Grammy Award
We’re likely to see several milestone achievements when the 67th annual Grammy Awards nominations are unveiled on Friday Nov. 8.
If Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is nominated for album of the year, she’ll break out of a tie with Barbra Streisand and stand alone as the woman with the most nods in this category.
If Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter is nominated in that same category, she’ll become the Black artist with the most album of the year nods as a lead artist. She’s currently tied for that distinction with Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar.
If Lamar’s “Not Like Us” is nominated for record and/or song of the year, he’ll tie Jay-Z for the most nods in those categories by a rapper.
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If both Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter are nominated in each of the Big Four categories – album, record and song of the year plus best new artist – this will be only the third time in Grammy history that two artists have achieved that feat in the same year. Billie Eilish and Lizzo both did it five years ago. Olivia Rodrigo and FINNEAS both did it three years ago.
Let’s took a closer look at the likely nominees in each of the Big Four categories. We’ll discuss top candidates in each of the races and then reveal our eight picks. (For the second year in a row, there will be eight nominees in each of these categories.)
While Beyoncé’s album hasn’t sustained its popularity as well as some of its rivals – it ranked No. 190 on the Billboard 200 on Oct. 15 as nominations-round voting closed – it’s hard to see how it can miss out on a nomination, especially after husband Jay-Z called out Grammy voters for never giving Beyoncé their top award right on the Grammy stage in February. Cowboy Carter led to a heightened appreciation for Black artists’ long-underrecognized role in the development of country music, and likely paved the way for the success of Shaboozey’s megahit “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” This would be Bey’s fifth album to be nominated in this category and her fourth in a row.
Swift’s album topped the Billboard 200 for 15 weeks, longer than any other album this year – and longer than any of her previous albums. Her cultural dominance over the past two years likely stems more from the unprecedented success of The Eras Tour than it does from any particular album. Still, it’s hard to see Tortured Poets not being nominated. This would be Swift’s seventh album of the year nod, and Poets would be her fourth consecutive studio album of new material to be nominated.
Eilish’s first two studio albums were both nominated for this award – her debut won it five years ago, follow-up Happier Than Ever was nominated two years later. Hit Me Hard and Soft is likely to make her 3 for 3. It was her first album to spawn two top five hits on the Billboard Hot 100, while Eilish demonstrated her star power by winning a second Oscar for best original song in March, and performing on a globally-televised program which wrapped the 2024 Summer Olympics in August.
Chappell Roan’s first full-length album, The Rise & Fall of a Midwest Princess, also seems like a sure thing. The album was released one week after the start of the eligibility year (Sept. 16, 2023 – Aug. 30, 2024) and has slowly built into blockbuster status. The industry loves a good artist development story, and this one is hard to beat.
Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet, is also a solid bet. The album has logged four weeks atop the Billboard 200 and includes three singles that have made the top three on the Billboard 200. This represents a different kind of artist development story – someone who was on the cusp of stardom for nearly a decade before really exploding in the past year.
Charli XCX’s Brat is one of the year’s most critically lauded albums and one of the most well-known, especially since Charli tweeted “kamala IS brat” and became part of the year’s top overall story – the presidential election.
Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine also has a good shot. The album topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks and spawned two No. 1 singles on the Hot 100. Thank U, Next, her only previous album to spawn two No. 1 singles, was nominated in this category five years ago. The only possible hitch: The many hit albums by women artists which have exploded since Grande’s album was released back in March may overshadow it.
If Beyoncé is nominated, it would be odd if Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion was not. Many have praised Post’s willing immersion into the country music scene, something Bey did not do in the same way, as the ideal way for a genre outsider to approach a genre. Post has been nominated twice before in this category, with Beerbongs & Bentleys and Hollywood’s Bleeding.
If Bey and Post both make the finals, there will be two nominees by pop artists performing country music. Nashville insiders will want to see at least one nominee by a core country artist. Top contenders there include Chris Stapleton’s Higher, Lainey Wilson’s Whirlwind and Kacey Musgraves’ Deeper Well. Stapleton and Musgraves have each been nominated in this category once in the past; Musgraves has won (for Golden Hour in 2019). If Stapleton is nominated again, he’ll become the first male country solo artist to land two nominations in this category.
Usher could be nominated for his ninth studio album, Coming Home. The R&B star headlined the Super Bowl halftime show in February and scored his biggest crossover hit in nearly a decade with “Good Good,” a collab with Summer Walker and 21 Savage. Two of the artists who performed at the 2022 halftime show, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar, wound up with album of the year nods that year. This would be Usher’s second nod in this category. He was nominated for his 2004 blockbuster Confessions.
The Recording Academy added 2,000 new voting members this year (bringing the total number of voting members to 13,000). As has been the case for the past several years, the focus was on adding more women, people of color and people under 40. This could boost the chances of not only Usher’s album, but also Future & Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You, their first of two Billboard 200-topping collaborations; 21 Savage’s Billboard 200-topping American Dream; and Tyla’s Tyla, among others. Tyla’s “Water” won the inaugural Grammy presented for best African music performance in February. The South African singer won two BET Awards on June 30 — best new artist and best international act.
The Rolling Stones were nominated in this category for 1978’s Some Girls. They’re in the conversation this year with Hackney Diamonds, which was produced by Andrew Watt, who won producer of the year (non-classical) four years ago.
