When the Grammy Award nominations for the major categories in the show (think: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, etc.) were announced on CBS This Morning Dec. 7, there was a name I was halfway expecting to hear — but didn't. So, what gives? Why wasn't Justin Bieber nominated for a Grammy award this year? Even though his album Purpose wasn't released until Nov. 13, putting it just outside the window for consideration in the 2016 ceremony (the official FAQ on the Grammys website states that albums and singles must have been released between Oct. 1, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2015) , Bieber's single "What Do You Mean?" was eligible — and I was kind of wondering whether it might get a nod for Record of the Year or Song of the Year. But it didn't, and instead, Bieber has to share his only nomination with Skrillex and Diplo, for "Where Are Ü Now?" in Best Dance Recording.
So, is it a snub? I honestly don't think so. Both the categories I mentioned before are pretty stacked, with behemoths like Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk," Taylor Swift's "Blank Space," and Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud." Sure, "What Do You Mean?" gave Bieber his first Hot 100 number one, and it's gotten a pretty decent critical reception, but I really don't think it has the clout to contend with some of those monster hits — so I'm not too bummed out that it wasn't nominated.
Even if you're a die-hard Justin Bieber fan, you can probably acknowledge that he's had bigger and better songs than "What Do You Mean?" so I think it's okay that he's not vying for the top spots this time around. Better luck next year, Bieber! This is just incentive to put out even more new material between now and then.
