First Grammy Nominations Tilt Towards Female Stars

The first Grammy nominations are out, and they are tilting towards female vocalists of R&B-influenced pop.

Among the nominees for the Grammy Record of the Year were Iggy Azalea and Meghan Trainor for their very first hits, said Channel 24.

Azalea, an Australian model and rapper, was nominated for her breakthrough single Fancy, which features British singer Charli XCX. Meanwhile, Trainor was tapped for her first hit single, All About That Bass, also driven by the rhythm line.

Another Australian influenced by R&B, Sia, was nominated for Chandelier. Although she previously scored a nomination in a rap category two years ago, this is the biggest nomination in her 2-decade career.

Taylor Swift's mega-hit Shake It Off from her chart-topping album 1989 was also tapped for Record of the Year. The album as a whole, which last month enjoyed the biggest single-week sales for a US album in 12 years, came out too late for Grammy eligibility.

British singer Sam Smith was the only male artist nominated for Record of the Year for Stay With Me, a ballad about a one-night stand from his debut album. He was tied by Beyonce and Pharrell Williams for nominations in six categories of music industry's biggest award. Smith's debut album In the Lonely Hour was nominated for the most prestigious Album of the Year.

In an Instagram post, Smith wrote according to The Daily Star: "What is going on! 6 Grammy nominations. Dear Lord."

Beyonce, who won six Grammys in 2010, was not nominated for Record of the Year but her self-titled album was tapped for Album of the Year.

The Grammy winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in Los Angeles on February 8.

View the complete list of nominees here.