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“I’m on an adrenaline run at this point,” Grammy-winning reggae icon Shaggy tells Billboard less than a week after Hurricane Melissa made landfall on his home country of Jamaica. “I was around when [Hurricane] Gilbert happened, which [was] a Category 3… when I heard [Hurricane Melissa] was a Category 5, I [couldn’t] imagine what this would be.”
Last week (Oct. 28), nearly 40 years after Gilbert, Hurricane Melissa became the strongest storm to strike Jamaica in the island’s history. In the following days, the storm also made landfall in Cuba (Oct. 29), devastated parts of Haiti, and brought residual rainfall and intense winds to the rest of the Caribbean — and, later, to the Northeastern coast of the United States. According to The New York Times, the death toll in Jamaica from Hurricane Melissa is now a devastating 28 — and that’s with dozens of communities still awaiting aid, as local authorities and humanitarian workers continue clearing debris.
Shaggy, who topped the Billboard Hot 100 twice in 2001 with the reggae crossover classics “It Wasn’t Me” and “Angel,” was one of the first homegrown superstars to spring into action and spearhead relief efforts, alongside Beenie Man, Spice and Sean Paul. Once the airports opened on Thursday (Oct. 30), Shaggy mobilized a network of on-the-ground partners, including humanitarian NGOs and private donors, to coordinate and fund flights carrying food, water, medical aid and household essentials to Jamaica’s most impacted areas.
“We got [to Jamaica] early enough to reach the people, because it took me around six hours to get from Kingston to St. Elizabeth in Black River, which is normally a two-and-a-half-hour drive at most,” Shaggy tells Billboard. “We had to chop [tree] limbs down, move things out the way, and drive through high puddles of [runoff], so we got there in the middle of the night. At that point, all we could do was pass water out, so we had to regroup and drive six hours back to Kingston. The next day, we went to the Junction side of St. Elizabeth, which took us four hours. The square itself was shut down. It was ground zero because it wasn’t livable anymore. Nobody could stay there.”
According to Reuters, Hurricane Melissa left nearly half a million Jamaicans without power and destroyed critical water systems and supply lines. With the island’s southwestern parishes, specifically St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland, remaining difficult to access due to flooding, landslides and debris, thousands of Jamaicans remain housed in emergency shelters, which presents an entirely different set of challenges, such as overcrowding. Whether they’re braving shelters or making their way to the eastern side of the island, families across Jamaica are still reeling from Hurricane Melissa.
Shaggy helps with post-hurricane relief efforts in Jamaica on November 1, 2025.
JAY WILL
“The devastation and shock are real,” Shaggy notes. “For some of these kids, therapy is going to be [very important]. It’s not just food and clothes and shelter.
“You’re never really prepared for something like this; It’s the biggest [hurricane] on record,” he continues. “[The government is] doing their best to see what they can do to get in there. Large trucks are going to have a hard time going through the debris, so you’re going to need the military and urban development to clear up the roads so that supplies can come in, and that might take a couple of days. Smaller vehicles have the advantage of getting in there, so we’ve been doing that so that people are not starving until the big aid comes.”
In addition to delivering everything from roofing supplies and Pampers to “flashlights, batteries, everything that you can think of putting on a list,” Shaggy has also teamed with Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), which has been on the ground on the island since Hurricane Beryl in 2024. “Food for the Poor, of course, also has a major headquarters in Jamaica,” Shaggy adds. “I’ve done lots of work with them. Sean [Paul] is working with them closely right now, so I decided to work with GEM to spread it all around. There’s also the government site, www.supportjamaica.gov.jm.”
Jamaica is home to some of the music industry’s biggest and most iconic voices — from Shaggy himself and reggae iconoclasts like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh to dancehall superstars like Vybz Kartel and Shenseea. At the top of this year, Kartel made his Billboard cover debut with a whirlwind “24 hours in Kingston” interview ahead of his historic Freedom Street concert. This spring, Billboard also reported that, in under a year. New York’s UBS Arena hosted five $1 million-grossing Caribbean-headlined shows across four different genres. In days immediately following the storm, AccuWeather experts estimated up to $52 billion in damages and economic loss from Hurricane Melissa across the Caribbean.
“I don’t think anybody’s in any festive mood at this point,” Shaggy says of the future of Jamaica’s music and live entertainment industries post-Hurricane Melissa. “Jamaica is a land that doesn’t have any shortage of talent or artists or culture; it’s easier to get aid from people because of our cultural status. But we’re still not getting enough coverage. The minute you’re not in the press is when the aid goes, unfortunately. Keeping up awareness in the press is something that we need to do.”