Zach Bryan’s The Great American Bar Scene would have a good chance at a nomination here, but Bryan didn’t enter his music in the Grammy process this year. That’s also why his “Pink Skies” is missing from the record and song of the year forecasts.
Our Fearless Forecast
Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
Charli XCX, Brat
Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine
Post Malone, F-1 Trillion
Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department
Beyoncé could be headed for her ninth nomination in this category with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which would extend her record for the most nods in the history of the category. (She surpassed the former record-holder, traditional pop GOAT Frank Sinatra, two years ago.) Don’t tell Jay-Z, but Bey has never won in this category either — the fact that that 0-fer isn’t nearly as much of a point of contention as her album of the year shutout is a sign of how the latter award has become the most coveted Grammy. (Fun Fact: “Texas Hold ’Em” wouldn’t be the first poker-themed hit to land a record of the year nod; Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” was nominated at the awards in 1980.)
Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga could be headed for their seventh and fourth nominations in this category, respectively, with the plush “Die With a Smile.” A nod here would put Mars in a tie with Sinatra for second place on the list of artists with the most nominations in the category. (And Gaga could use a little good news after the drubbing her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux, took.)
Swift and Malone could be headed for their sixth and fourth nominations in the category, respectively, with “Fortnight,” which won video of the year at the MTV VMAs on Sept. 11. But it doesn’t have to be nominated in this category. Three previous Swift album of the year nominees – Red, Folklore and Evermore – weren’t represented in the record of the year nominations.
Eilish could be headed for her fifth nomination in the category with “Birds of a Feather,” which was released in July and quickly eclipsed her previous release “Lunch,” which had seemed likely to be nominated. Eilish would become the first artist in Grammy history to amass five record of the year nods before turning 23. She will reach that birthday on Dec. 18.
Lamar and SZA could each be headed for their fourth nods in the category with “Not Like Us” and “Saturn,” respectively. “Not Like Us” has transcended its origins in the year’s most bitter pop feud. Even if someone didn’t know the backstory, it’s simply an undeniable smash, with a sick beat. And “Saturn” is a gorgeous single.
Lamar could have a second record of the year nomination this year with Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” on which he was featured. The last artist to receive two record the year nods in the same year was Beyoncé four years ago, for her own “Black Parade” and as a featured artist on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage.”
Post Malone could also have two record of the year nods – or he could wind up with none. The Post/Morgan Wallen collab “I Had Some Help” was Billboard’s Song of the Summer. It’s a catchy record, but Grammy voters sometimes steer clear of super-commercial works like this. Post has amassed 10 Grammy nominations over the years (though oddly no wins), but Wallen has yet to receive a Grammy nomination.
Ariana Grande could be headed for her second nod in the category with “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” She was previously nominated for the Rodgers & Hammerstein-interpolating “7 Rings.”
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” headed the Hot 100 for 15 weeks, longer than any other single this year. Like the Lil Nas X/Billy Ray Cyrus collab “Old Town Road,” which was nominated in this category five years ago, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” blends country and R&B/hip-hop elements.
Hozier’s impeccably-produced “Too Sweet” became his first No. 1 hit on the Hot 100. Now it may become his first record of the year nominee. Hozier is vying to become the fourth Irish artist to be nominated in this category, following Gilbert O’Sullivan, U2 and Sinéad O’Connor. Hozier’s 2014 hit “Take Me to Church” was nominated for song of the year.
This would be the first nomination in this category for Shaboozey and Hozier, as it would be for such other strong contenders as Benson Boone (whose “Beautiful Things” resembles Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” in its build from a soft opening to a rock-edged finish), Carpenter (“Espresso), Roan (“Good Luck, Babe!), Tommy Richman (“Million Dollar Baby”) and Charli XCX (“360”).
The original studio version of Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” was released in the previous eligibility year and is thus not eligible, but a live version, subtitled “The Village Sessions,” is eligible. Unfortunately for Swims, live and alternative versions are rarely nominated in this category. That could also work to the detriment of Muni Long’s “Made for Me (Live on BET).”
Our Fearless Forecast
Beyoncé, “Texas Hold ’Em”
Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso”
Billie Eilish, “Birds of a Feather”
Hozier, “Too Sweet”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile”
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!”
Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Swift has received seven nominations in this category, more than anyone else in Grammy history, though she has yet to win. (As with Beyoncé in record of the year, it’s odd that the person with the most nominations in the category has never won.) Swift could land her eighth nod in this category this year with “Fortnight,” which she cowrote with Jack Antonoff (it would be his fifth nod in the category) and Post Malone (it would be his second).
Beyoncé and Mars could each be headed for their sixth nominations in this category – Bey with “Texas Hold ’Em” and Mars with “Die With a Smile.” For those keeping score, that would put them in a tie with Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie for second place on the Grammy song of the year nominations leaderboard. All five co-writers of “Die With a Smile” are past song of the year nominees – perhaps it was a requirement for landing the gig – Lady Gaga and Dernst Emile II (D’Mile) have each been nominated three times in the category. James Fauntleroy and Andrew Watt have each been nominated once.
Eilish and Finneas could be headed for their fifth nominations in the category for “Birds of a Feather.” They have won twice, for “Bad Guy” and their Barbie ballad “What Was I Made For?”
