Grace VanderWaal denied Grammy nomination?

Grace VanderWaal was not among the nominees for the Grammy Awards, which were announced this morning.

Suffern resident Alessia Cara, Khalid, Lil Uzi Vert, Julia Michaels, and SZA were among the nominees for Best New Artist, but that category also includes Alessia Cara, Khalid, Lil Uzi Vert, Julia Michaels, and SZA. She didn't receive any further nominations.

In less than two years, VanderWaal has gone from middle school student to international superstar. VanderWaal won "America's Got Talent" in June 2016, and her acoustic ukulele performance of an original song became an instant viral smash. She went on to sign with judge Simon Cowell's Syco Records and later Columbia Records, setting in motion a fast-track to music success.

Why did we think she'd earn a nod?

1. She's already won a slew of accolades, including the TeenChoice Award for "Next Big Thing" and The Ardy for "The Freshest – Best New Artist" at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards. At Billboard's annual Women in Music celebration on Thursday, VanderWaal will be honored with the "Rising Star" award, while Mary J.  Blige, a fellow Lower Hudson Valley native, will get the "Icon" award.

2. VanderWaal was recognized to Billboard's "21 Under 21" list of rising stars after her EP "Perfectly Imperfect" and studio album "Just the Beginning" both charted on the Billboard 200.

3. It appears that the Grammys approve of her: Grace talks about singing with her idol Jason Mraz in a video posted on the Grammy website.

4. She's extremely popular: VanderWaal has nearly a million Facebook fans, 2 million Instagram followers, and nearly 300,000 Twitter followers.

5. It would make for wonderful television: VanderWaal would be one of the youngest performers ever to receive a nomination for Best New Artist, with a chance to win. LeeAnn Rimes was 14 years and 182 days old when she won the prize in 1997. In January, VanderWaal will turn 14 years old.