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After winning an Oscar earlier this year, Jon Batiste now leads the nominations for the 2022 Grammy Awards – with Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, H.E.R and Doja Cat also in the running for several prizes.

Batiste’s nominations span several genres, including R&B, jazz, American roots music, classical and music video-film, and he is up for 11 in total – including the big prizes of album of the year for We Are and record of the year for Freedom.

Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R follow with eight nods, while Eilish and Rodrigo have seven each.

Other big stars to be nominated included Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Kanye West and Lil Nas X – as well as The Weeknd, who previously called the Grammys “corrupt” after missing out on the shortlist for the 2021 ceremony, despite huge success the previous year.

Mercury Prize and Brit Awards winner Arlo Parks continues her stellar year, flying the flag for the UK with nominations for best new artist and best alternative album for her debut, Collapsed In Sunbeams.

After making their return earlier in 2021 with their first new music in almost 40 years, Swedish icons ABBA also received a nod, for record of the year with comeback single I Still Have Faith In You.

For the top prize of album of the year, Batiste – who won the Oscar for best original score for the Disney and Pixar film Soul – faces competition from Bieber, Eilish, Doja Cat, H.E.R, West, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Rodrigo and Swift.

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The star, who was among the presenters announcing the nominees, tweeted a simple “11 !!!!!!!!!!!!” after the full list had been revealed.

“Oh my goodness! I’m still in a state of astonishment and shock,” he said moments after learning of the nominations.

“I’m just really happy that we were able to make something in complete artistic integrity and have it be recognised.”

Arlo Parks is nominated for an Ivor Novello award for her song Black Dog. Pic: Ivors Academy
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Rising British star Arlo Parks has been nominated for best new artist and best alternative album. Pic: Ivors Academy
H.E.R pictured at the Grammy Awards in 2020
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H.E.R, pictured at the Grammy Awards in 2020, is up for eight awards

In the record of the year category, this year’s nominees range from ages 18 to 95, with nonagenarian – and 18-time winner – Tony Bennett nominated alongside Lady Gaga for their version of I Get A Kick Out Of You, and Olivia Rodrigo, 18, in the running for her hit Drivers License.

Nominees for all the awards were chosen from nearly 22,000 eligible entries for music released between September 2020 and 2021.

Harvey Mason Jr, chief executive of the Recording Academy, which runs the awards, said: “This is an exciting day for music.

Olivia Rodrigo performing at the American Music Awards in LA, November 2021. Pic: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
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Olivia Rodrigo, pictured performing at the American Music Awards earlier in November, is in the running for seven Grammys. Pic: AP Photo/Chris Pizzell

Lady Gaga on stage at a global streaming event brought to fans exclusively by Westfield at Line 204 in Los Angeles to celebrate the launch of her new jazz album with Tony Bennett. Pic: Christopher Polk/Invision for Westfield/AP Images
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Lady Gaga is nominated for her work with 95-year-old Tony Bennett. Pic: Christopher Polk/Invision for Westfield/AP Images


“These nominations beautifully reflect today’s broad and diverse musical landscape. I congratulate all of the nominees and everyone who submitted work. I’m also so proud of our voters. They voted in record numbers and brought their very best to evaluating the work of their peers, and I thank them on behalf of the entire music community.”

This year’s nominations come following the introduction of a new voting system, which allows the academy’s more than 11,000 members to vote for up to 10 categories in three genres; all voters can vote for the top four awards.

It replaces the anonymous nominations review committee – a group that determined the contenders for key awards.

Some had claimed committee members favoured projects based on personal relationships and promoted projects they favoured and worked on.

The Grammys, the biggest ceremony in the music industry calendar, will be awarded at a ceremony in Los Angeles on 31 January.

With 86 categories in total, there are a lot of awards to dish out. Here are the nominations in the some of the main categories.

Record Of The Year

I Still Have Faith In You – ABBA
Freedom – Jon Batiste
I Get A Kick Out Of You – Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
Peaches – Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon
Right On Time – Brandi Carlile
Kiss Me More – Doja Cat featuring SZA
Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish
Montero (Call Me By Your Name) – Lil Nas X
Drivers License – Olivia Rodrigo
Leave The Door Open – Silk Sonic

ABBA are back! Pic: Baillie Walsh
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ABBA made their comeback earlier in 2021. Pic: Baillie Walsh

Song Of The Year

Bad Habits – Ed Sheeran
A Beautiful Noise – Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile
Drivers License – Olivia Rodrigo
Fight For You – H.E.R.
Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish
Kiss Me More – Doja Cat featuring SZA
Leave The Door Open – Silk Sonic
Montero (Call Me By Your Name) – Lil Nas X
Peaches – Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon
Right On Time – Brandi Carlile

