Grammys
Page: 7
08/12/2024
Remarkably, 10 of those 14 artists are women.
08/12/2024
The Recording Academy has issued an emailed call to action for its voting members on Monday (Aug. 5) to submit smartphone videos in which they answer such questions including, “Why do you take the time to vote in the Grammy Awards each year?” The academy will then combine excerpts from the submitted clips to create […]
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. sent a letter via email on Friday (July 26) to the Academy’s 12,000 voting members urging them to take their job as voting members seriously. The Subject Line: “Vote with Purpose This Grammy Season.”
“The trajectory of people’s careers and lives are altered by your choices,” Mason wrote in the letter obtained by Billboard. “As such, you owe it to your peers to vote intentionally, deliberately, with pride and with purpose.”
Mason added a personal aside to bring the point home. “Last Grammy season, I heard a Grammy voter say they hadn’t taken a specific artist seriously since a performance they saw more than 10 years ago. I was shocked and disturbed by that. There is no place in our organization for such bias, grudge-holding, or careless voting. It’s about the current year and the quality of the work, period!
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“There should be no other rationale for voting. If you are taking into account an artist’s older work, or their reputation, or race, or gender, what label they are on, who their manager is, how many friends participated in the project, or anything else like that, you’re not doing your job.”
Mason also implored Grammy voting members to start thinking about their choices now. “I hope that you begin prioritizing your responsibility now, and not wait until Grammy season is here.” The first-round voting period runs from Oct. 4-15. Final-round voting extends from Dec. 12 to Jan. 3, 2025.
Mason is wise to advise members to start thinking about their picks now. The Grammy entry list is long. This year, there will be 94 categories (same as last year). Many categories have large numbers of entries. On last year’s entry list, there were 615 candidates for record of the year, 476 for album of the year, 642 for song of the year and 405 for best new artist. To conscientiously wade through such long lists and thoughtfully make your selections would take hours. That is one reason that “brand name” artists – long-time Grammy favorites – often lead the nominations year after year. Mason is trying to get members to break that habit of just checking off names of artists who are top-of-mind.
On the line “The trajectory of people’s careers and lives are altered by your choices,” Mason linked to this Grammy.com post from May 1, which includes a section titled “What Is the True Value of a Grammy?” It gives more than a dozen examples of artists whose careers were boosted by Grammy wins.
The Academy’s tally of 12,000+ voting members doesn’t include the 3,000+ potential new voting members that it has invited as part of this year’s new member class. (It has also invited 900 professional (non-voting) members, for a total of 3,900+ new members.)
Here is Mason’s letter to voting members, in full:
Dear Grammy voters,
Normally you don’t hear from me about Grammy voting until our ballot is live but this year is different. I want to make sure you understand how critically important it is for you to vote, and to vote with intention and integrity.
We all know the Grammy is music’s most coveted award because it is an honor that comes from one’s peers. It’s not a popularity contest. The nominees and winners are not chosen by the critics, fans, or the staff of the Academy. They are chosen by you—the 12,000+ music creators who are the voting members of the Recording Academy.
You are the Grammy electorate. Your votes are tallied by Deloitte, and then announced publicly, celebrated, and recorded by history as the very best in music for that year. The trajectory of people’s careers and lives are altered by your choices. As such, you owe it to your peers to vote intentionally, deliberately, with pride and with purpose.
Last Grammy season, I heard a Grammy voter say they hadn’t taken a specific artist seriously since a performance they saw more than 10 years ago. I was shocked and disturbed by that. There is no place in our organization for such bias, grudge-holding, or careless voting. It’s about the current year and the quality of the work, period!
There should be no other rationale for voting. If you are taking into account an artist’s older work, or their reputation, or race, or gender, what label they are on, who their manager is, how many friends participated in the project, or anything else like that, you’re not doing your job. I know most of you already do but please, just listen to the music, and evaluate it! You are the reason the Grammy Award is so special.
Music is a force for good in the world. It changes moods, opens hearts and minds and unites the world. It moves us to act. And the Grammy is the way to honor the people who work so hard to make it. Next February, all across the globe, the people who make music and all the people who love music will be watching to see who the Grammy voters have chosen to honor. All eyes will be on you, on us.
I hope you view your vote as important. I hope that you begin prioritizing your responsibility now, and not wait until Grammy season is here. I hope that you evaluate the music carefully, and prepare yourself to vote with care and purpose, and that you encourage your fellow voting members to do the same. Your peers in music are counting on you.
