Grammys
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There are five categories devoted to R&B nestled in the R&B, rap and spoken poetry field at the 67th annual Grammy Awards. Here, we preview three of them — best R&B performance, best R&B song and best traditional R&B performance. We’ll preview the other two — best R&B album and best progressive R&B album — later this week.
Best R&B Performance
Though a version of the category has existed since the very first Grammy ceremony in 1959, best R&B performance boasts a particularly tumultuous history. The awarded was given out annually until 1968, when additional categories divided by gender were introduced. Women and men would compete in separate R&B performance categories until a major overhaul ahead of the 2012 ceremony that combined the existing categories of best female R&B vocal performance, best male R&B vocal performance, best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal and best urban/alternative performance.
Since the best R&B performance was streamlined and reintroduced in 2012, just three artists have won twice: Beyoncé (2015 and 2021), Bruno Mars (2018 and 2022) and Anderson .Paak (2020 and 2022). This year six artists have a chance to join that club, including defending champ Coco Jones, Muni Long, Usher, Corinne Bailey Rae, Lalah Hathway and H.E.R.
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Earlier this year, Jones triumphed with her Billboard chart-topping “ICU,” which spent four weeks atop Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (chart dated May 27, 2023). For the current Grammy cycle, she’s in contention with a pair of tracks: her featured turn on BJ the Chicago Kid‘s “Spend the Night” and her own “Here We Go (Uh Oh).” According to the 2025 Grammys rulebook, an artist can only receive one nomination in best R&B performance, so Jones won’t be able to pull double duty here. Either way, her chances are strong; BJ is a seven-time nominee, while “Here We Go” became her second song to reach the top 10 on Adult R&B Airplay (No. 8).
Usher is another artist who will suffer from the “one nomination per artist” rule. A previous winner for “Climax” back in 2013, he’s back in contention with three songs: his guest appearance on Victoria Monét‘s “SOS (Sex On Sight),” his Color Purple H.E.R. duet “Risk It All,” and his own Pheelz-assisted “Ruin.” Given Monét’s three-Grammy haul at the 2023 ceremony and the chart-topping airplay run of “Risk It All,” either of those two tracks are the A-Town icon’s strongest shots. Similarly, H.E.R. could pull off a nod with either “Risk It All” or Lila Iké’s “He Loves Us Both,” but the former is her best bet.
Corinne Bailey Rae (2012) and Lalah Hathaway (2014) were the first two women to win this category since the 2012 restructuring. Bailey Rae could reap a bid for “Fly Away” (with Eric Benét), while Hathaway could earn a nod for “So in Love.” And then there was Muni Long. The 2023 winner of this category — for her breakout hit “Hrs & Hrs” — is in contention with a live version of one of the year’s biggest R&B crossover hits, “Made for Me,” which reached No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Several artists could earn their first nods in this category this year, including Tems (“Burning”), Leon Thomas (“Mutt”), Tinashe (“Nasty”), Ravyn Lenae (“One Wish”), Blxst (“Dancing With the Devil”), October London (“She Keeps Calling”), Partynextdoor (“No Chill”) and Normani (“All Yours”).
Some previous Grammy winners and nominees to keep an eye on: SZA (“Saturn”), NxWorries and Thundercat (“Keep Her”), Mary J. Blige and Fabolous (“Breathing”), Childish Gambino (“In the Night”), Chris Brown (“Residuals”), Chlöe and Halle (“Want Me”), Ledisi (“Good Life”), Lucky Daye (“HERicane”), PJ Morton (“Please Be Good”), Terrace Martin, Alex Isley and Robert Glasper (“I Left My Heart In Ladera”), Bryson Tiller (“Persuasion”), Marsha Ambrosius (“One Night Stand”) and Jeymes Samuel, D’Angelo and Jay-Z (“I Want You Forever”).
Our Fearless Forecast
There’s a chance the entire 2024 lineup could repeat, but we’re predicting: “Residuals” (Chris Brown), “SOS (Sex On Sight)” (Victoria Monét & Usher), “Saturn” (SZA), “Made for Me — Live on BET” (Muni Long) and “Keep Her” (NxWorries & Thundercat).
Best R&B Song
For the last five Grammy ceremonies, the nominees for best R&B song and best R&B performance haven’t overlapped much. In fact, the 2022 ceremony is the only instance this decade where three or more songs earned nods in both categories. As a reminder, best R&B song is awarded to the songwriter, while best R&B performance goes to the recording artist.
