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Karol G’s first Grammy victory at the 66th annual Grammy Awards (Feb. 4) marks a pivotal moment in her booming career.
Adorned in a light greyish blue gown — her signature long pink hair complementing her ensemble — the celebrated superstar was visibly elated to earn the Grammy for best música urbana album with her groundbreaking 2023 release, Mañana Será Bonito. “Que viva Colombia,” shouted Maluma, her fellow genre peer from Medellín, after Christina Aguilera presented Karol G as the winner.
Already a recipient of five Latin Grammy Awards and four Billboard Music Awards, this Grammy win adds a significant accolade to her collection. Her acceptance speech was a heartfelt reflection of her journey, expressing overwhelming happiness, nervousness and excitement about standing amongst the musical legends she has long admired.
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“Hi everybody, my name is Karol G. I am from Medellín, Colombia. This is my first time at the Grammys, and this is my first time holding my own Grammy,” said Karol during her acceptance speech. “I’m super happy, I’m super nervous, I’m super excited to be in front of so many legends that I admire and respect. This is such a beautiful thing. My album has given me the best memories in my life, my whole life!
“My fans that came and enjoyed my album, and got motivation and inspiration with me, and heal with me. Thank you so much, I promise to give you my best, always, and I hope this is the first of many. So thank you everybody,” she said before shouting out Tainy and Rauw Alejandro, who were up against her in the category.
Regarded as one of this generation’s most influential figures in Latin music, Karol G’s Grammy testifies her profound impact on the music industry. Beyond her numerous awards, she has been honored with the Rulebreaker Award at the Billboard Women in Music and the Spirit of Hope Award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards. She has also broken five Guinness World Records.
From Taylor Swift to Boygenius to SZA , these stars could dominate this year’s Grammys ceremony.
The first time Ana Bárbara was nominated for a Grammy was in 2006, for No Es Brujería in the Best Mexican/Mexico-American Album category. Although she did not win (the award went to Pepe Aguilar), Ana Bárbara, signed at that time to Fonovisa, represented one of the few successful women in grupera and ranchera music — an artist who, beyond having a powerful voice and bringing sex appeal to the stage, also wrote her own songs.
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Now, almost 20 years later, Ana Bárbara (real name: Altagracia Ugalde Motta) has earned her second nod. Her exquisite Bordado a mano (Embroidered by hand) — which includes duets with Vicente Fernández, Christian Nodal, Paquita la del Barrio, Bronco and Christian Castro — is nominated for Best Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano) at the Grammys, competing at the ceremony on Sunday (Feb. 4) against Peso Pluma and three female artists: Lila Downs, Lupita Infante and Flor de Toloache.
In the group of nominees, Ana Bárbara is the pioneer, but she is still at the forefront. Bordado a mano is a work of art, but also of love and tenacity, recorded, produced and released by Ana Bárbara herself on her own label (Solos Music) with distribution by ONErpm. It took years to record, in part because it was logistically challenging to lock artists like Vicente Fernández (in his final collaboration before his death), and because Ana Bárbara paid for everything out of her own pocket.
The Mexican singer-songwriter — who this year celebrates the 30th anniversary of her first album, and who will be honored at Premio lo Nuestro on February 22 — spoke with Billboard about the meaning of the nomination at this stage of her life.
Your last Grammy nomination was 18 years ago. What are you most excited about this time?
Unlike the previous album, this one is completely independent. The last one included my songs but this one is also my production. And I am very proud of the work that was done, both with the songs and the teamwork, because it finally got to where it had to go, with a small, indie label. Solos Music is my label, and we are only five people. We’re small but we come through! [laughs]
ONErpm supports you with distribution and marketing, but this has been an independent job, and that’s difficult. Was it scary?
I can’t deny I was a little scared, because I didn’t know. I have to be honest. When Rose [manager Rosela Zavala] told me let’s go independent … she had a clear idea. But she was very honest and she told me, it’s a very difficult road, and it is. It is very expensive. I can tell you that it has cost me my life. If you ask me, was this a good deal, I’d say, “It’s a job that has given us something to eat.” We all have a family to support. But ultimately, as women, it was really about pride and strength and let’s go for it.
I’m not going to deny that it scared me at first, and it still scares me. Because although our goal was not to make the great business of our lives, we did say, “At what point are we going to start making money?” I tell you with great pride, I had to sell some of my assets at the beginning. I thought, if we’re going to do it, I’m putting everything into it.
It’s an album that took a long time…
Yes, and then came the pandemic. No no no. I was pulling my hair out. We were going crazy. But I believed. We already had the duet with Nodal, the duet with Paquita. It was already a reality. But all the promotion, the work, the album, the videos… doing all that as an independent [artist] is uphill, and for a woman, ten times more. Or twenty, to be honest.
Exactly how long ago was this album in the making?
I started working on it 11 years ago. The last album I released was Yo Soy La Mujer [in 2013]. The songs were written 11 years, 12 years ago. For example, the duet with Don Vicente, I dreamed it, I saw it, 11 years ago. He recorded it five years ago and the video was recorded before the pandemic. It’s been a long road.
Did you lose faith?
