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Grammys

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The Recording Academy is accepting submissions from voting members for its second annual best song for social change award. This award recognizes creators of message-driven music that responds to the social issues of our time and has the potential for positive global impact.
This is a special merit award – not a regular, competitive Grammy Award. Entries are reviewed and the recipient is selected by a “blue-ribbon committee.”

The inaugural award was presented at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 5 by first lady Jill Biden before she also presented song of the year to Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That.” The inaugural recipient was “Baraye” by Iranian singer/songwriter Shervin Hajipour.

Songs that were commercially released during the last three Grammy eligibility years – that’s Oct. 1, 2020 through Sept. 15, 2023 – are eligible for this award. The submission period began one week ago (July 17) and continues through Aug. 31.

This award, which honors singles or tracks in any musical genre, is presented to the songwriter(s). The song must include music and lyrics in any language, provided that an approved English version of the lyric is submitted.

“We’re excited to offer this award, proposed by our voting members, to recognize creators of message-driven music that responds to the social issues of our time and has the potential for positive global impact,” the Academy said in an email to its members.

The Academy also gave some prompts of specific issues that fit the award: peace, security (personal safety), human dignity, climate crisis, mental health, civil rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, anti-bullying, communities in need, voting rights, homelessness, inequality, hunger access (food security), rights of the disabled, education access, indigenous peoples/land use/resources.

Here is the Academy’s stated eligibility and selection criteria (lightly edited for space and clarity):

“The award recognizes a song that has had profound social influence and impact.

“Submissions should contain lyrical content that: a) addresses a timely social issue; b) explores a subject impacting a community of people in need; and c) promotes awareness, raises consciousness, and builds empathy.

“The song may reference previous work and may include previously recorded or published lyrical material; in addition, a significant degree of new creative and lyrical content is required. The songwriters of the new material are eligible to receive the award; determination of songwriter eligibility for previously recorded or published lyrical work will be at the discretion of the Academy.

“Recordings featuring samples or interpolations are eligible; however, in alignment with Grammy Awards rules, songwriters of sampled or interpolated material are not eligible to receive the award.

“Songs previously acknowledged as finalists for this award will notbe eligible for consideration.

“Previously Grammy-nominated and/or Grammy-winning songs are eligible for this honor as long as they meet the commercial release eligibility criteria for this award.

“Selection criteria include the lyrical content of the song, the artistic quality of the composition, and the perceived impact of the song in delivering an empowering message that brings awareness about social issues that affect the world.

“The selection criteria will be guided by the principle that social good is ‘an action that will result in a benefit being available to the general public,’ which may include songs that affirm the basic humanity of all people.

“In this context, the new award will recognize a song that promotes: Understanding – educates and /or raises awareness of other people’s experiences, advocacy, and tolerance; Peacebuilding – measures intended to create or sustain peace or freedom from dissention; Empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another; Being positive – a good, affirmative, or constructive quality or attribute. In contrast, songs containing hate speech or advocating violence or terrorism would be deemed ineligible.”

So strong and deep is the tradition of the cantautor, or singer-songwriter, in Latin music that the Latin Recording Academy is carving out more space for such multifaceted artists. This year, it debuts its best songwriter of the year category as part of the also newly created songwriting field. As with the mainstream Grammy Awards, the category recognizes songwriters credited as writers or co-writers on at least six tracks where they are not the performer, producer or engineer.
In addition, another new category, best singer-songwriter song, will fall under the singer-songwriter field (which has existed since the inception of the Latin Grammy Awards almost 25 years ago and has included the best singer-songwriter album award). To be eligible for this new award, at least 51% of the lyrics on singles or tracks must be in Spanish, Portuguese or any native regional dialect and must be from a singer-songwriter album competing in the best singer-songwriter album category that year. Below are six songwriters who stand a good chance of landing in one ­— or both — of the newly unveiled categories.

Elena Rose

As fans wait for Elena Rose to drop her long-awaited debut album, the Venezuelan singer-songwriter has kept busy with a string of singles recorded under her own name, plus a plethora of hits in the pop and urban realms. As one of the first women to actively collaborate with reggaetón stars, Elena Rose has opened the door for a new generation of women songwriters — making her a prime pick for the first class of best songwriter of the year nominees. The prolific collaborator has co-written massive hits like Karol G and Becky G’s “MAMIII,” Bad Bunny’s “Party” and, this year, TINI and Maria Becerra’s “Miénteme.”

Edgar Barrera

Perhaps the most versatile songwriter in Latin music today, Barrera has spent over 100 weeks on Billboard’s Latin Songwriters chart, second only to Bad Bunny, thanks to credits on cross-genre hits. In the past 12 months alone, the 32-year-old has worked with regional Mexican act Grupo Frontera on all of its hits, including blockbusters like “un x100to” with Bad Bunny and “Frágil” with Yahritza y Su Esencia. He also boasts credits on Manuel Turizo’s global smashes “La Bachata” and “El Merengue,” as well as multiple singles performed by longtime collaborators Maluma and Christian Nodal, among others, making him a shoo-in for the best songwriter of the year category.

