The Grammys have recently announced their nominees for the next ceremony, so I immediately peered through the list to find out if my favorite artists and musicians were being recognized. Some were and some weren't, but overall I'm not surprised by the results: Beyoncé, Drake, Kanye West, and Rihanna all had at least eight nominations and the other nominations were spread out among Adele, Chance the Rapper, Twenty One Pilots, and the myriad of artists involved in 2016's list of chart toppers. And while there were numerous snubs that many people will probably gripe about, I was most disappointed by the lack of LGBTQ+ musicians represented. Yes, there were many LGBTQ+ icons nominated, but very few queer musicians were given the credit they deserve, so I'm making my own category for queer musicians by sharing in no particular order the top 11 queer singers and songwriters I think you should be listening to.

1. Billie Joe Armstrong

Best known for being the frontman, songwriter and guitarist of the Grammy award-winning punk rock band Green Day, Armstrong publically came out as bisexual in 1995 in an interview with The Advocate, an award-winning LGBT magazine publication. The album "Dookie" heavily featured topics of sexuality; the track "Coming Clean," in particular, focused on Armstrong's coming to terms with his bisexuality as a teenager. Although he has not had a male partner before, he is very outspoken about his sexual identity and has been very candid about his struggle with his sexuality early on in his life. Green Day is most notable for their pop punk sound and received critical acclaim with songs like "American Idiot," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," and "Wake Me Up When September Ends."

2. Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile is an American alt-country/folk-rock singer-songwriter most famous for her breakout hit single, "The Story." She first publicly identified herself as a lesbian during an interview in 2002 and has since talked about her identity with the Los Angeles Times, elaborating that other people had paved the way for her to be able to be open about her sexual orientation. In 2012, she married her partner, Catherine Shepherd, and welcomed their first child in 2014. In addition, she has devoted much of her time as an activist for autism and women's empowerment. Her music is most notable for Carlile's dark and powerful voice that cracks and rasps in her upper register.

3. Sia Furler

Sia Furler, often just referred to as Sia, is an Australian singer-songwriter, record producer, and video music director. After having a public relationship with American producer JD Samson, she began speaking very candidly about her sexuality, often identifying as queer or, in her words, "flexible." Initially beginning her career as an indie artist of moderate success, she took a break from singing to focus on songwriting in response to her deteriorating health due to exhaustion, drug and alcohol addiction, and a worsening autoimmune disorder. As a songwriter, she penned numerous hits for artists such as Beyonce, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, and was frequently featured on tracks by French DJ David Guetta. She later returned to singing in her breakout album, "1000 Forms of Fear," featuring hits such as "Chandelier," "Elastic Heart," and "Big Girls Cry," while also piquing the curiosity of the media and fans for her decision to cover her face in all public appearances to maintain a modicum of privacy. Being one of the few mainstream queer artists featured in this year's Grammy nominees, she is also an avid supporter of animals' rights.

4. Angel Haze

Angel Haze is an American rapper and singer most notable for their single "Battle Cry." Identifying as pansexual and agender, Haze is a relatively new artist and has yet to achieve the breakout success some of their contemporaries have. That being said, Haze is an incredibly talented musician that should catch the attention of any music lover, especially rap and hip-hop aficionados due to their personal and impactful lyrics and writing. In addition to their work as a musician, Haze also started a positive body image campaign, "The Naked Eye," to focus on different forms of body dysmorphia.

5. Mary Lambert

Mary Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and spoken word poet most famous for the hit single "Same Love" recorded with hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Initially having difficulties reconciling her Christian faith with her sexuality, Lambert came out as a lesbian at the age of 17 and considers both her faith and sexuality to be integral parts of her identity that don't conflict with one another. Starting her career as a spoken word slam poet, she quickly transitioned into music and began incorporating her poetry into her songs, creating a very warm and almost spiritual atmosphere to her music in conjunction with her sweet, and indulgent vocal tones. An outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, she performed "Same Love" at the 56th Grammy Awards while Queen Latifah read marriage vows for 33 couples on stage, participated in United Nations panel for family diversity, and was also a featured artist on the single "Hands," a tribute song to the victims of the 2016 Orlando nightclub massacre.