Max Martin could be headed for his fifth nomination in the category for co-writing Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” Martin was previously nominated in the category for co-writing Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” Katy Perry’s “Roar” and Swift’s “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” If this song is nominated, the Swedish hitmaker would become the first songwriter who hails from somewhere other than America or England to amass five nods in this category.
Carpenter’s camp entered “Please Please Please” in this category rather than “Espresso.” This would be the fifth nomination in this category for co-writer Antonoff, who could have two nominations in the category. As noted, he’s also a co-writer of “Fortnight.” If both songs are nominated, this would be the second year in a row that Antonoff has doubled up in this category. Last year, he was nominated for co-writing both Swift’s “Anti-Hero” and Lana Del Rey’s “A&W.” (Unlike his top client, Swift, Antonoff has won in the category. He shared the award in 2013 for cowriting “We Are Young” by his trio fun., featuring Janelle Monáe.)
As in record of the year, Lamar and SZA could each be headed for their fourth nominations in the category with “Not Like Us” and “Saturn,” respectively.
Daniel Nigro has two strong songs in contention – Roan’s can’t-miss “Good Luck, Babe!” (which he co-wrote with Roan and Justin Tranter) and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Obsessed” (which he co-wrote with Rodrigo and Annie Clark – a.k.a. St. Vincent). Nigro and Rodrigo have been nominated twice in this category, for “drivers license” and “vampire.” Tranter was nominated once, for co-writing Julia Michaels’ “Issues.”
Louis Bell could be headed for his third nomination in the category for co-writing “I Had Some Help.” Hozier could be headed for his second for co-writing “Too Sweet.” Boone could be headed for his first for co-writing “Beautiful Things.”
Jelly Roll’s “I Am Not Okay” has a positive message about the importance of greater openness about mental health and self-care issues. It could appeal to some of the same voters who delivered a song of the year nomination to “1-800-273-8255,” about suicide prevention, seven years ago. Jelly Roll sang “I Am Not Okay” over the In Memoriam spot on the Primetime Emmys.
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is eligible here, though some voters may nick it in this category for leaning heavily on an earlier hit. The song interpolates J-Kwon’s 2004 single “Tipsy.”
Musgraves is a contender for “Deeper Well,” which she co-wrote with Ian Fitzchuk and Daniel Tashian. Their “camera roll” was nominated for best country song three years ago.
Our Fearless Forecast
“Beautiful Things,” Evan Blair, Benson Boone, Jackson Lafrantz Larsen
“Birds of a Feather,” Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell
“Die With a Smile,” James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Dernst Emile II, Bruno Mars, Andrew Watt
“Fortnight,” Jack Antonoff, Post Malone, Taylor Swift
“Good Luck, Babe!,” Chappell Roan, Daniel Nigro, Justin Tranter
“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar
“Please Please Please,” Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff, Sabrina Carpenter
“Texas Hold ’Em,” Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro, Raphael Saadiq
The last seven winners in this category – Alessia Cara, Dua Lipa, Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Rodrigo, Samara Joy and Victoria Monét – have been women solo artists. This tied the record established in 1997-2003, when the winners were LeAnn Rimes, Paula Cole, Lauryn Hill, Christina Aguilera, Shelby Lynne, Alicia Keys and Norah Jones. Since Roan and Carpenter are widely seen as this year’s front-runners in this category, a new record will likely be set in February.
Several key contenders won new artist prizes at other top award shows. RAYE won best new artist at the Brit Awards on March 2, while The Last Dinner Party won their rising star award. Megan Moroney won new female artist of the year at the ACM Awards on May 16. Roan won best new artist at the MTV VMAs on Sept. 11. The Red Clay Strays won best emerging act of the year at the Americana Honors & Awards on Sept. 18. Sexxy Red won best breakthrough artist at the BET Hip Hop Awards on Oct. 15.
RAYE hasn’t fully broken through in the U.S. yet, but she may have made enough of an impact to be nominated here. Eleven past winners of the Brits’ new artist prize have at least been nominated for best new artist at the Grammys – The Human League (1982), Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1985), Lisa Stansfield (1990), Keane (2005), Duffy (2009), Ed Sheeran (2012), Bastille (2014), Sam Smith (2015), Dua Lipa (2018), Arlo Parks (2021) and Wet Leg (2023).
Though the original version of Swims’ “Lose Control” isn’t eligible for record of the year, he is eligible here. (The rules in this category are more elastic.) He is a strong candidate thanks both to that Hot 100-topping hit and its hit follow-up, “The Door.”
Richman’s first studio album, Coyote, was released after the close of the eligibility year. He made the eligibility list anyway because he had met the minimum requirement of five singles or tracks. One of them was the No. 2 Hot 100 smash “Million Dollar Baby.”
The Hanseroth Twins – Phil and Tim – have a good shot at a nomination. They have amassed 10 Grammy nominations, including three wins – best American roots song for co-writing Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke,” best country song for co-writing Tanya Tucker’s “Bring My Flowers Now” and best rock song for co-writing Carlile’s “Broken Horses.” They are eligible here because this was determined to be the year they achieved prominence as artists. They wouldn’t be the first best new artist nominees who had previous nominations for behind-the-scenes work. Monét, who won best new artist in February, had three previous nominations. FINNEAS, who was nominated in this category three years ago, had nine previous nominations (including eight wins).