In addition to the aforementioned tracks, here are a few more songs to look out for. Halle pulled off a surprise nod with “Angel” last year and she could do it again with “Because I Love You,” which was co-written by RAYE. SZA triumphed here with “Snooze” last year, and both she (“Saturn”) and co-writer Leon Thomas (“Mutt”) are in contention this year. Beyoncé is the most-awarded songwriter (five) in this category, and she could earn her 10th nod here with her Dolly Parton-assisted “Tyrant.” Notably, as Parton is not a credited songwriter on “Tyrant,” she would not receive a nomination should the song make the final five. Bruno Mars has won here twice before (2018 and 2022), and he could earn a third nomination in this category thanks to Lucky Daye’s chart-topping “That’s You,” which he co-wrote with Daye and six-time Grammy winner D’Mile.
Since live versions are only eligible in performance categories, Muni Long is contention here with “Ruined Me,” the latest single from her Revenge album. That song has already become her fifth consecutive top 10 hit on Adult R&B Airplay and is gaining traction across social media. Like Long, Tinashe had a crossover R&B hit this year with “Nasty,” which could earn her the first Grammy nod of her career.
Some other names to look out for: Mavis Staples (“Worthy”), Brittany Howard (“I Don’t), Meshell Ndegeocello (“Love”), Sampha (“Only”) and Gary Clark Jr. & Stevie Wonder (“What About The Children”).
Our Fearless Forecast
We’re predicting: “Saturn” (SZA), “Because I Love You” (Halle), “That’s You” (Lucky Daye), “Nasty” (Tinashe) and “Tyrant” (Beyoncé & Dolly Parton).
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Since best traditional R&B performance — a category honoring recordings that adhere to classic R&B/soul sonic signifiers as opposed to more contemporary approaches to the genre — was first awarded in 1999, two artists have emerged as the all-time winners.
Beyoncé and Lalah Hathaway each have three wins to their name in this category. While Queen Bey does not have a song contending here this year, Hathaway could snag her fourth win if her Michael McDonald-assisted “No Lie” scores a nod. There are a number of high-profile duets to keep an eye on here, including Eric Benét and Tamar Braxton (“Something We Can Make Love To”), Chlöe and Ty Dolla $ign (“Might As Well”), Clark Jr. & Wonder (“What About the Children”), Keyon Harrold and PJ Morton (“Beautiful Day”), Kamasi Washington and BJ The Chicago Kid (“Together”) and Louis York and Tamia (“Three Little Words”). The Benét-Braxton team-up received a lot of love in R&B circles, and the Chlöe-Ty link-up highlights the perseverance of traditional R&B amongst the newest generation of crooners.
Muni Long’s name is sure to pop up across the R&B field this cycle, and “Make Me Forget,” which became her first Adult R&B Airplay chart-topper in August, is her entry in this category. Last year’s winners — PJ Morton and Susan Carol (“Good Morning”) — could return with solo songs of their own. Morton is contending with “I Found You,” while Carol entered “Karma.”
Some other names to look out for: Brittany Howard (“I Don’t”), Marsha Ambrosius (“Wet”), Jacob Collier, John Legend and Tori Kelly (“Bridge Over Troubled Water”), Kenyon Dixon (“Can I Have This Groove”), Meshell Ndegeocello (“Love”), Lucky Daye (“That’s You”), NxWorries, Snoop Dogg & October London (“FromHere”) and Usher (“Please U”).
Our Fearless Forecast
Here goes nothing: “That’s You” (Lucky Daye), “FromHere” (NxWorries, Snoop Dogg & October London), “Make Me Forget” (Muni Long), “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Jacob Collier, John Legend & Tori Kelly) and “No Lie” (Lalah Hathaway & Michael McDonald)
When the nominations for the 67th annual Grammy Awards are announced on Friday Nov. 8, we’re likely to see considerable overlap in the nods for record of the year (which honors a specific recording of a song) and song of the year (which honors the song itself). Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” and Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile,” among others, are likely to wind up with nominations in both categories.
There is usually a fairly high degree of overlap in the nominations for these two high-profile awards. Last year, for example, five of the eight nominees for record of the year were also nominated for song of the year.
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But that wasn’t the case when the nominations for the 47th annual Grammy Awards were announced on Dec. 7, 2004. For the first and still the only time in Grammy history, there was no overlap in the nominations in these two marquee categories.
One of the record of the year nominees, Ray Charles’ “Here We Go Again” (with Norah Jones), wasn’t eligible for song of the year. It was a remake of a Charles hit from 1967, which had reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Grammy rules, which have fluctuated on this point over the years, don’t allow songs that were already prominent to be considered for song of the year.
The other four record of the year nominees competed for song of the year nominations and simply didn’t receive enough votes. They were The Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s Get It Started,” Green Day’s “American Idiot,” Los Lonely Boys’ “Heaven” and Usher’s “Yeah!” (featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris).
Three of these songs were nominated for songwriting awards in genre categories. “American Idiot” was nominated for best rock song; “Yeah!” for best R&B song; and “Let’s Get It Started” for best rap song. “Heaven” was classified as pop in the Grammy process; there was no (and still is no) best pop song category.
