and although not a disaster, it felt as though everyone was yelling to show off their voices in their 10 second solos. Wasn’t a problem for the judges though; all four made it through.

After struggling in rehearsals Jenn Blosil, Bri Ray, Lynnzee Fraye, and Sara Sturm perform a cool slowed down version of One Direction’s “Drag Me Down.” The girls, excpet for maybe Bri Ray, all have that funky Elle King rasp to their voices, but there’s not denying that quirky Jenn is the standout. If all else fails, I wouldn’t mind seeing them really form a group. All four made it through!

Amelia Eisenhauer, Tristan McIntosh, Lee Jean, and some random unnamed girl, take the stage next (but not before J.Lo is called out for her love of gluten free chocolate). All four are young and among the judges favorites which is easy to see why. Although none of their vocals are great, their is promise. And afterall, they’re just 15. All four make it through, which makes me wonder if anyone will succumb to group round. Also making it through and earning praise from judges: Avalon Young and Jeneve Rose Mitchell (I still don’t get her appeal), as well as each of their group members.

Chynna Sherrod and Terrian perform “Rather Be” with two others, and they’re all really boring. The girls sound just fine, but nothing memorable. But J.Lo has taken this time to remind us all that this is IDOL’S LAST SEASON! She’s going to miss this show and has been honored to be a part of it. Let’s keep moving forward…

With all the drama that surrounds group rounds, it’s surprising that Idol still sees a first: a solo group round. Remember Trent Harmon? Well, his mono prevented him from singing and getting too close to other contestants. So to make sure nobody believed that Trent got an unfair advantage, we were given drama. A first! He has to dance and move for four during his rendition of “Rather Be!” He has to sing four people’s parts! He does a fairly good job, considering, but you could really tell he was running out of breath and was hurting in so many areas. He still makes it through.

Michelle Marie, the sequined-cowboy hat wearing giddy Idol fanatic, joined forces with Lindsey Carrier and Ashley Lusk. Lindsey decided to be group leader, and had a hard time agreeing on a song with Michelle. Five hours later and with a new member, Shelbie Z, the girls decided “Undo It.” For some reason Michelle’s bouncy self makes it to the next round. The same fate doesn’t lie for Lindsey.

Brutal group round is the end of the road for some other people you won’t remember: Elvie Shane, Ashley Lilinoe, and Cameron Richard.

But the really crazy happens with Anatalia Villaranda. Her orginal group Envy, consisting of Sonika Vaid, Andrew Nazabekian, and Stephany Negret, were simply not comprimsing. They selfishly didn’t want to change songs to find a song better suited for Anatalia‘s voice. Her mom gets too involved, which leads to Anatalia leaving (or getting left, if you ask her) the group.

Meanwhile, Dalton and Kassy are still trying to scramble to find a group after Poh’s departure. Anatalia’s mom sees their struggle and pounces. Turns out, Anatalia and her mom were right, and her new group sounded pretty damn good with “Treasure.” All three make it through. And by the way, I’m calling it already: Dalton is making it far, especially if he gets to the voting stage (And if 13-18 year olds still vote). He’s cute, young, charming, and talented. 

Envy, Anatalia’s original group, should have perhaps listened to her. The trio struggled through rehearsals. The performance didn’t show much improvement. They sang “Problem” by Ariana Grande, and although Stephany and Sonika did an okay job, Andrew was shaky throughout. He did hit one crazy high note which obviously made the judges forget about the rest of his vocals, because he somehow made it through. Stephany and Sonika will also join in him in the next round.

Some people with no rhythm leave, including Jackie, who once beat Dalton in a battle of the bands! Showing off quite the opposite with some smooth moves to “Uptown Funk” were Kylle Thomasson, Kacye Haynes, Jon Klaasen, and Marcio Donaldson. The group all sounded great, moved great, and showed some energy, which many of the groups lacked. All four make it through!

After making it a point to take off her shoes, Joy Dove takes the stage with Daniel Farmer and Lindita. Lindita ends with some crazy screaming mate call which has it’s moments of WOW, but also has a lot of problems. Joy actually seems to take a back seat during the performance, which Harry calls out. Daniel Farmer ends up going home, though.