Actually, no. There were friends who told me, just record covers. But I wanted to leave my own legacy of my own songs. Yes, there were moments when I wanted to throw in the towel. For example, the duet with Christian Castro, he said yes, then six months went by. It was all very complex, because there is art in each of [the guest artists], but they also lead complicated lives.
All your guests have long careers and legacy, except Christian Nodal. Why him?
Nodal is a great artist. I call him an old soul. But all the others are classics: Bronco is classic. Christian Castro is the romantic balladeer, and he is one of my favorite balladeers. So I knew it was complex. When they’re established it takes a little more work to convince them.
You’re celebrating your anniversary this year, and you’re being honored at Premio Lo Nuestro. What else is coming?
I am celebrating 30 years of [my] recording career, which is easy to say, but the road has certainly been very difficult. We are preparing a symphonic album, basically the hits, with arrangements by maestro Eduardo Magallanes, who is one of my inspirations and did so much work for Juan Gabriel and Don Vicente. I also have duet and solo projects. It was hard enough to reach this milestone, so I’m going to celebrate with something special!
Victoria Monét always had it written on her vision board that she would one day become a Grammy-nominated artist. She probably didn’t foresee that the achievement would also happen simultaneously for her 2-year-old daughter, Hazel.
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After Hazel has shown flashes of brilliance and a keen sense of musicality by making what her mommy describes as “potty songs,” on Friday (Nov. 10), Monét’s daughter became the youngest Grammy nominee in history, after being credited on her mom’s song “Hollywood” alongside Earth, Wind and Fire.
“I’m so proud of her, but she has no idea. She’s just on the phone watching Baby Shark, chilling, while we’re all celebrating,” Monét tells Billboard after earning seven 2024 Grammy nominations of her own. “She’s like, kind of panicking, because she doesn’t know why we’re all screaming. I know I’ll be able to explain it to her when she gets older, and she’ll definitely appreciate it because she’s already into music and is starting to write songs unknowingly. She’s making potty songs and all that kind of stuff. So I’m super excited that this will be something that she has forever. I’m already thinking about her wardrobe for the Grammys.”
Though parenting the youngest Grammy-nominated artist is a humble flex, Monét’s bragging rights result from her own songwriting abilities. Lauded as a premier songwriter thanks in part to Ariana Grande’s smashes “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings,” Monét became an R&B contender this year when she released her project Jaguar II. Headlined by her buzzy single “On My Mama,” Monét served Black Girl Magic on a song brimming with positive affirmations and swagger. With her Grammy nominations including best new artist and record of the year, Monét is finally becoming the star she always saw in the mirror.
“I just think this a big deal and is something I always wanted people to see for me and not just me seeing it for myself,” she says. “Today is a big win.”
Billboard spoke to Monét about her seven nominations, finally being “seen” for the artist that she is, and the importance of Black women uplifting each other.
What was the initial reaction in the Monét household this morning?
Oh my God! I actually got a hotel because my house is under construction. I just wanted to be able to have my team over, watch it and celebrate. Pending that we didn’t get nominations, we definitely set ourselves up to fall hard because we already have balloons. We already had champagne pulled out and a TV set up. We were on Zoom with my whole PR team and we’re just super excited. We were hoping for the best for sure, but we were gonna be grateful just to be together and drinking. Champagne had our backs today.
Jelly Roll is also nominated for best new artist, and he made a viral speech the other night at the CMAs about receiving his flowers at an older age. Knowing that you’ve been in the music industry as a songwriter first, what does it mean for you to get honored for a category like best new artist at this stage of your career?
I’m really just so happy. It feels like a long time coming. I guess the easiest way to explain it is like when you have a team that’s been underrated and the underdog for a long time, and they finally go to the Super Bowl — it’s that feeling. As a fan, I’m sure people are like, “See! I told you. I been knew!” And then, newcomers are now discovering the strengths and to be the person that’s on the receiving end, it just feels like, oh my God. It’s such a great validation for all the sacrifices, the hard work and the “no’s” that I received. I love even in movies when there’s this great underdog story, when this person keeps finding a way and ends up where they really wanted to be. I feel like this is the road to that with these nominations.
Your friend and executive producer, D’Mile, was also nominated for producer of the year. Have you guys been able to touch base at all about your wins today?
Yes! We FaceTimed immediately as soon as I saw he was nominated for producer of the year. We FaceTimed him and we watched the rest of the ceremony together. His stream was a little bit earlier than mine, funny enough. So he would be celebrating and I’m like, “Wait. What happened?” So I would get it like 30 seconds later and I’m like, “Oh shoot!” We got to share that moment together. We credited my manager for one of the reasons why he’s nominated, because when we got on a call to go over the categories that exist — like what songs to submit to what categories — we were encouraging D’Mile to submit for producer of the year, because it didn’t occur to him that he should. So he did, and he’s actually nominated. I’m just so happy for him, and he’s actually on his way to the hotel now to celebrate.
What I’ve loved about the success of “On My Mama” is the outpouring of support from Black women in the music and entertainment space. What has that feeling been like for you?
I feel like it’s extra special when you see Black women supporting each other publicly, because I also think publicly, we are pitted against each other a lot. In this world it only seems like there’s only room for very few of us, if not one of us — like, only one queen. I feel like super appreciative when we go against that narrative and support each other, like, “No. There’s room for all of us at the top.” I always look at it like songs are three minutes long and there’s so many minutes in a day, why can’t we all be heard?