Edén Muñoz

The former frontman of norteño group Calibre 50 has emerged as a successful solo artist and a sought-after songwriter for artists like Pepe Aguilar and Christian Nodal, among others. In June, the SESAC Latina Awards honored Muñoz as regional Mexican songwriter of the year for the fourth consecutive year thanks to a long string of hits. At this year’s Latin Grammys, Muñoz may be a contender in the best singer-songwriter album and song categories with his first solo studio album, Consejos Gratis (for which he wrote 13 out of its 14 tracks), boasting clever lyrics full of wordplay with uptempo fare and romantic ballads.

Gale

The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter got her start writing for other artists while she honed her solo chops. Now, in the wake of the release of her debut album, Lo Que No Te Dije, Gale could be nominated in all three songwriting fields. Her personal strain of alt-rock and pop was highlighted throughout her album and best heard on the uptempo, rock-leaning “Problemas” (making her a likely nominee in the best singer-­songwriter album and song categories). She could also be a contender in the best songwriter category thanks to co-writes for the likes of Manuel Turizo and Marshmello (“El Merengue”), Juanes (“Ojalá”) and Aitana, Emilia and Ptazeta (“Quieres”).

Juanes

The Colombian veteran arguably reshaped the singer-songwriting mold when he burst on the scene with his 2000 debut album, Fíjate Bien. In 2023, he’s still innovating, albeit in a more collaborative fashion. On his new album, Vida Cotidiana, Juanes brings in many co-writers, including Tomás Torres and Alexis Díaz-Pimienta. But the album’s standout song, “Gris,” a revealing look into his longtime marriage, is his alone. A Latin Grammy favorite, Juanes is a contender for the best singer-songwriter album and song categories.

Keityn

The Colombian songwriter-producer was ASCAP’s 2023 songwriter of the year — a perfect setup for his inclusion in the inaugural group of best songwriter nominees. A favorite co-writer for two of the biggest Colombian stars of the moment — Shakira and Karol G — he worked alongside Bizarrap and Shakira on the surprise smash “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” which spent five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart earlier this year. Keityn also has songwriting credits on Shakira and Karol G’s “TQG,” which peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100. It’s no small feat for a 26-year-old — nor is regularly writing hits for Manuel Turizo, J Balvin and Maluma (including the global smash “Hawái”).

This story will appear in the July 15, 2023, issue of Billboard.

The Recording Academy has added three new categories for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, which are set for Sunday Feb. 4, 2024 — best African music performance, best alternative jazz album and best pop dance recording. This brings the total number of categories to 94, the highest total since the number reached an all-time peak of 109 in 2010.
“By introducing these three new categories, we are able to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide.” 

Here’s a closer look at the three new Grammy categories. —Paul Grein

Best Alternative Jazz Album

From swing to bebop to fusion, evolution has defined jazz throughout its history. The Grammys’ new best alternative jazz album category acknowledges that constant change, as a new generation brings the storied genre into the 21st century.

In recent years, the Grammys’ existing best jazz instrumental album category has recognized esteemed musicians of yesteryear, awarding the likes of Ron Carter, Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea — who all played with Miles Davis in the late 1960s and early ’70s. By contrast, less conventional jazz artists such as Kamasi Washington and Makaya McCraven, and bands such as Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming (both led by acclaimed British saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings), have remained absent from the category’s nominees. Robert Glasper, the genre-hopping musician who has played with artists from Herbie Hancock to Mac Miller, received a single jazz category nomination in 2016, but snuck into the best R&B album category last year; his surprise win with Black Radio III caused fellow nominee Chris Brown to infamously remark: “Who the f–k is Robert Glasper?”

In its announcement of this new category, the Recording Academy noted that alternative jazz “may be defined as a genre-blending, envelope-pushing hybrid that mixes jazz … with other genres,” including R&B, hip-hop, classical, rap and dance music. As genre distinctions become less rigid, the category’s value rests in how it will allow musicians like Washington — who earned recognition outside the jazz community for his contributions to Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album, To Pimp a Butterfly — to be honored without conforming to more traditional conceptions of jazz.

Contenders may include Dinner Party, the collaborative project of Washington, Glasper and fellow jazz-meets-hip-hop traveler Terrace Martin; Angel Bat Dawid, the clarinetist-composer signed to influential contemporary jazz label International Anthem; saxophonist Sam Gendel, a prolific puveyor of ambient jazz; and the trio comprising Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily and Arooj Aftab for Love in Exile. (Aftab was nominated for best new artist and won for best global music performance in 2022.). —Eric Renner Brown

Best African Music Performance

From Afrobeats crossover hits like Burna Boy’s “Ye” and Wizkid’s “Joro” in 2018 and 2019, respectively, to more recent smashes like Rema’s “Calm Down” and CKay’s “Love Nwatiti,” the myriad sounds of Africa have become increasingly dominant in the U.S. and U.K. mainstream markets. After the broad best global music performance category flattened the diversity of non-Western musical stylings, the Recording Academy’s new best African music performance category aims to respond to the explosive growth of the continent’s music.

