It looks as if it's indeed Sam Smith's world this year.

The sensitive British crooner earned six Grammy nominations including album of the year for his breakthrough studio debut, "In the Lonely Hour."

Pharrell Williams and Beyonce also earned top status this year, garnering six nods each as well.

Iggy Azalea, Beck, Eric Church, engineer Tom Coyne, Drake, Gordon Goodwin, Jay Z, Miranda Lambert, Sia, Usher, and Jack White earned four nominations each.

This year's nominations were announced piecemeal beginning at 8:30 Friday morning and throughout the day on Twitter.

Beyonce is up for best R&B performance and best R&B song for "Drunk in Love," among her accolades, while Azalea, whose tutelage from T.I. during her time in Atlanta jumpstarted her career,  landed in categories including best new artist and best rap album for "The New Classic."

Many familiar Atlanta -- and Georgia -- names will compete this year as well.

Hard rock maestros Mastodon picked up a nod in the best metal performance category. Their song "High Road" from "Once More 'Round the Sun" will battle Anthrax, Motorhead, Slipknot and Tenacious D for the win.

Usher, who plays Philips Arena Tuesday, will compete with himself in the best R&B performance lineup for his work with Chris Brown and Rick Ross on "New Flame" and on his own "Good Kisser." Both songs are also up for best R&B song.

Lecrae, who moved from Texas to Atlanta several years ago, continues his impressive straddling of rap and Christian music with a nod for "All I Need is You" in the best rap performance lineup. His competition includes Stone Mountain native Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover) with "3005," as well as Eminem ("Rap God"), Drake ("0 To 100/The Catch Up") and Kendrick Lamar ("I").

Childish Gambino scored a best rap album nomination for “Because the Internet,” while Lecrae is also nominated as a featured guest on Erica Campbell’s “Help” in the best gospel performance category.

Canton's Francesca Battistelli landed in best contemporary Christian music performance/song with "Write Your Story," where she will be up against Atlanta transplant Crowder ("Come As You Are"), Lecrae ("Messengers"), MercyMe and Needtobreathe.

Battistelli’s “If We’re Honest” is also up for best contemporary Christian music album.

In the country categories, The Band Perry and Little Big Town, both which have Georgia ties, landed in the best country duo/group performance category for "Gentle on My Mind" and "Day Drinking," respectively.

Gregg Allman returns to the nominations list with his version of the Allman Brothers classic "Statesboro Blues" with Taj Mahal. They'll compete for best American roots performance.

Atlanta's classical performers received some notice as well, as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra scored two nominations, for best orchestral performance and best engineered classical album.

Other acts with local ties that landed on the list include Lance Ledbetter and Michael Graves, Mali Music, Susan Archie, Jamal Jones, Lil Jon, Dierks Bentley,  Terius "The Dream" Nash,  Leslie Brathwaite,  James Chambers,  Malissa Hunter,  Maurice "Verse" Simmons, Dominic Gordon, Brandon Hesson, Jamaica Smith and President Jimmy Carter, who is nominated in best spoken word album for "A Call to Action."

The 57th Annual Grammy Awards will air live Feb. 8 on CBS.

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Here is a look at some of the major categories. Check out the full list at Grammy.com.

Album Of The Year:

"Morning Phase," Beck

"Beyoncé," Beyoncé

"X," Ed Sheeran

"In The Lonely Hour," Sam Smith

"Girl," Pharrell Williams

Best New Artist

Bastille

Iggy Azalea

Brandy Clark

Haim

Sam Smith

Record of the Year

"Fancy," Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX

"Chandelier," Sia

"Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)," Sam Smith

"Shake It Off," Taylor Swift

"All About That Bass," Meghan Trainor

Song of the Year

"Chandelier," Sia

"All About That Bass," Meghan Trainor

"Shake It Off," Taylor Swift

"Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)," Sam Smith

"Take Me to Church," Hozier

Best Rap Album

"The New Classic," Iggy Azalea

"Because the Internet," Childish Gambino

"Nobody's Smiling," Common

"The Marshall Mathers LP2," Eminem

"Oxymoron," ScHoolboy Q

"Blacc Hollywood," Wiz Khalifa

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

"Fancy," Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX

"A Sky Full of Stars," Coldplay

"Say Something," A Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera

"Bang Bang," Ariana Grande, Jessie J & Nicki Minaj

"Dark Horse," Katy Perry ft. Juicy J

Best Rap Performance

"305," Childish Gambino

"0 to 100/The Catch Up," Drake

"Rap God," Eminem

"i," Kendrick Lamar

"All I Need Is You," Lecrae

Best Alternative Music Album

"This Is All Yours," alt-J

"Reflektor," Arcade Fire

"Melophobia," Cage the Elephant

"St. Vincent," St. Vincent

"Lazaretto," Jack White

Best Rock Album

"Ryan Adams," Ryan Adams

"Morning Phase," Beck

"Turn Blue," The Black Keys

"Hypnotic Eye," Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

"Songs of Innocence," U2

Best Rock Song

"Ain't It Fun," Paramore

"Blue Moon," Beck

"Fever," The Black Keys

"Gimme Something Good," Ryan Adams

"Lazaretto," Jack White

Best Country Album

"Riser," Dierks Bentley

"The Outsiders," Eric Church

"The Way I'm Livin'," Lee Ann Womack

"12 Stories," Brandy Clark

"Platinum," Miranda Lambert

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

"Blak Majik," Common ft. Jhené Aiko

"The Monster," Eminem ft. Rihanna

"Tuesday," I Love Makonnen ft. Drake

"Studio," ScHoolboy Q ft. BJ The Chicago Kid

"Bound 2," Kanye West & Charlie Wilson

Best Rap Song

"Anaconda," Nicki Minaj

"Bound 2," Kanye West & Charlie Wilson

"i," Kendrick Lamar

"We Dem Boyz," Wiz Khalifa

"0 to 100/The Catch Up," Drake

Best Country Song

"American Kids," Kenny Chesney

"Automatic," Miranda Lambert

"Give Me Back My Hometown," Eric Church

"I'm Not Gonna Miss You," Glen Campbell

"Meanwhile Back at Mama's," Tim McGraw ft. Faith Hill

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

"Gentle On My Mind," The Band Perry

"Somethin' Bad," Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood

"Day Drinking," Little Big Town

"Meanwhile Back At Mama's," Tim McGraw ft. Faith Hill

"Raise 'Em Up," Keith Urban ft. Eric Church

Best Country Solo Performance

"Give Me Me Back My Hometown," Eric Church

"Invisible," Hunter Hayes

"Automatic," Miranda Lambert

"Something In the Water," Carrie Underwood

"Cop Car," Keith Urban

Best Pop Vocal Album

"Ghost Stories," Coldplay

"Bangerz," Miley Cyrus

"My Everything," Ariana Grande

"Prism," Katy Perry

"x," Ed Sheeran

"In the Lonely Hour," Sam Smith

Best Urban Contemporary Album

"Sail Out," Jhene Aiko

"Beyonce," Beyonce

"X," Chris Brown

"Mali Is," Mali Music

"G I R L," Pharrell Williams

Best Dance/Electronic Album 

"Syro," Aphex Twin

"While (1", Deadmaus

"Nabuma Rubberband," Little Dragon

"Do It Again," Röyksopp & Robyn

"Damage Control," Mat Zo

Best Dance Recording

"Never Say Never," Basement Jaxx

"Rather Be," Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne

"F for You," Disclosure ft. Mary J. Blige

"I Got U," Duke Dumont ft. Jax Jones

"Faded," Zhu