Nothing flips a cultural moment around like a good award show and the drama that comes from it. The 66th annual Grammy Awards nominations have come out for the award show scheduled for Feb. 4, 2024.
Let’s talk about the biggest and most popular categories and hand out some predictions.
Album of the Year:
Boygenius — “The Record”
Janelle Monáe — “The Age of Pleasure”
Jon Batiste — “World Music Radio”
Lana Del Rey — “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd”
Miley Cyrus — “Endless Summer Vacation”
Olivia Rodrigo — “Guts”
SZA — “SOS”
Taylor Swift — “Midnights”
In my opinion, the Grammys have set SZA up to take the crown this year. Releasing “SOS” in the final moments of 2022, SZA put out hits like “Snooze” and the immense “Kill Bill” that set her up for billions of streams and success for 2023.
It would be the smartest — but also one of the safest — moves for the Grammys to award the new Queen of R&B the big prize. Her biggest competition is Swift, Rodrigo, Del Rey and Boygenius.
Best Pop Solo Performance:
Billie Eilish — “What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture ‘Barbie’]”
Doja Cat — “Paint the Town Red”
Miley Cyrus — “Flowers”
Olivia Rodrigo — “Vampire”
Taylor Swift — “Anti-Hero”
One of the biggest songs released this summer, “Vampire,” is a favorite to nab this one. Rodrigo, arguably, was robbed of Album of the Year two years ago at the 64th Grammys — where she lost to returning nominee Jon Batiste — and now she is poised to take home Best Pop Solo Performance this award season.
Her biggest competition is Taylor Swift — who is back with a vengeance this year after losing Album of the Year to Batiste as well. Swift’s “Anti-Hero” is also nominated for Song of the Year.
Record of the Year:
Billie Eilish — “What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture ‘Barbie’]”
Boygenius — “Not Strong Enough”
Jon Batiste — “Worship”
Miley Cyrus — “Flowers”
Olivia Rodrigo — “Vampire”
SZA — “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift — “Anti-Hero”
Victoria Monét — “On My Mama”
This one has Swift’s name written all over it. After winning Album of the Year in 2021 with the career-reviving “Folklore,” Swift has been on a tear lately with her newfound NFL worship, her no-surprise status as a new billionaire, her Eras Tour success and her sales for the rerecordings of her old albums.
Winning Record of the Year will likely be easy — and for the Queen of Pop, likely no big deal.
Best Alternative Music Album:
Arctic Monkeys — “The Car”
Boygenius — “The Record”
Gorillaz — “Cracker Island”
Lana Del Rey — “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd”
PJ Harvey — “I Inside the Old Year Dying”
An easy pick for sure, but the most likely one. PJ Harvey might be a dark horse, but the female pop-folk-rock supergroup of Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers (a.k.a. Boygenius) will inevitably pull through in the category with their name all over it.
Best Rap Album:
Drake & 21 Savage — “Her Loss”
Killer Mike — “Michael”
Metro Boomin — “Heroes & Villains”
Nas — “King’s Disease III”
Travis Scott — “Utopia”
This one is definitely a controversial pick — and even a pick that I’m doing a double take on myself — however, Killer Mike’s first Grammy nomination in this category in his career could result in him taking home the trophy for Best Rap Album.
“Michael” has been a dark horse of an album for the entire year, and with the Grammys giving one of its biggest songs, “Scientists and Engineers,” love this year, he’s bound to take home one prize next February — and I think the odds might be in his favor.
Nas will not win twice, the Grammys historically have hated Travis and modern Drake and Metro Boomin… just will not win.