In 2021, the Grammys awarded the inaugural best global music performance trophy to Arooj Aftab’s “Mohabbat” — a shock to those betting on Wizkid & Tems’ “Essence,” by far the most commercially successful song in the category. The following year, “Bayethe,” a collaboration among South African artists Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini and Nomcebo Zikode, beat out Burna Boy’s cultural and commercial juggernaut, “Last Last,” yet another marker that an adjustment was needed to properly recognize Afrobeats and its impact.

From its inception, the global music category was an attempt to recognize hundreds of genres across a plethora of languages, cultures and countries. But the rise of Afrobeats, Afro-pop and, more recently, amapiano, has become undeniable. Thanks to a Selena Gomez remix, Rema’s “Calm Down” holds the longest reign on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart (45 weeks and counting, as of the July 15 chart).

On the Hot 100, it peaked at No. 3. In July, Burna Boy became the first Nigerian artist to headline a U.S. stadium with his stint at New York’s Citi Field as a part of his Love, Damini tour.

The new best African music performance category seeks to honor “recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent, highlighting regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions.” The award will highlight subgenres including, but not limited to, Afrobeats, Afro-fusion, Afro-pop, alté, amapiano, genge, fuji, Ghanaian drill, Afro house, South African hip-hop and Ethio-jazz.

As the eligibility period draws to a close, keep an eye on these potential best African music performance nominees: “2:30” by Asake; “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” Burna Boy; “Charm,” Rema; “People,” Libianca; “Unavailable,” Davido & Musa Keys; “Soweto,” Victony; “Party No Dey Stop,” Adekunle Gold & Zinoleesky; “Reason,” Omah Lay; “Mnike,” Tyler ICU, Tumelo.za, DJ Maphorisa, Nandipha808, Ceeka RSA & Tyron Dee; and “Amapiano,” Asake & Olamide. —Kyle Denis

Best Pop Dance Recording

The Recording Academy has long attempted to cram dance and electronic music’s disparate styles into an all-encompassing pair of categories: best dance/electronic recording and best dance/electronic album. The collision of house, EDM, intelligent dance music and other subgenres has made for strange nominee bedfellows over the years — like in 2022, when Tiësto’s pop-centric crossover smash, “The Business,” competed against the delicately experimental “Loom” from Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds featuring Bonobo.

But nowhere has the Grammys’ dance/electronic culture war been so acute as with pop dance (or “dance pop,” as it’s more commonly called), the style that rides the line between the two genres with big melodies, center-of-attention vocals and traditional pop structures. In 2005, Britney Spears’ “Toxic” triumphed over songs like The Chemical Brothers’ “Get Yourself High” for best dance recording. While the categories started shying away from pop stars amid the EDM boom of the 2010s, the pop structures inherent to EDM presented their own challenges.

The dance screening committee, which employs a panel of experts to review submissions to the two dance categories that may be better suited elsewhere, historically struggled with where to place dance pop songs. A source on this committee says it was always hard to classify songs with, for example, a house beat but otherwise fully pop production. Which is why the Grammys have taken an overdue step in their acknowledgment of the music’s wide appeal with its addition of best pop dance recording. The change also earns the genre at large a greater Grammys presence with the addition of five more nominees.

The pop dance category would neatly fit a few early front-runners, including Illenium and the output from his self-titled rock/EDM hybrid album and Jessie Ware’s disco-infused set, That! Feels Good! The category will also likely be the new home for major pop stars making dance-centric songs, with Kylie Minogue’s thumping “Padam Padam” a contender for 2024. While the dance genre is dizzyingly eclectic, the addition of pop dance is one thing everyone can agree on. —Katie Bain

This story will appear in the July 15, 2023, issue of Billboard.

When the nominations for the 66th annual Grammy Awards are announced Nov. 10, Taylor Swift and SZA are each likely to receive nods for album, record and song of the year. It will be a bit harder to crack the Big Four categories than it was the last two years: The Recording Academy is cutting the number of nominees in each of those categories from a bloated 10 to eight, which was the magic number from 2018 to 2020. (Before that, it was generally five.)
And this year’s eligibility period closes two weeks earlier than usual, running from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 15, 2023. Following are Billboard’s best bets for who will be in contention.

In a welcome change, the academy reinstituted a baseline of involvement needed to receive a nomination in this category. Credited and featured artists, songwriters, producers, engineers, mixers and mastering engineers must have worked on at least 20% of an album’s playing time to receive a nod. This is up from no baseline the last two years, when the academy handed out nominations in this category like they were Halloween candy.

Boygenius, The Record

The trio, consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, co-produced its long-awaited debut album with Catherine Marks. Previous “supergroup” collaborations to be nominated in this category include Crosby, Stills & Nash; the all-star Trio consisting of Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris; Traveling Wilburys; and The Three Tenors. Billboard 200 peak: No. 4.

