As you all know, David Bowie passed away earlier this year after his 18 month battle with cancer. This shocked the entire world as his condition was kept hidden from the public. It also followed only 2 days after the release of his album Blackstar.

Blackstar was met with both commercial and critical acclaim upon its release. It was heralded as a return to form for Bowie, his best work since, at least, Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps). Some would even call this his greatest work.

Initially the lyrics and their meaning perplexed the public, but, as news of his death spread, realization struck listeners.

Over the next few days more and more information was revealed of his last few months. Blackstar was Bowie's swan song, his final goodbye to his millions of fans. He died as he had lived. His death was turned into a work of art.

I'm not saying Bowie should be nominated for Album of the Year because he's dead, but to overlook the important impact his death played in crafting his magnum opus would be foolish.

This album should be nominated for several reasons:

The quality of the music itself. It ranks as one of Bowie's finest moments.

Lyricism and Imagery. Bowie has always been a masterful lyricist. The beauty of Blackstar is that it kept people guessing its meaning. No one saw the bombshell of Bowie's death coming even though the entire album pointed to it.

Innovation. Bowie was known for reinventing himself, pushing himself musically, and alway trying different things. He wasn't afraid of taking chances. With Blackstar he brought what is being called "jazztronica" to the forefront of public attention.

Relevance. Quantity does not equal quality, but the question of how well Bowie holds up in today's society could be brought up. The album has sold over a million copies and topped the chart in over 28 countries.

This may fall on deaf ears, or there may not be anything that can be done at this point. If nothing else, we want the GRAMMY Foundation to hear our plea to have David Bowie nominated for Album of the Year.