Disturbed frontman admits it’s “strange” to be nominated for the same Grammy as Beyoncé

• Sam Moore
• 4:58 pm - Dec 8, 2016

David Draiman: "It definitely stands out - like, one of these things is not like the other, you know?"

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Disturbed frontman David Draiman has said that it’s “strange” that his band have been nominated in the same award category as Beyoncé at next year’s Grammy Awards.

Disturbed were among the honoured music acts to be included in Tuesday’s (December 6) nominations announcement, with the long-running metal band nominated for Best Rock Performance for their live cover of the Simon & Garfunkel song ‘The Sound of Silence’.

Beyoncé also landed herself a nomination in that category, with a nod going to her rock-indebted song ‘Don’t Hurt Yourself’ from her 2016 album ‘Lemonade’ – which features and was co-written by Jack White.

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Speaking to Billboard about their second-ever nomination, Draiman was asked if it felt unusual to be up against Beyoncé for the award. “I have mad respect for all the artists in this category, including and especially Jack White,” he said. “Is it strange [to be up against Beyoncé]? I think the reason you asked the question is because it is. It definitely stands out — like, one of these things is not like the other, you know? But what are you going to do?”

Draiman maintained that the idea of Beyoncé being nominated in what traditionally isn’t her usual category didn’t “bother” him, but he was wary of the other competition he and his band faced in the Best Rock Performance category.

“What bothers me is that everybody in this category are giants of the field,” he explained. “These are the biggest of the big, the people who made a serious impact this year. Those boys in Twenty One Pilots did some damage this year. And David Bowie, a posthumous award happens all the time, and who more deserving? It’s crazy the amount of talent in this category.”

Elsewhere in the fall-out from Tuesday’s nominations announcement, Rihanna has denied that there is a rift between herself and Beyoncé after the former was snubbed by the Grammys.

“I wish y’all would drop this topic and see things from the bigger picture!” she wrote in a comment on her Instagram. “We don’t need to be putting black women against each other! We deserve to be celebrated, and the Grammy Academy agrees!”

Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/music/disturbed-strange-grammy-nomination-beyonce-1900931#7GzchCug4dm7Tjgm.99