2020 Grammy Awards: The Canadians, the contenders and the controversy

With Canadian stars Drake and Shawn Mendes among thenominees, breakout artists Lizzo and Billie Eilishconsidered top contendersand controversy looming behind the scenes,this year's Grammy Awards are already shaping up to be must-watch TV.

Here's what you need to know about this year's big night in music.

Leading contenders

Truth Hurts singer Lizzo leads this year's nominations, with eight, including best new artist and record of the year. Her album Cuz I Love You is up for the coveted album of the year prize.

Lizzo, 31, has been working in the industry for years but only recently captivatedmainstream audiences with her body positivity and empowerment anthems, unfiltered social media commentary and classical flute playing.

In fact, Truth Hurts was originally released in 2017 but didn't get any traction on the charts. It wasre-released in 2019 and added as a bonus track to Cuz I Love Youafter gaining popularity on the short-form video app Tik-Tok. The catchy tune was furtherbolstered when it was featured in a pivotal breakup scene of the Netflix romantic comedySomeone Great.

"Lizzo, Iwork with her and it's justsuch an amazing story," Atlantic Records executive Juliette Jonestold CBC News in Los Angeles. "She's been working so hard and I think it's so cool that this blackgirl who plays the flute has become a pop star."

Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X are close behind, with six nominations each.

Like Lizzo, Eilish scored nominations in the top four categories (best new artist, song of the year, record of the year and album of the year). At age18 she was 17 when the nominations came out Eilish is theyoungest artist in Grammy history to do so.

Lil Nas X, 20, will compete against both women for best new artist as well asalbum and record of the year for Old Town Road, featuring a collaboration with country singer Billy Ray Cyrus.

The three artists are among those expected to perform as well.

Powerful role models

Eilish and Lizzoare leading the charge against another all-too-common facet of the music industry: judgment over a woman'sphysical appearance.

Both have eschewed industry stereotypes in favour of staying true to themselves. Eilish refuses to conform to a particular pop star look and has been called thevoice of her generation as much for her music as for her defiance ofconvention.

Lizzo, who celebrates being black and having a curvy body, has developed a significant social media following and fan base for her refreshing take on beauty and image. But her outlook has also invited criticsto take aim.

Fitness enthusiast Jillian MichaelscriticizedLizzo's sizein a recent Buzzfeed interview, saying: "Itisn't gonna be awesome if she gets diabetes."

Michaels, known for her appearances on the weight-loss reality seriesThe Biggest Loser, faced backlash for the comment and later said she regretted involving the pop star in her discussion.

Watch as female artists take centre stage:

Women breaking the music industry mould

5 years ago

Duration 2:16

Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Canadas Jessie Reyez are Grammy nominated artists who took their music and image into their own hands.

Lizzo, who stepped away from Twitter due to persistent negativity, told Rolling Stone in a feature released this week that people just have to get used to her. Because she's not going anywhere.

"That's not new for her to feel good about herself and be comfortable in her own skin," Jones said. "I love her response to it all."

Canadian pride

Another musician pushing against double-standards in the industry is Toronto-born Jessie Reyez. Reyez, who says, "I still dealwith people that are trying to tell me what to wear," is a first-time nominee in the category of urban contemporary album for Being Human in Public.

"Through my experience, through my growth, through thickening my skin, through knowing how to handle hate with a smile, through learning all those things, I feel like that's a positive change that I've been able to see in the last few years," Reyezsaid about navigating the music businesswhile attending soundcheck for a performance at L.A.'s iconic Troubadour club Wednesday.

Watch Reyez talk about her Grammy nomination:

Jessie Reyez on her Grammy nomination, pressure on women

5 years ago

Duration 4:29

Canadas Jessie Reyez earned a nomination for a Grammy this year. She spoke to CBC News's Zulekha Nathoo about being recognized and the pressures of being in the spotlight.

Drake, Shawn Mendes, Michael Bubl, and Daniel Caesarare among the other high-profile Canadian nominees.

A number of other canucks are vying for hardware as well, including central Alberta's Northern Cree, based in Maskwacis, Alta., for best regional roots albumWhen It's Cold Cree Round Dance Songs.

"We want to show all the youth back home ... that you don't need to besomebody else," said group member Joel Wood."You can be proud of who you are."

London, Ont.-based Dan Brodbeck, who's engineering and writing on The Cranberries' final work, In The End,earned a nod for best rock album.

The Irishband's lead singer, Dolores O'Riordan, died in 2018 at age 46. Despite the alternative rock group's massive success in the 1990s with hits such as Linger, Dreams and Zombie, The Cranberries have never been nominated for a Grammy until this year.

"It means a bit more to me because it's their first nomination and she's not with us anymore," Brodbeck said about O'Riordanwhile attending a pre-Grammy event held by SOCAN celebrating Canadian nominees in Los Angeles. "And we werevery close friends."

Cloud of controversy

Despite the shining talent, there's a cloud hanging over the Grammys after its CEO was ousted from her position less than two weeks before the ceremony.

Deborah Dugan was hired last May bythe Recording Academy, the non-profit which oversees the awards and whichhas beenfacing ongoing criticism for a lack of diversity and inclusion. Shealleges she was put on leave after reporting sexual harassment as well as conflicts of interest in the nomination process.

Duganfiled adiscrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission this week. Peoplein the industry recognize the seriousness of the allegations but hope theywon't take the spotlight away from nominees.

"This is real stuff we're talking about and we have to get to it," said Yvette Noel Schure, head of Schure Media Group and Beyonc's publicist, at a red carpet event Thursday in Hollywood.

"But just for Sunday I want us to focus on the artiststhat so deserve to be celebrated. And then come Monday, let's get back to what's really going on."

The Grammy Awards, hosted by Alicia Keys, will be broadcast live at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 26 from Los Angeles, Calif. CBC News will be on the red carpet.