I really am grateful for all my sisters who show me love loudly. The text messages are appreciated, but it means so much more going against the grain if you’re being supportive online and showing love. I love to see that and wanna keep that alive.
Seven Grammy nominations and six Soul Train Music Awards in 2023 – did you have any of this on your vision board coming into this year?
Oh my God! The Grammys have been on my vision board since I stepped foot into a studio. I always saw Kanye [West] and his 16 Grammys — at the time I remember he had 16 and that was the goal. I remember I said, “I want 16 Grammys. That would be so amazing.” The Grammys are extra special because they’re not just a fan-voted thing — I appreciate fans’ support, of course — `but it’s different when you’re acknowledged by your peers, or people who actually do what you do, because they understand what it takes, the sacrifices that have been made, and the work that has been put in.
The Grammys hit so different. Today I feel so seen and elated. I just wanna celebrate. I told my team that I wish I had a job to quit because I sure would. I would say, “I’m Grammy-nominated. I quit!” [laughs] It feels so nice and it feels so good. I’m so proud of my team. There’s so many people that go into making dreams come true, and I know that this journey hasn’t been one I walked alone, even though music can sometimes makes you feel isolated. But today I feel seen and just so happy for my team that they were able to assist me on this layup.
I love how you’ve used the word “seen” when describing this feat, because to me, you’ve been “seen” and spotlighted from a songwriting standpoint in the past. Do you feel after today that you’ve gotten that extra boost of validation and confidence from an artist perspective?
Oh yeah, I definitely do. I feel there’s so many things that I can relate it to when I look at movies, or when people try to pigeonhole you into one thing and don’t always see you for what you’ve always been. So you just kind of have to move with grace and give people the opportunity to change your mind and keep putting up shots. I think that’s what’s happening today. The narrative has changed. It’s Victoria Monét, the songwriter and you can officially add [Grammy-nominated] artist. [laughs] I just think that’s a big deal and is something I always wanted people to see for me and not just me seeing it for myself. Today is a big win.
Sheryl Crow’s selection for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 2023 class comes nearly 28 years after she won a Grammy as best new artist. She is just the fifth artist to take both of these honors.
The Grammys and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame once seemed to be operating in different worlds, with the Grammys, in their early years, favoring traditional pop and jazz, and the Rock Hall long favoring guitar-based rock. But both organizations have moved to the middle in recent years.
For many years, just three artists had achieved both of these feats – a Grammy win for best new artist and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — but in the last two years, two more artists have joined the list.
With the Rock Hall becoming more open to a wider range of sounds, it’s not hard to picture several more past best new artist Grammy winners one day being inducted. Bette Midler, Natalie Cole, Cyndi Lauper (who was nominated this year but didn’t get in) and Mariah Carey would all seem to have at least a reasonable chance, and in some cases, a very good chance of making the Rock Hall.
Artists first become eligible for the Rock Hall 25 years after releasing their first record. So over time the artists who won best new artist after 1998 will also become eligible for the Rock Hall. Over the next 10 years that could bring in Lauryn Hill, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, John Legend, Carrie Underwood and Amy Winehouse.
While we wait to see which of them make it, here are the five artists who both won a Grammy for best new artist and are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Grammy years shown are the years of the ceremonies at which the awards were presented.
Bobby Darin
Best New Artist: 1959
Rock Hall: 1990
Notes: Darin was just 23 when he became the first Grammy winner for best new artist. His sleek “Mack the Knife” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks and won the Grammy for record of the year. Darin, whose other hits ranged from the suave “Beyond the Sea” to the folk-shaded ballad “If I Were a Carpenter,” died of heart failure in 1973 at age 37.
The Beatles
Best New Artist: 1965
Rock Hall: 1988
Notes: The Grammys were still coming to terms with rock and roll in 1965, but The Beatles had made such an explosive impact there could have been no other choice for best new artist. The Fab Four had two other Big Four nominations that year — “I Want to Hold Your Hand” for record of the year and “A Hard Day’s Night” for song of the year. The Beatles, of course, grew with virtually every release. They are the only act in Grammy history to receive album of the year nominations in five consecutive years. They won in 1968 for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and probably should have won a couple more for Revolver and Abbey Road. All four Beatles are also represented in the Rock Hall with their solo careers.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Best New Artist: 1970
Rock Hall: 1997
Notes: In addition to CSN winning best new artist, Crosby, Stills & Nash was up for album of the year. They were nominated again in that category the following year with Déjà vu, this time joined by Neil Young. All three members of CSN are double inductees in the Rock Hall. Crosby is also in with The Byrds, Stills with Buffalo Springfield and Nash with The Hollies.
Carly Simon
Best New Artist: 1972
Rock Hall: 2022
Notes: Simon was the first woman to receive both of these honors. Simon won best new artist on the strength of her haunting ballad “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” a top 10 hit on the Hot 100 in 1971. She reached her zenith in 1973 when her single “You’re So Vain” topped the Hot 100 (and received record and song of the year nods) and her album No Secrets topped the Billboard 200.
