In past years, the Grammys have favored established artists when dishing out their top music prizes, from Bruno Mars to Beck, Adele to Taylor Swift.
But this year, the battle for Best New Artist might also foreshadow the top categories, as Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X have collectively made their case for a new era.
Who do you think should win Sunday at the 62nd annual Grammys in Los Angeles?
Vote in our polls across 10 categories below:
Album of the Year
The top prize honors the artist who can not only record a smash single but weave their artistry across an entire album to tell a story or capture a mood. This category is most likely a three-way battle between Lana Del Rey’s “Norman (Expletive) Rockwell,” Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You” and Billie Eilish’s “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” If voters think it’s too early to crown a freshman like Lizzo or Eilish, Del Rey may slide in for the win for paying her dues as the more established entity. What say you?
Record of the Year
This prize often goes to the catchiest song with the most air play. That makes “Old Town Road” the favorite after spending 17 weeks at No. 1, breaking the record of 16 by “One Sweet Day” (Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men) and “Despacito” (Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber). The song of the summer was ultimately unseated by Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” making her a contender to win, but my prediction is Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts,” which is impressively ubiquitous by now. Who do you think should win?
Song of the Year
If Record of the Year rewards the overall production of a hit single, Song of the Year specifically honors the songwriting. Forget the beats; your song must be lyrically impressive. That bodes well for H.E.R. singing, “I’m caught between your love and a hard place,” or Lady Gaga crooning, “When the sun goes down, and the band won’t play, I’ll always remember us this way.” Still, the combination of Tanya Tucker (“Delta Dawn”) and Brandi Carlile (“The Joke”) might be too hard to resist for their double songwriting prowess on “Bring My Flowers Now.” Who do you think deserves it?
Best New Artist
If Lizzo or Billie Eilish don’t win here, I’ll be really, really surprised. Lil Nas X obviously has a shot, but he feels more like a one-trick pony compared to the pop culture sensations of Lizzo, who is pushing a body positive message, and Eilish, whose baggy clothes have created a fashion trend. Both make strong cases for Best New Artist: Lizzo leads with eight nominations, while the 17-year-old Eilish is the youngest nominee ever to earn nods in the top four categories. Who do you think will take it?
Best Pop Vocal Album
You can never rule out Beyoncé, but a movie-themed album isn’t her strongest play, especially after “The Lion King” failed to earn an Oscar nod for Best Original Song. Ariana Grande enters as the defending champ, so she could very well repeat. Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift have also both won in previous years, and since they aren’t up for Album of the Year, this could be where voters check their box (let’s face it, Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” was a phenomenon). Who do you think will win?
Best Alternative Album
By now, some of you might be saying, “Enough with Billie Eilish!” If the pop charts aren’t for you, there is always an alternative, as in Best Alternative Album. Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend are probably the favorites since they’re both also up for the overall prize of Album of the Year, making a genre-specific win an easier climb. Still, Thom Yorke is historically a Grammy favorite from his time with Radiohead, so voters may be excited to now reward his solo work. Who do you think deserves to win?
Best Rock Song
It’s a shame that rock music has all but disappeared from the live performances in recent Grammy telecasts. Legions of rock fans likely don’t even tune in because the show is clearly slanted toward autotune pop and trap rap. Alas, Best Rock Song is Vampire Weekend’s to lose this year in a battle between throwbacks like Tool on “Fear Inoculum,” solo breakouts like Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard on “History Repeats” and the edgy riffs of Gary Clark Jr. on “This Land.” Who gets your vote?
Best R&B Performance
If rock music isn’t your bag, R&B may hit your sweet spot. Lizzo’s entry “Exactly How I Feel” is one of her lesser known songs, so this might be the place to reward H.E.R. for the Bryson Tiller duet “Could’ve Been” or Lucky Day for the undeniably catchy “Roll Some Mo.” However, voters may want to reward a comeback like Brandy, who chimes in on Daniel Caesar’s “Love Again,” or Andre 3000, who proves his post-Outkast relevancy with the smooth beats of Anderson. Paak. Who do you think should win?
Best Rap Song
This could be the category where voters wear their hearts on their sleeves. Don’t be surprised if they give a posthumous Grammy to the late Nipsey Hussle, who was murdered last March, just one month after appearing at the Grammys. This year’s ceremony is paying tribute to the slain rapper with a performance by Khaled, Legend, Ricch, Kirk Franklin, Meek Mill and YG. Should they give him the gold as well?
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Last year, alt-country artist Kacey Musgraves swept the top prizes, but she’s not in the running this year. On the radio, Luke Combs is on fire with seven hit singles, but his only nomination this year is for his collaboration with Brooks & Dunn. This category will most likely belong to Dan + Shay, who sound so similar to Rascal Flatts that they practically forced the band into retirement. However, I hope this prize goes to Little Big Town for their gutsy social statement in “The Daughters.” Who are you rooting for?
Thanks for voting! See the full list of Grammy nominees here.