The song of the year nominees, all of which also vied for record of the year nods (and likewise simply didn’t receive enough votes to wind up with nominations in that category) were John Mayer’s “Daughters,” Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You,” Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks,” Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying” and Hoobastank’s “The Reason.”
When the Grammy Awards were presented on Feb. 13, 2005, the Charles/Jones collab won record of the year. Mayer’s ballad won song of the year.
Nicki Minaj‘s Pink Friday 2 topped the Billboard 200 and launched the highest-grossing female rap tour of all time — could it land the rap queen her first Grammy too?
Minaj has been nominated for best rap album twice in the past — in 2012 for Pink Friday and in 2016 for The Pinkprint — making her second-most nominated female rapper in this category behind Missy Elliott, who earned four nods between 1998 and 2006. Since the Recording Academy established best rap album in 1996, only two female rappers have won the honor; as a part of the Fugees, Lauryn Hill won in 1997 for The Score, and Cardi B triumphed with Invasion of Privacy in 2018.
A nod for Pink Friday 2 would mark Minaj’s first non-soundtrack nomination in nearly 10 years. Last year, she earned a pair of nods alongside Ice Spice and AQUA for their “Barbie World” collaboration from the Barbie soundtrack, but she hasn’t been recognized for her own work since The Pinkprint and its tracks earned three nominations at the 2016 ceremony. Notably, Minaj has yet to win a Grammy, but if Pink Friday 2 can repeat its victory at last week’s BET Hip-Hop Awards (Oct. 15), she may finally take home her very first gilded gramophone.
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In addition to Minaj, Elliott, Hill and Cardi, just two other female rappers have earned nominations for best rap album: Iggy Azalea (2015, The New Classic) and Rapsody (2018, Laila’s Wisdom).
This year, a number of female rappers could earn a nomination for best rap album. In fact, the 2025 ceremony could be the first time in Grammy history that multiple female rappers are simultaneously nominated for best rap album. Most of this year’s contending projects by female rappers also made inroads on the Billboard 200, including Doechii‘s Alligator Bites Never Heal (No. 117), Doja Cat‘s Scarlet 2 Claude (No. 4), Flo Milli‘s Fine Ho, Stay (No. 54), GloRilla‘s Ehhtang Ehhthang (No. 18), Ice Spice‘s Y2K! (No. 18), JT‘s City Cinderella (No. 27), Latto‘s Sugar Honey Iced Tea (No. 15), Megan Thee Stallion‘s Megan (No. 3) and Sexyy Red‘s In Sexyy We Trust (No. 17).
Out of those projects, Scarlet, Ehhthang Ehhtang, Megan and Sugar Honey Iced Tea have the strongest shot at a nod since Doja, GloRilla, Megan and Latto are all previous Grammy nominees. GloRilla, in particular, could pull off a nomination here thanks to her dominant year and the well-timed release of her debut studio LP, Glorious, which snagged the largest opening week total for a female rap album in 2024 during the last few days of first-round voting. Keep an eye on Doechii, as well; she has one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop projects of the year and has been running a steady campaign, which included a recent co-sign from Grammy darling Kendrick Lamar. Of course, voters could opt for a project that didn’t hit the Billboard charts, but still stands on its own merit — Rapsody’s Please Don’t Cry. Already a three-time Grammy nominee, the North Carolina MC could pull off her second nod for best rap album, which would tie her with Minaj as the second-most nominated female rapper in the category.
Outside of the ladies, it was still a characteristically busy year for rap. With six wins to his name in this category, Eminem is the all-time winner here, and he could very well earn his eighth best rap album bid — and first in 10 years! — for his Billboard 200-topping The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) could extend his record as the second-most nominated (eight) and second-most awarded (four) artist in this category if Vultures 1, his joint album with Ty Dolla $ign, earns a nod. This would be Ty’s first nod in this category. Both Em and Ye are vets, and it’s possible some of their peers join them as nominees this year. Common & Pete Rock are strong contenders with The Auditorium Vol. 1, and Killer Mike could bookend last year’s victory with a nod (and possible win) for Songs for Sinners and Saints. Also look out for Juicy J‘s Ravenite Social Club and Erick the Architect‘s I’ve Never Been Here Before.
Obviously, this year in rap was defined by Lamar — but he doesn’t have an album in contention this cycle. Nonetheless, We Don’t Trust You, the Billboard 200-topping Future–Metro Boomin joint album that served as Trojan horse for Lamar’s blistering “Like That” verse, is the clear frontrunner for a nomination here. This would mark the second nomination for both Future and Metro. Both artists have yet to win this category.
