NEW YORK – Sam Smith’s sad songs are bringing him true joy: The British singer is nominated for top Grammy Awards and is the leader so far with five, including song and record of the year, as well as best new artist.
The Recording Academy was announcing the nominees for its 57th annual awards throughout the day Friday.
Smith, 22, will likely earn a nomination for album of the year, the top award, when the nominees are announced Friday night on “A Very GRAMMY Christmas” (9 p.m., CBS).
The big-voiced singer’s “Stay With Me,” a multi-platinum hit, will compete for song and record of the year. Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” and Sia “Chandelier” are also up for both prizes.
Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” is nominated for record of the year, while Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” is up for song of the year, a songwriter’s award.
Smith’s debut album, “In the Lonely Hour,” is one of the year’s top-selling efforts. His nominations also include best pop solo performance and pop vocal album, pitting him against Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry and Coldplay.
Best new artist nominees also include Azalea, pop-rock trio HAIM, English band Bastille and country singer Brandy Clark.
Nominees for best pop solo performance include “Stay With Me,” “Chandelier,” “Shake It Off” and live versions of Pharrell’s “Happy” and John Legend’s “All of Me.”
“Happy” and “All of Me,” tunes that peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, were released before Grammy eligibility, so the singers submitted live renditions of the songs so they could be considered for awards.
Aside from Smith, Pharrell, Azalea, Clark, Trainor, Beck, Sia, Swift and the Black Keys earned multiple nominations.
Pharrell’s “G I R L” is up for best urban contemporary album. His competition includes Beyonce’s self-titled fifth album, Chris Brown and newcomers Mali Music and Jhene Aiko.
U2’s “Songs of Innocence” is up for best rock album. Other nominees include Beck, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Ryan Adams and the Black Keys.
Nominees for best country album are Dierks Bentley, Brandy Clark, Eric Church, Lee Ann Womack and Miranda Lambert, whose “Platinum” won album of the year at the Country Music Association Awards.
The Grammy Awards will air live Feb. 8 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