Blackpink has yet to receive a Grammy nomination, but that group’s LISA could be headed for a best new artist nomination. She would be the first K-pop artist to be nominated in this category.
Shaboozey is almost certain to be nominated here. Four other country-leaning artists also have a shot – Dasha, whose “Austin” reached No. 3 on Hot Country Songs and No. 18 on the Hot 100; HARDY and Cody Johnson, each of whom have received two new artist of the year nods at the CMA Awards; and Brittney Spencer, who (like Shaboozey) is featured on Cowboy Carter.
One fun note: Two of the leading candidates, Boone and Carpenter, share a surname with past winners in this category. Debby Boone won in 1978. Karen and Richard Carpenter won in 1971. Alas, there is no previous winner named Roan.
Our Fearless Forecast
Benson Boone
Sabrina Carpenter
Megan Moroney
RAYE
Chappell Roan
Sexxy Red
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims
In the two years that the Recording Academy has presented a Grammy for songwriter of the year, non-classical, four women have been nominated for the award. Amy Allen, Nija Charles and Laura Veltz were nominated in the category’s inaugural year. Jessie Jo Dillon was nominated at the ceremony in February.
Men won both years. Tobias Jesso Jr. won in 2023 for writing songs by such artists as Harry Styles, Adele and FKA Twigs. Theron Thomas won earlier this year for writing songs by such artists as Lil Durk featuring J. Cole, Tyla and Chlöe.
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The list of 61 songwriters vying for nominations in that category this year includes 20 women, one of whom may make history as the first woman to win in the category.
The list includes two women who have already won Grammys – Allen, who won album of the year in 2023 for her songwriting contributions to Harry Styles’ Harry’s House, and Diane Warren, who won best song written specifically for a motion picture or for television in 1997 for “Because You Loved Me” from the Michelle Pfeiffer film Up Close and Personal.
This year’s entry list also includes eight women who have been nominated for one or more Grammys, but have yet to win – Dillon, Sarah Aarons, Caroline Ailin, Jessi Alexander, Brittany Amaradio (aka Delacey), Ink (Atia Boggs), Ali Tamposi and Emily Warren.
The list also includes 10 women who are vying for their first Grammy nomination – Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Jessie Early, Julia Gargano, Sarah Hudson, Lauren Lee Hungate, Steph Jones, Kayla Morrison, RAYE, Sasha Alex Sloan and Betsy Walter.
You may be surprised to see RAYE on the list, due to the academy’s focus in this category on non-artists. To qualify for the award, writers “must have written a minimum of five songs in which they are credited solely as a songwriter or co-writer” (and not also as a primary or featured artist, or producer). But if they meet that threshold, they may also have written or co-written tracks on which they were the artist.
RAYE qualified because in addition to writing for herself, she writes for other artists. Her entries this year include Rita Ora’s “Ask & You Shall Receive,” Halle’s “Because I Love You,” Jennifer Lopez’s “Dear Ben Pt. II,” Beyoncé’s “Riiverdance,” and Neiked’s “You’re Hired” (featuring Ayra Starr).
Nominated songwriters can come from any musical field, except classical. Those composers are recognized in the best contemporary classical composition category.
Will any of these women be nominated for songwriter of the year, non-classical? We’ll find out on Nov. 8 when the nominees are announced. Winners will be revealed on Feb. 2.
As a bonus, here are the first women to win in 10 other songwriting categories at the Grammys.
Song of the year: Carole King in 1972 for writing “You’ve Got a Friend,” which was featured on her Tapestry album and was also a No. 1 Hot 100 hit for James Taylor. It took a while for a woman to win this award: This was the category’s 14th year. King later also became the first woman to win the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
Best rock song: Alanis Morisette in 1996 for co-writing “You Oughta Know,” the most incendiary track on her Jagged Little Pill album, with Glen Ballard. This was the category’s fifth year.
Best R&B song: Betty Wright in 1976, for co-writing her track “Where Is the Love” with Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch (both of KC and the Sunshine Band) and Willie Clarke. Note: This is not the far more famous Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway song of the same title, but confusion with that classic may have worked to this song’s benefit. This was the category’s eighth year.
Best rap song: Miri Ben Ari in 2005, for co-writing Ye’s “Jesus Walks” with Che Smith and Kanye West (as Ye was then known). This was the category’s second year.
Best country song: Debbie Hupp in 1980, for co-writing the Kenny Rogers ballad hit “You Decorated My Life” with Bob Morrison. This was the category’s 16th year.
Best song written for visual media: Cynthia Weil in 1988, for co-writing the Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram hit “Somewhere Out There” (from An American Tail) with her husband and longtime collaborator Barry Mann and film composer James Horner. This was the category’s first year. (The ballad also won song of the year.)
Best American roots song: Edie Brickell in 2014 for cowriting “Love Has Come for You” with Steve Martin. They also recorded the song. This was the category’s first year.
Best gospel song: Yolanda Adams in 2006 for cowriting her track “Be Blessed” with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and James Q. Wright. This was the category’s first year. The award is now known as best gospel performance/song.
Best contemporary Christian song: Laura Story in 2012 for writing her own track “Blessings.” This was the category’s third year. The award is now known as best contemporary Christan music performance/song.
