Singer Justin Bieber watches the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning in Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

TORONTO — Justin Bieber's soulful departure from his typical pop sound has landed him among the top Canadian contenders at the Grammy Awards.

The Stratford, Ont.-raised singer's seventh studio album "Swag" picked up four nominations on Friday, including album of the year and best pop vocal album for his first project since cutting ties with longtime manager Scooter Braun.

Two songs from Bieber's "Swag" also earned recognition. "Daisies" is among the best pop solo performance nominees, while "Yukon" is up for best R&B performance.

Bieber's album hit streaming services over the summer with only a day's notice, and presented a more introspective side of the 31-year-old superstar as he reflected on fatherhood, faith, fame and his marriage.

He quickly followed the album with "Swag II" in September, which will be eligible for next year's Grammys.

The Beeb's impact was felt in other corners of the Grammys as Vancouver native Tobias Jesso Jr. earned a spot in the songwriter of the year, non-classical, category for his work on several tracks, including "Walking Away" from Bieber and "Another Baby!" by Bieber's collaborator Dijon.

Other homegrown contenders include uber-producer Cirkut with seven nods and engineer-mixer Serban Ghenea with five.

Both giants in their fields, each scored recognition in the album and record of the year categories for work on several projects, including Lady Gaga's latest album "Mayhem."

The Halifax-raised, California-based Cirkut, born Henry Walter, said he learned of his nominations when his fiancé woke him to watch the live stream.

His ears perked up upon learning he's in the running for the top producer award, thanks to songs including Gaga's "Abracadabra," Rosé and Bruno Mars's "Apt.," the Weeknd's "Big Sleep" and Ed Sheeran's "A Little More."

"Producer of the year was one of the first things they announced, so I was kind of half-asleep," Walter said by phone, reached while travelling from San Diego.

"That woke me up, that's for sure."

It was his work on Gaga's "Mayhem" that put him in the running for album of the year, and he's named twice in both the song of the year and record of the year categories for his work on "Abracadabra" and "Apt."

Ghenea, meanwhile, is all over the record of the year category with nominations for his work on "Abracadabra," "Apt." and Sabrina Carpenter's "Manchild."

He's also up for album of the year for "Mayhem" and Carpenter's "Man's Best Friend," and named in the best dance pop recording category for mixing Gaga's "Abracadabra."

Other major forces in Canadian music were recognized, too.

Toronto's PartyNextDoor and Drake got a nod for best melodic rap performance for “Somebody Loves Me,” from their collaborative album "Some Sexy Songs 4 U."

Montreal's Kaytranada, born Louis Celestin, earned two nominations — best dance/electronic recording for "Space Invader" and best remixed recording for his spin on Mariah Carey's "Don't Forget About Us."

Calgary's Tate McRae vies for best dance pop recording with "Just Keep Watching" from the movie soundtrack for "F1," the Brad Pitt Formula One racing drama.

One Canadian star is notably missing from the list of nominees.

The latest album from the Weeknd, "Hurry Up Tomorrow," got a cold reception from Grammy voters, only a year after the Toronto artist buried the hatchet with the organization.

In 2021, the Weeknd pledged a boycott of the Grammys after he was shut out of nominations, calling them "corrupt," but he seemed to end that feud last year with a surprise performance on the broadcast. It did little to sway Grammy voters on his latest record, which received no nominations.

That didn't faze Walter, who was part of the Weekend's latest record and has been friends with the singer born Abel Tesfaye since they each ascended through the Toronto music scene.

"I'm proud of the work we've done together," said Walter, who worked on the Weeknd's breakthrough, 2011's "High For This."

"No one ever really knows what's going to be recognized and what's not. And who are we to try to predict that or try to understand certain outcomes behind things? I know that I enjoyed working on it and I'm excited for what he's got next."

Other Canadians named Friday include Joni Mitchell, who pops up in the best historical album category for "Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980)," a collection of unreleased studio sessions, live recordings and rarities.

Vancouver musician Laila Biali's "Wintersongs," a collection of music inspired by a winter spent in Banff, Alta., is nominated for traditional pop vocal album.

The 68th Grammy Awards air Feb. 1, 2026 on Citytv and CBS.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025