Eliz Camacho is another natural born leader, and insists on singing a song she knows, “Hit ‘Em Up Style.” She doesn’t rehearse much with her group, made up of Gianna Isabella and Dana Ordway. The girls forget their words and Eliz insists that she’s carrying. “It’s my time to shine,” she says as Gianna complains that she’s trying to overshadow them. Their performance was awkward; everyone forgot their words. But Gianna and Dana had the last laugh; Eliz was sent home after J.Lo explained that she’s made it far in her career because people like working with her. Ouch.

Joe Dahman, Alesana Tolai, Jessica Paige and Olivia Thai sing Rixton’s “Me and My Broken Heart.” The entire group looks and sounds bored. Nobody sounds bad, but everyone looks like they’d rather be somewhere else. Perhaps nerves? The judges notice and send everyone home except Jessica.

CJ Johnson, Jess Kellner, Zach Joseph, and Jessica Baker truly sound like a unit with “Renogade.” Zach is sent home after the judges complain that they were a good group, but no super stars appeared. Thomas Muglia, Joey Hendricks, Bryson Dunn, and Thomas Stringfellow perform a super meloncholy version of the same song. So meloncholy that Joey Hendrick didn’t even look up during his solo. Both Thomas’ make it through.

Manny Torres, Malie Delgado, and Christian Eason were ditched by La’Porsha, but somehow prevailed. The group had some nice harmonies with their stripped down version of “Too Close.” Malie’s voice was almost completely gone, but it just added a nice rasp to it. Manny was running around all over the stage with high energy, and elevated the others. All three make it through.

Laurel Wright, Marshall Cunningham, Drew Angus, and John Arthur Greene somehow all manage to forget the iconic words to “Stayin’ Alive.” Laurel literally turns around and stares at her group as she just mumbled into the microphone. She somehow still made it through after Harry’s talk about deserving to be on Idol, as did Marshall.

Tonie Starr, and Marlena Johnson were saved by La’Porsha after Shelbie Z left them. Marlena also, for some reason, can’t remember the words to “Stayin’ Alive” during rehearsals. Even though she swears she’ll remember for the performance, she doesnt. She sang some “ohs” and “ooooooohs.” All three ladies sounded great and powerful, but even though La’Porsha stumbled on some words as well, she was the star. Harry says, “That’s how you forget words.”

Hollywood Week continues next week, with hopefully, some much better performances. I can barely remember most of the contestants that have been featured. Are they saving some people to surprise us with next week? I hope so.

After weeks of auditions, American Idol has finally reached Hollywood week. It’s really a shame that this is the last season of Idol (WHICH WE HAVE BEEN REMINDED EVERY 15 SECONDS OF), because it seems as though the judges have really taken on the job well. Harry Connick Jr. is still the most brutally honest, but Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban have stepped up and formed true opinions. While there are still gimmicks at play (Jlo is a diva, Harry is the musical genius, Keith is.. Australian?), the rapport between the judges is playful and sincere, rather than over the top and forcefully flirtatious (looking at you The Voice). With all that said, American Idol is still incredibly predictable and it’s almost as though not much has changed from previous seasons.

But alas, Hollywood week is upon us. The first round is the traditional rows of ten. Ten people perform solo, and the judges decide who gets to move on to group rounds. Of the 190 contestants, about half will go home.

First up is Jordan Sasser. Happy go lucky Jordan auditioned with his wife, but only he made it through. It was an uncomfortable moment that showed him unphased by his wife’s tears.

Jordan sang Tori Kelly’s “Should’ve Been Us” for his Line of Ten audition, and had a rough time. His song choice showed his lack of range, and came off incredibly shout-y. Next up were two young band kids. Billie Joe Armstrong-esque Dalton Rappattoni and green haired Jaci Butler. Dalton’s rendition of “California Dreamin'” showed off his smooth tone. His voice paired with his guitar and dreamy eyes will get him far. Jaci followed with Fall Out Boy’s “Centuries.” During her original audition the judges told her she sang “like herself,” yet this second audition was exactly what you would expect from a female lead singer. Her voice was not unique, and frankly, sort of hurt my ears. But what do I know, all three made it through to group rounds!

This season’s quirky chick (think Joey Cook from last season) Jenn Blosil (J.Blo which she refers to herself as) sang “Brother,” which showed off a unique tone. I’m partial to softer voices, but can already tell that she likely won’t make it very far. Powerhouse women singers and country singers are the types that win this thing. Also making it through are Olivia Rox, who sang a stripped down “Genie in A Bottle,” and another dreamy guy with a guitar, Tommy Stringfellow. Yep, he even has the perfect name.