Best contemporary classical composition: Joan Tower in 2008 for composing “Made in America.” This was the category’s 30th year.
Barbra Streisand is among the top contenders for a Grammy nomination for best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording category for the audiobook of her long-awaited memoir, My Name Is Barbra. That was also the title of her first TV special in 1965, for which she won a Primetime Emmy (outstanding individual achievements in entertainment – actors and performers), and a companion album for which she won a Grammy (best vocal performance, female).
Streisand received a life achievement award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Feb. 24, one of many such awards she has won. At the Grammys, she is one of just two women (Aretha Franklin is the other) to have won both a lifetime achievement award and a Grammy legend award.
This category usually yields one of most eclectic groups of nominees on the Grammy ballot – and so it will likely be again this year. The two most certain nominees would appear to be former president Jimmy Carter’s Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration and Matthew Perry’s Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. On Oct. 1, Carter became the first U.S. president in history to reach the age of 100. Perry died in October 2023 at age 54 after a long struggle with drug dependency – “the big terrible thing” in the title of his memoir.
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This would be Carter’s 10th nomination in the category, which would extend his record as the person with the most nods in the history of the category (which dates to the first Grammy ceremony in 1959). Should he win, it would be his fourth win in the category, which would enable him to break out of a tie with poet Maya Angelou as the person with the most wins in the category. Carter previously won for Our Endangered Values (2007), A Full Life: Reflections at 90 (2016) and Faith: A Journey for All (2019).
Perry received five Primetime Emmy nominations – including one for his iconic role as Chandler Bing on Friends.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a good chance at a nomination for The Art of Power. She would become the first current or former House Speaker to be nominated in this category. Grammy voters lean Democratic and this would give them a chance to salute the longtime leader, who was the first woman elected as House Speaker. She served from 2007-11 and again from 2019-23.
Questlove is a strong contender with Hip-Hop Is History. The hip-hop icon has been nominated twice in this category, with Creative Quest (2019) and Music Is History (2023). Questlove won both an Oscar and a Grammy for directing the acclaimed documentary, Summer of Soul.
And that’s how fast five slots fill up. There are many other strong contenders on the entry list of 145 entries should any of these presumed front-runners fall short.
Jill Biden‘s Willow the White House Cat could easily make it. Former first ladies Hillary Rodham Clinton (as she was known when she won) and Michelle Obama each won in this category. (Obama won twice.) Many Grammy voters will want to salute the Bidens as Joe Biden’s presidency winds down. But this particular audiobook may seem a little slight. Some voters may prefer to wait for the audiobook of her expected memoir chronicling her life in the public eye.
Dolly Parton’s Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones could also make the grade. The country queen was nominated in at least one category in 36 of the Grammys’ first 66 years, a remarkable show of sustained voter appeal. She has been nominated in each of the last five years. But she has yet to be nominated in this category.
Three past winners in this category are on this year’s entry list. In addition to former president Carter, they are TV hosts Rachel Maddow and Stephen Colbert. Maddow is entered with Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism; Colbert with Life, a collab with Father John Quigley.
Maddow won in this category in 2021 with Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rouge State Russia and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth. (It didn’t win for Snappiest Title.) Colbert won in 2014 for America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t, from the period when he was parodying a right-wing, blowhard commentator on The Colbert Report.
Mariah Carey’s A Portrait of a Portrait could be a contender, though Carey hasn’t been nominated in any category since 2008.
Britney Spears didn’t narrate the audiobook for her best-selling memoir The Woman in Me. Oscar-nominated actress Michelle Williams did, and is entered here. Fun Fact: The Woman in Me topped the New York Times Hardcover Non-Fiction best-seller list, blocking My Name Is Barbra from reaching the top spot.
My Name Is Barbra isn’t the only case where a music star repurposed one of their old titles. Michael McDonald is entered with his audiobook What a Fool Believes, which he titled after The Doobie Brothers’ classic, which won Grammys for record and song of the year in 1979.
Many other titles by musicians are on the list, including George Clinton’s …And Your Ass Will Follow; Willow Smith’s Black Shield Maiden; gospel star Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s Do It Anyway: Don’t Give Up Before It Gets Good; Geddy Lee’s My Effin’ Life; Thurston Moore’s Sonic Life; Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Romy Ashby & Dennis Bousikaris’s Under a Rock; Tegan and Sara’s Under My Control; Jeff Tweedy’s World Within a Song: Music That Changes My Life and Life That Changed My Music; Jessie Reyez’s Words of a Goat Princess; John McEuen’s The Newsman: A Man of Record; Geri Halliwell-Horner’s Rosie Frost and the Falcon Queen; and Jim Wilson’s Tuned In: Memoirs of a Piano Man – Behind-The-Scenes with Music Legends and Finding the Artist Within.
There are a number of titles by people from the worlds of politics and media on the list, including Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life; Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford’s One Way Back; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s True Gretch; Doris Kearns Goodwin & Bryan Cranston’s An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s and Ali Velshi’s Small Acts of Courage.
Three past winners for best comedy album are on the entry list here. In addition to Colbert, they are Tiffany Haddish and Whoopi Goldberg. Haddish is entered with I Curse You With Joy. Goldberg has two entries on the list, Bits and Pieces and Camino Ghosts.