6. Frank Ocean

An American singer-songwriter and rapper, Frank Ocean has quickly become breakout star due to his unique, often idiosyncratic style, while also being praised for his soulful vocal qualities. His most popular pieces being "Swim Good" and "Thinkin Bout You." Although he has never given a label for his sexual orientation, he did discuss in length unrequited feelings for another man as a teenager through a Tumblr post in 2012. Although he is a relatively new artist, he has received numerous accolades including two Grammy wins and the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Artist.

7. Shura

Shura is an English singer, songwriter, and producer. Extremely new to the music scene, she is most recognized for her singles "Touch" and "What's It Gonna Be," the latter of which receiving a music video that became popular for its teen love themes best described as a John Hughes flick with a queer twist. Identifying as a lesbian, Shura is very open about her sexuality when it comes to her music and creative projects. While still relatively unknown, her clean, addictive electropop sound definitely makes her an artist to watch for. BBC certainly thought so.

8. Troye Sivan

An Australian superstar, Troye Sivan has quickly become a media superstar thanks to his massive social media following and talent as a musician and actor. Initially starting out his music career performing for telethons, he eventually branched out into acting, landing roles as Young Wolverine and the main protagonist of the movie adaption of the popular South African series of novels "Spud." Although he came out as gay to his parents and family a few years beforehand, he posted a YouTube video in 2013 in which he talked at length about his sexuality and created a continuation of his coming out video a couple of years later that detailed what his life was like after coming out. His music career picked up speed after the release of his EP "WILD" and full album expansion "Blue Neighborhood." He also created an extremely popular video trilogy featuring the lives and relationship of two gay teenagers in a secret relationship. His music is extremely well produced, and his slightly deeper tenor voice provides a clean, velvety listening experience.

9. Olly Alexander

Most famous as the frontman of the band Years & Years, Olly Alexander has quickly become a popular English musician and actor. Alexander has lived most of his adult life being openly gay and has talked in detail about his coming out experience as well as the importance of using male pronouns in his songs as a gay male writing about other men. Years & Years broke into the alt-pop mainstream after the success of the hit single "King" and its corresponding album "Communion" thanks to Alexander's glistening, tight vocal tone, and clever production. In addition to being an outspoken advocate for global LGBTQ+ rights, he has also shown support for anti-bullying campaigns, safer sex and testing advocacy, and the open dialogue and appropriate access to mental health treatment and issues.

10. Couer de Pirate

Beatrice Martin, better known by her stage name Couer de Pirate, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and composer. While she mostly sings in French, she does also write in English; regardless, her voice is beautiful and chilling and is a treat to listen to, especially for fans of Regina Spektor and AURORA, whose vocal qualities I was constantly reminded of thanks to Martin's bright and brittle voice. In addition to her talents as a singer, she is also responsible for the score of the Ubisoft role-playing game "Child of Light". While she mostly tends to keep details of her personal life private, she came out as queer in a 2016 op-ed piece by Vice.

11. Lauren Jauregui

This Cuban-American singer will be familiar to anyone who's watched the American adaptation of X-Factor. Jauregui is noted for having an incredibly strong and evenly toned voice for age, and her work with Fifth Harmony is a testament to her vocal ability and aptitude to sell a pop track with her vocals. Although she is now a member of the immensely popular girl group, Fifth Harmony, she initially participated as a solo artist and was eliminated from the competition at the end of Boot Camp. Fifth Harmony is now considered the most successful act to come out of the show and has received numerous accolades. Jauregui recently made headlines after coming out in an open letter to Americans that supported and voted for Donald Trump during the most recent Presidential election.