- The biggest night in music takes place tonight (February 2)
- Beyonce is the artist with the most nominations
- Charli xcx, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar are also vying for awards
There are plenty of big-name award ceremonies over the next couple of months focusing on film and TV, but tonight, the Grammys are putting music center stage.
Tonight, the Recording Academy is celebrating a huge year for popular music. There were huge albums released by the likes of Billie Eilish, Beyonce and Taylor Swift, but 2024 will also go down as the year of Brat summer, Sabrina Carpenter and the colossal rise of Chappell Roan.
Read more: These are the 2025 Grammy performers
There’ll be stiff competition in many of the big categories tonight and Grammys history has taught us to expect the unexpected when it comes to the winners. Sometimes, the less obvious winners end up victorious. But who could come out on top – and who deserves it most?
Best Album
André 3000 – New Blue Sun
Beyoncé – Cowboy Carter
Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet
Charli XCX – Brat
Jacob Collier – Djesse Vol 4
Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft
Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department
There are some big hitters in this category and really, it could be anyone’s game. The Academy might choose to salute Charli xcx’s soundtrack to last summer in the form of Brat, or the slow-burn success of Chappell Roan or Sabrina Carpenter.
Read more: The Grammys: The most controversial wins
The one to watch though is Beyonce. She’s won a staggering 32 Grammys but strangely has never taken home Album of the Year – is this year her chance? It’s also possible that the Academy goes beyond the obvious and recognises Andre 3000 or Jacob Collier’s more leftfield albums, but perhaps this would feel odd in a year where women dominated pop.
Record of the Year
The Beatles – Now and Then
Beyoncé – Texas Hold ’Em
Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso
Charli XCX – 360
Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Chappell Roan – Good Luck, Babe!
Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone – Fortnight
There are many ways this category could go, from honouring the ever-popular Swift, Eilish or Beyonce, or the Academy might choose to follow the zeitgest. Espresso was everywhere this summer, while Good Luck Babe! was responsible for catapulting Chappell Roan to fame. However, Kendrick Lamar’s sharp Drake diss track Not Like Us could also edge out the competition – and would be the ultimate victory after a summer of beefing. The Academy might also see it fitting to honour The Beatles’ final song, but the use of AI in bringing it to life might be controversial.
Song of the Year
A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Sean Cook, Jerrell Jones, Joe Kent, Collins Obinna Chibueze, Nevin Sastry and Mark Williams – songwriters (Shaboozey)
“Birds of a Feather” – Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell – songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“Die with a Smile” – Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Andrew Watt – songwriters (Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars)
“Fortnight” – Jack Antonoff, Austin Post and Taylor Swift – songwriters (Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone)
“Good Luck, Babe!” – Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Daniel Nigro and Justin Tranter – songwriters (Chappell Roan)
“Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar – songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)
“Please Please Please” – Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff and Sabrina Carpenter – songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)
“Texas Hold ‘Em” – Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro and Raphael Saadiq – songwriters (Beyoncé)
There’s usually some overlap between Record of the Year and Song of the Year – the latter category recognises the songwriters while the former acknowledges artists, producers and engineers.
This would explain the overlap in these categories, but there are a few differences. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars could run away with the title with their collaboration Die With A Smile, as could Shaboozey for his country-pop crossover smash A Bar Song (Tipsy). They do however face stiff competition from the big hits from Carpenter and Lamar.
Best New Artist
Benson Boone
Sabrina Carpenter
Doechii
Raye
Chappell Roan
Shaboozey
Khruangbin
Teddy Swims
There’s an interesting selection of artists here, but not all of them are that new. Amazingly, Carpenter might just be having her breakthrough now but she’s already had six albums out, while psych-rockers Khruangbin put their debut out a decade ago.
TikTok’s had a huge influence on the rise of several nominees – Benson Boone, Shaboozey and Teddy Swims have all been propelled to popularity with their respective hits Beautiful Things, A Bar Song (Tipsy) and Lose Control. That said, the obvious frontrunner is arguably Doechii. Earning widespread acclaim for her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal, she’s already asserting herself as a future superstar.
