with David Hopper

We’re a few weeks away from the Chinese New Year kicking off the Year of the Horse, but in the United States, this Sunday may start the Year of the Bunny. Bad Bunny’s appearance at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, in which he is nominated for six Grammys, including Album of the Year, comes just one week before he headlines the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. A musician being a part of two major events in a row isn’t unprecedented, but the cultural context surrounding it is.

Bad Bunny’s mere existence has turned into a surprising – and, quite frankly, exhausting – politically charged story. His decision not to do a U.S. tour because of the immigration crackdown has served as fodder for both sides of the political spectrum. The Puppy Bowl as halftime show competition is one thing, but when a political group schedules counter-programming with different musical artists, the whole ordeal takes on a life of its own. Unfortunately, this is what the culture wars have come to.

The challenge for Bad Bunny (known to his mother as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio), as it is for the other Grammy nominees, will be to speak to the current moment while entertaining the attendees at the ceremony and the millions watching at home. Let’s hope they succeed on both fronts.

And with that, David Hopper and I present to you our predictions for the three major Grammy categories: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year. [Editor’s note: Song of the Year honors songwriting, whereas Record of the Year honors the recording of the song – the final product that we hear.]

And the nominees for Song of the Year are…

“Golden” – Huntrix (from the film KPop Demon Hunters)

“Luther” – Kendrick Lamar & SZA

“DtMF” – Bad Bunny

“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga

“APT.” – Rosé & Bruno Mars

“Anxiety” – Doechii

“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter

“Wildflower” – Billie Eilish

Alex Beene: This is where you have to love the Recording Academy more than some of the other stiffs in various voting bodies across industries. Whereas the Oscars have been slow to embrace more popular, mainstream cinematic offerings, the Grammys have had no such hesitation diving all-in on the latest trend. I fully expect “Golden,” the runaway hit from the popular Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters, to take this.

A surprise hit among young and old listeners alike, it seized the moment in its streaming debut this summer before seeing a resurgence when the film received a theatrical release this fall. Still, there could be room for an upset here if the Academy gets sweep-happy with Bad Bunny or Kendrick Lamar’s releases. “Luther” or “DtMF” could pull an upset, but I just don’t see it.

Alex’s Prediction: “Golden”

David Hopper: “Golden” was a massive hit, spending eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In today’s fragmented media landscape, it is exceedingly difficult for a song to appeal to multiple generations and permeate society at the level of the bygone monoculture. But “Golden” succeeded – that tune was everywhere. Being featured in the most-watched movie in Netflix history most certainly helped.

While “Golden” is an infectious pop song, I think its success hinged more on the vocal performance and production than the lyricism. That’s why it would be my pick for Record of the Year instead of Song of the Year, which recognizes the songwriter. But, alas, “Golden” was snubbed for Record of the Year.

For Song of the Year, I’m going with Sabrina Carpenter’s country-tinged synth-pop bop “Manchild,” which disses immature and incompetent men. Double entendres and clever wordplay are Carpenter’s stock-in-trade, and “Manchild” has them in spades.

David’s Prediction: “Manchild”

And the nominees for Record of the Year are…

“Luther” – Kendrick Lamar & SZA

“APT.” – Rosé & Bruno Mars

“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga

“Wildflower” – Billie Eilish

“DtMF” – Bad Bunny

“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter

“Anxiety” – Doechii

“The Subway” – Chappell Roan

Alex: Whereas 2026 could be the Year of the Bunny, 2025 was the Year of Kendrick Lamar. He took a victory lap from his feud with Drake. Reminiscent of a football team claiming its first national title, it stretched from the most-watched Super Bowl Halftime Show ever to a record-breaking summer stadium tour.

I think this is the category where the Recording Academy gives Lamar and SZA their flowers, as “Luther” was widely viewed as some of their best work and one of last year’s finest releases. If there’s a dark horse in this category, it’s Rosé & Bruno Mars’s “APT.” Mars has long been a favorite of Grammy voters, with his solo tracks and collaborations frequently walking away with multiple wins.

Alex’s Prediction: “Luther”

David: Last year was indeed Lamar’s year, and let’s not forget the rapper took home Grammys for both Song and Record of the Year. I agree that “Luther” is a terrific record, and you can’t deny its remarkable 13-week run at the top of the Hot 100. I love how it samples Luther Vandross’s classic ballad “If This World Were Mine.”

Even though “Luther,” “Squabble Up,” and “TV Off” were huge hits, I don’t get the sense that Lamar is a shoo-in like he was at the 2025 Grammys. Perhaps it’s partly because publicity over his beef with Drake has cooled down. That said, I’m thinking one of the pop stars take Record of the Year this time.

Chappell Roan’s “Subway” and Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower” both contain gorgeous vocals and top-notch production. I’m thinking Eilish wins because she has a proven track record – nine Grammy wins and 34 nominations in a mere six years. The voters obviously love her, so I see history repeating itself.

David’s Prediction: “Wildflower”

And the nominees for Album of the Year are…

Debí Tirar Más Fotos – Bad Bunny

Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse

Swag – Justin Bieber

GNX – Kendrick Lamar

Mayhem – Lady Gaga

Mutt – Leon Thomas

Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter

Chromakopia – Tyler, The Creator

Alex: This is where our article earns its title. Upon the announcement of this year’s nominations, the question was never if Bad Bunny was going to win a Grammy, but rather how many he would claim. Debí Tirar Más Fotos has this in the bag.

Some will undoubtedly claim the win comes because the Recording Academy is trying to make a statement, and certainly a handful of votes could be swayed by that thinking. However, that argument overlooks the real reason it should win – it’s an amazing album that showcases Benito’s ability to blend genres into memorable tracks while also crafting a beautiful love letter to his native land (Puerto Rico). I give GNX a minor chance to upset here, but not much of one.

Alex’s Prediction: Debí Tirar Más Fotos

David: Bad Bunny is indeed the favorite. Debí Tirar Más Fotos is a terrific record for all the reasons Alex mentioned, and it would be a commendable milestone if an all-Spanish-language album won Album of the Year for the first time ever. But I predict that Lady Gaga plays spoiler in this category. Mayhem is her strongest album since she burst onto the scene with Fame nearly 20 years ago.

After an eclectic run of albums that saw her dabble in rock, country, and vocal jazz, Gaga returned to the music she made her bones with – tantalizing, club-ready electropop. Not only is Mayhem her most fun and danceable LP in years, but it’s also sonically ambitious. She makes some interesting production choices, bringing in industrial sounds with the help of Andrew Watt and Cirkut.

Another important point: Gaga has never won a Grammy for Album of the Year. We all know how much the Recording Academy loves to award overdue artists (We saw it just last year with Beyoncé finally clutching an Album of the Year statuette for Cowboy Carter, a solid album, but definitely not her best).

To the Little Monsters reading this, I think your girl might just pull off the upset. Further, “Abracadabra” is such a well-crafted banger that I think Gaga is a live dog in the other two categories as well. So, could this be the Year of the Gaga?

David’s Prediction: Mayhem

Tune in to CBS or Paramount+ this Sunday at 8 pm ET (5 pm PT) to find out.