Both J. Cole, a recurring star in the Lamar-Drake showdown, and ScHoolboy Q, Lamar’s former TDE labelmate, could earn their third bids in this category with Might Delete Later and Blue Lips, respectively. Like Future and Metro, both Cole and Q are looking for their first victory here. Big Sean, another blog era big dog, could also earn his very first nod in the category with Better Me Than You. 21 Savage, who was nominated here last year alongside Drake for their Her Loss joint album, could earn his third nomination in this category with American Dream.
Also in contention: Don Toliver‘s Hardstone Psycho and Danny Brown‘s Quaranta.
Our Fearless Forecast
Which hip-hop albums will make the final five? Our predictions are: We Don’t Trust You (Future & Metro Boomin), Vultures 1 (Ye & Ty Dolla $ign), The Auditorium Vol. 1 (Common & Pete Rock), Blue Lips (ScHoolboy Q) and The Death of Slim Shady (Eminem).
If these predictions prove to be correct, this would be the sixth consecutive year that men have locked up all the nominations in this category.
Being a Grammy voter may sound glamorous, but it’s a lot of work if you do it right, or even close to right. That’s because, in the first round of voting, the Recording Academy presents voting members with really long lists of titles and asks them to select the five they think are most worthy of a nomination.
How long is “really long”? This year, voters had to wade through alphabetical lists of 780 entries for record of the year, 707 for album of the year, 978 for song of the year and 323 for best new artist. And that’s just the Big Four categories!
Can you imagine how much time and mental effort it would take to contentiously pick your five favorite anythings from a list of 978 contenders? If that task were less overwhelming, it seems likely that the quality of voting would go up – and that the percentage of voting members who completed it would go up. If the voters were presented with a list of, say, 100 contenders, it would turn a daunting task into a manageable, and maybe even pleasurable, one. (That number could go up a bit, to 125, 150 or 200, but of course the higher it goes up, the less benefit would be realized.)
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My idea is to have a group of knowledgeable, plugged-in and fair-minded people cull the massive entry lists and bring them down to a more reasonable length. Big hits would probably remain on the list, as would non-hits that people on the panel spoke up for.
You might say, “Didn’t the Recording Academy just get rid of Nomination Review Committees a few years ago — now you’re talking about bringing them back?” Good recall on the review committees, including the primary one, which determined the final nominees in the Big Four categories every year from the ceremony held in 1996 through the one held in 2021. Most Grammy-watchers (including me) were happy to see that committee disbanded, but there’s an important distinction to be made: The academy had the review committee at the tail-end of the process, after voting members had voted and just before the nominations were announced.
Here’s how it worked back then: The committee members selected their five favorites from the top 20 or 25 vote-getters from rank-and-file voters. They essentially second-guessed the voters, which always struck me as elitist, as if their taste and judgment was superior to that of the voters. I’m suggesting putting the committee at the front-end of the process. They wouldn’t be second-guessing anybody, but simply performing a reality check by eliminating the records, albums, songs and artists that have little to no chance of being nominated, but which clog up the list.
And why do I say you shouldn’t hold your breath for this actually happening? Many voting members like to see their entries on the list. If they didn’t see them anymore, they might not see any point in renewing their membership. Member dues are $150 per year. If, say, 2,000 of the current 13,000 voting members walked away because they missed seeing their names on the entry list, that’s $300,000 in lost revenue each year for the Recording Academy. But do the Grammys really want people voting who are that shallow and motivated only by narrow self-interest?
It’s not just the Big Four categories that have large numbers of entries. A total of 33 categories on this year’s Grammy ballot had 200 or more entries. Of those 33, 14 had 300 or more entries. In addition to the Big Four, the categories with 300+ entries are best music video (637), best global music performance (456), best engineered album, non-classical (456), best arrangement, instruments and vocals (444), best jazz performance (420), best instrumental composition (395), best American roots song (373), best alternative music performance (331), best pop solo performance (314) and best American roots performance (310). These categories could also stand a trim, either by this committee or by committees closer to these genres and fields of endeavor.
A small point, but just so there’s no confusion, voters are tasked with picking their five favorites in the Big Four categories, even though there are eight eventual nominees in those categories. That slight numerical difference doesn’t matter, but presenting the voting members with a reasonable task does.
Since the Recording Academy established the Grammy award for best melodic rap performance — named best rap/sung collaboration until 2017, and best rap/sung performance from 2018 to 2020 — in 2002, Rihanna has emerged as the most-nominated (nine) and most-awarded (five) woman in the category. This year, Beyoncé could earn her ninth nod in the category and match Riri’s record.