Respectfully yours,
Harvey
Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have faced off in the album of the year category at the Grammys just one time, when Swift’s Fearless won out over Bey’s I Am… Sasha Fierce at the 2010 ceremony. The duo could meet again on Feb. 2, 2025, if The Tortured Poets Department and Cowboy Carter receive album of […]
The Rolling Stones have been known as the world’s greatest rock and roll band for six decades, but Grammy voters were shamefully late in getting on board. The Stones weren’t nominated in any category until the 1979 ceremony, when Some Girls was nominated for album of the year.
How could that be? How could such classic albums as Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. have been completely ignored – not to mention such landmark singles as “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Honky Tonk Women” and “Brown Sugar”?
One reason is that Grammy voters in ’60s and ’70s were resistant to rock, favoring pop and what we now call traditional pop. (Nowadays, Grammy voters love rock and have been slow to embrace hip-hop. Resistance to the new and different is often a byproduct of institutional voting.)
The Beatles landed five consecutive album of the year nominations in the ’60s, but The Beatles were more in line with Grammy tastes. They were more often on the pop side of pop/rock, and Lennon/McCartney’s songwriting was more rooted in traditional songcraft.
Another reason The Stones were left out for so long was the Grammys didn’t have performance categories dedicated to rock until 1990 – and didn’t have a best rock album category until 1995. (Fittingly, The Stones were the first winner of the latter award.)
Since Grammy voters belatedly discovered The Stones, the band has fared pretty well in the nominations. They won a Grammy (best traditional blues album) for their previous studio album, High & Lonesome. Their three studio albums before that were each nominated for best rock album.
The band’s 2023 album Hackney Diamonds, which was mostly produced by Andrew Watt, has an excellent chance of landing a best rock album nod and an outside chance of landing an album of the year nod. “Angry,” the album’s opening track and lead single, was nominated for best rock song at the ceremony in February. The 2025 nominations will be announced on Nov. 8. The awards will be presented on Feb. 2, 2025.
Watt (profiled here) has his own following in Grammyland – he won producer of the year, non-classical in 2021, which makes him the most recent producer not named Jack Antonoff to win that award. Watt, who is just 33, wasn’t even born when The Stones’ Steel Wheels album was released in 1989.
Look and see how The Stones have fared in the Grammy nominations since 1979, the year Grammy voters first invited them to the party. The year show is the year of the Grammy ceremony.
1979: Some Girls
In the past year, the Latin music industry transitioned from a singles-driven market to an albums-focused world, with both new and established artists crafting cohesive sets. The Latin Grammy for album of the year has historically prioritized daring concepts and artistry above popularity when deciding the winner, and while legacy acts have historically dominated the category, recent honorees such as Rosalía tend to return for encores. And Karol G’s triumph in 2023 with her commercial blockbuster, Mañana Será Bonito, may now allow for ultra-popular albums to take home the ultimate artistic prize.
Come Sept. 17, 10 nominees will be announced — here are five of the most likely.
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Young Miko, att. (The Wave Music Group)
In the world of reggaetón, Miko is an outlier: blonde, petite and openly gay. For a genre steeped in machismo, it’s a remarkable flip of the script. The album balances her party-girl persona with rap lyrics that aren’t afraid to put others in their place with effectively eloquent punches, having fun without ever becoming gratuitous. Plus, Miko has good taste on her side, tapping Jowell & Randy for an old-school reggaetón touch.
Fonseca, Tropicalia (Sony Latin)
Fonseca’s Tropicalia is a labor of love, designed to elevate the artistry of tropical music with its rich palette. The Colombian singer-songwriter introduced his new oeuvre with last year’s “Si Tu Me Quieres,” which won best tropical song at the Latin Grammys and features bachata star Juan Luis Guerra singing Fonseca’s pop-infused brand of vallenato. That accordion-tinged sound is the foundation of an album full of poignant moments, but Fonseca also expands: He collaborates with Gilberto Santa Rosa and Chucho Valdés on a beautiful Cuban bolero, with Alex Cuba on a contemporary song and with Colombian salsa stalwarts Grupo Niche on a jazz-tinged salsa, all united by his ability to make fans swoon with music designed for the dancefloor.
