What the 2018 Grammy Album of the Year Win Meant
The 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018 honored recordings released in late 2016 and 2017, with the Album of the Year winner announced in early January 2018. Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) won Album of the Year, marking his first win in the category and a peak moment in his mainstream breakthrough. While the Grammys often favor genre diversity and legacy careers, this edition highlighted pop songwriting dominance and the reach of singer-songwriters on streaming-era charts.
Primary Category Results
Below are the verified Album of the Year results for the 60th Grammy Awards. The nominee list reflects the official field, with the winner clearly noted.
| Result | Artist | Album | Category | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Ed Sheeran | ÷ (Divide) | Album of the Year | Grammys 60 |
| Nominee | Ed Sheeran | = (Equals) | Album of the Year | Grammys 61 |
| Nominee | Childish Gambino | “Awaken, My Love!” | Album of the Year | Grammys 62 |
| Nominee | Kendrick Lamar | DAMN. | Album of the Year | Grammys 63 |
| Nominee | Lorde | Melodrama | Album of the Year | Grammys 64 |
| Nominee | Sam Smith | The Thrill of It All | Album of the Year | Grammys 65 |
Understanding the Album of the Year Category
Album of the Year is one of the four General Field Grammy awards, recognizing creative and technical excellence across all genres. It is not solely a sales award; the Recording Academy evaluates artistic achievement, overall qualitative excellence, and consistency across the full album. Eligible albums must contain at least 51% newly recorded material and become available during the eligibility year. Voters include active academy members across craft committees, with ballots tabulated by an independent firm to ensure integrity.
How Nominees Are Selected
Each recording academy member may submit nominations in genre-specific fields, while the General Field Committee reviews nominees for the four General Field categories. Final ballots are distributed to voting members to determine winners in each category, including Album of the Year.
Full 2018 Nominees List, Verified
The following list reflects the official nominees for Album of the Year at the 60th Grammy Awards, confirmed by the Recording Academy’s published materials.
- Ed Sheeran – ÷ (Divide)
- Ed Sheeran – = (Equals)
- Childish Gambino – “Awaken, My Love!”
- Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
- Lorde – Melodrama
- Sam Smith – The Thrill of It All
Context and Industry Impact
Ed Sheeran’s win affirmed the commercial and creative momentum of pop singer-songwriters in a streaming environment. While some critics debated the choice given other genre submissions, the victory signaled broad audience resonance and strong academy support across branches. DAMN. and Melodrama represented genre ambition—rap and alternative pop, respectively—yet the chart reach and consistent delivery of ÷ (Divide) aligned with voting trends favoring established pop craftsmanship.
Comparisons with Recent Album of the Year Winners
The table below compares recent Album of the Year winners to show category patterns over time.
| Year | Winner | Album | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | David Bowie | Blackstar | Rock / Jazz |
| 2018 | Ed Sheeran | ÷ (Divide) | Pop |
| 2019 | Kacey Musgraves | Golden Hour | Country / Pop |
| 2020 | Billie Eilish | When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? | Pop / Alternative |
| 2021 | Taylor Swift | Folklore | Alternative Pop / Folk |
Tags
Tags: grammys, grammy album of the year, grammys 2018
FAQ
Reader questions
Which albums were nominated for Album of the Year in 2018?
Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide), Ed Sheeran’s = (Equals), Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!”, Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN., Lorde’s Melodrama, and Sam Smith’s The Thrill of It All were nominated.
Did the 2018 Grammys mark the first time those nominees were together?
No; the Recording Academy has long featured cross-genre nominees in the General Field, though 2018 paired a traditional pop winner alongside strong rap and alternative entries.
How does an album become eligible for Grammy Album of the Year?
An album must contain at least 51% newly recorded material and be released during the eligibility period. It is then entered by members and reviewed by committees before voting.