Whisper it quietly… but could the Grammy Awards get it right this year?
The ceremony, which takes place in Los Angeles on Sunday, is notorious for scoring own goals, often rewarding middle-of-the-road heritage acts over cutting-edge, contemporary pop.
But this year’s nominees are straight-down-the-line populist picks, with R&B star SZA leading the field on nine.
There will also be performances from big names ranging from Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish to Joni Mitchell and U2.
Comedian Trevor Noah will host for the fourth year running, overseeing a staggering 94 categories, from best contemporary Christian album to best audiobook, where Michelle Obama will square off against Meryl Streep.
Elsewhere, Phoebe Bridgers’ indie-rock supergroup Boygenius, and pop star Victoria Monét have seven nominations each.
Chart stars Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey and Ice Spice also have multiple nominations in a female-led field.
1) How to watch the Grammys
First of all, brew a strong pot of coffee.
More than 80 awards will be handed out in what’s called the “premiere ceremony” at 20:30 GMT on Sunday (12:30 in Los Angeles).
It’s often worth tuning in. The winners in the more obscure categories are less polished and more excited about winning, and the performances are looser and, dare I say it, more musical than the Hollywood-scale set pieces you’ll see later.
You can watch the whole thing on the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel and on live.grammy.com.
The main show, which will start at 01:00 Monday GMT, will be broadcast live in the US on CBS and streamed on Paramount Plus. Speeches and select performances are usually uploaded to YouTube the following day.
2) Will Taylor Swift overtake Ol’ Blue Eyes?
If Swift wins album of the year for Midnights, she will become the first ever artist to lift the prestigious trophy four times.
At the moment, she’s tied with Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra, who each have three wins.
But the Grammys have typically been less interested in Swift’s pop records than her forays into country and folk.
Her competition for album of the year is strong. Here’s the full list of nominees:
- 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
3) Joni and Tracy could put young stars in the shade
Modern-day superstars Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, SZA and Olivia Rodrigo will no doubt put on lavish performances of their big hits.
But the show is likely to be stolen by two other female artists who have largely been out of the public eye in recent years.
Joni Mitchell is guaranteed a reception worthy of a living legend when she makes her debut Grammys performance at the age of 80.
And Tracy Chapman is heavily rumoured to be making a very rare public appearance to join country star Luke Combs on her 1988 classic Fast Car, which he took back to the charts last year.
The night’s other performers will include Billy Joel, Travis Scott and Burna Boy.
4) A win for SZA is a win for Scotland
In the US, SZA’s second album SOS topped the charts for 10 weeks and marked the singer’s ascension to the major league.
Born in Missouri and raised in New Jersey, the singer – real name Solána Imani Rowe – trained in marine biology before launching her music career.
If her latest album picks up a Grammy, it will also mean a win for a 20-year-old music producer from Scotland.
Blair Ferguson, who writes under the name BLK Beats, wrote the music for her hit single Snooze in his Glasgow bedroom, and it went on to sell more than two million copies in the US.
“SZA is just a genius and she’s able to transform any record with the way she comes up with a melody,” he told BBC News. “I don’t think any other artist could have made that track.”
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68033972