Of Rihanna’s nine career Grammy wins, five come from this category. She first won alongside Jay-Z for “Umbrella” back in 2008, and followed that up with four more victories: 2010’s “Run This Town (with Jay-Z & Kanye West), 2012’s “All of the Lights” (with West, Kid Cudi and Fergie), 2015’s “The Monster” (with Emninem) and 2018’s “Loyalty” (with Kendrick Lamar).
Beyoncé won this category in 2004 for “Crazy in Love” (with Jay-Z). Her other nominated songs in this category include 2007’s “Deja Vu” (with Jay-Z), 2010’s “Ego” (with West), 2012’s “Party” (with André 3000), 2014’s “Part II” (with Jay-Z), 2017’s “Freedom” (with Lamar) and 2018’s “Family Feud” (with Jay-Z). In 2006, she also earned a nod as a part of Destiny’s Child with “Soldier,” alongside Lil Wayne and T.I.
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This year, Beyoncé is in contention with “Spaghettii,” a country-rap hybrid that features record-breaking newcomer Shaboozey and oft-overlooked country pioneer Linda Martell. Thanks to the combined star power of the names attached and the cultural pull of Cowboy Carter and “A Bar Song,” “Spaghettii” could be Beyoncé’s first victory in this category in more than 20 years. A nod for “Spaghettii” would enable her to tie Rihanna as the most-nominated woman in this category; Shaboozey and Martell would also both earn their first nods in this category.
But what other songs could give “Spaghetti,” which peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, a run for its money? Let’s break down the contenders.
Future and Metro Boomin‘s names will be all over the Grammy ballot thanks to their myriad submissions from We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You, both of which topped the Billboard 200 this year. In this category, they submitted the Weeknd-assisted title track from the latter album. The Weeknd won here in 2022 (“Hurricane”) and Future reigned victorious in 2023 (“Wait for U”), so two out of the three credited artists on “We Still Don’t Trust You” have a favorable history in this category. A nod for the synthy track would be the third for both Future and The Weeknd, and the first for Metro. Tommy Richman‘s No. 2-peaking “Million Dollar Baby” is probably the frontrunner here from a purely commercial standpoint, a nod here would be the first for the Virginia native.
Drake, who is currently tied with Beyoncé as the fourth-most nominated artist in this category, is in contention as a part of Sexyy Red‘s “U My Everything,” which peaked at No. 44 on the Hot 100. A nod here would be Sexyy’s first in any category; she is also in contention for best new artist this year. Justin Timberlake, a five-time nominee and two-time winner here, could score a nod for “Sanctified” (with Tobe Nwigwe).
At the most recent ceremony, Latto made history when “Big Energy” became the first live rendition to earn a nod in this category. This year she’s in contention with “Big Mama,” which could surprise with a nomination despite its No. 92 Hot 100 peak. Some other notable 2024 Hot 100 hits in contention include: Jordan Adetunji and Kehlani‘s “Kehlani” (No. 24), Flo Milli‘s “Never Lose Me” (No. 15), Offset and Don Toliver‘s “Worth It” (No. 90), Toliver, Charlie Wilson and Cash Cobain‘s “Attitude” (No. 58), Quavo and Lana Del Rey‘s “Tough” (No. 33), 21 Savage and Summer Walker‘s “Prove It” (No. 43) and Travis Scott, James Blake and Savage’s “Til Further Notice” (No. 38). A nod in this category would be the first for all aforementioned artists except for Wilson, Scott and 21 Savage. Scott and 21 Savage are both seeking their fourth nominations and first wins in this category, while Wilson is seeking his third nod here. Notably, if “Attitude” pulls off the win, Charlie Wilson would take home his very first Grammy — more than four decades after his first nomination.
Of course, there are some other songs to keep an eye on; their critical acclaim and name recognition can make up for what they lack in commercial success. Those songs include: Anycia and Latto’s “Back Outside”; Big Sean, Thundercat and Eryn Allen Kane‘s “Black Void”; Childish Gambino, Amaarae and Flo Milli’s “Talk My Shit”; Cordae and Anderson .Paak‘s “Summer Drop”; Doja Cat‘s “Acknowledge Me”; Erick the Architect and Lalah Hathaway‘s “Liberate”; Gunna‘s “Bittersweet”; Rapsody and Erykah Badu‘s “3:AM”; ScHoolboy Q and Jozzy‘s “Lost Times”; SiR & .Paak’s “Poetry In Motion”; Tems and J. Cole‘s “Free Fall” and Bryson Tiller‘s “Ciao!”
Keep an especially close eye on “Free Fall” — Tems (2023, “Wait For U”) and Cole (2024, “All My Life”) are the last two winners in this category — as well as “Black Void,” which features Eryn Allen Kane who won best rap song and performance last year for “Scientists and Engineers” alongside Killer Mike, Future and André 3000.