Drake & 21 Savage, Her Loss

This year’s 50th anniversary of hip-hop has received yearlong coverage, which boosts the already good chance that at least one rap album will make the finals. Her Loss was up for album of the year at the BET Awards in June. This would be the third album of the year nomination as a lead or co-lead artist for Drake (following Views and Scorpion) and the first for 21 Savage. Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (one week).

Lana Del Rey, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd

Del Rey’s ninth studio album could yield her second nod in this category, following Norman F–king Rockwell! four years ago. Del Rey co-produced the album with Jack Antonoff, Benji, Zach Dawes, Drew Erickson and Mike Hermosa. Billboard 200 peak: No. 3.

Foo Fighters, But Here We Are

One of the Grammys’ favorite bands collaborated with one of the Grammys’ favorite producers, Greg Kurstin, a two-time winner for producer of the year, non-classical. The Foo Fighters’ 11th studio album — their first since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in March 2022 — could yield their third nod in this category. Billboard 200 peak: No. 8.

Olivia Rodrigo, Guts

Rodrigo’s upcoming second album could very well follow her debut, Sour, to an album of the year nod. It was produced by Dan Nigro, who also did the honors on Sour. This would be the second time Rodrigo has been nominated alongside one of her idols, Taylor Swift, in this category. Sour competed with Swift’s evermore two years ago.

SZA, SOS

This tied for album of the year at the BET Awards with Beyoncé’s Renaissance (a Grammy nominee in this category last year). SZA’s second studio album had multiple producers, including Babyface, Jeff Bhasker, Benny Blanco and Shellback. Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (10 weeks).

Taylor Swift, Midnights

This would be Swift’s sixth nomination in this category, which would put her in a tie with Barbra Streisand for the most nods by a woman in Grammy history. Swift co-produced Midnights with Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, Jahaan Sweet and Keanu. She could make history when the Grammys are presented Feb. 4, 2024, becoming the first person to win album of the year four times. She’s currently tied with Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon with three wins each. Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (six weeks).

Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time

This would be the first country album to be nominated in this category since Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour five years ago (which won) and the first by a male country artist since Chris Stapleton’s Traveller eight years ago. Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery, Charlie Handsome and Jacob Durrett co-produced the collection, which is Wallen’s third studio album. Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (15 weeks — longer than any other album since Adele’s 2011 release, 21).

Within Reach: Luke Combs, Gettin’ Old; Miley Cyrus, Endless Summer Vacation; Jelly Roll, Whitsitt Chapel; Noah Kahan, Stick Season; Karol G, Mañana Será Bonito; Lil Baby, It’s Only Me; Metro Boomin, Heroes & Villains; Janelle Monáe, The Age of Pleasure; Paramore, This Is Why; Ed Sheeran, – (Subtract); Sam Smith, Gloria; Tanya Tucker, Sweet Western Sound; Lainey Wilson, Bell Bottom Country

Clockwise: Luke Combs, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Rihanna.

Illustration by Andrei Cojocaru. Jeremy Cowart; Brianna Capozzi; Christopher Polk for PMC; Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.

Swift is still looking for her first win in this category, as are past contenders such as SZA and Rihanna. “Calm Down” by Rema & Selena Gomez, which would have been a strong contender, was released before the start of the eligibility year. Rema’s solo recording of the song was entered, but not nominated, for best global music performance last year.

Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”

Cyrus’ father, Billy Ray Cyrus, has received two record of the year nods — for “Achy Breaky Heart” and “Old Town Road,” his collaboration with Lil Nas X. The Cyruses would become just the third parent and child to each receive record of the year nods, following the Sinatras (Frank and Nancy) and the Coles (Nat “King” and Natalie). Billboard Hot 100 peak: No. 1 (eight weeks).

Luke Combs, “Fast Car”

Tracy Chapman’s original version of this song was a 1988 record of the year nominee. This would become only the second song in Grammy history to be the basis of two singles that received record of the year nods. The first was “Mack the Knife.” (Bobby Darin’s recording was the 1959 winner, while Ella Fitzgerald’s was a 1960 nominee.) Hot 100 peak: No. 2 (so far).

Lil Durk & J. Cole, “All My Life”

The melodic chorus on this hip-hop smash gives it broad-based appeal. This would be the first collaboration by two rappers to receive a nod in this category since DaBaby’s “Rockstar” (featuring Roddy Ricch) three years ago. J. Cole finally won his first Grammy (after amassing 12 nominations) four years ago for “A Lot.” Lil Durk is still looking for his first win. Hot 100 peak: No. 2.

PinkPantheress & Ice Spice, “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2”

This is vying to become the third collaboration by two women in the past four years to land a nod in this category. Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” (featuring Beyoncé) was nominated three years ago, and Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” (featuring SZA) was a contender two years ago. Hot 100 peak: No. 3.