Kany García, García (5020 Records)
García has twice been nominated in this category, but the third time may be the charm with an album that expands and redefines the scope of the traditional Latin singer-songwriter. Her work has twice won her best singer-songwriter album, and her songsmith qualities shine again in her melodic lines and eloquent yet colloquial lyrics. Autobiographical opener “García,” for instance, is a master class in storytelling in under three minutes. But García also digresses, going with gusto into Mexican music territory with Eden Muñoz, Christian Nodal and Carín León on three riveting tracks. “We’re in constant evolution, and as an artist, I love that I can insert what I’m going through in each album I make,” she previously told Billboard.
Peso Pluma, Éxodo (Double P Records)
Peso Pluma continued his hit-making campaign with Éxodo, his second top five album on the Billboard 200. But unlike its predecessor, Génesis, which won the Grammy this year for best Regional Mexican music album, Éxodo is a double album highlighting the two sides of Peso. Side one is full of Mexican music featuring several collaborations with artists of his generation, including Junior H, Tito Double P and Luis R Conríquez; side two is devoted to urban and pop, featuring bilingual collaborations with Quavo and Rich the Kid. While exploration of many genres is a mainstay of Latin music today, it is rarely in these two directions, and much less with this success. And though Génesis is also eligible for this award given its release date, Billboard’s bet is on the newer, more adventurous Éxodo. It’s to be noted that Peso was not nominated in any category at the 2023 Latin Grammys, an omission that can be rectified this time around.
Shakira, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Sony Latin)
At 47 years old, Shakira refused to be quietly scorned, releasing her retribution of an album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, following a cheating scandal and public split from Gerard Piqué. Instead of wallowing on the full-length, Shakira gets even, famously proclaiming she makes her own money on “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” which won song of the year at the 2023 Latin Grammys. The album is filled with lyrics that double as social media fodder, but it’s also clever and artistic, placing a wickedly funny song like “Puntería” with Cardi B alongside such achingly vulnerable tracks as “Acróstico” and “Ultima.” Backed by an impressive array of collaborators that also includes Karol G, Rauw Alejandro and regional Mexican groups Grupo Frontera and Fuerza Regida, Shakira has managed to stay current and return to the top on her own terms. Should she win, this would be her second album of the year trophy, following her 2006 triumph with Fijación Oral, Vol. 1.
This story will appear in the July 20, 2024, issue of Billboard.
At the Latin Grammys, there is perhaps no category as coveted as best new artist, a launching pad for future stars through the years. There’s also no category as confounding. The first winner was Ibrahim Ferrer in 2000 at the age of 72; Joaquina won it last year at 18 years old. In 2022, Angela Alvarez, 95, split the prize with 25-year-old Silvana Estrada.
And while the award has gone to talents who are relatively unknown, as well as those who have more public-facing major-label support, the rules are clear: Contenders must release a minimum of three singles/tracks or one album during the eligibility period. An artist who has previously released more than three albums and/or more than 15 singles is not eligible. Here are five contenders with a strong shot at scoring a nomination this year.
DARUMAS
What do you get when an Argentine bassist, a Cuban singer-guitarist and a Haitian vocalist unite? DARUMAS — an all-women U.S.-based trio comprising Aldana Aguirre, Ceci León and Vedala Vilmond — defies every stereotype of what Latin girl groups sound like. The three expert musicians play a tight mix of old-school funk, R&B and Motown, with Spanish lyrics and plenty of attitude. Named for the traditional Japanese daruma doll, DARUMAS are not cutting corners when it comes to honing their sound, resulting in an act that puts musicianship at the forefront.
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Iván Cornejo
Though Cornejo and Xavi espouse a new Mexican sound, Cornejo uses traditional Mexican instrumentation as his foundation and also leans into electric guitar for some rock’n’roll angst. The result is a sound that’s weary — his biggest hit is titled “Está Dañada” (“She’s Damaged”) — but relatable. (Cornejo writes all of his material.) He has placed 15 entries on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, and his second album, Dañado, ruled Regional Mexican Albums for 37 nonconsecutive weeks. In 2022, Cornejo became the youngest act to win new artist of the year at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Xavi
At 20 years old, Xavi has been making noise in the new Mexican music scene since last year. In January, “La Diabla” topped Hot Latin Songs for 14 weeks, setting a record so far this year. In May, he scored another No. 1, on Regional Mexican Airplay, with “Corazón de Piedra.” Both songs were co-written by Xavi (real name: Joshua Xavier Gutiérrez), who calls his sound tumbados románticos, a hybrid of corridos tumbados with a twist of romance and heartache. His music has a young, avid fan base that straddles both sides of the border but has the potential to expand much further.