The producers decided to throw in some GIRL POWER by showing a clip of Harry saying that this year is all about the girls. Look at all the girls and how little guys! Lets put it into America’s head that a woman needs to win this year! It’s probably not a brainwashing technique to get everyone to vote for a girl because Idol hasn’t received crap for having an attractive white guy with a guitar win so many times. (Yes, that’s sarcasm).

The next line of ten shows off some of the said ladies: Jessica Cabral with Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph,” Melanie Tierce with Kelly Clarkson’s “Invincible,” and Sonika Vaid, singing Ariana Grande’s “Almost is Never Enough.” Melanie, who Harry had pegged as a potential winner during her audition, unfortunately didn’t make it through. Surely this is to showcase that nobody is safe.

Continuing the trend of amazing women is new mom La’Porsha Ranae. La’Porsha’s ten month old daughter watched from the audience as her mom belted out Katy Perry’s “Eye of the Tiger.” There’s not doubt that La’Porsha has a strong beautiful voice, but I found her “grunting” forced. The judges, no doubt, will keep a voice like hers around for a while. So, of course she makes it through.

While people like Melanie Tierce are getting cut for who knows why, people like “ladies man” Daniel Farmer are making it through. His audition in Little Rock was charming, but his rendition of “Treasure” lacked any personality. Fellow ladies man Manny Torres impressed with a cool raspy version of “I Can’t Feel My Face.” Both men have been getting lots of screen time, and both make it to the next round!

Next is a quick round: Cutie pie 16 Lee Jean gives a very sweet and innocent performance of Ed Sheeran’s “All of The Stars.” Melany Huber, though only shown for a line of Gavin Degraw’s “Sweeter,” had an amazing vibrato. Shelbie Z sang some song and sounded pleasant. Why does she look familiar? Oh, because she was on The Voice. Though Lee and Shelbie make it through, Melany doesn’t which makes me wonder why they didn’t show the worst part of her audition? (Was there not one? If not, WHY DIDN’T SHE MAKE IT THROUGH?!)

Day of Lines of Ten begins with Jeneve Rose Mitchell. Jeneve literally came from middle of nowhere with her cello, and sang “Boondocks.” This girl is the perfect example of novelty. Her cello playing is incredible, but her voice? Average at best. But people love country, and she makes it through.

Brenda K. Star’s (yup, THAT Brenda K Star) daughter Gianna Isabella sang “One Night Only.” Tristin McIntosh, whose deployed mom surprised her at her audition, belted out Carrie Underwood’s “Something in the Water.” Neither girl was perfect. Both girls showed off some strong voices but lacked control and pushed too hard in areas. Both girls make it to group rounds!

Tiny, super excited, American Idol super fan (read as: one of the most annoying people ever to be on this show) Michelle Marie made it to group rounds. Her fellow super fan Kyrsti Jewel didn’t fare as well. While neither girl is anywhere near ready to be on “Idol,” Krysti was actually better. Oh well. We then get a montage of unmemorable people who also didn’t make it through.

The final line of the night includes Trent Harmon. Trent performs Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down.” Although he has “full blown mono,” he sounds much better than most of the people who have made it through already. This guy needs to go all the way. Miranda “Poh” Scott (sister of previous Idol contestant Shi Scott) sang “Stay,” and sounded like Rihanna’s clone. Emily Brooke made it far last season on Idol. She takes on a Cassadee Pope song (um, wrong show?) and delivers a performance that shows off a voice that is very Kelly Clarkson-esque. All three get separated into different lines, and Jennifer Lopez reveals the front row will go through. After a pause she assures the back line that they are also going through. Yay!

After surviving the major cuts of the first round, who will make it through tomorrow’s dreaded group round? DUN DUN DUN..

We have to admit, compiling a best moments for awards show can sometimes be tedious, but the 43rd annual American Music Awards made the task a breeze. In a span of three hours we were shocked, we saw people cry, we heard great songs and we partied to some amazing dance numbers.

The show offered a lot of memorable moments —from sultry dance numbers that left you twerking in front of your television to a WTF make-out session that had many of us confused.

Plus, Jennifer Lopez was on point as this year’s host with all of her wardrobe changes and epic show opening. Seriously, a lot happened last night, so in case you missed the live telecast here are the best and worst moments that made the evening, from Nick Jonas throwing a solo coming-out party to Miss Piggy throwing a teapot.

