Kevin Winter/WireImageThis Sunday at the Grammy Awards, Kelly Clarkson is nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance for her song “Piece by Piece,” but not the regular version from her album of the same name. The nomination is for the emotional live version she performed on American Idol last year. This Grammy “loophole” means that even Kelly was shocked she was nominated.
“I was so excited,” Kelly told reporters at a recent press conference. “I didn’t even know I was eligible! When they announced it on the radio, I was like, ‘I don’t think that’s me. This is gonna be so embarrassing.’ And then it was, so yay!”
Here’s what happened: “Piece by Piece” was first released as a single on February 24, 2015, making it ineligible for Sunday’s Grammys. The period of eligibility was October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016. However, the live American Idol version, which she performed on the show on February 25, 2016, was then released as a single on February 29. That version fell within the eligibility period, so it received the nod.
Kelly isn’t the only act this year who found themselves with a Grammy nod thanks to a TV performance: two rock bands, Disturbed and Alabama Shakes, were nominated for the versions of songs they performed on, respectively, Conan and Austin City Limits.
Defending these nominations, a Recording Academy executive told The New York Times, “I wouldn’t call it gaming the system. I wouldn’t even call it a loophole. Anything that’s eligible is eligible.”
If Kelly wins, she’ll take home her her fourth Grammy. However, she’s up against Adele’s album 25 in the category, so she may have to accept defeat gracefully.
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