5 Queer Highlights of This Year’s Grammy Nominations

If the 2019 Grammy nominations are any indication, we're here, we're queer, and the industry is finally getting used to it! Announced Wednesday morning, the roster of nominees for "music's biggest night" is fairly LGBTQ+ inclusive, with Lil Nas X, Lady Gaga, and Brittany Howard landing recognition.

Below are five queer highlights from the nomination's list that we're keeping our eyes on.

Lil Nas X

Nas X is going up against some tough competition with a total of six nods for "Old Town Road" and Panini. For Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, he's competing against Ariana Grande and Social House, the Jonas Brothers, Post Malone and Swae Lee, and Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. For Best Rap/Sung Performance, he's opposite DJ Khaled, Nipsey Hussle and John Legend, Lil Baby and Gunna, Mustard and Roddy Ricch, and Young Thug, J. Cole and Travis Scott. For Best Music Video, he faces off against The Chemical Brothers, Gary Clark Jr., FKA twigs, and Tove Lo.

Nas X is also nominated in the night's top categories, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year.

Song of the Year

From the A Star is Born soundtrack, "Always Remember Us This Way" is basically the lesser known sister of "Shallow." From Lady Gaga, it's going up against Tanya Tucker's "Bring My Flowers Now," which was written in part by lesbian darling Brandi Carlile. Other songs in the category are Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy," H.E.R.'s "Hard Place," Taylor Swift's "Lover," Lana Del Rey's "Norman F***ing Rockwell," Lewis Capaldi's "Someone You Loved," and Lizzo's "Truth Hurts."

Brittany Howard

After leaving Alabama Shakes behind, Brittany Howard released her debut solo album Jaime earlier this year. One of its lead songs, "History Repeats," is nominated for Best Rock Performance, opposite Bones U.K.'s "Pretty Waste," Gary Clark Jr.'s "This Land," Karen O and Danger Mouse's "Woman," and Rival Sons' "Too Bad." The track is also nominated for Best Rock Song.

Steve Lacy

Nominated in the Best Urban Contemporary Album category is the former guitarist of The Internet, Steve Lacy. His debut album, Apollo XXI, which was released in May of this year, is competing against Lizzo's Cuz I Love You, Georgia Anne Muldrow's Overload, Nao's Saturn, and Jessie Reyez's Being Human In Public.

Best Musical Theater Album

There is no Broadway without LGBTQ+ people -- that's a fact. This category features cast albums from Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations (starring Tony-nominee Jeremy Pope), Hadestown, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Music of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, and Oklahoma! (starring Ali Stroker).

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