2016 Grammy Awards Nominees Include Kendrick Lamar, Fetty Wap, Drake & More

2015 has been a blessed year for hip-hop and with awards season right around the corner, a few key players are getting recognized for the 2016 Grammy Awards, which take place Feb. 15, 2016. Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with 11 nominations including the night's top honor, Album of the Year, for his sophomore LP, To Pimp a Butterfly.

For an artist to be nominated for a Grammy Award, a song or album must have been released between Oct. 1, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2015. K. Dot's TPAB is also nominated in the Best Rap Album category, in which he competes against J. Cole, Drake, Dr. Dre and Nicki Minaj, and his song "These Walls" featuring Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat is up for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

Fetty Wap is ending the year on a high note with a nomination for "Trap Queen" in the Best Rap Performance category. J. Cole's "Apparently" Drake's "Back to Back," Kendrick's "Alright," Nicki Minaj's "Truffle Butter" and Kanye West's "All Day" are also up for the coveted award.

The Weeknd snagged seven nominations for Beauty Behind the Maddness, tying his tally with Taylor Swift. Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth also get some love for their chart-topping tribute ballad "See You Again" from the Furious 7 soundtrack. Check out the list of 2016 Grammys nominees featuring hip-hop and R&B artists and for the complete rundown head here.

Album of the Year

Alabama Shakes, Sound and Color

Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly

Chris Stapleton, Traveller

Taylor Swift, 1989

The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness

Song of the Year

Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"

Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"

Little Big Town, "Girl Crush"

Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"

Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"

Record of the Year

D'Angelo and the Vanguard, "Really Love"

Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"

Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"

Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"

The Weeknd, "Can't Feel My Face"

Best Rap Song

Kanye West Featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney, "All Day"

Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"

Drake, "Energy"

Common & John Legend, "Glory"

Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"

Best Rap Album

J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive

Dr. Dre, Compton

Drake, If You're Reading This It's Too Late

Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly

Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint

Best Rap Performance

J. Cole, "Apparently"

Drake, "Back to Back"

Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"

Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"

Nicki Minaj, "Truffle Butter"

Kanye West, "All Day"

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Big Sean, "One Man Can Change the World" Featuring Kanye West & John Legend

Common & John Legend, "Glory"

Jidenna, "Classic Man" Featuring Roman GianArthur

Kendrick Lamar, "These Walls" Featuring Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat

Nicki Minaj, "Only" Featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown

Best Urban Contemporary Album

The Internet, Ego Death

Kehlani, You Should Be Here

Lianne La Havas, Blood

Miguel, Wildheart

The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness

Best R&B Performance

Tamar Braxton, “If I Don’t Have You”

Andra Day, “Rise Up”

Hiatus Kaiyote, “Breathing Underwater”

Jeremih Featuring J. Cole, "Planes"

The Weeknd, “Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)”

Best Traditional R&B Performance

Faith Evans, “He Is”

Lalah Hathaway, “Little Ghetto Boy”

Jazmine Sullivan, “Let It Burn”

Tyrese, “Tyrese, Shame”

Charlie Wilson, “My Favorite Part of You”

Best R&B Song

Miguel, “Coffee”

The Weeknd, “Earned It”

Jazmine Sullivan, “Let It Burn”

D’Angelo and the Vanguard, “Really Love”

Tyrese, “Shame”

Best New Artist

Courtney Barnett

James Bay

Sam Hunt

Tori Kelly

Meghan Trainor

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 Written Song for Visual Media

“Earned It” – The Weeknd

“Glory” – Common & John Legend

“Love Me Like You Do” – Ellie Goulding

“See You Again” – Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth

“Til It Happens To You” – Lady Gaga

Best Music Video

“LSD” – ASAP Rocky

“I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)” – The Dead Weather

“Alright” – Kendrick Lamar

“Bad Blood” – Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar

“Freedom” – Pharrell Williams

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Jeff Bhasker

Dave Cobb

Diplo

Larry Klein

Blake Mills

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Florence + The Machine, "Ship to Wreck"

Maroon 5, "Sugar"

Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"

Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Bad Blood"

Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"

Best Pop Solo Performance

The Weeknd, "Can't Feel My Face"

Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"

Ellie Goulding, "Love Me Like You Do"

Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"

Kelly Clarkson, "Heartbeat Song"

Best Dance Recording

Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston, "We're All We Need"

The Chemical Brothers, "Go:

Flying Lotus feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Never Catch Me"

Galantis, "Runaway (U & I)"

Skrillex and Diplo With Justin Bieber, "Where Are Ü Now"

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Joey Alexander, My Favorite Things

Terence Blanchard feat. The E-Collective, Breathless

Robert Glasper & The Robert Glasper Trio, Covered: Recorded Live at Capitol Studios

Jimmy Greene, Beautiful Life

John Scofield, Past Present

Best Dance/Electronic Album

Caribou, Our Love

The Chemical Brothers, Born in the Echoes

Disclosure, Caracal

Jamie XX, In Colour

Skrillex and Diplo, Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü 

See Best Rap Performance Nominees & Winners at the Grammys Over the Years