A Grammy Award is easily one of the most impressive awards a musical artist can get in this day and age. This year, the 66th Grammy Awards ceremony will take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 4th. It will be aired live (8:00-11:30 PM, LIVE ET/5:00-8:30 PM, LIVE PT) on the CBS Television Network 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 special airs). This year is also the debut of three new categories: Best Pop Dance Recording, Best African Music Performance, and Best Alternative Jazz Album. These categories are only a few of the many additions and amendments that have been made to make the ceremony “more fair, transparent and accurate”, according to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.
There are a total of eleven fields and ninety-four categories, so I’ll keep it simple and cover awards in the General Field. These are essentially all of the “main” awards this year. However, I’ll omit the sixth award nomination (“Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical”) because I don’t think I know enough about today’s songwriters. I will also try my best to stay unbiased and truthful in my predictions, even if I want someone else to win.
- Record of the Year
The nominations for “Record of the Year” include Worship by Jon Batiste; Not Strong Enough by boygenius; Flowers by Miley Cyrus; What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish; On My Mama by Victoria Monét; Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo; Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift: and Kill Bill by SZA.
What Was I Made For? is the most likely to win the “Record of the Year” award in my opinion. Billie Eilish has quickly gained popularity since her debut single Ocean Eyes was released in 2015. The Barbie movie was also a blockbuster this year because of its themes of feminism and its homage to many people’s favorite childhood toys. What Was I Made For? perfectly encapsulates the concept of one’s purpose in the world. The song is also a perfect emotional ending to Barbie which deals with heavier topics such as misogyny and women’s rights that we continue to deal with today.
- Album of the Year
The nominations for “Album of the Year” include World Music Radio by Jon Batiste; The Record by boygenius; Endless Summer Vacation by Miley Cyrus; Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard by Lana Del Rey; The Age of Pleasure by Janelle Monáe; GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo; Midnights by Taylor Swift; and SOS by SZA.
Midnights by Taylor Swift was extremely popular this year. “Anti-Hero” became her ninth number-one on the Hot 100, and “Lavender Haze” and “Karma” both peaked at number two. Other tracks, like “You’re On Your Own, Kid”, “Maroon”, and “Bejeweled”, charted high internationally. Taylor Swift herself, who was already a household name, has easily become the most popular musical artist today. This year, she re-recorded two of her old albums, became the number one artist on Spotify, won ten BBMAs just this year, and more. Midnights quickly became a beloved album by many ‘swifties’. The album separated itself from other albums this year and Taylor Swift’s past albums because of its ambient elements and dream-pop genre.
- Song of the Year
The nominations for “Song of the Year” are A&W by Lana Del Rey; Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift; Butterfly by Jon Batiste; Dance The Night {From Barbie The Album] by Dua Lipa; Flowers by Miley Cyrus; Kill Bill by SZA; Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo; and What Was I Made For [From Barbie The Album] by Billie Eilish.
I believe that A&W by Lana Del Rey will win “Song of the Year” this year. I think every song Del Rey creates is a masterpiece, but A&W is a beautifully personal song that is unlike any other. A&W uses unique sound effects, especially in the later choruses, that make the song unique. The later choruses are also the most popular part of the song, but I think it’s important to focus on the beginning as well. The beginning of the song is deeply personal, like every other song on the album. The uniqueness of the piece is part of the reason why “A&W” peaked at number 10 on the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and ranked highly in many other charts and is why I think A&W will win “Song of the Year”.
- Best New Artist
The nominations for “Best New Artist” include Gracie Abrams, Fred again.., Ice Spice, and Jelly Roll. Coco Jones, Noah Kahan, Victoria Monét, and The War And Treaty.
While many other artists like Gracie Abrams and Noah Kahan have quickly risen in popularity and had many achievements this year, I think the winner of “Best New Artist” will be Ice Spice. While Ice Spice has been criticized frequently for her songs, it’s undeniable that she’s become a huge hit in just a few months. Her ginger hair sets her apart from other artists and makes her more recognizable. Many of her songs have gone viral and appeared on the Hot 100. Her song Princess Diana appeared on Barack Obama’s 2023 Summer Playlist. She’s collaborated with many wildly successful artists, such as Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift. Though she’s often ridiculed, her success is undeniable.
- Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
The nominations for “Producer of the Year” are Jack Antonoff, Dernst “D’mile” Emile II, Hit-Boy, Metro Boomin, and Daniel Nigro.
I predict that the winner of the “Producer of the Year” award will be Jack Antonoff. Jack Antonoff has produced three albums this year: Midnights by Taylor Swift, Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard by Lana Del Rey, and Being Funny In A Foreign Language by The 1975. Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift are some of the most beloved singers of the decade. He’s also produced for The Chicks, Sia, Lorde, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Troye Sivan, to name a few. His work is alternative and unique and because of some of the big names he’s produced for, I think he’s sure to win “Producer of the Year”.
