Macklemore, Lamar muscle into Grammy picture

Song of the year: "Just Give Me a Reason," Pink featuring Nate Ruess; "Locked Out of Heaven," Bruno Mars; "Roar," Katy Perry; "Royals," Lorde; "Same Love," Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert.

— Associated Press

Jay Z easily led Grammy Award nominations announced with nine, but left-of-center rappers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Kendrick Lamar were among a group of new stars who took many of the major nominations.

Macklemore and Lewis’ gay marriage anthem “Same Love” was among song of the year nominees, and the Seattle rap crew joined Los Angeles rapper Lamar with seven nominations apiece, including best album and best new artist of the year. Pharrell Williams had four major nominations among his seven. Justin Timberlake also had seven.

Macklemore and Lewis dominated a nominations TV special from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday night that also included performances by nominees Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Lorde and Robin Thicke.

Macklemore and Lewis opened the show with a colorful, high-energy version of their hit “Thrift Shop,” featuring Wanz, and immediately picked up a song of the year nomination for “Same Love,” featuring Mary Lambert.

Two nominations later, Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, was noting it was a “very surreal moment” during an on-air interview with host LL Cool J. “It’s like we’re not supposed to be here, but we’re here with LL Cool J.” Added Lewis after the show: “There is no greater award than the Grammy. To be here tonight and to be nominated is truly mind-blowing.”

Williams, who seemed to be everywhere in 2013, is up for producer of the year and faces himself in three categories, including record of the year for “Get Lucky” with Daft Punk and “Blurred Lines” with Robin Thicke, and album of the year entries “Random Access Memories” by Daft Punk and Lamar’s “good kid.”

Drake and sound engineer Bob Ludwig are up for five awards apiece at the Jan. 26 Grammy ceremony in Los Angeles.

Joining Lamar, Macklemore and Lewis, and Daft Punk in the album of the year category were Sara Bareilles’ “The Blessed Unrest” — perhaps the biggest surprise among major category nominees — and Taylor Swift’s “Red.”

Swift is among five acts with four nominations apiece along with Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, Lorde and Kacey Musgraves. British musicians James Blake and Ed Sheeran round out the best new artist category with Musgraves, Lamar and Macklemore and Lewis.

Others who might consider themselves snubbed are 2013’s most visible country stars Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line, who were both shut out.

Academy voters preferred Swift and Musgraves. Swift’s “Red” is up for country album of the year with Musgraves’ “Same Trailer Different Park,” and both are nominated in the country song of the year category, where Musgraves has two nods for co-writing her own “Merry Go ‘Round” and Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart.”

The major nominations were an acknowledgement of 2013’s top hit-makers. “Get Lucky,” ”Blurred Lines” and “Royals” took turns ruling the pop radio airwaves this year. Macklemore and Lewis had two hits — “Same Love” and “Thrift Shop” — that led to nominations.