Sheryl Crow
Best New Artist: 1995
Rock Hall: 2023
Notes: Crow is the second woman to receive both of these honors. In the year she won for best new artist, she also won record of the year for her frisky smash “All I Wanna Do.” That song was also nominated for song of the year. While “All I Wanna Do” was poppy, Crow has also had hits that showed her rock and country leanings.
If Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” receives a Grammy nomination for record of the year, she and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, will be in very exclusive company. They will be only the third parent and child to each be nominated in that marquee category – following Frank Sinatra and his daughter, Nancy, and Nat King Cole and his daughter, Natalie.
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Billy Ray Cyrus was nominated for record of the year for his novelty-edged breakthrough hit “Achy Breaky Heart” (1992), and again as a featured artist on Lil Nas X’s record-breaking smash “Old Town Road” (2019).
Frank Sinatra amassed seven nods for record of the year, winning once for the sumptuous ballad “Strangers in the Night” (1966). Nancy Sinatra was nominated for “Somethin’ Stupid,” her 1967 duet with her dad. Both of those singles topped the Billboard Hot 100.
Nat “King” Cole was nominated for his country-shaded ballad “Ramblin’ Rose” (1962). Natalie Cole won for “Unforgettable,” her 1991 from-the-grave collab with her dad.
(That silky recording also won for best traditional pop performance, but Nat wasn’t a nominee or winner in either of those categories for that record. He recorded his part of the recording in 1961. Grammy rules require that recordings be made no more than five years before the release date for that artist to be nominated. Official Grammy records show “Ramblin’ Rose” as Nat’s final nomination.)
Two other parent-and-child pairs deserves honorable mention. The Mamas and the Papas, featuring John and Michelle Phillips, were nominated for record of the year for “Monday, Monday” (1966), a No. 1 hit on the Hot 100. Twenty-five years later, the members of Wilson Phillips, including their daughter Chynna Phillips, were nominated for song of the year, but not for record of the year, for “Hold On,” also a No. 1 hit on the Hot 100.
Debby Boone received a record of the year nod for her 1977 megahit “You Light Up My Life” – the first song in Hot 100 history to log 10 weeks at No. 1. Her dad, Pat Boone, was never nominated in that category, though it should be noted that his biggest hit, “Love Letters in the Sand,” was a smash in 1957, the year before the Grammys got underway.
So how likely is Cyrus to receive a record of the year nod for “Flowers”? Very likely, considering its commercial success and broad appeal. The smash topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and held the top spot for 10 weeks on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. The only potential sign of trouble is Cyrus’ spotty Grammy track record – just two nods – best pop vocal album for Bangerz (2013) and album of the year as a featured artist and songwriter on LNX’s Montero (2021). But with everything it has going for it, “Flowers” is likely to put Cyrus in a Big Four category as a lead artist at last.
Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson co-produced “Flowers.” This would be their second record of the year nomination in a row. They co-produced Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” which was nominated in that category late last year for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
“Flowers,” which Cyrus co-wrote with Gregory Aldae Hein and Michael Pollack, could also be nominated for song of the year. It is, in some ways, an update on the concept behind “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” which received a 1978 nod for song of the year (for songwriters Neil Diamond and Alan and Marilyn Bergman) and a 1979 nod for record of the year (for the Hot 100-topping version by Barbra Streisand and Diamond).
Times have changed in the last 45 years – and hit records reflect those changes. Now, instead of lamenting that your significant other doesn’t bring you flowers anymore, you go out and buy your own.
Five weeks after informing their members that the eligibility period for the 66th Grammy Awards would end on Aug. 31, one month earlier than usual, the Recording Academy has pushed that date back two weeks to Sept. 15.
Harvey Mason jr., the Academy’s CEO, announced the latest change in another message to members on Thursday (April 6): “A few weeks ago, we communicated a change to the eligibility period for the 66th Grammy Awards. This change benefits our awards process and grants us flexibility throughout Grammy season – specifically related to our nominations announcement timeline and the booking of the Grammy telecast, Premiere Ceremony, Recording Academy Honors Presented by the Black Music Collective, and other important celebrations throughout Grammy
“After listening to concerns from some members of the music community, we have decided to amend the end date of the previously-announced eligibility period. The eligibility deadline for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards will be extended by two weeks, to Friday, September 15, 2023.
“We care about the impact of this date change on our community and make this adjustment in the spirit of partnership and collaboration.”
The Grammy eligibility year extended from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 every year for decades – from the 20th annual Grammy Awards (which covered the period from Oct. 1, 1976, through Sept. 30, 1977) through the 51st annual Grammy Awards (Oct. 1, 2007, through Sept. 30, 2008).
The schedule has been more irregular since then. Here are the outliers:
52nd annual Grammy Awards: Oct. 1, 2008 through Aug. 31, 2009 (11 months)
53rd annual Grammy Awards: Sept. 1, 2009 through Sept. 30, 2010 (13 months)
62nd annual Grammy Awards: Oct. 1, 2018 through Aug. 31, 2019 (11 months)
63rd annual Grammy Awards: Sept. 1, 2019 through Aug. 31, 2020 (12 months)
64th annual Grammy Awards: Sept. 1, 2020 through Sept. 30, 2021 (13 months)
Key dates for 66th Grammy Awards
Eligibility period for entries: Oct. 1, 2022 – Sept. 15, 2023
Media registration: July 10, 2023 – Aug. 24, 2023
Online entry process: July 17, 2023 – Aug 31, 2023
The ongoing success of Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time, which is in its second week at No. 1 on both The Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums, increases the possibility that the album could wind up with a Grammy nomination for album of the year.