Ela Taubert
Like labelmate (and 2023 Latin Grammy best new artist winner) Joaquina, Colombian singer-songwriter Taubert is a graduate of producer Julio Reyes Copello’s Art House Academy, signaling just how seriously she takes her craft. The 23-year-old writes convincingly about love and loss with immediately relatable lyrics set to catchy, midtempo pop arrangements reminiscent of Miley Cyrus. Following the release of her debut EP last year, Taubert is slowly but steadily gaining steam, as her new single, “Cómo Pasó?,” has reached a No. 12 high on the Latin Pop Airplay chart.
Latin Mafia
Freshly signed to Rimas Entertainment (home to Bad Bunny), Latin Mafia balances fun — with its childlike single covers — and moodiness with R&B and touches of reggaetón. Made up of twin brothers Milton and Emilio de la Rosa and their older brother Mike, the trio grew organically in Mexico as a fully independent act, amassing 6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, playing Coachella and catching the ear of Rimas vp Junior Carabaño. “I can’t wait to write their next chapter together and make history,” he previously told Billboard.
This story will appear in the July 20, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Will Beyoncé finally win album of the year at the 2025 Grammy Awards? Queen Bey has gone 0-4 in the category (as a lead artist), which has been a source of frustration for many in the BeyHive — and also those in her inner circle. Accepting an honorary award at the 2024 ceremony, Jay-Z confronted the issue head-on. “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year, so even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work.”
Jay-Z’s remark suggests that Bey’s fate in the category will be the most-watched moment at the 67th annual Grammys, which will be presented Feb. 2 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Nominations will be announced Nov. 8. Here are Billboard’s best bets for nods in the top four categories.
It’s likely that solo women will take seven of the eight slots here. That’s comparable to the 2024 Grammys, where solo women took six of the eight slots and an all-woman group, boygenius, took a seventh. Jon Batiste was the only male artist to be nominated at this year’s ceremony. Chris Stapleton may have the best chance of repping men next year. Nominees for album and record of the year must have been released during the eligibility period (Sept. 16, 2023-Aug. 30, 2024).
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Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
This is Bey’s eighth solo studio album and would be her fifth to be nominated in this category following I Am…Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé, Lemonade and Renaissance. She would be the first Black artist to be nominated for a country album since Ray Charles for Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (though none of the singles from that trailblazing 1962 album appeared on Hot Country Songs). Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (two weeks).
Sabrina Carpenter, Short N’ Sweet
Carpenter’s sixth studio album is due Aug. 23, one week before the end of the eligibility period. The album was co-produced by Jack Antonoff and Julian Bunetta. Antonoff has received eight album of the year nods — four with Taylor Swift, two with Lana Del Rey and one each with Lorde and his own pop trio, fun. He has also won producer of the year, non-classical the last three years running.
Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
Eilish’s third album features 10 tracks, two songwriters (Eilish and FINNEAS), one producer (FINNEAS) and no featured artists. That may appeal to traditionalists in the Recording Academy’s voting membership who are put off by this era’s collaboration-heavy approach. Eilish won in this category five years ago for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and was nominated three years ago for Happier Than Ever. Billboard 200 peak: No. 2.
Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine
This is Grande’s seventh studio album and would be her second to be nominated in this category. She was nominated five years ago for Thank U, Next. Swedish hit-makers Max Martin and ILYA, who were nominated as producers of Thank U, Next, are also among the producers of this album. Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (two weeks).
Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
The singer’s debut album arrived Sept. 22, 2023, one week after the start of the eligibility period. This is vying to become the first debut album by a woman pop artist to receive an album of the year nod since Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR in 2022. Daniel Nigro, who has been nominated twice in this category for work with Rodrigo, co-produced the album with Ryan Linvill and Mike Wise. Billboard 200 peak: No. 5.
Chris Stapleton, Higher
This is Stapleton’s fifth studio album and would be his second to be nominated in the category. Traveller was nominated nine years ago. Stapleton is vying to become the first male country solo artist to land two nominations in this category. “White Horse,” the lead single from Higher, won two Grammys in February. Higher won album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 16. Billboard 200 peak: No. 3.
Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department
This would be Swift’s seventh nod in the category, which would allow her to stand alone as the woman artist with the most album of the year nods. She currently shares that distinction with Barbra Streisand, with six nods each. Swift co-produced the album with Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner and Patrik Berger. Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (12 weeks so far).