Additional verified aid channels include World Food Programme, Project HOPE, GiveDirectly, American Friends of Jamaica, and Friends of Caritas Cuba. Click here to see how more celebrities have been reacting to Hurricane Melissa.
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This star-studded sketch is a mini masterpiece that delivers on both a local and national level, and it’s all the better for not wearing its politics on its sleeve. Each of New York’s mayoral candidates — independent Andrew Cuomo (Teller), Democrat Zohran Mamdani (Youssef) and Republican Curtis Sliwa (Gillis) — as well as the city’s current mayor, Eric Adams (Patterson) get their own turn on the spit of this perceptive satire.
Cuomo: “I got us through Covid, and then, yada, yada, yada, honk-honk, squeeze-squeeze,” he says, a reference to the sexual harassment allegations that dog him.
Sliwa: “I’m the only candidate here who’s been dangled by my testicles off the Verrazano Bridge by a little-known gang called The Lords of Flatbush. I was also poured into the foundation of Giants Stadium and crawled my way out. And just on my way here, I was ejaculated upon at the great Stardust Diner by a Times Square Spider-Man.”
For anyone under 60, The Lords of Flatbush was a 1974 film about a motorcycle gang that starred Henry Winkler, Sylvester Stallone and Paul Jabara, and featured a scene that resembles the dangling described by Gillis. Sliwa, who is also the founder of the volunteer crime protection group, the Guardian Angels, was abducted and shot in a cab in 1992 after Gambino crime family boss John Gotti put a hit out on him, has, more recently claimed unverified threats against his life because of his refusal to drop out of the race.
Mamdani: “I’m ready to spend the next hour hearing my opponents pronounce my name in ways you couldn’t begin to imagine. And I know some of you out there are scared of the idea of a young, socialist Muslim mayor. So, allow me to put you at ease by smiling after every answer in a way that hurts my face.” (Youssef, who has one of the best high-beam smiles in show business, is the ideal man for the job.)
And in another response: “I want to be mayor so I can deliver a better New York. Free healthcare, affordable housing, free WiFi,” Youssef as Mamdani says. “As mayor, can I make that happen? I’m not sure yet. But together we’re going to find out… that the answer is no.”
The butchering of Mamdani’s name alone is pretty spectacular here: Gillis as Sliwa calls him “Zoltar Rob Zombie” and Patterson as Adams refers to him as “Zorgon Mamagrama.”
There are also plenty of inside jokes for New Yorkers, such as the debate sponsors: One is the Gristedes supermarket chain, which is owned by billionaire Republican John Catsimatidis, who was pressuring Sliwa to drop out of the race. Others include the latest bane of the city’s pedestrians: bike lanes. (“You want a new way to die? Step into a bike lane,” says Thompson as the debate moderator.)
There are so many jokes in this sketch — which lasts just over 9 minutes — that it bears repeated watching, and Johnson-as-Trump makes an appearance near the end as the answer to the question posed to the candidates: “What is the biggest problem you have to confront as mayor?” Promising to be “very hands on,” Trump motions to Cuomo and says, “This guy knows about hands on, right, Cuomo?”
Wait, there’s more! The sketch ends with Trump performing “The Music of the Night” from the Broadway hit, The Phantom of the Opera. And godd–n, Johnson can carry a tune.
Trending on Billboard Gavin Adcock took quite the dive while performing his song “Deep End” at a recent concert in Canada, with the rising country star slipping and falling on stage mid-performance — and acquiring a big ole bruise in the process. As captured in footage from the concert, a shirtless Adcock performs his 2023 […]
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Bella Figura Music, a London-based catalog firm with rights to classic hits like Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” and Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing,” is making a push into the U.S. market, hiring former Capitol Records exec Gary Gersh and opening an L.A. office.
Founded in 2022 by former BMG U.K. President Alexi Cory-Smith and Neelesh Prabhu, Bella Figura has accumulated a catalog worth more than $160 million — a nearly 50% increase in its portfolio value this year, the firm says. With backing from Freshstream Investment Partners and the Canadian pension fund OPTrust, Cory-Smith says the firm’s expansion plans include deploying another roughly $100 million in the coming year.
