Music’s biggest prize may be some way off but at least we now know who is in the running for next year’s 58th annual Grammy Awards.

Whilst the host is still to be announced, Alicia Keys was present to read out the first batch of nominees, so without wasting each other’s time let’s get down to business. Here’s that list, although you will have to do a bit of scrolling to find our local connection:

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 Kahifa 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 New Artist

Courtney Barnett

James Bay

Sam Hunt

Tori Kelly

Meghan Trainor

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 Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern

Bob Dylan, Shadows in the Night

Josh Groban, Stages

Seth MacFarlane, No One Ever Tells You

Barry Manilow (& Various Artists), My Dream Duets

Best Pop Vocal Album

Kelly Clarkson, Piece by Piece

Florence + The Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

Mark Ronson, Uptown Special

Taylor Swift, 1989

James Taylor, Before This World

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 Rock Performance

Alabama Shakes, “Don’t Wanna Fight”

Florence + The Machine,”What Kind Of Man”

Foo Fighters, “Something From Nothing”

Elle King, “Ex’s & Oh’s”

Wolf Alice, “Moaning Lisa Smile”

Best Alternative Music Album

Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color

Björk, Vulnicura

My Morning Jacket, The Waterfall

Tame Impala, Currents

Wilco, Star Wars

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 Rap Album

J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive

Dr. Dre, Compton

Drake, If Youre Reading This Its Too Late

Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly

Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint

Best Country Album

Sam Hunt, Montevallo

Little Big Town, Pain Killer

Ashley Monroe, The Blade

Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material

Chris Stapleton, Traveller

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 Gospel Album

Karen Clark Sheard, Destined to Win (Live)

Dorinda Clark-Cole, Living It

Tasha Cobbs, One Place Live

Israel & Newbreed, Covered: Alive Is Asia [Live] (Deluxe)

Jonathan McReynolds, Life Music: Stage Two

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

Jason Crabb, Whatever the Road

Lauren Daigle, How Can It Be

Matt Maher, Saints and Sinners

Tobymac, This Is Not a Test

Chris Tomlin, Love Ran Red

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

Best Metal Performance

August Burns Red, “Identity”

Cirice, “Ghost”

Lamb of God, “512”

Sevendust, “Thank You”

Slipknot, “Custer”

Best Rock Song

Alabama Shakes, “Don’t Wanna Fight”

Elle King, “Ex’s & Oh’s”

James Bay, “Hold Back the River”

Highly Suspect, “Lydia”

Florence + the Machine, “What Kind of Man”

Best Rock Album

James Bay, Chaos and the Calm

Death Cab for Cutie, Kintsugi

Highly Suspect, Mister Asylum

Muse, Drones

Slipknot, .5: The Gray Chapter

Best R&B Performance

Tamar Braxton, “If I Don’t Have You”

Andra Day, “Rise Up”

Hiatus Kaiyote, “Breathing Underwater”

Jeremih feat. 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, “Shame”

Charlie Wilson, “My Favorite Part of You”

Best R&B Song

Miguel, “Coffee”

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

Jazmine Sullivan, “Let It Burn”

D’Angelo and The Vanguard, “Really Love”

Tyrese, “Shame”

Best R&B Album

Leon Bridges, Coming Home

D’Angelo and the Vanguard, Black Messiah

Andra Day, Cheers to the Fall

Jazmine Sullivan, Reality Show

Charlie Wilson, Forever Charlie

Best Rap Performance

J. Cole, “Apparently”

Drake, “Back to Back”

Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen”

Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”

Nicki Minaj feat. Drake & Lil Wayne, “Truffle Butter”

Kanye West feat. Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney, “All Day”

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Big Sean feat. Kanye West & John Legend, “One Man Can Change the World”

Common & John Legend, “Glory”

Jidenna feat. Roman GianArthur, “Classic Man”

Kendrick Lamar feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat, “These Walls”

Nicki Minaj feat. Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown, “Only”

Best Rap Song

Kanye West feat. Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney, “All Day”

Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”

Drake, “Energy”

Common & John Legend, “Glory”

Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen”

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Brothers Osborne, “Stay a Little Longer”

Joey + Rory, “If I Needed You”

Charles Kelley, Dierks Bentley & Eric Paslay, “The Driver”

Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”

Blake Shelton feat. Ashley Monroe, “Lonely Tonight”

Best Country Song

Lee Ann Womack, “Chances Are”

Tim McGraw, “Diamond Rings And Old Barstools”

Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”

Brandy Clark, “Hold My Hand”

Chris Stapleton, “Traveller”

Best Country Solo Performance

Cam, “Burning House”

Chris Stapleton, “Traveller”

Carrie Underwood, “Little Toy Guns”

Keith Urban, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16”

Lee Ann Womack, “Chances Are”

Best Pop Solo Performance

Kelly Clarkson, “Heartbeat Song”

Ellie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do”

Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”

Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”

The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face”

Best Music Video

A$AP Rocky, “LSD”

The Dead Weather, “I Feel Love”

Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”

Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, “Bad Blood”

Pharrell Williams, “Freedom”

Best Music Film

Foo Fighters, Sonic Highways

James Brown, Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown

Nina Simone, What Happened, Miss Simone

Roger Waters, The Wall

Amy Winehouse, Amy

Best Folk Album

Norman Blake, Wood, Wire & Words

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn

Rhiannon Giddens, Tomorrow Is My Turn

Patty Griffin, Servant of Love

Glen Hansard, Didn’t He Ramble

Best World Music Album

Gilberto Gil, Gilbertos Samba Ao Vivo

Angelique Kidjo, Sings

Ladysmith Black Mambazo With Ella Spira & The Inala Ensemble, Music From Inala

Anoushka Shankar, Home

Zomba Prison Project, I Have No Everything Here

There, if you were hanging about waiting for the South African connection you really should have guessed it would be Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The choral group already has four Grammy Awards to their name so here’s hoping they can make it five.

Best Comedy Album

Lisa Lampanelli, Back to the Drawing Board

Wyatt Cenac, Brooklyn

Jay Mohr, Happy. And A Lot.

Craig Ferguson, Just Being Honest

Louis C.K., Live at Madison Square Garden

Believe it or not I have actually left a few out, so if you want to see the (even more) comprehensive list head HERE.

[source:eonline]