Album Of The Year

We Are – Jon Batiste
Love For Sale – Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe) – Justin Bieber
Planet Her (Deluxe) – Doja Cat
Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish
Back Of My Mind – H.E.R.
Montero – Lil Nas X
Sour – Olivia Rodrigo
Evermore – Taylor Swift
Donda – Kanye West

Best New Artist

Arooj Aftab
Jimmie Allen
Baby Keem
FINNEAS
Glass Animals
Japanese Breakfast
The Kid Laroi
Arlo Parks
Olivia Rodrigo
Saweetie

Best Alternative Music Album
Shore – Fleet Foxes
If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power – Halsey
Jubilee – Japanese Breakfast
Collapsed In Sunbeams – Arlo Parks
Daddy’s Home – St Vincent

Best Pop Vocal Album

Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe) – Justin Bieber
Planet Her (Deluxe) – Doja Cat
Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish
Positions – Ariana Grande
Sour – Olivia Rodrigo

Ariana Grande at the 62nd annual Grammy Award in Los Angeles in 2020. Pic: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
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Ariana Grande pictured at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2020. Pic: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Best Progressive R&B Album
New Light – Eric Bellinger
Something To Say – Cory Henry
Mood Valiant – Hiatus Kaiyote
Table For Two – Lucky Daye
Dinner Party: Dessert – Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Kamasi Washington
Studying Abroad: Extended Stay – Masego

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Generations – The Baylor Project
SuperBlue – Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter
Time Traveler – Nnenna Freelon
Flor – Gretchen Parlato
Songwrights Apothecary Lab – Esperanza Spalding

Best Rap Album

The Off-Season – J Cole
Certified Lover Boy – Drake
King’s Disease II – Nas
Call Me If You Get Lost – Tyler, The Creator
Donda – Kanye West

Best Gospel Album

Changing Your Story – Jekalyn Carr
Royalty: Live At The Ryman – Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition – Maverick City Music
Jonny x Mali: Live In LA – Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music
Believe For It – CeCe Winans

Best Latin Pop Album
Vértigo – Pablo Alborán
Mis Amores – Paula Arenas
Hecho A La Antigua – Ricardo Arjona
Mis Manos – Camilo
Mendó – Alex Cuba
Revelación – Selena Gomez

Best Música Urbana Album
Afrodisíaco – Rauw Alejandro
El Último Tour Del Mundo – Bad Bunny
Jose – J Balvin
KG0516 – KAROL G
Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros Demonios) 8 – Kali Uchis

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Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’

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Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it's 'an underdog just like me'

Snoop Dogg has become a co-owner and investor of Swansea, with the US rapper hailing the Welsh football club as “an underdog that bites back, just like me”.

The former Premier League club, which plays in the English second tier, confirmed the US rapper and producer plans to use his own money to invest in it, Sky Sports reports, although it didn’t disclose financial details.

“My love of football is well known, but it feels special to me that I make my move into club ownership with Swansea City,” the music icon said in the announcement.

“The story of the club and the area really struck a chord with me,” he added. “This is a proud, working class city and club.

“An underdog that bites back, just like me.

“I’m proud to be part of Swansea City. I am going to do all I can to help the club.”

Swansea’s American owners, led by Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen, are trying to grow the Championship club’s global brand and increase commercial revenue.

Snoop Dogg, 53, who has 89m followers on Instagram and more than 20m on X, helped launch the team’s 2025-26 home shirt last weekend.

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The club ownership group said: “To borrow a phrase from Snoop’s back catalogue, this announcement is the next episode for Swansea City as we seek to create new opportunities to boost the club’s reach and profile.”

Luka Modric, who recently signed with AC Milan from Real Madrid, joined Swansea’s ownership group in April.

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Police taking no further action after investigating Kneecap’s Glastonbury show

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Police taking no further action after investigating Kneecap's Glastonbury show

Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.

Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.

However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.

The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.

It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.

Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.

The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).

Kneecap's Liam Og O Hannaidh leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in London
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Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA

Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.

They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.

Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.

The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”

“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.

The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.

Read more from Sky News:
Snoop Dogg becomes a co-owner of Swansea FC
American Idol TV executive and husband shot dead

One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.

Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.

He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.

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Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin

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Tomorrowland: 'Devastating' blaze destroys main stage at major festival - two days before it was due to begin

A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.

Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.

Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.

fire destroyed the main stage at the Tomorrowland festival site in Belgium
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The fire gutted the main stage


 fire which destroyed the main stage at the Tomorrowland festival site in Belgium
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Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control

The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.

It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.

Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.

A fire destroyed the main stage at the Tomorrowland festival site in Belgium
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Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky


The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.

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The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.

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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.

Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.

“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”

Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen who said fire destroyed the main stage at the Tomorrowland festival site in Belgium
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Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’

Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.

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