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To help guide those investments, establish the firm’s reputation in the U.S. and grow the value of its portfolio—which Cory-Smith likens to a Ferrari garage—Bella Figura hired Gersh as chairman and inked a global administration deal with Sony Music Publishing.
“I’ve always used the Ferrari analogy,” Cory-Smith tells Billboard. “They get their hands dirty … constantly going back to fix it and get it better. It’s got to be a champion. Our thing is, is it good? It’s got to be great. The high value, slightly low margin game—that’s not us at all.”
Among the company’s largest acquisitions were the 2024 acquisition of iconic British publisher RAK, which brought in roughly 1,500 copyrights, and the British independent label Jeepster Records, which has the rights to several Belle and Sebastian and Snow Patrol albums. Bella Figura also owns the publishing catalog of songwriter and Robbie Williams collaborator Guy Chambers’, including rights to “Angels,” Feel” and “Let Me Entertain You,” and the master recordings to David Gray’s “Babylon,” because of its acquisition of his IHT record label.
Known for signing Nirvana and Sonic Youth and later running the global live entertainment company of AEG’s touring division, Gersh will be a key adviser in Bella Figura’s U.S. expansion, which he described as careful and precise.
“We’re offering attention to detail, focus, real partnership and opportunity,” Gersh says. “We are picking partners that understand that by doing less better we stay essential. We stay focused.”
Gary Gersh
Bella Figura
Cory-Smith says roughly three-quarters of the firm’s portfolio are publishing copyrights, a “scalable” asset they can maximize returns from by cleaning up metadata and ensuring more efficient registration of songs, using third party tools from Curve and Orpheum. Successful new creative projects have included landing “You Sexy Thing” in a Verizon commercial for the iPhone 17 pro that featured Kevin Hart and plans for special 30th anniversary records for Belle and Sebastian’s If You’re Feeling Sinister.
Cory-Smith and Gersh say their worldwide administration deal with Sony Music Publishing (SMP) opens the door to SMP’s global network, including its industry-leading film, TV and video game sync and licensing resources.
SMP President and Co-managing Director Tim Major said by email that Sony’s global reach makes it a “worthy guardian” for Bella Figura’s works.
“Bella Figura represents iconic and evergreen songs from some of the greatest songwriters we have known–songs that people love and will continue to love for generations to come,” Major said. “[We] are excited to work together … to create new and exciting opportunities and strategies for these songs around the world.”
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Former Grateful Dead vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, 78, died in a hospice facility in Nashville on Sunday (Nov. 2) following a long battle with cancer according to Rolling Stone. After a successful stint as a session singer at the famed Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama where she sang backup on Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 songs by Percy Sledge (“When a Man Loves a Woman”) and Elvis Presley (“Suspicious Minds”), Godchaux-MacKay joined the Grateful Dead in San Francisco along with then-husband keyboardist Keith Godchaux, touring and performing with the band from 1971-1979.
“She was a sweet and warmly beautiful spirit, and all those who knew her are united in loss,” read the statement about her death shared with RS. “The family requests privacy at this time of grieving. In the words of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, ‘May the four winds blow her safely home.’”
Donna Jean Thatcher was born in Florence, Ala. on Aug. 22, 1947 and began her decades-long music career as a member of the band Southern Comfort before moving on to session work, appearing on No. 1 songs by Sledge and Presley, as well as singing backup on sessions with Cher, Joe Tex, Duane Allman, Neil Diamond, Boz Scaggs and others before moving to the Bay Area and meeting Godchaux.
The couple got married in 1970 and both joined the Dead a year later, with Godchaux singing lead and backing vocals and Keith slipping into the spot formerly held by late band co-founder keyboardist/singer Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. The couple appeared on a string of the group’s classic 1970s albums, including 1973’s Wake of the Flood, 1974’s From the Mars Hotel and 1975’s Blues For Allah, on which Godchaux stepped up from the background to provide a co-lead vocal on “The Music Never Stopped” and the LP’s title suite.
She also appeared on 1976’s Steal Your Face and 1977’s Terrapin Station, where her powerful mezzo-soprano soared on the band’s disco-jam cover of Martha & the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street,” on which she shared the mic with guitarist/singer Bob Weir. She also took lead vocal duties and is credited with co-writing several songs on that album, including the gauzy ballad “Sunrise.” She took lead and composed the loose folky jam “From the Heart of Me” from the Dead’s beloved 1978 Shakedown Street LP, where she also shared vocals on “France” with Weir.
