It has been a breakout year for American singer Lizzo, who has topped a string of achievements with a raft of Grammy nominations, besting any other artist.
She boasts eight nods, including recognition in the top categories – record of the year, song of the year and album of the year – for her third offering Cuz I Love You, which propelled her to superstardom after being released in April.
After the news she tweeted: “This has been an incredible year for music and I’m just so grateful to even be part of it.
THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE YEAR FOR MUSIC AND IM JUST SO THANKFUL TO EVEN BE PART OF IT https://t.co/5YT4Axx221
— Feelin Good As Hell (@lizzo) November 20, 2019
“We are all winners. I love you. Let’s have a wonderful blessed day.”
Famous for her dynamic flute playing, the album marked a turning point in her career and spawned hit singles Juice and Tempo.
The deluxe version of the album also gave new life to her 2017 single Truth Hurts, which topped the US charts two years after it was first released, while her 2016 single Good As Hell was also given a fresh boost and hit the UK top 10.
The fresh attention on Truth Hurts also sparked controversy, as a group of songwriters publicly claimed it plagiarised parts of another song.
Lizzo, real name Melissa Jefferson, 31, responded on Twitter, denying the men had anything to do with the song but acknowledged that a tweet by Mina Lioness had helped inspired the lyrics, adding she would share songwriting credit with her.
— Feelin Good As Hell (@lizzo) October 23, 2019
Lioness celebrated the news with a viral tweet, reading: “I just took a DNA Test, turns out I’m a credited writer for the number one song on Billboard.”
A body positivity advocate, Lizzo’s back-up dancers, known as the Big Grrrls, are all plus-size women.
They drew a rapturous response when they performed at the West Holts stage at Glastonbury earlier this year, and were also praised for their turn at the BET Awards and at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Lizzo performed in front of giant inflatable buttocks.
At the Grammys she is also nominated for best new artist, best traditional R&B performance, best R&B performance, best solo pop performance and best urban contemporary album.
The Grammys will be handed out in Los Angeles on January 26.