It would be the first country album to be nominated in that category since Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour, which won the 2018 award.
A recent Billboard report looked at the scarcity of nominations in recent years for country in the Big Four categories (album, record and song of the year, plus best new artist).
Eddy Arnold’s My World (1965) was the first country album to be nominated for album of the year. Glen Campbell’s By the Time I Get to Phoenix (1968) was the first country album to win in that category.
The Chicks have had three album of the year nominations, more than any other country act. Taylor Swift (in her country period) had two. Linda Ronstadt also had two, counting the Trio album, on which she collaborated with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. Harris and Alison Krauss also had two, counting the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, on which they both were featured.
We define a country album as any album that made Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. That rather low threshold for what constitutes a country album brought in Lionel Richie’s Can’t Slow Down. The album peaked at No. 55 on Top Country Albums in 1984, but a subsequent Richie album spent four weeks at No. 1 on that chart.
Here are all the country albums that have received Grammy nominations for album of the year. They are shown in reverse chronological order.
Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour (2018)
Image Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/GI
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (two weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 4
Notes: This was the sixth country album to win album of the year. It also won best country album, while “Butterflies” took country solo performance and “Space Cowboy” won best country song. The other singles from the album were “High Horse,” “Slow Burn” and “Rainbow.”
Sturgill Simpson, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (2016)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (one week)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 3
Notes: Though this didn’t win album of the year, it won best country album. The album spawned three singles: “Brace for Impact (Live a Little),” “In Bloom” and “Keep It Between the Lines.”
Chris Stapleton, Traveller (2015)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (29 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (two weeks)
Notes: Though this didn’t win album of the year, it won best country album. Stapleton won a second award for the title track, which was voted best country solo performance. Other singles from the album were “Nobody to Blame” and “Parachute.”
Taylor Swift, Red (2013)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1(16 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1(seven weeks)
Notes: This album didn’t win a single Grammy — though nine years later, a short film for an expanded version of “All Too Well,” one of the prized songs from Red, won best music video. The album’s lead single, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” was nominated for record of the year the year before the album was eligible. The album spawned six additional singles: “Begin Again,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “22,” the title track, “Everything Has Changed” and “The Last Time.”
Lady A, Need You Now (2010)
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/GI
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (31 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (four weeks)
Notes: Though this didn’t win album of the year, it won best country album. And the poignant title track won four Grammys — record and song of the year, best country song and best country performance by a duo or group with vocals. The album spawned three additional singles: “American Honey,” “Our Kind of Love” and “Hello World.”
Taylor Swift, Fearless (2009)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (35 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (11 weeks)
Notes: This was the fifth country album to win album of the year. It also won best country album, while “White Horse” won best country song and best female country vocal performance. “You Belong With Me” received Grammy nods for record and song of the year. The album spawned three additional singles: “Love Story,” “Fifteen” and the title track.
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Raising Sand (2008)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 2
Billboard 200 peak: No. 2
Notes: This was the fourth country album to win album of the year. It also won best contemporary folk/Americana album, while four tracks from the album won Grammys. “Please Read the Letter” took record of the year, “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” and “Rich Woman” won back-to-back awards for best pop collaboration with vocals and “Killing the Blues” won best country collaboration with vocals.
Vince Gill, These Days (2007)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 4
Billboard 200 peak: No. 17
Notes: Though this four-disk box set didn’t win album of the year, it won best country album. Three singles were released from the collection: “The Reason Why” (featuring Alison Krauss), “What You Give Away” (featuring Sheryl Crow) and “How Lonely Looks.”
The Chicks, Taking the Long Way (2006)
Image Credit: M. Caulfield/WireImage
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (nine weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (three weeks)
Notes: This was the third country album to win album of the year. It also won best country album. The lead single, “Not Ready to Make Nice,” won record and song of the year and best country performance by a duo or group with vocal. Grammy voters rallied behind the group which had suffered a backlash amid controversy over Natalie Maines’ harsh comments about President George W. Bush. The other singles from the album were “Everybody Knows,” “Voice Inside My Head,” “Easy Silence” and “The Long Way Around.”
The Chicks, Home (2002)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (19 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (four weeks)
Notes: Though this didn’t win album of the year, it won best country album. In addition, the group won best country performance by a duo or group with vocal for “Long Time Gone” and best country instrumental performance for “Lil’ Jack Slade.” The other singles from the album were “Travelin’ Soldier,” “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams),” “Top of the World.” and a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.”
Various Artists, O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack (2001)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (35 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (one week)
Notes: This was the second country album to win album of the year. In addition, it won best compilation soundtrack album for a motion picture, television or other visual media. Two tracks from the album won Grammys. Ralph Stanley’s “O Death” was voted best male country vocal performance. The Soggy Bottom Boys’ “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” won best country collaboration with vocals. The trio consisted of Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen and Pat Enright.