Our Fearless Forecast
So, which five songs could make up the next crop of best melodic rap performance nominees? Our picks are: “Spaghettii” (Beyoncé, Shaboozey & Linda Martell), “We Still Don’t Trust You” (Future, Metro Boomin & The Weeknd), “Free Fall” (Tems & J. Cole), “Attitude” (Don Toliver, Charlie Wilson & Cash Cobain) and “Million Dollar Baby” (Tommy Richman).
10/21/2024
It’s the old saying “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
10/21/2024
Kendrick Lamar already has 17 Grammys to his name, and he could add several more if “Not Like Us” dominates next month’s Grammy nominations announcement (Nov. 8).
A strong contender for both record and song of the year, the Billboard Hot 100-topping diss track is also a frontrunner in the rap field categories of best rap song and best rap performance. Should “Not Like Us” take home the gold in both of those categories, it would become the fifth Lamar track to pull off the feat following “I” (2015), “Alright” (2016), “Humble” (2018), and “The Heart Part 5” (2023).
As can be the case across genres, there has been a fair amount of overlap between performance and songwriting categories in the rap field over the years. Since the best rap performance category was introduced in 2012 – several more specific categories were condensed in a major rehaul of the ceremony — eight songs have triumphed both there and in best rap song, which was introduced in 2004. In addition to Lamar’s victories, the other winners include Jay-Z & Kanye West‘s “N—as in Paris” (2013), Macklemore & Ryan Lewis‘ “Thrift Shop” (2014), Megan Thee Stallion & Beyoncé‘s “Savage” (2021) and Killer Mike, Future, André 3000 and Eryn Allen Kane‘s “Scientists & Engineers” (2024).
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Before the categories were restructured, two best rap song winners — Jay-Z, Rihanna and West’s “Run This Town” (2010) and Jay-Z & Alicia Keys‘ “Empire State of Mind” (2011) — also won best rap/sung performance (now called best melodic rap performance). In 2004, Eminem‘s “Lose Yourself” won best rap song — making him the inaugural winner in that category — and best male rap solo performance.
But what tracks could block “Not Like Us” from a rap field sweep? Let’s break down the leading contenders in both categories.
Best Rap Song
First, there’s the question of “Like That.” If Lamar’s Hot 100-topping collaboration with Future & Metro Boomin wins both best rap song and best rap performance, Lamar would still earn his fifth double-whammy. In the event that both “Not Like Us” and “Like That” earn nods in best rap song, Lamar would increase his tally to 10 career nods in this category — the fourth most of all time. A nod for “Like That” would earn Future his fourth nomination in this category and Metro Boomin his first.
Two non-Lamar Hot 100 chart-toppers could also earn nods here: Megan Thee Stallion’s “Hiss” and Ye & Ty Dolla $ign‘s “Carnival.” Megan remains the first and only female rapper to win this category, and a nod for “Hiss” would be her first nomination in this category for a solo song. Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) has the most wins in the history of this category (7); a nod for “Carnival” here would be his seventeenth — the most of all time — and Ty Dolla $ign’s first. “Carnival” could also earn career-first Grammy nods for Don Toliver and Playboi Carti, who are credited songwriters and featured artists on the track.
Carti is also in contention by way of Travis Scott‘s “FE!N,” which reached No. 5 on the Hot 100 in 2023. The duo performed the track at the 2024 Grammy telecast, where its parent album, the Billboard 200-topping Utopia lost best rap album to Killer Mike’s Michael. Between his globe-trotting Circus Maximus Tour and a historic re-release of his decade-old Days Before Rodeo mixtape, Travis has remained a consistent presence this year. Killer Mike, on the other hand, could bookend his 2024 victory in this category with “Humble Me.”
Two other massive 2024 Hot 100 hits — Jack Harlow‘s “Lovin On Me” (No. 1) and Tommy Richman‘s “Million Dollar Baby” (No. 2) — are also very strong contenders. Richman is looking for his first Grammy nod, while Harlow is looking to earn his second nod in this category following “Churchill Downs” (with Drake) in 2023.
There are also a number of other notable Hot 100 hits that are in contention, including: Sexyy Red‘s “Get It Sexy” (No. 20), Nicki Minaj‘s “FTCU” (No. 15), GloRilla‘s “Yeah Glo” (No. 28), Flo Milli‘s “Never Lose Me” (No. 15), Doja Cat‘s “Demons” (No. 46), Lil Baby & Central Cee‘s “Band4Band” (No. 18), Cardi B‘s “Enough” (No. 9) and 21 Savage‘s “Redrum” (No. 5). Both Lil Baby and Cardi B are seeking their second nominations in this category, while Minaj and Doja are each aiming for their third. 21 Savage, who won this category alongside J. Cole for “A Lot” in 2020, is looking to earn his fourth nomination in this category. Out of these contenders, Hot Girl Summer tourmates Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla are likely the strongest contenders, but both have a more favorable history in best rap performance.
