Beyonce may well have won 16 Grammy Awards throughout her glittering career, but the R&B star was well and truly snubbed when the 54th annual nominations were announced on Wednesday evening (30 November, 2011).
Her acclaimed album '4' was expected to figure in most of the categories, but she was shut out of the running for Album of the Year, and even Best Contemporary R&B Album, which her first three records all won. Beyonce, 30, put together a series of stirring ballads and mid tempo jams for her latest record, and reception was strong, with the New York Magazine commenting, "There's a streak of nostalgia running through the sound, whether it's the kind of traditionalist R&B that sells Adele albums or the cheery funk of a track like 'Love on Top,' which feels as cozy as seventies Stevie Wonder or eighties Michael Jackson". However, while British songstress Adele dominated the nominations - earning six in total - the former Destiny's Child star was ignored. She wasn't the only one to taste disappointment though - fellow R&B star Nicki Minaj was snubbed for Record, Album and Song of the Year, but did win a nomination for Best New Artist. Paul Simon was also excluded from the nominations, as were Foster The People and Christina Perri, who were both tipped for newcomer's awards.
The snub is unlikely to perturb Beyonce, who is no doubt concentrating on the impending birth of her first child with Jay Z, due this Christmas. The 54th Grammy Awards will take place on February 12th 2011, with Kanye West, Adele and Bruno Mars tipped to be the evening's biggest winners.