For the first time, next year's Grammys will allow for eight, not five, Best New Artist nominees. Unfortunately for Cardi B and Post Malone, however, they will not be part of any of it. That is because they are not eligible for any of those coveted spots.
According to The Associated Press, both artists have been disqualified for the award by the Recording Academy. In Cardi B's case, her ineligibility stems from the fact that she earned Grammy nominations in the past - she nabbed Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance nods for "Bodak Yellow" at the 2018 Grammys. The publication noted that singer-rapper had also been submitted for consideration for a 2018 Best New Artist award (she was not ever officially nominated and the Grammy ultimately went to Alessia Cara).
Despite no previous Grammy nominations, Post Malone, on the other hand, was deemed ineligible in a vote by industry figures. The Academy determined that he has surpassed the status of a "new artist" because of the immense success of his 2016 studio debut "Stoney," which included the hit singles "White Iverson" (platinum in January 2016) and "Congratulations" (platinum in March 2017).
In a 2017 post explaining the process of selecting a Best New Artist nominee, the Academy described the category as having "the most complicated set of rules of any" other. Their definition is as follows:
"Essentially, a 'new artist' is defined for the GRAMMY process as any performing artist or established performing group who releases, during the eligibility year, the recording that first establishes the public identity of that artist or established group as a performer. A GRAMMY nomination in a performance category in a prior year disqualifies an artist from competing in this category unless the nomination came from a single or a guest spot on another artist's recording, and the artist hadn't yet released a full album."
It holds that the rules here are hard to nail down. For instance, what exactly does it mean to be an artist with "an established public identity?" How does one go about measuring that?
In other Post Malone Grammy news, his 2018 LP "beerbongs & Bentleys" will be submitted in the pop categories, not rap categories, Pitchfork reports. It remains unclear if singles-like "rockstar," "Psycho," and "Better Now"-will be submitted for rap awards, pop, or both.
The 2019 Grammy nominees will be revealed on December 5. The ceremony takes place on February 10. Beginning this year, eight acts can be nominated in the Best New Artist category.