The nominations for the 2016 People’s Choice Awards were announced Tuesday, November 3rd. The 65 categories range from film and television to music, social media and activism.

First time nominee The Weeknd leads with five nominations, including “Favorite Male Artist” and “Favorite Album” for Beauty Behind the Madness. No surprise there with the success The Weeknd has had this year. Beauty Behind the Madness debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 at the end of August 2015. Taylor Swift follows just slightly behind with four nominations.

Shonda Rhimes’ also had an impressive slate with all three of her shows- Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder– getting nominations. Grey’s Anatomy even takes the title for the most nominated show with six noms including “Favorite TV Show.”

In the movie categories, Avengers: Age of Ultron dominates with seven nominations. The film is nominated for “Favorite Movie” along with Furious 7, Inside Out, Jurassic World, and Pitch Perfect 2.

Fans can cast their votes until December 3. The 2016 People’s Choice Awards will air live on January 6, 2016 on CBS with host Jane Lynch.

Check out the full list of nominees below.

One Direction has cancelled their first show in five years! The announcement confused fans everywhere, especially since the group seemed to act like it was business as usual, releasing a new music video just hours after the cancellation.

The strange series of events started earlier today, when their publicist took to Twitter to announce that the boys would not be performing in Belfast, Northern Ireland, because Liam Payne had suddenly taken ill.

The statement read, “fans have been asked to hold on to their tickets and there will be a further statement tomorrow. The band apologize to their fans and wish Liam well as soon as possible.”

Harry wrote, “Deepest apologies to everyone at the show tonight in Belfast. Very disappointed, but unfortunately these things happen. We’re very sorry. H”

But, considering that the band has never cancelled due to illness (or injury), fans quickly started showing their concern on social media:

Then, just hours after the announcement came the release of the music video release of the band’s latest single, “Perfect.”  For some fans, it was a small, but nice, distraction from the cancellation drama.  However, the song, believed to be about Harry’s famous ex, Taylor Swift, has some controversy of its own. The lyrics, (“And if you like cameras flashing every time we go out / And if you’re looking for someone to write your breakup songs about / Baby, I’m perfect / Baby, we’re perfect”) as well as the melody seem to be a direct response to Taylor’s hit song, “Style.” (SO SUBTLE YOU TWO LOVEBIRDS).

The video, filmed in NYC’s InterContinental Hotel, is seemingly free of any Taylor references, with the four guys just “causing trouble in hotel rooms.” But towards the end, Harry seems to travel to an ethereal, very familiar wall. We’re not saying the scene was ripped directly from Swift’s video… But we kind of are.

Watch the video below:

Joe Jonas and Charlie Puth made an appearance on “Good Morning America” to announce this years American Music Awards nominations.

After the year Taylor Swift has had since her release of “1989,” it’s no surprise that she lead the pack with 6 nominations, including Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd follow with 5 nominations each. Both will rival Swift for Artist and Song of the Year.

American Music Awards nominations are determined by album and digital sales, radio, streaming, social activity and touring data tracked by Billboard, Nielsen Entertainment and Next Big Sound. But, winners are decided by the fans. Fans can vote on the AMA website, as well as by mentioning the artist of choice with a hashtag of the category (and #AMAs) on Facebook and Twitter.

The American Music Awards, hosted by Jennifer Lopez, will air live on Sunday, November 22nd at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Check out the full list of nominations below.

Artist of the Year
Luke Bryan
Ariana Grande
Maroon 5
Nicki Minaj
One Direction
Ed Sheeran
Sam Smith
Taylor Swift
Meghan Trainor
The Weeknd

New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s
Fetty Wap
Sam Hunt
Tove Lo
Walk The Moon
The Weeknd

Song of the Year
Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth — “See You Again”
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars — “Uptown Funk”
Ed Sheeran — “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift — “Blank Space”
The Weeknd — “Can’t Feel My Face”

Collaboration of the Year Un-Leashed by T-Mobile
Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth — “See You Again”
Rihanna & Kanye West Featuring Paul McCartney — “FourFiveSeconds”
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars — “Uptown Funk”
Skrillex & Diplo Featuring Justin Bieber — “Where Are Ü Now”
Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar — “Bad Blood”