It would be the last Dead LP the Godchaux’s would appear on, though they were also key members of the legendarily road dog band’s 1970s touring ensemble before their departure in 1979, appearing on such beloved bootlegs as the 1977 Cornell University gig and the band’s 1978 shows at the Giza Pyramid in Egypt.
In addition to playing with the band, Donna also released music with husband Keith during their tenure, including 1975’s Keith & Donna duo effort, which in addition to their singing and playing features contributions from late Grateful Dead singer/guitarist Jerry Garcia on almost all the tracks. The couple also performed as part of Garcia’s side project, the Jerry Garcia Band, from 1976-1978 and formed their own side project, The Ghosts (later the Heart of Gold Band); Keith Godchaux, 32, died from injuries in a car accident in July 1980 shortly after the couple’s first concert together.
Donna Godchaux continued releasing solo music under the names The Donna Jean Band and Donna Jean and the Tricksters and issued her final studio album in 2014, Back Around, credited to the Donna Jean Godchaux Band with contributions from Zen Tricksters guitarist Jeff Mattson.
Godchaux was not a part of more recent tours and special anniversary concerts by the Grateful Dead’s various lineups under the names The Other Ones, The Dead, Furthur and Dead & Company. She did, however, make what would be one of her final appearances with the group at the Bonnaroo Festival on June 12, 2016, performing on the songs “Fire on the Mountain,” “Berth,” “Bird Song,” “Playing in the Band,” “Terrapin Station” and “Touch of Grey.” She also sat in for two other shows that summer, at Citi Field in New York in late June and Fenway Park in Boston in July.
Check out some of Godchuax’s performances below.
Michael M. Santiago / Kash Patel
Did Kash Patel embellish the FBI breaking up an alleged Halloween terror plot? A Michigan lawyer sure does believe so.
Mr. “I’ll see you in Valhalla,” and our current DEI FBI Director, Kash Patel, is being accused of lying about his FBI thwarting a terror plot that was supposed to go down on Halloween.
According to the Associated Press, a Michigan defense lawyer, Amir Makled, is disputing Patel’s claims that his 20-year-old client and four other young people were going to enact a terror attack on Halloween weekend.
Pattel proudly announced on Friday, teasing that more information was coming, but as expected with this administration, shared few details about the case.
Per The Associated Press:
The investigation involved discussion in an online chat room involving at least some of the suspects who were taken into custody, according to two people briefed on the investigation who could not publicly discuss details. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The group allegedly discussed carrying out an attack around Halloween, referring to “pumpkin day,” according to one of the people. The other person briefed on the investigation confirmed that there had been a “pumpkin” reference.
Makled Believes No Charges Will Be Pressed
Makled is calling CAP on those claims with the news website reporting that he has not received any details from federal authorities, while his client, a man from a Dearborn, Michigan suburb, still sits in prison.
After reviewing the investigation details, he feels there was no terror plot and is going so far as to say no charges will be brought when it’s all said and done.
This latest controversy isn’t the first time Patel has seemingly jumped the gun on an active investigation. Following his “good friend,” Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the highly unqualified FBI Director claimed that the shooter was in custody, but that was not the case, and he was called out for his handling of the investigation.
Did Kash Patel Bring Up This Alleged Halloween Terror Plot To Take The Focus Off His Company Jet Abuse?
Interestingly enough, Patel dropped this news as he was being called out for abusing FBI jet use, most recently for using the company plane to see his girlfriend sing the national anthem at a wrestling event.
According to reports, Patel was so upset that the info got out, he fired the FBI official, a 27-year vet.
Social media isn’t buying what Patel is selling either, and they are still calling out for his blatant abuse of our tax dollars.
You can see more reactions below.
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BLACKPINK’s Lisa is waving bye to Labubus. Her latest obsession? Monchhichi.
The “Money” singer has shared plenty of photos of herself to her socials sporting the monkey baby hybrid charm affixed to her designer bags, replacing the ever popular Labubu, a trend she’s widely credited with starting. The character, hailing from Japan, has gained major popularity, especially as the bag charm and blind box crazes have blown up in 2025.
With fans such as Lisa to back it, Monchhichi has lent its adorable IP to PopSockets for a collaboration of epic proportions. The electronics accessory company just dropped a Monchhichi-themed collection featuring six phone tech products, including ultra-cute MagSafe PopGrips and whimsical phone cases. The PopGrips retail from $40 to $45, while the cases retail for $45. Every Monchhichi-themed product incorporates gingham prints and pastel hues. They can be purchased on the PopSockets website now.