Tyla, Tyla
The South African singer’s “Water” won the inaugural Grammy presented for best African music performance. It was the lead single from her self-titled debut album, which was released during the current eligibility period. Tyla features guest appearances from stars such as Tems, Gunna, Becky G and Travis Scott. Tyla won two BET Awards on June 30 — best new artist and best international act. Billboard 200 peak: No. 24.
Within Reach: Zach Bryan, The Great American Bar Scene; Charli xcx, brat; Doja Cat, Scarlet; Future & Metro Boomin, We Don’t Trust You; Post Malone, F-1 Trillion (due Aug. 16); Kacey Musgraves, Deeper Well; 21 Savage, American Dream; Kali Uchis, Orquídeas; Usher, Coming Home; Lainey Wilson, Whirlwind (due Aug. 23).
From left: Sabrina Carpenter, Benson Boone, Kendrick Lamar and Hozier.
Illustration by Eleanor Shakespeare; Jo Hale/Redferns; Dennis Leupold; Timothy Norris/Getty Images; Barry McCall
Beyoncé already holds the record for most career nominations in this category. Her total of eight includes an early record with Destiny’s Child and collaborations with Jay-Z and Megan Thee Stallion. Will she extend her lead this year? And could two Black artists — Bey and Shaboozey — be nominated for country hits in the same year? Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, was entered last year and thus is ineligible.
Beyoncé, “Texas Hold ’Em”
Two years ago, Beyoncé pulled ahead of Frank Sinatra for the most nominations in this category. This would give her a record-extending ninth nod. The big question: Will it compete for best solo performance honors in pop or country? “Texas Hold ’Em” wouldn’t be the first poker-themed hit to land a record of the year nod. Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” was nominated at the awards in 1980. Hot 100 peak: No. 1 (two weeks).
Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things”
This song is constructed like Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” which was nominated for record and song of the year three years ago. It starts out soft and builds in intensity to a rock-inflected finish. This was Boone’s third Hot 100 entry, but his first to climb above No. 82. Hot 100 peak: No. 2.
Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso”
Carpenter’s camp has to decide which hit to enter — “Espresso,” which topped Billboard’s staff list of The 50 Best Songs of 2024 (So Far), or “Please Please Please,” which was Carpenter’s first No. 1 on the Hot 100. The former is one of the catchiest singles of recent years; the latter, an offbeat, country-shaded follow-up. They’ll probably go with “Espresso,” but either would be a strong nominee. Hot 100 peak: No. 3.
Billie Eilish, “Lunch”
This would be Eilish’s fifth nod in this category. She won for “bad guy” and “Everything I Wanted” and was nominated for “Happier Than Ever” and “What Was I Made For?” Eilish’s brother, FINNEAS, produced all of these records. Nominations will be announced five weeks before Eilish turns 23. No one else has ever amassed five nods in this category at such a young age. Hot 100 peak: No. 5.
Ariana Grande, “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”
This record could give Grande a second nod in this category. She was nominated five years ago for the Rodgers & Hammerstein-interpolating “7 Rings.” Grande produced this track with Swedish pop masterminds Max Martin and ILYA, who were among the producers of “7 Rings.” Hot 100 peak: No. 1 (one week).
Hozier, “Too Sweet”
Hozier got some Grammy love nine years ago when his breakthrough smash, “Take Me to Church,” was nominated for song of the year. He came roaring back this year with this impeccably produced record. Hozier is vying to become the fourth Irish artist to be nominated for record of the year, following Gilbert O’Sullivan, U2 and Sinéad O’Connor. Hot 100 peak: No. 1 (one week).
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
This scathing dis track is from Lamar’s bitter and highly public feud with Drake. This would be Lamar’s fourth nod in this category following “HUMBLE.” (2018); “All the Stars,” a collaboration with SZA (2019); and “The Heart Part 5” (2023). If this is nominated, Lamar will tie Jay-Z for the most record of the year nods by a rapper. Hot 100 peak: No. 1 (two weeks).
Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!”
This song, Roan’s first Hot 100 hit, was produced by Daniel Nigro, who has been nominated in this category for his work on two Olivia Rodrigo hits. Nigro has received eight Grammy nods, all for work with Rodrigo. He won best pop vocal album as the producer of her debut album, SOUR. Hot 100 peak: No. 10.