Favorite Male Artist — Pop/Rock
Nick Jonas
Ed Sheeran
Sam Smith

Favorite Female Artist — Pop/Rock
Ariana Grande
Taylor Swift
Meghan Trainor

Favorite Duo or Group — Pop/Rock
Maroon 5
One Direction
Walk The Moon

Favorite Album – Pop/Rock
Ed Sheeran — x
Sam Smith — In The Lonely Hour
Taylor Swift — 1989

Favorite Male Artist — Country
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Sam Hunt

Favorite Female Artist — Country
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Carrie Underwood

Favorite Duo or Group — Country
Zac Brown Band
Florida Georgia Line
Little Big Town

Favorite Album — Country
Jason Aldean — Old Boots, New Dirt
Florida Georgia Line — Anything Goes
Sam Hunt — Montevallo

Favorite Artist — Rap/Hip-Hop
Drake
Fetty Wap
Nicki Minaj

Favorite Album — Rap/Hip-Hop
J. Cole — 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Drake — If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
Nicki Minaj — The Pinkprint

Favorite Male Artist — Soul/R&B
Chris Brown
Trey Songz
The Weeknd

Favorite female Artist — Soul/R&B
Beyoncé
Mary J. Blige
Rihanna

Favorite Album — Soul/R&B
Chris Brown — X
D’Angelo and The Vanguard — Black Messiah
The Weeknd — Beauty Behind the Madness

Favorite Artist — Alternative Rock
Fall Out Boy
Hozier
Walk The Moon

Favorite Artist — Adult Contemporary
Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift
Meghan Trainor

Favorite Artist — Latin
Enrique Iglesias
Ricky Martin
Romeo Santos

Favorite Artist — Contemporary Inspirational
Casting Crowns
Hillsong United
MercyMe

Favorite Artist — EDM
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
Zedd

Top Soundtrack
Fifty Shades of Grey
Empire: Original Soundtrack from Season 1
Pitch Perfect 2

Just days after “Drag Me Down,” the bands first music video without Zayn Malik, was released, fans became alarmed when mulitple outlets confirmed that One Direction will be taking an extended hiatus in March. “They are taking a hiatus so they can work on individual projects for a while but they are not splitting up,” a source told E! News. “They will remain together and plan to work together in the future.” The Sun reports the hiatus means the band will not embark on a tour for their fifth studio album.

It’s been a rough year, Directioners. We feel for you. With the news of Zayn Malik leaving the band, followed by news of Louis Tomlinson’s coming love child, it’s been nonstop ups and downs for the fandom. But fans did not disappoint on social media, showing their cheeky-ness and wit, as well as their sincerity when it came to the split.

One Direction surprised fans on July 31st with the release of their latest single, “Drag Me Down.” The song, which marks the first since Zayn Malik‘s departure, set the record for the most Spotify streams in one day, with 4.75 million plays on Friday.

On Tuesday, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson appeared on Good Morning America to perform the single. After Malik tweeted his support with “Proud of my boys the new single is sick. Big love :)x” GMA hosts Lara Spencer and Michael Strahan asked the band about life as a foursome.

“Obviously, it’s different but, you know, when you lose a member of your team obviously everyone gets a little bit close together. No, it’s still going great. And that’s what this album is about, we’re still going strong, and we’re all still here,” Payne replied.

Fans were noticeably excited when Tomlinson finally broke his silence on his impending fatherhood. Strahan turned to Tomlinson and said, “Louis, from one father to another I want to congratulate you on your upcoming fatherhood. So how are you feeling?” Louis replied with a big smirk, “Thank you. Obviously it’s a very exciting time, so I’m buzzing.”

Well, sorry it’s officially official ladies.

Shortly after Miley Cyrus announced she would be hosting the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, nominations were revealed.

Fuck yeah VMAs!!!!! #VMAs on @MTV Aug 30 at 9pm

A photo posted by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Jul 20, 2015 at 3:52pm PDT

Leading the pack of nominees is Taylor Swift, with nine noms to her name. Taylor can credit “Bad Blood” for seven nominations (Video of the Year among those), and two for “Blank Space” (Best Female Video and Best Pop Video). Going up against Taylor for Video of the Year is her pal Ed Sheeran for “Thinking Out Loud,” which earned him another 3 nominations. His video for “Don’t” gave him another 2, for a total of 6 nominations for the Brit. Fellow British songwriter James Bay is nominated for “Artist to Watch.” But Ed Sheeran’s pals in One Direction were noticeably snubbed again this year, despite having videos for “Steal My Girl” and “Night Changes.”

While Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” received nominations for Best Female Video and Best Hip Hop Video, Nicki was snubbed in the Video of the Year category. Additionally, “Feeling Myself,” her video with Beyonce received zero love. Nicki let out her frustration in a series of tweets:

While no names were named, it seemed as though Nicki Minaj might have been referencing Taylor Swift, and perhaps would even pull a Kanye if she won?

Taylor Swift surprisingly didn’t stay quiet on the matter, but Nicki insisted it had nothing to do with Taylor personally.

Drama already and the VMA’s don’t even take place until August 30, 2015.

Check out the full list of nominees below:

Video of the Year
Beyoncé, 7/11
Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar, Bad Blood
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk
Kendrick Lamar, Alright

Best Male Video
Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk
Kendrick Lamar, Alright
The Weeknd, Earned It
Nick Jonas, Chains

Best Female Video
Beyoncé, 7/11
Taylor Swift, Blank Space
Nicki Minaj, Anaconda
Sia, Elastic Heart
Ellie Goulding, Love Me Like You Do

Best Hip Hop Video
Fetty Wap, Trap Queen
Nicki Minaj, Anaconda
Kendrick Lamar, Alright
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth, See You Again
Big Sean ft. E-40, IDFWU

Best Pop Video
Beyoncé, 7/11
Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud
Taylor Swift, Blank Space
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk
Maroon 5, Sugar

Best Rock Video
Hozier, Take Me To Church
Fall Out Boy, Uma Thurman
Florence + the Machine, Ship To Wreck
Walk the Moon, Shut Up and Dance
Arctic Monkeys, Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?

Artist to Watch presented by Taco Bell
Fetty Wap, Trap Queen
Vance Joy, Riptide
George Ezra, Budapest
James Bay, Hold Back The River
FKA Twigs Pendulum

Best Collaboration
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar, Bad Blood
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth, See You Again
Ariana Grande & The Weeknd, Love Me Harder
Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj, Bang Bang

Video With a Social Message
Jennifer Hudson, I Still Love You
Colbie Caillat, Try
Big Sean ft. Kanye West & John Legend, One Man Can Change the World
Rihanna, American Oxygen
Wale, The White Shoes

Professional Categories

Best Art Direction
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar, Bad Blood (Charles Infante)
Snoop Dogg, So Many Pros (Jason Fijal)
Jack White, Would You Fight For My Love (Jeff Peterson)
The Chemical Brothers, Go (Michel Gondry)
Skrillex & Diplo with Justin Bieber, Where Are U Now (Brewer)

Best Choreography
Beyoncé, 7/11 (Beyoncé & Chris Grant, with additional choreography, Gabriel Valenciano)
OK Go, I Won’t Let You Down (OK Go, air:man & Mori Harano)
Chet Faker, Gold (Ryan Heffington)
Ed Sheeran, Don’t (Nappy Tabs)
Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar, Never Catch Me (Keone and Mari Madrid)

Best Cinematography
Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar, Never Catch Me (Larkin Sieple)
Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud (Daniel Pearl)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar, Bad Blood (Christopher Probst)
FKA Twigs, Two Weeks (Justin Brown)
Alt-J, Left Hand Free (Mike Simpson)

Best Direction
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar, Bad Blood (Joseph Kahn)
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk (Bruno Mars & Cameron Duddy)
Kendrick Lamar, Alright (Colin Tilley & The Little Homies)
Hozier, Take Me To Church (Brendan Canty & Conal Thomson)
Childish Gambino, Sober (Hiro Murai)

Best Editing
Beyoncé, 7/11 (Beyoncé, Ed Burke & Jonathan Wing)
Ed Sheeran, Don’t (Jacquelyn London)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar, Bad Blood (Chancler Haynes at Cosmo Street)
A$AP Rocky, L$D (Dexter Navy)
Skrillex & Diplo with Justin Bieber, Where Are U Now (Brewer)

Best Visual Effects
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar, Bad Blood (Ingenuity Studios)
FKA Twigs, Two Weeks (Gloria FX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi & Max Chyzhevskyy)
Childish Gambino, Telegraph Ave. (Gloria FX)
Skrillex & Diplo with Justin Bieber, Where Are U Now (Brewer)
Tyler, The Creator, “F****** Young/Death Camp” (Gloria FX)