As always, there are also a few dark horses for which to keep an eye out. Rapsody, a previous nominee in this category for “Sassy” back in 2018, could pull off a nomination for “Asteroids,” while ScHoolboy Q could earn his first nod in this category with “Thank God 4 Me.” Eminem is the inaugural winner of this category, and he’s since added four additional nominations. “Tobey” (with Big Sean and BabyTron) could earn Slim Shady his first best rap song nod since 2019, when his Joyner Lucas-assisted “Lucky You” earned a nomination. Lucas is also in contention with his Jelly Roll duet, “Best for Me,” which earned a nod for best video for good at the MTV Video Music Awards last month. Finally, Common could earn his second nomination in this category with “When the Sun Shines Again” (with Pete Rock and Posdnuos).
Our Fearless Forecast
So, which five songs have the best chance to be nominated in this Grammy category? The rap field is always unpredictable, but here goes nothing: “Not Like Us” (Kendrick Lamar), “Lovin On Me” (Jack Harlow), “Like That” (Future, Metro Boomin & Lamar), “Asteroids” (Rapsody) and “Carnival” (Ye, Ty Dolla $ign, Don Toliver & Playboi Carti)
Best Rap Performance
Given the history of overlap between best rap song and best rap performance, most of the aforementioned songs are also contenders in this category. Some other Hot 100 hits to keep an eye on include Bryson Tiller‘s “Whatever She Wants” (No. 19), Eminem’s “Houdini” (No. 2) and Megan Thee Stallion and Yuki Chiba‘s “Mamushi” (No. 36). A nod in this category would be the first for Tiller and Chiba. Also in contention here with “Hiss,” Megan is looking to add to her two previous nominations in this category. Eminem has earned 12 career nods across rap performance categories; he has won best rap solo performance three times in addition to one triumph in best male rap solo performance and two wins in best rap performance by a duo or group.
Other strong contenders include Doechii‘s “Nissan Altima,” Latto‘s “S/O to Me,” LL Cool J & Eminem’s “Murdergram Deux,” Big Sean‘s “Yes” and ScHoolboy Q’s “Blueslides.”
Our Fearless Forecast
So, which five songs have the best chance to be nominated in this category? I predict: “Not Like Us” (Kendrick Lamar), “HISS” (Megan Thee Stallion), “Like That” (Future, Metro Boomin & Lamar), “Murdergram Deux” (LL Cool J & Eminem) and “Yeah Glo” (GloRilla)
From Beyoncé‘s “Texas Hold ‘Em” to Sabrina Carpenter‘s “Espresso,” several 2024 Billboard Hot 100 hits are strong contenders for top honors at the 2025 Grammys — but there are also a handful of older songs that could pop up when nominations are announced on Nov. 8.
According to the rules and guidelines handbook for the 67th annual Grammy Awards, recordings must be commercially released, nationally distributed, and available from any date within the eligibility period (Sept. 16, 2023, to Aug. 30, 2024) through at least Jan. 3, 2025 – the date of this Grammy year’s final-ballot voting deadline. Furthermore, unless otherwise instructed upon submission, the academy will use the original album version of a song for screening and verification purposes. This means that a hit like Tate McRae‘s “Greedy” — which was released on Sept. 15, 2023 — is ineligible for the 2025 Grammys in its original form, but can still be considered for a nomination in a different iteration, such as an acoustic or live version.
It’s not uncommon for an alternate version of a song to earn a Grammy nod — especially if the track in question gained prominence after the eligibility period for its original version closed. Live albums and single recordings have been nominated (and won) in the past, especially in the decades before the Academy enacted major overhauls of the ceremony’s categories.
In 2011, the last year the Grammy for best female pop vocal performance was presented, a live version of Beyoncé’s “Halo” earned a nod. The year prior, the original studio version of the song won in that category, becoming Beyoncé’s first and only victory in the pop field. The following year, Adele swept the ceremony with her 21 album — including a best pop solo performance win for “Someone Like You” — making the album and the original version of its tracks ineligible for future ceremonies. In 2013, she triumphed with a second consecutive win in the category thanks to a live version of “Set Fire to the Rain” recorded at the Royal Albert Hall. The British powerhouse would go on to win this particular award twice more — “Hello” (2017) and “Easy On Me” (2023) — making her the all-time biggest winner in this category.
In 2015, a whopping three of the five nominated tracks in best pop solo performance were alternate versions: Pharrell Williams‘ “Happy (Live),” John Legend‘s “All of Me (Live),” and Sam Smith‘s “Stay With Me (Darkchild Version).” The Williams and Legend tracks were both released during the eligibility period for the 2014 Grammys but reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 during the eligibility period for the following year’s ceremony. The original version of Smith’s smash was eligible, but his label (Capitol Records) opted to submit the Darkchild version instead. Ultimately, Williams beat out the competition and took home his first and only solo win in the pop field.