Rihanna, “Lift Me Up”

This soulful ballad from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrived at the start of the eligibility year. This would be Rihanna’s fourth record of the year nominee, and her first on her own. She was previously nominated for collaborations with Jay-Z (“Umbrella”), Eminem (“Love the Way You Lie”) and Drake (“Work”). Hot 100 peak: No. 2.

SZA, “Kill Bill”

This would be SZA’s third record of the year nominee, and her first on her own. She was previously nominated for collaborations with Kendrick Lamar (“All the Stars”) and Doja Cat (“Kiss Me More”). Hot 100 peak: No. 1 (one week).

Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”

This would be Swift’s fifth nod in this category. She was previously nominated for “You Belong With Me,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” Swift would be the first artist whose first five nominations in this category were for solo recordings (and not collaborations or group/duo recordings) since Frank Sinatra in the ’50s and ’60s. Hot 100 peak: No. 1 (eight weeks).

Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”

This single and/or Combs’ “Fast Car” would be the first country single (going by Grammy performance category placements) to receive a record of the year nod since Lady A’s “Need You Now” 13 years ago (which won). Taylor Swift’s subsequent “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, but vied for a performance nod in the pop field at the Grammys. Hot 100 peak: No. 1 (13 weeks).

Within Reach: Zach Bryan featuring Maggie Rogers, “Dawns”; Lana Del Rey, “A&W”; Jelly Roll, “Need a Favor”; Labrinth, “Never Felt So Alone”; Coi Leray, “Players”; Lil Uzi Vert, “Just Wanna Rock”; Dua Lipa, “Dance the Night”; Janelle Monáe, “Lipstick Lover”; Paramore, “This Is Why”; P!nk, “Trustfall”; Olivia Rodrigo, “Vampire”; Ed Sheeran, “Eyes Closed”; Toosii, “Favorite Song”; Tanya Tucker & Brandi Carlile, “Ready As I’ll Never Be”

From left: Tanya Tucker & Brandi Carlile, Jelly Roll & Lil Durk.

Illustration by Andrei Cojocaru. Gary Miller/WireImage; Chum Daddy; Katie Jones for WWD.

Last year, six of the 10 record of the year nominees were also nominated for this songwriter’s award. This year, five out of eight could double up. Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” won’t be eligible because it was already well-known. Tracy Chapman was nominated in this category in 1988 for writing it.

“A&W”Songwriters: Lana Del Rey, Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew

Del Rey and Antonoff were nominated in this category four years ago for co-writing “Norman F–king Rockwell.” He won this honor 11 years ago for co-writing fun.’s “We Are Young” (featuring Janelle Monáe). This would be Dew’s first nomination in the category.

“All My Life”Songwriters: Lil Durk, J. Cole, Dr. Luke, Rocco Did It Again!, Ryan OG, LunchMoney Lewis, Theron “Uptown AP” Thomas

This would be Dr. Luke’s third nomination in this category following nods for Katy Perry’s “Roar” and the Doja Cat-SZA collaboration “Kiss Me More.”

“Anti-Hero”Songwriters: Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff

“Anti-Hero” could give Swift a record seventh nomination for song of the year, which would surpass Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie for the most nods in the history of the category. Surprisingly, this would be the first Swift-Antonoff collaboration to be nominated for this award.

“Flowers”Songwriters: Miley Cyrus, Gregory “Aldae” Hein, Michael Pollack

This would be the first nod in this category for all three co-writers. The song is a modern twist on such hits as “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” a nominee in this category 45 years ago, and Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man,” a nominee for best pop solo performance 10 years ago.

“Kill Bill”Songwriters: SZA, Carter Lang, Rob Bisel

This would be SZA’s third nod in this category; she was among the co-writers of “All the Stars” and “Kiss Me More.” Lang was also nominated in this category for co-writing the latter. Bisel was nominated for record of the year as an engineer-mixer on the irresistible pop smash.

“Lift Me Up”Songwriters: Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna, Tems, Ryan Coogler

This would be the first nomination in this category for Rihanna, Tems and director Coogler. Göransson won this award five years ago for co-writing Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.” “Lift Me Up” would be the first Academy Award nominee for best original song to also be nominated for the top songwriting Grammy since “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah two years ago.

“Need a Favor”Songwriters: Jelly Roll, Rob Ragosta, Joe Ragosta, Austin Nivarel

This song, released as the lead single from Jelly Roll’s breakthrough album, Whitsitt Chapel, has a refreshingly honest and affecting chorus, which begins: “I only talk to God when I need a favor/And I only pray when I ain’t got a prayer.”

“Ready As I’ll Never Be”Songwriters: Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker

This would be Carlile’s fifth nomination in this category and Tucker’s second. They previously collaborated on “Bring My Flowers Now,” a nominee here two years ago. “Ready As I’ll Never Be,” which was featured in the 2022 documentary The Return of Tanya Tucker, could also receive a nod for best song written for visual media.