Grammy, Emmy and Tony winner Cynthia Erivo is entered with Children of Anguish and Anarchy. Charlamagne tha God, who was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of The Breakfast Club, is entered with Get Honest or Die Lying. Nicole Avant, a former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas (and the daughter of Clarence and Jacqueline Avant), is entered with Think You’ll Be Happy.
Works by TV stars on the list include Henry Winkler’s Being Henry; Dan Aykroyd’s Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude; Michael Richards’ Entrances and Exits; Julianne Hough’s Everything We Never Knew; RuPaul’s The House of Hidden Meanings; John Stamos’ If You Would Have Told Me; Mo Rocca’s Roctogenarians; Dr. Phil’s We’ve Got Issues (he’s listed as Phillip C. McGraw, PHD); Bill Maher’s What This Comedian Said Will Shock You; Patrick Stewart’s Making It So: A Memoir; and George Takei’s My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story.
Three-time Oscar nominee Laura Linney is entered with Summer, 1976, a collab with Jessica Hecht. Other works by film stars on the list include Billy Dee Williams’ What Have We Here?: Portraits of a Life and Rebel Wilson’s Rebel Rising: A Memoir.
Sports figures on the list include Andia Winslow with Brittney Griner’s Coming Home and Deion Sanders’ Elevate and Dominate: 21 Ways to Win On and Off the Field.
And did we mention that novelist Salman Rushdie is on the list with Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder? We told you the list was eclectic.
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So, which five titles have the best chance to be nominated? Here’s my prediction (alphabetically by title): Nancy Pelosi’s The Art of Power, Matthew Perry’s Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Questlove’s Hip-Hop Is History, Jimmy Carter’s Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration, Barbra Streisand’s My Name Is Barbra.
Jeopardy! contestants are expected to know a little bit about everything. They can be a leading authority on the World Series, but that doesn’t do them a bit of good if the categories before them are Shakespeare, U.S. History and 20th Century Women. On Wednesday (Sept. 25), one of the categories was Grammy Winners for […]
The Recording Academy has renamed its two-year-old Best Song for Social Change Special Merit Award in honor of the late Harry Belafonte, who was a powerful voice for social justice throughout his career. The award will henceforth be known as the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award. It will continue to honor songwriters of message-driven music that speaks to the social issues of our time and has demonstrated and inspired positive global impact.
“The greatness of Harry Belafonte’s artistic legacy is matched by his profound impact of furthering social justice for all,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “We are honored to recognize his lasting influence with the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award and to continue celebrating works that have inspired global communities towards social impact.”
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“The Belafonte estate is deeply honored and thrilled that the Recording Academy’s Best Song for Social Change Award will now be named the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award,” said Belafonte’s daughters Adrienne, Shari and Gina and his third wife, Pamela, in a joint statement. “This recognition not only celebrates Harry Belafonte’s enduring legacy in music and activism, but also inspires future generations to continue using their voices and art for justice and positive change.”
The Recording Academy generally doesn’t name awards after individuals, though it in recent years introduced the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award (which was presented to Dre on the Grammy telecast in 2023 and to Jay-Z on this year’s telecast).
Many have forgotten that the academy’s lifetime achievement award was originally called the Bing Crosby Award. The legendary crooner was the first recipient in 1963. There were seven other recipients through 1972. The award wasn’t presented for the next 12 years, but when it returned in 1984, seven years after Crosby’s 1977 death, the academy had quietly dropped Crosby’s name from the award so that it wouldn’t be tied to any one artist or genre.
Formerly a Special Merit Award, the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award will now be categorized as a CEO’s Merit Award, with the finalists and the recipients selected annually by a committee composed of a community of peers dedicated to artistic expression, the craft of songwriting and the power of songs to affect social change.
The first two winners of the award, under its former name, were “Baraye” by Shervin Hajipour (2023) and “Refugee” by K’naan, Gerald Eaton and Steve McEwan (2024).
The submission period for the current cycle of the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award is July 17 – Aug. 30, 2024. For guidelines and to make a submission, visit www.Grammy.com.
From his debut in the 1950s until his death in 2023 at age 96, Belafonte’s artistic career progressed on a parallel track with his work as a trailblazing activist. A friend of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and an advisor, organizer and contributor to the civil rights movement, Belafonte helped to organize the 1961 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and contributed to the 1961 Freedom Rides and the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964. Belafonte performed at President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural ball in 1961 and was later named by Kennedy as a cultural advisor to the Peace Corps.
An advocate for global humanitarian causes including the anti-apartheid movement, Belafonte, in 1985, was a key organizer for USA for Africa’s benefit single “We Are the World,” which raised money for famine relief in Africa. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and won four Grammy Awards, including record and song of the year. Belafonte became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1987 and traveled internationally to raise awareness for the needs of children across sub-Saharan Africa.
Belafonte won two Grammy Awards – both in folk categories, for “Swing Dat Hammer” and An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba, a collab with South African singer Miriam Makeba.
Belafonte was not the first Black artist to receive a Grammy nod for album of the year – Ella Fitzgerald was, at the very first Grammy ceremony, for Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook. But Belafonte was the first Black artist to receive two Grammy nods for album of the year. He was nominated at the second and third ceremonies for Belafonte at Carnegie Hall and Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall.