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PopSockets Framed iPhone Pro Max MagSafe Case
A Monchhichi-themed phone case.
PopSockets Cutie Patootie iPhone Pro Max MagSafe Case
A Monchhichi-themed phone case.
You may be reading this and thinking to yourself, “What’s a Monchhichi?” We’re glad you asked. The plushie is from Japan and was originally created by the Sekiguchi Corporation in 1974, so they’ve been around way longer than Labubus. The design is meant to look like a monkey with a tail, ears and a pacifier. The body is often made of soft faux fur, while the face, hands and feet are made of plastic.
We love this collection because it incorporates the cultural phenom that is Monchhichi with designs that are undeniably sweet with tech that is meant to make your life easier. Take the MagSafe cases, for example. You’ve got three styles to choose from: the Cutie Patootie, Framed and Best Friends styles. These PopSockets cases are basically indestructible, with industry-leading 10-foot drop protection. They’re also compatible with all PopSockets MagSafe accessories, giving you the ability to further customize your case. Unlike those bulky protective cases, PopSockets’ cases are sleek and slim, easily fitting into your pockets. These cases are also compatible with a multitude of iPhone models, from the 13 through the 17 Pro Max.
PopSockets Best Friends iPhone Pro Max MagSafe Case
A Monchhichi-themed phone case.
The MagSafe PopGrips are also a must-have in our book. The PopGrips also come in three styles: the Heart Best Friends, PopOut Monchhichi and Jelly Cutie Patootie. The ergonomic design allows the user to hold the phone easily without worrying about the phone taking a tumble. They’re also expandable, so you can snap selfies and prop your phone to watch videos. The product collapses back in on itself, lying flush against the phone so you can easily slide it back into your pocket. The MagSafe tech utilizes strong magnets that keeps your Monchhichi grips secure to your case. No sticky adhesive or slip-ups here.
Beyond its functionality, these PopGrips are also an easy way to accessorize your phone, giving your tech endless personality without you spending a fortune. Every design is pink and pastel blue, equipped with smiling Monchhichi figures. With the holidays right around the corner, we’d recommend snagging these tech accessories for that blind box-obsessed person in your life. We guarantee they’ll love this collection just as much as we do.
If you’re curious, the peculiar name Monchhichi is an amalgamation of the French word “mon” — or “mine” — and the Japanese onomatopoeia “chichi,” which mimics the sound of a baby sucking a pacifier — hence the attached pacifier.
PopSockets Heart Best Friends MagSafe PopGrip
A Monchhichi-themed PopGrip.
PopSockets PopOut Monchhichi MagSafe PopGrip
A Monchhichi-themed PopGrip.
PopSockets Jelly Cutie Patootie MagSafe PopGrip
A Monchhichi-themed PopGrip.
If you wanted an example of how to fumble badly in a press interview, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo provided that in an appearance on Saturday (November 1) during The Weekend on MSNBC. In speaking with hosts Eugene Daniels, Jonathan Capehart, and Jackie Alemany, Cuomo spoke about his positions on issues affecting New Yorkers as a mayoral candidate. When asked about Islamophobic rhetoric directed towards Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, Cuomo denounced it before making a statement.
“Our diversity is our strength, but it can also be a weakness,” he began. “So you have to work very, very hard to make sure you’re always keeping people united, and there’s always flare-ups among different races, religions, creeds for one reason or another.” Daniels offered a follow-up question asking what he meant by “weakness.”
Cuomo then replied, “Diversity can be a weakness if you have antipathy among groups, Jonathan. If you have racism or anti-semitism, et cetera. Then you’ve have friction.” After the camera caught Capehart’s perplexed reaction, Daniels would interject during Cuomo’s response to correct him: “I’m Eugene.” Daniels and Capehart are both Black.
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There would be another moment toward the end of the interview where Cuomo mixed up the two again, this time in an answer to Daniels about comparing his legacy as part of a political dynasty with his father, Mario Cuomo, as opposed to people wanting new blood like Mamdani.
“The mayor is an important job and people want to be safe,” Cuomo began. “People want affordable housing, and in New York City, you can have a crisis at any given time. I don’t think they want a mayor who has no experience or ability to do the job. It can be a scary city as you know, Jonathan, and you want someone in that seat who can handle whatever comes up.”
