Take a break from Taylor and Kendrick to give some smaller artists love.
Ashley Monroe
Who? Ashley Monroe is a 29-year-old singer-songwriter from Knoxville, Tennessee. She's also BFFs with Miranda Lambert and one-third of the country girl group Pistol Annies.
What is she nominated for? Best Country Duo/Group Performance ("Lonely Tonight" with Blake Shelton) and Best Country Album (The Blade)
What does she sound like? Country as hell. There is nothing pop about Monroe's mournful, Appalachian-tinged voice or her fondness for staunchly traditional production. Her sound is pure, unadulterated Nashville and all the better for it.
Where should a new listener start? The plaintive break-up ballad "The Blade" or the darkly ironic "Dixie."
Warner Bros Records
Kehlani
Who? Kehlani is a 20-year-old alt-R&B singer from Oakland, California.
What is she nominated for? Best Urban Contemporary Album (You Should Be Here)
What does she sound like? Kehlani is alt-R&B's ray of sunshine. Somewhere between Rihanna and Jhené Aiko sonically, Kehlani has made a lane for herself by wearing her heart on her sleeve at all times. She is disarmingly sincere about everything: love, self-esteem, heartbreak. She always sounds like she's working towards her best self, which should be annoying, but is, in reality, incredibly inspiring. Also, to be clear: her album is chockfull of absolute jams.
Where should a new listener start? The slurry, defiant "Did I?" or the poppy, clear-eyed "Alive (ft. Coucheron)."
Arturo Torres / Atlantic Records
Jazmine Sullivan
Who? Jazmine Sullivan is a 28-year-old R&B singer from Philadelphia with a big, expressive voice that rivals Adele's.
What is she nominated for? Best Traditional R&B Performance ("Let It Burn"), Best R&B Song ("Let It Burn"), and Best R&B Album (Reality Show)
What does she sound like? Sullivan has an absolutely pyrotechnic voice, but she isn't a show-off. Instead of front-loading her songs with flashy, vocal fireworks, she opts for a slow-burn approach, letting the emotions build and bubble until they boil over. The result? Music that is genuinely intimate and soulful.
Where should a new listener start? The fun, fiery "#HoodLove" or the absolutely gut-wrenching "Forever Don't Last."
Shane McCauley / RCA Records
Galantis
Who? Galantis is a Swedish electro-pop duo comprised of Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson and Linus Eklöw.
What are they nominated for? Best Dance Recording ("Runaway (U & I)")
What does they sound like? Top 40 on steroids. While Galantis' music definitely skews more EDM than pure pop, Karlsson is a hitmaker by trade — dude helped write Britney Spears' "Toxic" — so the group's bangers don't skimp on hooks or melody.
Where should a new listener start? The euphoric dance hit "Runaway (U & I)" or the delightfully weird ballad-banger mashup "Gold Dust."
Henrik Korpi / Big Beat Press
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