In addition, he had the first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. His sophomore album, Belafonte, was No. 1 in March 1956 when the chart became a consistent weekly feature in Billboard. (Prior to that, it had appeared sporadically.) Belafonte’s third album, Calypso, remained atop that chart for 31 weeks in 1956-57.
Belafonte received the Recording Academy’s lifetime achievement award in 2000. Three of his recordings are in the Grammy Hall of Fame – “Banana Boat (Day-O)” (1956) and the albums Calypso (1956) Harry Belafonte at Carnegie Hall (1959).
His many other awards include the Kennedy Center Honors (1989) and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an early influence in 2022.
Andra Day, The War and Treaty, Shinedown and Ravyn Lenae are the first performers announced for the inaugural Grammy Hall of Fame Gala. The gala, co-presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum, will take place on May 21 at the Novo Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Veteran CBS broadcast journalist Anthony Mason will serve as host.
Day won a Grammy two years ago for best compilation soundtrack for visual media for The United States vs. Billie Holiday. The War and Treaty received two Grammy nods late last year, including best new artist.
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The annual gala will celebrate the 10 recordings being added that year to the Grammy Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees, announced on March 20, are De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising, Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction, Buena Vista Social Club’s Buena Vista Social Club and Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, as well as singles by Donna Summer, the Doobie Brothers, Charley Pride, Wanda Jackson, William Bell and Kid Ory’s Creole Orchestra.
The annual gala will also honor a label, with the first being Atlantic Records, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
“We’re honored that the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum have chosen Atlantic to be the first label celebrated at what promises to be an exciting annual event,” said Atlantic Music Group chairman & CEO Julie Greenwald and Atlantic Records chairman & CEO Craig Kallman. “The Grammy Hall of Fame includes many of the most groundbreaking recordings in our company’s 75-year history, and it will be great to hear some of our outstanding current artists bring their unique voices to these timeless songs.”
The event will include a red carpet and VIP reception on the Ray Charles Terrace at the Grammy Museum followed by a concert at the Novo.
This year’s show will be produced by Ken Ehrlich, along with Chantel Sausedo and Ron Basile. Greg Phillinganes will serve as musical director.
Ehrlich served as producer or executive producer of the Grammy Awards telecast for 40 years. He received a trustees award from the Recording Academy in 2020, his last year as executive producer, honoring his service. Phillinganes has won two Primetime Emmys as musical director on previous Ehrlich productions – Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life – An All-Star Grammy Salute and Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song: Joni Mitchell.
The Grammy Hall of Fame was established in 1973, with the first five selections announced on the Grammy telecast in March 1974. The original intent was to honor recordings released before the inception of the Grammys in 1958, but it long ago shifted to any recordings that are at least 25 years old. The inducted recordings are selected annually by a special member committee, with final ratification by the academy’s national board of trustees. Counting the 10 new titles, the Hall currently has 1,152 inducted recordings. Recipients will receive a certificate from the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum, but not a Grammy trophy. Here’s the full list of past inducted recordings.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, April 27 at 12 p.m. PT at this link.
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Drake called out the Grammy Awards in a post on social media, declaring his support for those artists nominated that evening
As the Grammy Awards got underway Sunday night (Feb. 4), Drake expressed his feelings about the ceremony, making it clear that he wasn’t going to be paying attention. In a post to his Instagram Stories, he shared a clip of his acceptance speech during his last appearance at the awards in 2019. “All you incredible artists, remember this show isn’t the facts, it’s just the opinion of a group of people (whose) names are kept a secret (literally you can Google it),” the rapper wrote in a text caption over the clip. “Congrats to anybody winning anything for Hip-Hop, but this show doesn’t dictate s—t in our world.”
His animosity against the Grammy Awards and the Recording Academy began during that 2019 appearance where he won the Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan.” “We play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport,” he said at the time (at one point, his microphone seemed to be cut off). “It is not the NBA … This is a business where sometimes it is up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed-race kid from Canada has to say … or a brother from Houston right there, my brother Travis,” Drake said. “You’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you are a hero in your hometown. If there is people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here, I promise you, you already won.”
The Toronto, Canada, native also threw barbs at the Grammys in 2021 after The Weeknd didn’t receive any nominations that year. Drake was nominated four times at the 66th edition of the Grammys, including Best Rap Performance for “Rich Flex” from the Her Loss joint album with 21 Savage, which was also nominated for Best Rap Album. His solo album from last year, For All The Dogs, was not submitted for consideration. Drake is currently on his It’s All A Blur: Big As The What nationwide tour, performing the second of two nights at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, with J. Cole. It runs through April 16, where it will end at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
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The iconic singer Tracy Chapman appeared at the Grammy Awards to perform her hit song “Fast Car” with Luke Combs, moving the crowd to a standing ovation.
On Sunday night (Feb. 4), the 66th Grammy Awards began with a duet performance by singer and songwriter Tracy Chapman and country star Luke Combs of Chapman’s now-iconic song “Fast Car.” Dressed in an elegant black shirt and slacks with her silver locs tied behind her, Chapman played the memorable first bars on her guitar singing the first verse as the crowd cheered.
Combs joined in, singing the second verse. They went back and forth singing and joined in on the chorus, leading the star-studded audience to deliver a rapturous standing ovation as the song ended with Combs bowing to Chapman. “The legendary Tracy Chapman, everybody,” host Trevor Noah said at the end, overjoyed. “Thank you so much for that! Thank you so much for that.” Oprah Winfrey could be seen jumping up and down in excitement in the audience, with Taylor Swift and Kasey Musgraves also expressing their joy during the ovation.
