The Grammys are just a few short weeks away. It is considered to be the biggest night for music. It is where all of your favorite artists are celebrating a great year for music together. This year leading the pack with nominations is Jon Batiste with 11 nominations. Justin Beiber, Doja Cat, and H.E.R are tied for second place with eight. Billie Eilish and newcomer, Olivia Rodrigo are tied for third place with seven nominations each. This year, as always, brought some notable snubs. Miley Cyrus’s rock album Plastic Hearts failed to secure any nominations although it made its debut at number one on the Billboard Rock Albums Chart, and had a positive reception from critics. Another big snub was BTS, they were able to be nominated for best pop duo/group, but they were not able to gain any nominations in any of the big four categories just like last year. Over the years the Grammys have become increasingly more predictable with what will be nominated and what wins. It has become a tradition for many fans to predict who will take home awards. This year is no different. 

Record of the Year is awarded to the best single or track with outstanding production. This year among all of these great songs one song sticks out. “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish delivers spine-chilling production on the second half of the song. The sole producer on this track (and the whole album) is her own brother Fhinneas O’Connell. This is some of the strongest production on any song of hers and she is known for amazing production on all of her works. Billie is no stranger to the Grammys. In 2019 Eilish won in all four of the major categories and the following year she won Record of the Year. This year she is definitely a front runner again. She would be the first artist to win Record of the Year three times in a row. Another song that is a strong contender is “Leave The Door Open”, by Silk Sonic. Bruno Mars is a powerhouse in the music industry and it wouldn’t be a shocker if he were to take home an award for this smash hit.

Album of the Year is probably the biggest of the four categories. It is awarded to the artist, songwriter, producer, recording engineer, and mastering engineer on an album. This year is one of those years where there isn’t a clear winner for fans to predict. Grammy alums like Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, and Taylor Swift are all nominated. The likelihood of Taylor Swift winning for Evermore is low due to her winning last year for Folklore. Two albums that have the highest chance of winning are Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour or Montero by Lil Nas X. These two albums got high praise and amazing reception from critics and fans. For both artists, it is their first album to be released. If Lil Nas X were to win, he would be the first openly gay artist (at the time of nomination) to win the award.  A shocking pick from the academy would be Planet Her by Doja Cat. It would be surprising for the Grammys to award this album due to the collaboration with Dr. Luke, who has faced serious controversy with Ke$ha that has certainly jeopardized the chances of him winning a Grammy. Although her album was phenomenal I do not see them awarding it.

Song of the year awards the songwriter for the single. One artist that has been praised for her stellar songwriting ever since her first single dropped back in January is Olivia Rodrigo.  Her song Drivers License broke the internet and records. The song received high praise for the sense of relatability the audience got from it. She left a huge impact on pop culture with the release of this song. Rodrigo’s inspirations are former Grammy winners, their impact is clear in her music, so it would be a shock if she didn’t win.

No one has had a year like Olivia Rodrigo has. She has broken so many records throughout her debut era. This type of success is very rare to see with a growing artist. She is a shoo-in for Best New Artist. Her career reflects the careers of Billie Eilish and Laryn Hill. Both artists reached critical acclaim with their first album and won Best New Artist. Rodrigo also recently sold out her first world tour. No other artist on this list reached the amount of success she has.

This year’s Grammys will be interesting to watch. With so many amazing artists nominated seeing who will bring home trophies will truly be entertaining. The Grammys will be on April 3rd on CBS hosted by returning host, Trevor Noah. Let me know who you think will be taking home the big awards. @kendallfowelr12 on Twitter.

*Story has been updated to reflect new air date.