Within Reach: Doja Cat, “Agora Hills”; Jack Harlow, “Lovin on Me”; Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar, “Like That”; Muni Long, “Made for Me”; Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help”; Tommy Richman, “Million Dollar Baby”; Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”; Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone, “Fortnight”; 21 Savage, “Redrum”; SZA, “Saturn.”
From left: FINNEAS, Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff, ILYA and Dan Nigro.
Illustration by Eleanor Shakespeare; Robin L. Marshall/Getty Images; David O’Donohue; Jason Koerner/Getty Images; Anna Sky; Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage
Last year, five of the eight nominees for record of the year were also nominated for song of the year. The year before that, six of the 10 nominees for record of the year also received song of the year nods. This year, seven of the eight record of the year nominees could double up. Taylor Swift has amassed seven nominations in this category, more than any other songwriter, but she has yet to win. Will this finally be her year?
“Beautiful Things”Songwriters: Benson Boone, Jack LaFrantz, Evan Blair
This song touches on themes that have long been attractive to Grammy voters — gratitude for life’s blessings and awareness of how quickly in life fortunes can change. Other philosophical songs that have been nominated here in recent years include “Live Like You Were Dying,” “Bless the Broken Road,” “7 Years” and “God’s Plan.” In addition to co-writing “Beautiful Things,” Blair produced Boone’s single.
“Espresso”Songwriters: Sabrina Carpenter, Amy Allen, Julian Bunetta, Steph Jones
This confection may seem a little light for a song of the year nod, but the irresistible tune has been inescapable in recent months. Even Adele was caught up in the hooky line “I’m working late/’Cause I’m a singer,” praising the song during her Las Vegas residency. (And being light didn’t prevent Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like” from winning in 2019.) Allen was nominated for the inaugural songwriter of the year, non-classical award two years ago.
“Fortnight”Songwriters: Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Jack Antonoff
All three writers are past nominees in this category: Swift has been nominated a record seven times, Antonoff four times and Post Malone once. Alternatively, Swift could enter “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version),” which she also co-wrote with Antonoff. Both songs topped the Hot 100, for two and one weeks, respectively.
“Good Luck, Babe!”Songwriters: Chappell Roan, Justin Tranter, Daniel Nigro
Tranter and Nigro are past nominees in this category — Tranter for co-writing Julia Michaels’ “Issues,” Nigro for co-writing Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” and “Vampire.” “Good Luck, Babe!” is about a woman parting ways with a woman who is denying her true sexual orientation. The next song on the list is about a woman accepting and embracing her own.
“Lunch”Songwriters: Billie Eilish, FINNEAS
The siblings have been nominated four times in this category, winning twice. If they win again, they’ll become the first three-time winners in the history of the category. They won most recently this year with “What Was I Made For?” They have another very pretty ballad (“Birds of a Feather”) that they could enter here instead, but “Lunch” feels like the more likely option.
“Not Like Us”Songwriter: Kendrick Lamar
As with record of the year, this would be Lamar’s fourth nod in this category following “Alright” (2016), “All the Stars” (2019) and “The Heart Part 5” (2023). And, as with record of the year, if this is nominated, Lamar will tie Jay-Z for the most song of the year nods for a rapper.
“Texas Hold ’Em”Songwriters: Beyoncé, Brian Bates, Nathan Ferraro, Raphael Saadiq, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow
This would be Beyoncé’s sixth nomination in the category. That would put her in a tie with Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie for second place on the list of all-time nominees in this category. Swift leads with seven nods. Saadiq has been nominated for best R&B song five times, winning twice, but this would be his first song of the year nod.
“We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”Songwriters: Ariana Grande, Max Martin, ILYA
This would be the first nomination in this category for Grande and ILYA and the fifth for Martin, following nods for Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” Katy Perry’s “Roar” and Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” Martin, a Swede, and U2, from Ireland, are the only songwriters who hail from somewhere other than America or England to amass four or more nods in this category.
Within Reach: “Agora Hills” (artist: Doja Cat); “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (Shaboozey); “Deeper Well” (Kacey Musgraves); “I Had Some Help” (Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen); “Made for Me” (Muni Long); “Obsessed” (Olivia Rodrigo); “Pink Skies” (Zach Bryan); “Redrum” (21 Savage); “Saturn” (SZA); “Too Sweet” (Hozier).
Clockwise from top: Chappell Roan, Shaboozey, Sexyy Red, Teddy Swims and Megan Moroney.
