Nominee Elle King on Adele & Beyonce’s Grammy Domination: “It’s About Time”

Photographed by Austin Hargrave exclusively for Billboard MagazineLast year, Elle King was nominated for her first Grammys, and this year, she’s nominated again, for her duet with country star Dierks [derks] Bentley.  But Elle says she’s thrilled that Adele and Beyonce dominated the nominations in the top categories, because it’s “empowering” for all women.

Speaking to Billboard as part of a Grammy roundtable, Elle says she’s “extremely happy” that Beyonce received nine Grammy nods, while Adele grabbed five.  “I thought for a long time that [the industry] was all equal and fun, then I realized it’s actually not: Some people don’t take me seriously, so I had to work harder,” she explains. “So to see a lot of amazing women — and a lot of young women — nominated this year is very empowering. And it’s about time.”

As for her own nomination, Elle says, “I woke up to getting the greatest ­surprise ever. Then I read about everyone else who was nominated. A lot of my friends are on there. It’s fun to cheer everybody on and get to be a part of it.”

Adele and Beyonce are facing off against each other in the prestigious Album of the Year category.  So, will they both perform on the show? Grammy executive producer Ken Ehrlich won’t confirm, but tells Billboard, “We have every anticipation that both of them will be with us in February.”

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by James Corden, airs live February 12.

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