Grammys 2016: Drake single Hotline Bling snubbed from nominations due to 'clerical error'

It was one of the many surprises of the 2016 Grammy Award nominations but there is finally an explanation as to why Drake's smash hit single Hotline Bling was nowhere to be seen on the list. The hip hop star received five nominations in total after a phenomenal year but fans were left scratching their heads after learning that his biggest single of 2015 had been snubbed.

Although some questioned whether the omission of Hotline Bling was intentional, music industry website Hits Daily Double claims it was a mistake made by Drake's Cash Money record label, owned by Birdman. The website states: "Drake's massive Hotline Bling was not submitted due to a clerical error on the part of label Cash Money. That huge hit might well have been a multiple-category contender but for this goof."

The single has become one of the biggest of 2015, peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. However, it took on a life of its own when Drake premiered the music video in October 2015 and it became a viral hit thanks to the Canadian rapper's questionable dance moves. The video has been viewed more than 182m times on Vevo.

Hotline Bling may not be eligible but Drake still has a chance at winning at least one more Grammy award thanks to his other nominations, which include best rap album for If You're Reading This It's Too Late, best rap song for Energy, best rap/sung collaboration for Only, and two best rap performance nods for his Meek Mill Diss track Back To Back and Truffle Butter, which features Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne.

Fans have drawn particular attention to the Back To Back nomination as the song was simply intended to be a response to Mill's ghostwriting allegations. Mill was declared the loser in their highly-publicised war of words and now social media are mocking him for this latest defeat. Out of 27 nominations, Drake has won one Grammy in the past, taking home the best rap album gong for his 2013 album Take Care.

Hip hop superstar Kendrick Lamar is leading the 2016 nominations list after clocking up 11, including album of the year for his third LP To Pimp A Butterfly, and song of the year for Alright. Pop star Taylor Swift and r'n'b singer The Weeknd both have seven nominations each with the pair set to compete in the album of the year and record of the year categories. The 2016 Grammys will be taking place on 15 February at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Watch Drake's Hotline Bling music video: