With the nominations sucking all the oxygen out of the room, we present some Grammy-adjacent photos for your viewing pleasure. We apologize in advance for the captions.

Kendrick Lamar, a top-tier nominee thanks to smash "Not Like Us," with JAY-Z at the 2023 Grammys. Later, there were bialys. (Photo: Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

This vintage tableau (from 1999) has much to recommend it: It features the great Quincy Jones, whose passing we are mourning this week; it's Grammy-centric; and it's a perfect distillation of the sorts of random assemblages produced by awards extravaganzas. Thus we find, in a single photo, not only Q but (among others) Phil Ramone, Stevie Wonder, Magic Johnson, Rob Zombie, Wyclef Jean, erstwhile Academy boss Mike Greene, country twin-sister act The Kinleys, Natalie Imbruglia, Monica and Diana Krall. That no Zombie-Krall duets album ensued haunts us to this day.

Dre London, Jody Gerson, Sir Lucian Grainge, Post Malone, Rob Stevenson and Tyler Arnold are seen here at UMG's 2016 Grammy afterparty. Two Bud Lites later, Posty busted out his dobro.

At the 2023 ceremony, Adele, Beyoncé and Lizzo exemplify a level of glamour we're barely qualified to write captions about. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Berry Gordy, Sylvia Rhone, L.A. Reid, Sara Bareilles and Doug Morris are pictured at Sony's 2014 Grammy afterparty. Collectively, they are responsible for roughly 5 trillion hit songs.

Island co-chiefs Imran Majid and Justin Eshak flank star (and current Grammy darling) Chappell Roan in 2023, when the fairy tale was just beginning.

Lady Gaga and BTS member V are captured in that enchanted interval between the snap of the shutter and the arrival of the drinks tray. (Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

SZA and Taylor Swift calculate the distance to the hors-d'oeuvres as a 45-yard field goal. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

BNA nominee and TDE/Capitol artist Doechii takes accessorizing to the next level.