Within Reach: “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2,” PinkPantheress & Ice Spice; “Dance the Night,” Dua Lipa; “Dawns,” Zach Bryan featuring Maggie Rogers; “Eyes Closed,” Ed Sheeran; “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old,” Luke Combs; “Last Night,” Morgan Wallen; “Lipstick Lover,” Janelle Monáe; “Never Felt So Alone,” Labrinth; “Players,” Coi Leray; “Thank God,” Kane Brown & Kaitlyn Brown; “This Is Why,” Paramore; “Trustfall,” P!nk; “Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo

Clockwise: Gracie Abrams, Ice Spice, Peso Pluma and PinkPantheress.

Illustration by Andrei Cojocaru. Mark Horton/Getty Images; Mike Coppola/Getty Images; Jerry Budar; Mia Teresa.

Though The Record is boygenius’ first album, the trio won’t be eligible here because one of its members, Phoebe Bridgers, is a previous Grammy nominee. She received four nods, including best new artist, three years ago.

Zach Bryan and GloRilla probably won’t be eligible because they were nominated in performance categories last year. The Grammy rulebook makes an exception for such artists, provided they hadn’t at the time of those nominations released enough material to be “eligible in this category for the first time.” Bryan and GloRilla were both eligible and entered for best new artist last year.

The Grammy screening committee will have the final say on whether Coi Leray and Jelly Roll are eligible. Neither has been nominated before, but both have been around awhile. Leray was nominated for best new artist at the BET Awards two years ago, and Jelly Roll has been releasing records since 2011.

Gracie Abrams

Aaron Dessner and Matias Tellez co-produced the singer-songwriter’s first studio album, Good Riddance. Abrams has served as an opening act on Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour tour and Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. Fun fact: Abrams’ father, J.J. Abrams, won two Primetime Emmy Awards as executive producer/director of Lost.

Ice Spice

The rapper, born Isis Naija Gaston, has landed four top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2023 thanks to collaborations with PinkPantheress (“Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2”) and past best new artist nominees Taylor Swift (“Karma”) and Nicki Minaj (“Princess Diana,” “Barbie World”). Ice Spice was nominated for best new artist at the 2023 BET Awards.

Jelly Roll

The rapper turned country artist had a star-making night in April at the CMT Music Awards, where he performed “Need a Favor” and won three trophies. Jelly Roll, born Jason Bradley DeFord, will turn 39 in December, which would make him the oldest individual nominee in this category since Andrea Bocelli, who was 40 when he was nominated 25 years ago.

Coco Jones

Jones won best new artist at the BET Awards, beating GloRilla and Ice Spice. The former child star was featured on Radio Disney’s The Next Big Thing in 2010-11 and starred in the Disney Channel film Let It Shine in 2012. Her breakthrough track, “ICU,” reached No. 63 on the Hot 100 in May. Jones was also featured on a track on Babyface’s 2022 album, Girls Night Out.

Noah Kahan

The singer-songwriter’s third album, Stick Season, vaulted to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 following the release of an expanded edition in June. It will probably be nominated for best Americana album or best folk album.

PinkPantheress

The British singer-songwriter was nominated for the rising star award at the Ivor Novello Awards in 2022. She won the BBC’s Sound of 2022 poll and has been nominated for three NME Awards. “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” reached No. 3 on the Hot 100.

Peso Pluma

The Mexican singer-songwriter-rapper born Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija is vying to become the third Latin artist to be nominated in this category in the past five years, following Rosalía and Anitta. Génesis, his third studio album, entered the Billboard 200 at No. 3, becoming the highest-charting regional Mexican album to date.

Bailey Zimmerman

The singer-songwriter’s first studio album, Religiously. The Album, reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200. Zimmerman was nominated for new male artist of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May.

Within Reach: Lola Brooke, Doechii, Fifty Fifty, FLO, HARDY, JVKE, Kelela, RAYE, Rema, Toosii, The War and Treaty, Hailey Whitters

This story will appear in the July 15, 2023, issue of Billboard.

Last month, the Recording Academy announced a series of changes to the Grammy Awards to better reflect an evolving music industry. Of those newly instituted guidelines, protocols involving technological advancements in machine learning sparked headlines: “Only human creators” could win the music industry’s highest honor in a decision aimed at the use of artificial intelligence in popular music.
“A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category,” the rules read in part.

As the music industry continues to come to terms with this new technology, so too will the Grammys, says Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason Jr.

“Here’s the super easy, headline statement: AI, or music that contains AI-created elements is absolutely eligible for entry and for consideration for Grammy nomination. Period,” Mason told The Associated Press. “What’s not going to happen is we are not going to give a Grammy or Grammy nomination to the AI portion.”

If an AI or voice modeling program performs the lead vocal on a song, the track would be eligible in a songwriting category, for example, but not a performance category, because “what is performing is not human creation,” he explains. “Conversely, if a song was sung by an actual human in the studio, and they did all the performing, but AI wrote the lyric or the track, the song would not be eligible in a composition or a songwriting category.”

“As long as the human is contributing in a more than de minimis amount, which to us means a meaningful way, they are and will always be considered for a nomination or a win,” he continued. “We don’t want to see technology replace human creativity. We want to make sure technology is enhancing, embellishing, or additive to human creativity. So that’s why we took this particular stand in this award cycle.”

The Recording Academy has long considered setting rules related to AI following the popularity of new songs created alongside AI technology: David Guetta’s “Emin-AI-em”, the AI -compositions of TikTok user @ghostwriter977, Grimes’ voice modeling AI software.

In order to establish their AI guidelines, the Recording Academy engaged in extensive research, including holding tech summits.

“I’ve met with the copyright office. We’ve talked about the future and what that looks like on a federal level and the legislative level,” Mason said, adding that AI conversations “really came to a head in the last six months.”

The new Grammy AI protocols were announced three days after Paul McCartney shared that “the last Beatles record” had been composed using artificial intelligence to extract John Lennon’s voice from an old demo. Without knowing the extent of the technology, Mason couldn’t confirm or deny whether the song would be eligible for a Grammy nomination.

“We’ll see what it turns out to be,” he said. “But I would imagine from the early descriptions that I’ve heard there would be components of the creation that would be absolutely eligible.”

So, can Grammy viewers expect to see work at least partially created with AI nominated for an award as early as next year?

It’s impossible to predict what is submitted. But as Mason affirms, “people are using the technology. I’m imagining it’s going to be involved in a lot of records a lot of songs this year, so we’ll see if some of them get nominated or not, but I’m sure there’ll be some that will be submitted.”

The 2024 Grammy Awards will return to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, airing live on CBS and livestreamed on Paramount+.

Taylor Swift, SZA, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen and more artists who are expected to dominate the 2024 Grammy nominations have a little more than four months to wait until the nods are announced on Friday Nov. 10. The awards will follow on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024.
The Recording Academy announced key dates for the 2024 Grammy Awards on Thursday (June 29). The show will be held at Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) in Los Angeles for the 21st time in the past 25 years. It will air live coast-to-coast, meaning music fans on the West Coast won’t have to wait three hours for a tape-delayed broadcast as they still do with some other shows.

The show is scheduled to run for 3 and a half hours, from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PT. (It has been known to run over.) The show will air on CBS, its network home since 1973, and will stream on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the show airs).

Final-round voting ends on Jan. 4, 2024, a full month before the winners are revealed. Oscar voting has traditionally extended to five days before their telecast, though for the upcoming 96th annual Academy Awards, voting closes 12 days before the telecast. (Here are all the key dates for the upcoming Oscars.)

The Recording Academy last week announced an aggressive outreach to diversify and freshen its membership. It extended invitations to more than 2,800 new voting members and to more than 850 professional (non-voting) members. Last year, it offered membership to 2,000 new voting members, of whom more than 1,300 accepted. This is having a major impact on the composition of the Academy, which has more than 11,000 total voting members. To participate in the entire 66th annual Grammy Awards process, invitees must accept their invitations by July 14.

The Academy also recently released its annual rules and guidelines for the upcoming Grammy Awards. To access the rulebook, go here.

The Recording Academy has not yet announced who will host the Grammy telecast. Trevor Noah served as host the last three years. If he gets the nod again, he’ll become just the fifth person to host the Grammys four or more times. Andy Williams hosted the first seven live telecasts from 1971-77. John Denver hosted six times – in 1978-79 and again from 1982-85. LL Cool J hosted five years in a row from 2012-16. Garry Shandling hosted four times – in 1990-91 and again in 1993-94. (Here, LL reflects on his “amazing run” as Grammy host. Here are five fun facts about Noah.)

Here are key dates for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards season:

Product eligibility period:

Oct. 1, 2022 – Sept. 15, 2023

Online entry period:

July 17, 2023 – Aug. 31, 2023

First-round voting:

Oct. 11, 2023 – Oct. 20, 2023

Nominees announced:

Nov. 10, 2023

Final-round voting:

Dec. 14, 2023 – Jan. 4, 2024

66th annual Grammy Awards:

Feb. 4, 2024

The Recording Academy sent invitations to more than 2,800 new voting members on Wednesday (June 21). That’s more than the 2,000 invitations to new voting members it sent out last year. Of those, nearly 1,300 invitees accepted, according to the Academy. This is having a major impact on the composition of the Academy, which has more than 11,000 total voting members.

To participate in the entire 66th Annual Grammy Awards process, invitees must accept their invitations by July 14.

In addition, the Academy sent invitations to more than 850 professional (non-voting) members today. This is also more than last year, when it sent invitations to more than 600 professional members, of whom more than 500 accepted, according to the Academy.

The Academy currently has more than 2,700 professional members.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. today sent an email to all members of the Academy saying: “Members are the foundation of the Recording Academy. And today, we’re privileged to extend invitations to a remarkable group of close to 3,700 creators and professionals spanning various genres, crafts, backgrounds, and regions to join our mission to cultivate a more enriching world for creators.”