The Chicks, Fly (1999)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (36 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (four weeks)
Notes: Though this didn’t win album of the year, it won best country album. The group also won best country performance by a duo or group with vocal for “Ready to Run.” The other singles from the album were “Cowboy Take Me Away,” “Goodbye Earl,” “Cold Day in July,” “Without You,” “If I Fall You’re Going Down with Me,” “Heartbreak Town” and “Some Days You Gotta Dance.”
Shania Twain, Come on Over (1998)
Image Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via GI
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (50 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 2
Notes: Twain won four Grammys for this album across two years. In the first year, “You’re Still the One” won best female country vocal performance and best country song; in the second, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” won best female country vocal performance and “Come on Over” won best country song. “You’re Still the One” also received Grammy nods for record and song of the year. “You’ve Got a Way” was nominated for song of the year the following year. The other singles from the album were “Love Gets Me Every Time,” “Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You),” “From This Moment On,” “When,” “Honey, I’m Home,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Rock This Country!” and “I’m Holdin’ On to Love (To Save My Life).”
Dolly Parton/Linda Ronstadt/Emmylou Harris, Trio (1987)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (five weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 6
Notes: Though this didn’t win album of the year, it won best country performance by a duo or group with vocal. The album spawned four singles: “Telling Me Lies,” “Those Memories of You,” “Wildflowers” and a remake of The Teddy Bears’ “To Know Him Is to Love Him,” a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958.
Lionel Richie, Can’t Slow Down (1984)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 55
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (three weeks)
Notes: You probably wouldn’t have expected to see this album on this list. But Can’t Slow Down cracked Top Country Albums — largely on the strength of the country-tinged ballad “Stuck on You,” which rose to No. 24 on Hot Country Songs. Richie’s music has always blended strains of country, R&B and pop. His 2012 album Tuskegee, on which he was joined by an array of top country stars, logged four weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums. Can’t Slow Down belongs on this list, in the interest of completeness and general interest, but we’re not going to call it the second country album to win album of the year (though it did indeed win that award), because it wasn’t primarily a country album. Two songs from the album, “All Night Long (All Night)” and “Hello,” were nominated for song of the year and best pop vocal performance, male in successive years. “All Night Long” was also nominated for record of the year in the first year.
Kenny Rogers, The Gambler (1979)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (23 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 12
Notes: The title track received a Grammy nod for record of the year. and won for best country vocal performance, male. The album spawned a second smash, the poignant “She Believes in Me,” which received Grammy nods for song of the year and best pop vocal performance, male.
Eagles, Hotel California (1977)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 10
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (eight weeks)
Notes: Like Lionel Richie’s Can’t Slow Down, this isn’t primarily a country album — though as you can see, it made the top 10 on Top Country Albums. The title song became the first rock track to win a Grammy for record of the year. It was also nominated for song of the year. The album spawned two other hits: the sublime “New Kid in Town” (which won best arrangement for voices) and the rock anthem “Life in the Fast Lane.”
Linda Ronstadt, Heart Like a Wheel (1975)
Image Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via GI
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (four weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (one week)
Notes: Ronstadt (shown here at the Grammy ceremony with her producer/manager, Peter Asher) won her first of 11 Grammys for “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You),” which was voted best country vocal performance, female. The album spawned three other singles: “You’re No Good,” “When Will I Be Loved” and “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore.”
John Denver, Back Home Again (1974)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (13 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (one week)
Notes: This was Denver’s first Grammy nomination. It’s unusual that the album was up for album of the year, but Denver wasn’t recognized in any other categories. The album spawned three hits: “Annie’s Song,” the title song and “Sweet Surrender.” In addition, a live version of another song from the album, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” topped the Hot 100 in 1975 and landed a Grammy nod for best country vocal performance, male.
Charlie Rich, Behind Closed Doors (1973)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (21 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 8
Notes: Rich won his only Grammy for the classy title song, which was voted best country vocal performance, male. The track also received nominations for record and song of the year. The album spawned two other hits, “I Take It on Home” and “The Most Beautiful Girl.” The latter was a No. 1 hit on the Hot 100.
Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash at San Quentin (1969)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (20 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (four weeks)
Notes: This is the only live album by a country artist to receive an album of the year nomination. Cash won a Grammy for best country vocal performance, male for the novelty hit “A Boy Named Sue,” which also received a Grammy nod for record of the year.
Glen Campbell, By the Time I Get to Phoenix (1968)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (four weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 15
Notes: This was the first country album to win album of the year. Campbell had won two Grammys the previous year for his tender performance of the title song, which was voted best vocal performance, male and best contemporary male solo vocal performance. The exquisite ballad (written by Jimmy Webb) had received Grammy nods for record and song of the year the previous year. The album also included Campbell’s follow-up hit, “Hey Little One.”
Bobbie Gentry, Ode to Billie Joe (1967)
Image Credit: Bettmann/GI
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (three weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (two weeks)
Notes: This album bumped the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band out of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. How’d it do that? The title track was one of the most talked-about singles of its time, as people tried to piece together exactly what happened up on Choctaw Ridge that drove Billy Joe MacAllister to jump off the Tallahatchie Bridge. Gentry (shown here with Glen Campbell and Lalo Schifrin) became the first person in Grammy history to receive nominations in each of the Big Four categories in the same year. Of the Big Four, she won only best new artist. She also won best vocal performance, female and best contemporary female solo vocal performance, both for “Ode to Billie Joe.” The album spawned two other singles: “I Saw an Angel Die” and “Mississippi Delta.”