Illustration by Eleanor Shakespeare; Ryan Clemens; Daniel Prakopcyk; Chris Allmeid; CeCe Dawson; Aaron Marsh
According to the rules, “This category recognizes an artist whose eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness.” Artists with previous Grammy nominations are generally not allowed, nor are artists who have previously been entered in the category three times (whether or not they were nominated). That latter rule disqualifies Tate McRae. The last seven winners in this category have been solo women, which tied the record established in 1997-2003. If another solo woman wins next year, a new record will be set.
Benson Boone
Boone, 22, is the youngest of this year’s likely best new artist nominees. He is vying to become the first male artist to win in this category since Chance the Rapper in 2017. Boone could also become the second winner in this category with that surname. Debby Boone won in 1978.
Sabrina Carpenter
Short N’ Sweet is Carpenter’s sixth studio album, so how can she be considered new? Prior to this eligibility year, she had never climbed higher than No. 48 on the Hot 100. The Grammys aren’t charts-based, but they do think in terms of “public consciousness” and achieving “prominence.” Carpenter, 25, is vying to become the second winner in this category with that surname. Karen and Richard Carpenter won in 1971.
Megan Moroney
Moroney, 26, was passed over for a best new artist nod two years ago, when “Tennessee Orange” became a top 30 hit on the Hot 100. But she has continued to build. Moroney was nominated for the Country Music Association’s new artist of the year prize last year and won the Academy of Country Music’s new female artist of the year honor (on her second try) in May. Her second album, Am I Okay?, arrived July 12.
Chappell Roan
Atlantic Records dropped Roan, born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, following the release of a 2017 EP, School Nights. Her smash debut album was released through Island Records last September. Roan, 26, supported Olivia Rodrigo (who won in this category in 2022) on two major tours. She also opened for Vance Joy and Ben Platt, among others, and performed at Coachella in April.
Sexyy Red
The rapper, 26, reached the top 20 on the Billboard 200 with her third mixtape, In Sexyy We Trust. The tape spawned the top 20 Hot 100 hit “Get It Sexyy.” Sexyy Red was nominated in five categories, including best new artist, at the 2024 BET Awards, but was shut out.
Shaboozey
Shaboozey, 29, is at the forefront of bringing more diversity to the world of country music. His third album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Its smash single, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” has made it to No. 1 on the Hot 100. Shaboozey is also featured on two tracks on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter.
Teddy Swims
Swims’ debut studio album, I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1), reached the top 20 on the Billboard 200. “Lose Control,” the smash single from the album, topped the Hot 100. Before becoming a headliner, Swims opened for Zac Brown Band, which won in this category in 2010, and Greta Van Fleet, which was nominated in 2019. Swims, 31, is the oldest of this year’s likely best new artist nominees.
Within Reach: The Beaches; Dasha; Djo; 4Batz; Knox; October London; Tommy Richman; Nate Smith; Brittney Spencer; Tigirlily Gold
This story will appear in the July 20, 2024, issue of Billboard.
The Recording Academy has renamed its two-year-old Best Song for Social Change Special Merit Award in honor of the late Harry Belafonte, who was a powerful voice for social justice throughout his career. The award will henceforth be known as the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award. It will continue to honor songwriters of message-driven music that speaks to the social issues of our time and has demonstrated and inspired positive global impact.
“The greatness of Harry Belafonte’s artistic legacy is matched by his profound impact of furthering social justice for all,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “We are honored to recognize his lasting influence with the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award and to continue celebrating works that have inspired global communities towards social impact.”
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“The Belafonte estate is deeply honored and thrilled that the Recording Academy’s Best Song for Social Change Award will now be named the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award,” said Belafonte’s daughters Adrienne, Shari and Gina and his third wife, Pamela, in a joint statement. “This recognition not only celebrates Harry Belafonte’s enduring legacy in music and activism, but also inspires future generations to continue using their voices and art for justice and positive change.”
The Recording Academy generally doesn’t name awards after individuals, though it in recent years introduced the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award (which was presented to Dre on the Grammy telecast in 2023 and to Jay-Z on this year’s telecast).
Many have forgotten that the academy’s lifetime achievement award was originally called the Bing Crosby Award. The legendary crooner was the first recipient in 1963. There were seven other recipients through 1972. The award wasn’t presented for the next 12 years, but when it returned in 1984, seven years after Crosby’s 1977 death, the academy had quietly dropped Crosby’s name from the award so that it wouldn’t be tied to any one artist or genre.
