Chicago-Born Chance The Rapper Makes History in 2017 Grammy Nominations

Chance the Rapper made history Tuesday when he became the first artist to have a streaming-only record be recognized by the Recording Academy.

The Chicago-born artist earned a total of seven nominations for the 2017 Grammys.

Beyonce leads with nine nominations, including bids for album of the year with "Lemonade," and song and record of the year with "Formation." The singer, who already has 20 Grammys, is also the first artist to earn nominations in the pop, rock, R&B and rap categories in the same year.

Behind Beyonce are Drake, Rihanna and Kanye West, who scored eight nominations each.

This year was the first that the Recording Academy allowed streaming-only recordings — released on paid-subscription platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal but not for sale on iTunes — to be eligible for nominations, giving Chance the Rapper a fair chance.

The 23-year-old breakout performer scored seven nominations including best new artist, pitting him against country singers Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini; singer-rapper Anderson Paak; and pop-EDM duo the Chainsmokers, whose recent hits include "Closer" and "Don't Let Me Down."

Chance the Rapper, who grew up in Chicago's West Chatham neighborhood on the city's South Side, also earned three nominations for best rap song: His hit, "No Problem," is nominated, and he has writing credit on the Kanye West songs "Famous" and "Ultralight Beam." West will compete with himself in three ategories: best rap song, rap performance and rap/sung performance.

Chance's "Coloring Book" and West's "The Life of Pablo" are nominated for best rap album along with Drake's "Views," De La Soul's "And the Anonymous Nobody," DJ Khaled's "Major Key" and Schoolboy Q's "Blank Face LP."

His hit, "No Problem," is nominated, and he has writing credit on the Kanye West songs "Famous" and "Ultralight Beam." West will compete with himself in three categories: best rap song, rap performance and rap/sung performance.

Nominees in top categories for the 59th annual Grammy Awards include:

— Album of the year: "25," Adele; "Lemonade," Beyonce; "Purpose," Justin Bieber; "Views," Drake; "A Sailor's Guide to Earth," Sturgill Simpson.

— Record of the year: "Hello," Adele; "Formation," Beyonce; "7 Years," Lukas Graham; "Work," Rihanna featuring Drake; "Stressed Out," twenty one pilots.

— Song of the year (songwriter's award): "Formation," Beyonce, Khalif Brown, Asheton Hogan and Michael L. Williams II; "Hello," Adele and Greg Kurstin; "I Took a Pill In Ibiza," Mike Posner; "Love Yourself," Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran and Benjamin Levin; "7 Years," Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest, Morten Pilegaard and Morten Ristorp.

— Best new artist: Kelsea Ballerini; The Chainsmokers; Chance the Rapper; Maren Morris; Anderson Paak.

— Best pop solo performance: "Hello," Adele; "Hold Up," Beyonce; "Love Yourself," Justin Bieber; "Piece by Piece (Idol Version)," Kelly Clarkson; "Dangerous Woman," Ariana Grande.

— Best pop duo/group performance: "Closer," The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey; "7 Years," Lukas Graham; "Work," Rihanna featuring Drake; "Cheap Thrills," Sia featuring Sean Paul; "Stressed Out," twenty one pilots.

— Best traditional pop vocal album: "Cinema," Andrea Bocelli; "Fallen Angels," Bob Dylan; "Stages Live," Josh Groban; "Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin," Willie Nelson; "Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway," Barbra Streisand.

— Best pop vocal album: "25," Adele; "Purpose," Justin Bieber; "Dangerous Woman," Ariana Grande; "Confident," Demi Lovato; "This Is Acting," Sia.

— Best dance/electronic album: "Skin," Flume; "Electronica 1: The Time Machine," Jean-Michel Jarre; "Epoch," Tycho; "Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future," Underworld; "Louie Vega Starring...XXVIII," Louie Vega.

— Best rock album: "California," Blink-182; "Tell Me I'm Pretty," Cage the Elephant; "Magma," Gojira; "Death of a Bachelor," Panic! at the Disco; "Weezer," Weezer.

— Best alternative music album: "22, A Million," Bon Iver; "Blackstar," David Bowie; "The Hope Six Demolition Project," PJ Harvey; "Post Pop Depression," Iggy Pop; "A Moon Shaped Pool," Radiohead.

— Best urban contemporary album: "Lemonade," Beyonce; "Ology," Gallant; "We Are King," KING; "Malibu," Anderson Paak; "Anti," Rihanna.

— Best R&B album: "In My Mind," BJ the Chicago Kid; "Lalah Hathaway Live," Lalah Hathaway; "Velvet Portraits," Terrace Martin; "Healing Season," Mint Condition; "Smoove Jones," Mya.

— Best rap album: "Coloring Book," Chance the Rapper; "And the Anonymous Nobody," De La Soul; "Major Key," DJ Khaled; "Views," Drake; "Blank Face LP," ScHoolboy Q; "The Life of Pablo," Kanye West.

— Best country album: "Big Day In A Small Town," Brandy Clark; "Full Circle," Loretta Lynn; "Hero," Maren Morris; "A Sailor's Guide to Earth," Sturgill Simpson; "Ripcord," Keith Urban.

— Best jazz vocal album: "Sound of Red," Rene Marie; "Upward Spiral," Branford Marsalis Quartet With Special Guest Kurt Elling; "Take Me to the Alley," Gregory Porter; "Harlem On My Mind," Catherine Russell; "The Sting Variations," The Tierney Sutton Band.

— Best jazz instrumental album: "Book of Intuition," Kenny Barron Trio; "Dr. Um," Peter Erskine; "Sunday Night at the Vanguard," The Fred Hersch Trio; "Nearness," Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau; "Country for Old Men," John Scofield.

— Best compilation soundtrack for visual media: "Amy"; "Miles Ahead"; "Straight Outta Compton"; "Suicide Squad (Collector's Edition)"; "Vinyl: The Essentials Season 1."

— Producer of the year, non-classical: Benny Blanco; Greg Kurstin; Max Martin; Nineteen85; Ricky Reed.

— Best music video: "Formation," Beyonce; "River," Leon Bridges; "Up&Up," Coldplay; "Gosh," Jamie xx; "Upside Down & Inside Out," OK Go.

— Best music film: "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," Steve Aoki; "The Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years," The Beatles; "Lemonade," Beyonce; "The Music of Strangers," Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble; "American Saturday Night: Live from the Grand Ole Opry," Various artists.

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