Eddy Arnold, My World (1965)
Top Country Albums peak: No. 1 (17 weeks)
Billboard 200 peak: No. 7
Notes: Arnold received four nominations for this album and its smash single “Make the World Go Away,” which exemplified the “countrypolitan” sound. Three of those nominations were in categories that still used the terminology “country & western,” which would soon seem dated. The album also spawned the hits “What’s He Doing in My World” and “I’m Letting You Go.”
Rihanna slayed at the 2023 Oscars on Sunday with a classy performance of her soulful ballad “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She didn’t win the Oscar for best original song – the award went to “Naatu Naatu” from RRR – but RiRi will likely have more chances to win for the song at next year’s Grammy Awards.
“Lift Me Up,” which Rihanna co-wrote with Tems, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Göransson, is a front-runner for a nomination for best song written for visual media.
“Lift Me Up” could also wind up with record and/or song of the year nominations. Rihanna has been nominated for record of the year three times, for “Umbrella” (featuring Jay-Z), “Work” (featuring Drake) and as featured artist on Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie.”
If “Lift Me Up” is nominated for song of the year, it would mark Rihanna’s first nod in that category. Her only songwriting nods to date are for “Run This Town,” which won best rap song, and “Kiss It Better,” which was nominated for best R&B song.
“Lift Me Up” will also probably be nominated in a performance category – either best R&B performance or best traditional R&B performance. (The final decision on where to slot performances that seem to be on the border between two categories is made by a large screening committee. They base their decision on the sound of the performance, as they perceive it, not chart position or the artist’s image.)
Rihanna has been nominated in R&B performance categories twice, for “Needed Me” and “Hate That I Love You,” a 2007 collab with Ne-Yo. She has yet to be nominated for best traditional R&B performance.
“All the Stars,” from the first Black Panther, was nominated for Grammys in four categories (though it didn’t win in any of them). The smash by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA was nominated for record and song of the year, best rap/sung performance and best song written for visual media.
The Recording Academy announced earlier this month that the eligibility year for the 66th annual Grammy Awards will end on Aug. 31, one month earlier than usual. So the eligibility “year” will consist of just 11 months.
Rihanna may or may not release her long-awaited ninth studio album by Aug. 31 – she has another “project” in the works just now – which would change the Grammy conversation around her. Rihanna’s best year at the Grammys in terms of nominations was 2016, when she amassed eight nods. (Alas, she lost them all.)
The early front-runners for record of the year nominations, in addition to “Lift Me Up,” include Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” SZA’s “Kill Bill” and Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers.”
This wouldn’t be the first time “Anti-Hero” and “Lift Me Up” have tangled. By holding at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second week last November, Swift’s smash kept Rihanna’s ballad from debuting in the top spot and becoming her 15th No. 1 single. Instead, “Lift Me Up” debuted and peaked at No. 2. “Anti-Hero” went on to log eight total weeks at No. 1 – the record for a Swift single.
The steady rise of Samara Joy reached a pinnacle on Grammy night 2023 when Olivia Rodrigo — last year’s best new artist winner — announced Joy’s name as the latest recipient of the Big 4 honor. Beating a stacked roster of popular artists, she further cemented herself as one of jazz’s rare mainstream breakouts. Even sweeter, it was the 23-year-old’s second Grammy: she won her first, for best jazz vocal album for sophomore effort Linger Awhile, earlier that night.
With silky vocals that provide refreshing interpretations of oft-recorded standards as well as effervescent originals, Joy’s seemingly overnight success traces its foundation to a Bronx childhood growing as part of a musical family (her grandparents founded the gospel group The Savettes). It wasn’t until she attended college that she got serious about jazz in particular, later inking a deal with Verve Records, a powerhouse label of the genre.
Now, Joy is basking in her burgeoning success, turning in a memorable appearance on The Tonight Show in the midst of what’s become an in-demand global tour. Billboard spoke to her about that triumphant night, her creative process and the fine art of interpretation.
Congratulations on your Grammy wins. Out of the two you won, which one meant the most to you?
I think they both mean a lot, but people have definitely been separating the album win from the big award: best new artist. They’re both incredible but winning the first one was definitely a moment. When I won, it seemed like the culmination of the past six months of touring and recording, and it really just hit me. I sobbed like a baby, which I don’t normally do. So the first one definitely meant a lot because it was related most closely to the music. It was a labor of love that I presented to the world. You hope when you release music that people listen to it and enjoy it and want to share it and come to your shows. But going into the weekend, it felt like I already won because I had so much support and encouragement from musicians and singers and audiences. Also, winning best jazz vocal album was definitely the most special because it was my first win.
When your name was called, it was surprising you won if only because jazz is rarely recognized in the best new artist category. With that in mind, what was that moment like for you?