Formerly a Special Merit Award, the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award will now be categorized as a CEO’s Merit Award, with the finalists and the recipients selected annually by a committee composed of a community of peers dedicated to artistic expression, the craft of songwriting and the power of songs to affect social change.
The first two winners of the award, under its former name, were “Baraye” by Shervin Hajipour (2023) and “Refugee” by K’naan, Gerald Eaton and Steve McEwan (2024).
The submission period for the current cycle of the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award is July 17 – Aug. 30, 2024. For guidelines and to make a submission, visit www.Grammy.com.
From his debut in the 1950s until his death in 2023 at age 96, Belafonte’s artistic career progressed on a parallel track with his work as a trailblazing activist. A friend of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and an advisor, organizer and contributor to the civil rights movement, Belafonte helped to organize the 1961 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and contributed to the 1961 Freedom Rides and the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964. Belafonte performed at President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural ball in 1961 and was later named by Kennedy as a cultural advisor to the Peace Corps.
An advocate for global humanitarian causes including the anti-apartheid movement, Belafonte, in 1985, was a key organizer for USA for Africa’s benefit single “We Are the World,” which raised money for famine relief in Africa. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and won four Grammy Awards, including record and song of the year. Belafonte became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1987 and traveled internationally to raise awareness for the needs of children across sub-Saharan Africa.
Belafonte won two Grammy Awards – both in folk categories, for “Swing Dat Hammer” and An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba, a collab with South African singer Miriam Makeba.
Belafonte was not the first Black artist to receive a Grammy nod for album of the year – Ella Fitzgerald was, at the very first Grammy ceremony, for Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook. But Belafonte was the first Black artist to receive two Grammy nods for album of the year. He was nominated at the second and third ceremonies for Belafonte at Carnegie Hall and Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall.
In addition, he had the first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. His sophomore album, Belafonte, was No. 1 in March 1956 when the chart became a consistent weekly feature in Billboard. (Prior to that, it had appeared sporadically.) Belafonte’s third album, Calypso, remained atop that chart for 31 weeks in 1956-57.
Belafonte received the Recording Academy’s lifetime achievement award in 2000. Three of his recordings are in the Grammy Hall of Fame – “Banana Boat (Day-O)” (1956) and the albums Calypso (1956) Harry Belafonte at Carnegie Hall (1959).
His many other awards include the Kennedy Center Honors (1989) and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an early influence in 2022.
Kendrick Lamar was just three years old in late 1990, and perhaps not yet an avid Grammy watcher, when MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” became the first rap hit to receive a Grammy nomination for record of the year. At the Grammy ceremony in February 1991, Hammer’s mass-appeal smash lost to Phil Collins’ socially-conscious ballad “Another Day in Paradise,” which featured a backing vocal by David Crosby.
As we approach this year’s Grammy nominations, which will be announced on Nov. 8, Lamar’s “Not Like Us” stands an excellent chance of becoming the 26th rap hit to receive a record of the year nod. We define a rap hit as a track that appeared on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart, which originated as Hot Rap Singles in the March 11, 1989 issue.
Just one rap hit has won record of the year – Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” in 2019. That sentence may need updating after the 67th annual Grammy Awards, set for Feb. 2, 2025. It’s easy to see “Not Like Us,” which returns to No. 1 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 in the wake of the release of the song’s video, winning that award. The Mustard-produced smash may have originated in a dis battle with Drake, but it already seems like the kind of classic single that will live on after this dis battle becomes a dim and distant memory.
As you’ll see as you scroll through this list, at the Grammy ceremony in 2003, two rap hits were nominated for record of the year for the first time. At the ceremony in 2011, three rap hits were nominated for the first time. Bear in mind, this was back when there were just five nominees in the category, making this very hard to do. In 2019, a record four rap hits were nominated, but that year there were eight nominees, making it at least somewhat easier.
You may be wondering why Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing),” which topped Hot Rap Songs for four weeks in 1998, doesn’t appear on this list. In 1999 her accompanying album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, famously became the first hip-hop project to win album of the year. “Doo Wop (That Thing)” was entered for both record and song of the year at that year’s Grammys, but it wasn’t nominated in either category. Go figure.
Here’s a chronological list of every rap hit to receive a Grammy nomination for record of the year. We show how high each hit climbed on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart and what won that year for record of the year. The year shown is the year of the Grammy ceremony. If “Not Like Us,” and/or some other rap hit, receives a record of the year nod in November, you can bet we’ll update this list.
MC Hammer, “U Can’t Touch This” (1991)
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