The 59-year-old singer’s return to the Grammy stage in 35 years was propelled by Combs’ faithful cover of “Fast Car” last year on his Gettin’ Old album. It captivated the public, obtaining the second spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance at this year’s Grammys in addition to winning the Country Music Award for Song of the Year last year – making Chapman the first Black songwriter to get that honor. “It’s truly an honor for my song to be newly recognized after 35 years of its debut,” she said in a statement at the time. The duet thrilled many at home watching as well, inducing fans to push the song to No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes chart shortly after the performance aired.
The appearance was also the anniversary of Tracy Chapman’s debut at the Grammy Awards in 1989, a year after her self-titled debut featuring “Fast Car.” She would win Best Female Pop Vocalist that night, where she also performed before the audience. Before that, Chapman hadn’t done many public performances since her last tour ended in 2009, and she had appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers during the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election performing “Talkin’ Bout A Revolution.”
Thirteen past Grammy winners, ranging from Amy Grant to Kim Petras, will help announce the 66th Annual Grammy Award nominees in a livestream event on Nov. 10. The announcement will be accessible on live.Grammy.com and YouTube.
Other Grammy winners on board for the event include: Arooj Aftab, Vince Gill, Jimmy Jam, Jon Bon Jovi, Samara Joy, Muni Long, Cheryl Pawelski, Judith Sherman, St. Vincent, Jeff Tweedy and “Weird Al” Yankovic. They will be joined by CBS Mornings co-hosts Gayle King, Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr.
Joy was the surprise winner for best new artist last year. Jon Bon Jovi will be the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year honoree.
The nominations event will kick off with a special presentation announcing the nominees in the general field and select other categories. There will be two changes in general field categories this year. There will be just eight nominations, down from 10 the last two years, for album, record and song of the year, plus best new artist, which have always comprised the general field. Also, two additional categories are being bumped up to the general field for the first time – producer of the year, non-classical and songwriter of the year, non-classical.
Video announcements of the nominees in the remaining categories will also be published on live.Grammy.com and YouTube while the event is underway. The full list of nominees will be published on Grammy.com immediately following the presentation.
Here’s the timeline for when these events will occur on Nov. 10. All times are approximate and subject to change.
10:45 a.m. ET / 7:45 a.m. PT: Grammy nominations pre-show
11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT: Nominations livestream event
11:25 a.m. ET / 8:25 a.m. PT: Nominations livestream event ends: Full nominations list posted on Grammy.com
11:25 a.m. ET / 8:25 a.m. PT: Grammy nominations wrap-up show
Only nine women have received Grammy nominations for producer of the year, non-classical in the 49 years the Recording Academy has presented that award. Despite that tepid track record, you might want to bet on Brandi Carlile to be in the running when the nominations in that category are announced later this year. It will be the category’s 50th year.
Carlile produced Brandy Clark’s eponymous album, which was released May 19, and reteamed with Shooter Jennings to co-produce Tanya Tucker’s Sweet Western Sound, which is due June 2. That album is Tucker’s long-awaited follow-up to While I’m Livin’. Carlile and Jennings won Grammys as producers of While I’m Livin’, which was voted best country album.
No woman has been nominated for producer of the year, non-classical since Linda Perry five years ago. And no woman has ever won in the category, either on her own or as part of a collaboration.
The women who have been nominated for producer of the year, non-classical are Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (of Prince & the Revolution, 1984); Janet Jackson (alongside Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, 1989); Mariah Carey (alongside Walter Afanasieff, 1991); Paula Cole (1997); Sheryl Crow (1998); Lauryn Hill (1998); Lauren Christy (of The Matrix, 2003); and Perry (2018).
It’s a very different story in the producer of the year, classical category. Three women have won in that category, which was introduced five years after producer of the year, non-classical. And one of those women, Judith Sherman, has won seven times, which puts her in a tie with David Frost, Steven Epstein and Robert Woods for the most wins by anyone in the category’s history. Joanna Nickrenz has won twice (once alongside Marc Aubort). Elaine Martone has won once.
Carlile has become a Grammy darling in recent years. She has won nine Grammys, including three at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in March. She produced her eponymous 2005 debut album, and co-produced her fourth album in 2012, but the rest of her studio albums have been produced by others.
Carlile moved into production for other artists with The Secret Sisters’ You Don’t Own Me Anymore (2017) and Saturn Return (2020). She co-produced both albums with Tim and Phil Hanseroth, with whom she also co-produced the 2017 Various Artists album Cover Stories. Carlile teamed with Dave Cobb to produce Lucius’ 2022 album Second Nature.
In an interview with Billboard’s Jessica Nicholson, Clark praised Carlile’s skills as a producer. “She pushed me a lot,” Clark said. “I’ve never been as challenged by a producer as I was by her.”
Clark noted Carlisle’s approach to narrowing down the songs that ultimately make up the album: “I gave her like 18-24 songs and asked her to pick about a dozen. I liked them all, but I was surprised by some of her choices. She told me, ‘I chose the songs that I thought sounded like you wrote them in your bedroom, and not in the writing room.’”
That’s the kind of sound advice that shows what a good producer can do.