Today at 11 a.m. PT, the Academy is hosting an Instagram Live with selected members of this year’s new class. They include Tony winner and Grammy nominee Myles Frost (MJ: The Musical), Emmy nominee Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) and rapper Rap-Unzel, who got her big break in 2017 when she competed on Jermaine Dupri’s reality TV series The Rap Game. The session will be moderated by Ashley Thomas, the Academy’s senior director of member outreach & systems.

In a recent video which was posted in the Academy’s site, Mason shed light on the fairly recent practice of actively reaching out to prospective new members rather than waiting for them to approach the Academy, which was the way it used to work.

“As of three years ago, we started going out into genres, into communities and saying ‘We need more banjo players, we need more rap artists, we need more women, we need more people of this genre’ and we started inviting people in. That’s how we started to change our membership. We’ve still got a long way to go. That’s how we’re going to get better results.”

The Academy will release data about the demographic breakdown of this year’s class of new inductees after the enrollment period ends on July 14.

Two years ago, the Recording Academy made headlines when it disbanded its controversial “nominations review committees.” So, you may be surprised to learn that in 16 of the 94 categories on the 2024 ballot, committees will still determine the final nominees.

What’s going on here? These are “craft committees,” not “nominations review committees” – though they function in the same way. Typically, these committees are presented with a list of the top 30 choices by rank-and-file voting members. They may choose any five entries they wish from that list. Those become the nominees.

In fact, the Academy is moving two more categories – best music film and best music video – under the umbrella of “craft committees” for the upcoming 66th Annual Grammy Awards. Previously, the nominees in these two categories were determined by rank-and-file voters.

In a Recording Academy-sponsored video released last week, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. explained to rapper Cordae how and why the Academy disbanded its nominations review committees. But in so doing, he left the impression that all committees were a thing of the past, which is not the case.

Here’s what Mason told Cordae: “But as of two years ago, we removed all committees so there are no committees making any decisions. The Academy and the Grammy body is not making any decisions. The voters – 13,000 – vote. The top five-eight-10 vote getters, depending on the category, are considered the nominees. That short list goes back to the same voters. They vote and the top vote-getter wins.  Period. Point blank. No other interference. No other effects taking place.”

Mason was likely drawing a distinction in his own mind between “nominations review committees” and “craft committees.” But few outside of the Academy grasp the difference.

(Another point: There are no more categories with 10 nominees. The Academy dropped the number of nominees in each of its Big Four categories to eight. This video may have been taped before that rule tweak took place.)

Earlier this week, Mason shared with Billboard the reason for having craft committees determine the nominees for producer of the year, non-classical and songwriter of the year, non-classical. “The reason craft committees are still employed here is because these nominations are really based on large bodies of work. Anything else in the process is really about a song or a record or a performance and we feel the voters can spend the time to listen to that song/performance and evaluate it. [But here] in order to make sure we’re getting this right, the idea of the craft committee spending the hours and hours it takes to listen to just one potential nominee’s material is worth it to make sure we get it right.”

According to the Academy, all members of craft committees must be voting members of the Academy in the membership class which corresponds to the craft they are being submitted to judge. All must have filled out a documentation form listing six tracks or albums for which they have a credit corresponding to the craft they are being submitted to judge. The credits must be for recordings released in the previous five years.

Committee members may serve a maximum of eight consecutive years. At least 25% of each committee must turn over from the previous year’s committee.

Here are the 16 categories on the 2024 Grammy ballot where the nominees will be determined by craft committees. The first frame lists categories where the committee draws from lists of the voters’ top 30 choices. The second frame lists categories where the committee chooses the nominees without any voter involvement. In both cases, the categories are listed in the order they appear on the Grammy ballot.

Committees Choose the Final Nominees Drawn from Voters’ Top 30 Picks in These 10 Categories:

The Recording Academy is dropping the number of fields on the Grammy ballot from 26 to 11 in an effort to give voters more flexibility in their voting. All Grammy voters can vote in the General Field, which has long consisted of record, album and song of the year, plus best new artist. As of […]

A track and singles category that includes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent. Highlighting regional melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic musical traditions, the category includes but is not limited to the Afrobeat, Afro fusion, Afro Pop, Afrobeats, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip Hop, and Ethio Jazz genres.

Previously, such performances competed for best global music performance, a category that will continue, albeit without African music performances.

Told that some critics have said that one category isn’t enough for an entire continent, Mason responds, “I don’t disagree. It’s a starting point, though. It’s a way for us to celebrate music that’s coming from that continent which is really impressive.”

The larger significance of this new award is that it shows that the Academy, which was founded and long known as the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, is taking a more international view.

“It’s an acknowledgment that music is coming from many different places and that we as an Academy are going to have to make some changes to what we’re doing to make sure we’re honoring it,” Mason says. “It’s not just about Western music. It’s not just about what happens in the U.S. at this point. It’s beyond that. It’s what’s happening around the world. You’ll see us in the future listening and going to different countries. I went to Africa three times in the last year, traveling the world to understand what’s happening, what’s next in music, where are music pockets bubbling, where is the next scene that’s going to explode globally. What does it mean to have borderless music? This is a step in that direction.”