Capehart cut in as he and Daniels laughed at the repeated error, letting Cuomo know that he was speaking to him now instead of Daniels. Cuomo apologized meekly as the interview wound down, saying, “I’m sorry.” Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi blamed the gaffes on the candidate being “in a mobile van unit with an earpiece and staring directly into the camera and couldn’t tell who was talking.”
The interview comes as 700,000 people in New York City have already voted early, leading up to the official election day on Tuesday (November 4).
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Jason Aldean is set to perform his songs “Try That in a Small Town” and “How Far Does a Goodbye Go” as part of Fox Nation’s seventh annual Patriot Awards, which will be held Thursday (Nov. 6) at The Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Brookville, N.Y. During the event, Erika Kirk, Turning Point […]
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A couple of recent news items from the Recording Academy may give us some hints about what to expect when the Grammy nominations are announced on Friday Nov. 7.
On Monday (Nov. 3), the academy announced that they have added approximately 2,900 new voting members this year as part of their years-long effort to diversify the voting body. Of the newly-admitted members, 49% are age 39 and under, 60% are people of color and 30% identify as women.
Also, for the first time, invitations to join the Recording Academy were extended to all voting members of the Latin Recording Academy. Many accepted the offer. That’s a strong indicator that Bad Bunny could be headed for his second album of the year nod for Debí Tirar Más Fotos. He was already a likely nominee in that category, especially since Sept. 28, when he was announced as next year’s Super Bowl halftime headliner. Now, he seemingly can’t miss. The influx of Latin Recording Academy members also puts Karol G, who is entered with Tropicoqueta, in the album of the year conversation.
Last Thursday, the academy announced the names of the celebrities who will participate in Friday’s nominations livestream, including several artists who are vying for nods – Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Brandi Carlile, Doechii, Jon Batiste and the aforementioned Karol G. Just because someone has been invited to announce some nominees on the livestream doesn’t automatically mean they’re going to be nominated, but if you’re looking for every conceivable hint and clue (and we are!), it’s a positive sign. Would the academy really ask an A-lister like Carpenter to participate in their livestream if she was shut out in the nominations? (That would be “Manchild” behavior.)
Kendrick Lamar (GNX) and Lady Gaga (MAYHEM) are probably this year’s surest bets for album of the year nods. It would be the fifth nomination in the category as lead (or co-lead) artists for both artists. Neither has ever won in the category. If Lamar is nominated, he’ll become the first solo artist in Grammy history to receive album of the year nods for five consecutive studio albums.
Elton John and Coldplay could be headed for their fourth nods in the category – John for his collab with Carlile, Who Believes in Angels?; Coldplay for Moon Music. Carlile, Batiste (Big Money) and Justin Bieber (Swag) could be headed for their third nods in the category.
We could see history made on Friday, if three rap albums are nominated for album of the year. There have never been more than two rap albums nominated in any one year. Lamar’s GNX seems a lock for a nomination. Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out and Tyler, the Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA also have a good shot.
Two soundtracks are strong contenders – KPop Demon Hunters, which has been an inescapable pop-culture phenomenon, and Wicked, which stars a major pop star (Ariana Grande) as well as a near-EGOT (Cynthia Erivo). But in the last 30 years, just three soundtracks have been nominated for album of the year – and all three were linked to a top-name producer – Waiting to Exhale (Babyface), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (T Bone Burnett) and Black Panther (Kendrick Lamar).
Debut or breakthrough albums often make the album of the year finals. Leon Thomas’ second album, Mutt, and debut releases by Alex Warren (You’ll Be Alright, Kid) and sombr (I Barely Know Her) are contenders this year. Olivia Dean’s breakthrough album, The Art of Loving, was released after the end of the eligibility period (Aug. 31, 2024, to Aug. 30, 2025). It will be eligible here next year, though Dean is eligible for best new artist this year, and is among the front-runners in that category.
Other albums, not already mentioned, that are strong contenders include The Weeknd‘s Hurry Up Tomorrow, Tate McRae’s So Close to What, Laufey’s A Matter of Time, Bon Iver’s SABLE, fABLE, Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken, HAIM’s I Quit, Lorde’s Virgin and Kali Uchis’ Sincerely.
Here are the eight albums most likely to be nominated for album of the year. They are listed in alphabetical order by artist, as they will appear on the official Grammy nominations list. We show you how many album of the year nominations the artist has previously received as a lead artist and how high this album placed on the Billboard 200.
Bad Bunny, Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Image Credit: Eric Rojas