Number one, the diversity in the category to begin with definitely felt like a step in the right direction as far as highlighting different pockets of the world as far as the genres are concerned. Music is not just pop and hip-hop — it’s diverse. So I thought they did a great job with all of the nominees. But to kind of be an ambassador of the underdog genre in the category, it’s an honor and a step in the right direction for live music and highlighting jazz artists who maybe go unnoticed or under the radar. I hope that it opens people’s ears and eyes. We’ve always been here; it’s not like jazz is being reborn or brought back. But hopefully I can be the voice that illuminates all of the other voices who have been shouting out for so long.
What was your weekend like in general?
Well, I got there four days before the actual Grammys and immediately went into work mode, singing at events and meeting people like Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Brandi Carlile. It was pretty wild because while I guess I’m connected to a few of them through social media, to be connected in person with everybody, to be in the same space, I was like, “I can’t believe all of this is happening.” It was amazing.
I want to talk about your voice. It’s very unique and brings to mind artists like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. How did you perfect your vocal style and when did you realize that you have vocals that stand out?
Well, I definitely have a cassette tape somewhere of my dad recording me singing an Usher song when I was four years old [laughs]. So there’s that, but I started singing in musical theater and chorale concerts when I was in middle and high school. I always knew that I loved it. I think that my voice is still a work-in-progress, but I guess I had my own voice before I came to jazz, like the tone. I developed it in church; I sang there all the time and also listened and imitated many gospel, soul and Motown singers. I came to jazz with a certain style and a certain way of singing. I’m still learning how to perfect my voice so right now I’m listening to classical music, learning about healthy vocal projection and having a strong voice, so that all of those styles can come to the forefront whenever I sing.
Can you talk about your art of interpretation? You make songs seem singular and that’s a difficult thing to pull off.
The art of interpretation is definitely a sensitive one. I think about this quote from the great trumpet player Clark Terry, which I believe is: “Imitation, assimilation and then innovation.” I learn the melody of the song first and foremost as it’s written just for the sake of the integrity of the composer. I don’t want to make it something that it isn’t because of my own creative tendencies; I want to have a good foundation of the song and its bare bones. Then, I’ll listen to other versions of the song. Different singers and instrumentalists phrase things in a different way, so I’ll take ideas away from that: what words to emphasize, what harmonic ideas as far as maybe straying away from the melodies. Maybe going higher or lower on certain notes, for example. Then it comes down to what comes out when I sing it once I understand the song, words and the arc of the melody.
How did you go about choosing what to record for Linger Awhile? A song like “Someone To Watch Over Me” is a popular song, but “Guess Who I Saw Today” is more of an obscure cut.
The process really came about over the course of a couple months as I was looking for new material to add to my live shows. I had these gigs on the books and said I wanted to switch up the set so we’re not doing the same thing every night. I was looking for new songs to add into the set and keep things fresh musically and coming up with different arrangements. When it came time to do the second album, I already had songs I was trying out, and chose the ones that would be good to document in the studio with the band I was playing with at the time. It was a simple process, but that’s what I liked about it.
How do you get into the headspace of singing a sad or love song? Or do you just go in there and let it rip?
For Linger Awhile, I got in there and knocked it out. We recorded it in two days. I think we did seven songs the first day, the rest of them the second day and then narrowed them down.
You’re signed to the legendary Verve Records. How did that come together?
I made my first recording and licensed it to an independent label in the U.K. But when it came time to record Linger Awhile, my team and I decided to move onto a major label. I had established my name a little bit. When I pitched my first album, everyone said no, because of the pandemic and there were just no resources to break a new artist at the moment. So for this second album, I paid for it and presented it to different labels; all of the ones you could possibly think of. We met with Verve and I realized that in addition to the rich history of having jazz singers and artists released on Verve, they had a great team being under the umbrella of Universal Music Group. They were all passionate about music and great teams of distribution, and promotion. At first we had to meet over Zoom, which wasn’t as fun, but I’m really glad I partnered up with them.
Let’s talk about your childhood in the Bronx and your father Antonio McLendon’s influence, as I know he is a bassist. What were you listening to at the time and how did your father influence you?
I was listening to everything from Disney Channel soundtracks like The Cheetah Girls to Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott, Lalah Hathaway, Motown and Michael Jackson. I really enjoyed a lot of good music split between my mom and my dad. There was also a family album my dad had a chance to produce along with my uncle-in-law who worked with Donna Summer and Michael Bolton; he was a famous producer back in the day. The family album never got released, but that was my Holy Grail growing up and it still is: just hearing my family sing and hearing their original contemporary gospel compositions. All of that was playing around the house. I’d always watch my dad sing in church and at home where he has a studio, so even now when I’m singing there are certain things that I do that I realize I got from him without even realizing it. He’s definitely been a huge impact on me as far as listening to music, as well as looking out for the electric bass in every song I hear and being open-minded about it all.
You’ve said in the past that when you attended college and started studying jazz, you felt lost. I find that interesting because there are other people who felt the same way early in their creative process, but sometimes feeling like an outsider gives you a different, fresh perspective on things.
I agree wholeheartedly. It wasn’t like starting from zero musically, but in that area as far as music theory and the style of singing jazz. I just did not have any experience with it. But it allowed me to be a sponge and made me really, really take it seriously and immerse myself as opposed to having some preconceived notions as to what it sounded like.