In 2019, a solo live version of Camila Cabello‘s “Havana,” which originally featured a rap verse from Young Thug, reaped a bid in this category, but it lost to Lady Gaga‘s “Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Going?)” — a piano version of the title track from her Joanne LP, which earned a pair of nods the year prior.
Before best pop duo/group performance was introduced in 2012, live versions helped two bands win best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals. Maroon 5 won with “This Love (Live)” in 2006, and Train won with “Hey, Soul Sister (Live)” in 2011.
Outside of the pop categories, live versions often do well in the rock field. Since it was established in 1990, four of the winners for best metal performance have been live renditions, with the most recent being Judas Priest‘s 2010 victory for “Dissident Aggressor (Live).” Back in 2001, before the best female rock vocal performance category was discontinued, Sheryl Crow won with a live version of “There Goes the Neighborhood,” the original version of which lost in the same category at the 1999 ceremony.
The R&B categories are a bit frostier toward alternate versions. Just one live rendition has ever won in any R&B performance category; Stevie Wonder and Take 6‘s “Love’s in Need of Love Today (Live)” — a cover of the opening track from 1976’s Songs in the Key of Life — took home best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals in 2003. Beyoncé earned a nod for best female R&B vocal performance in 2009 for her live rendition of her 2003 hit “Me, Myself and I.” (She lost to Alicia Keys‘ “Superwoman.”)
In 2023, Latto‘s “Big Energy (Live)” became the first live rendition to earn a nomination for best melodic rap performance, ultimately losing to Future, Drake and Tems‘ “Wait for U.”
Live and alternate versions face the toughest battle in the general field categories of record and song of the year. Sam Smith’s aforementioned “Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)” won both record and song of the year, but no live version has ever been nominated (or won) in either category.
Here’s a round-up of 2024 Hot 100 hits that were submitted under alternate versions to skirt eligibility rules for the 2025 Grammys.
Tate McRae, “Greedy”
Most of the 113 albums vying for Grammy nominations for best children’s music album are by artists best-known for that genre. But the list also includes several well-known pop stars, and even a famous actor.
John Legend is entered with My Favorite Dream, which debuted and peaked at No. 5 on Billboard’s Kid Albums chart in September. The EGOT recipient is a 12-time Grammy winner. His biggest hit is the ballad “All of Me,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2014.
Lisa Loeb, best known for “Stay (I Missed You),” with the Nine Stories, a No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 in August 1994, is entered with That’s What It All About, with the Hollow Trees. Loeb won in this category in 2018 for Feel What U Feel.
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Patrick Stump, best known as the frontman for Fall Out Boy, is entered with Music From and Inspired by Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends. Stump composed the theme music for the TV show, which has aired on Disney Jr. since 2021. Fall Out Boy has received two Grammy nods — best new artist and best rock album for M A N I A. The band has notched four top 10 hits on the Hot 100, topped by “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race,” which debuted and peaked at No. 2 in February 2007.
Singer-songwriter Christina Perri is entered with songs for pixie. She cracked the Kid Albums chart with two albums with similar titles, Songs for Carmella and Songs for Rosie. Perri has had three top 30 hits on the Hot 100 (“Jar of Hearts,” “A Thousand Years” and “Human”).
Walk Off the Earth & Romeo Eats are entered with Buon Appetito. Walk Off the Earth is a Canadian indie pop band that cracked the top half of the Billboard 200 with three albums in the 2010s.
Actor William Shatner is entered with Where Will the Animals Sleep?, which debuted and peaked at No. 5 on Kid Albums in June.Shatner has received two Grammy nods in the category now known as best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording. He was nominated at the ceremony held earlier this year for Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder. Shatner won Primetime Emmys for The Practice and Boston Legal and was voted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2006.
As noted, most of the entries are from the artists from the world of children’s music. Among them: 123 Andrés, a husband-and-wife duo that creates children’s music in both English and Spanish. They are entered with Jamming on the Job, Vol. 1, a collab with Pierce Freelon. 123 Andrés won in this category in February for We Grow Together Children’s Songs.
Another of the entries competing for a nod this year is The Kids at North Station by Adam Blackstone Jr., Kennedy Anderson, Amg Kidz, The Teentations, Melodic Haven and B.A.A. Blackstone is the 9-year old son of music director Adam Blackstone, who has amassed seven Primetime Emmy nods. He won in 2022 for outstanding music direction for The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent.
Other pop artists who have been nominated in this category in recent years are Beth Nielsen Chapman in 2014 and Ladysmith Black Mambazo in 2018.
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.