{"id":49801,"date":"2025-10-01T20:22:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T20:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/49801\/"},"modified":"2025-10-01T20:22:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T20:22:12","slug":"grammys-2026-state-of-the-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/49801\/","title":{"rendered":"Grammys 2026: State of the Race"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThere are plenty of reasons to be nostalgic for the good old days of 2024. But for the Grammy Awards<\/a>, there\u2019s been one especially big change.<\/p>\n

\n\tLast year was full-on Superstar Season: There were new albums from Taylor Swift, Beyonc\u00e9 and Billie Eilish; the explosion of breakout sensations Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter; a genuine cultural phenomenon with Kendrick Lamar\u2019s \u201cNot Like Us.\u201d Five years after expanding the nominations in the Big Four categories from five to eight, the lists were bursting at the seams.<\/p>\n

\n\tThis year, not as much. Some big guns were still here, but the results often underdelivered. The lack of any equivalent to the Taylor-versus-Bey showdown was only amplified when the biggest seller (and, in his own odd way, biggest story) of 2025, Morgan Wallen, decided he would not be submitting his music for Grammy consideration.<\/p>\n

\n\tThis decrease in firepower, though, does open the possibility for some historically significant winners. Lamar\u2019s GNX (a late 2024 release) isn\u2019t his most ambitious project \u2014 see his previous album of the year nods for To Pimp a Butterfly or Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers \u2014 but it was well received both commercially and critically and is more accessible than those bigger conceptual swings. With 57 nominations and 22 trophies over the years, is it finally time for Lamar to take home the big prize?<\/p>\n

\n\tIf GNX were to win album of the year, it would be, astonishingly, the first hip-hop project to carry the category in more than 20 years, since OutKast won for Speakerboxxx\/The Love Below in 2004. (Tyler, the Creator\u2019s experimental, personal Chromakopia feels like the genre\u2019s other contender for a nomination.) In addition, K.Dot\u2019s \u201cLuther\u201d duet with SZA spent 13 weeks at No. 1 and is an easy bet for record and song of the year nominations.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tTyler, the Creator landed in the SoCal desert for Coachella 2024.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrazer Harrison\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tThe other groundbreaking option this year would be honoring Bad Bunny\u2019s Deb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos as album of the year. His 2022 Un Verano Sin Ti is the only Spanish-language album to ever receive a nomination in the category, and a win would be a massive step in the recognition of Latin pop\u2019s ongoing ascension. Deb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos is both a commercial smash and among the most critically regarded albums of Bad Bunny\u2019s career. If he can\u2019t win here, could a Latin album ever come away with the top prize?<\/p>\n

\n\tSo there are ways for this year\u2019s ceremonies to salvage a weaker field and make a strong statement \u2014 but there\u2019s always the fear that Grammys<\/a> gonna Grammy. Coldplay only seem to become more polarizing as the years go by, but Moon Music was their fastest-selling album in more than 15 years. Brandi Carlile and Elton John\u2019s Who Believes in Angels? is the kind of cross-generational effort that would seem to hit a Grammy sweet spot, though it may not have reached the heights that would take it over the finish line.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe other biggest name releases this year \u2014 from folks who have been nominated and even won album of the year \u2014 weren\u2019t disappointing, but they didn\u2019t ultimately feel like culture-setting moments on their own. The Grammys have never just been a charts game, though strong sales certainly don\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tBrandi Carlile and Elton John at the Golden Globes in January.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrancis Specker\/CBS\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tLady Gaga\u2019s Mayhem and The Weeknd\u2019s Hurry Up Tomorrow were heavily hyped No. 1 albums that set up blockbuster tours but lacked much commercial staying power on the charts. (It\u2019s ironic that The Weeknd\u2019s first album after protesting and then making peace with the Grammys may not be a major player.) Lorde\u2019s Virgin had its fervent supporters even if it didn\u2019t seem to fully register, debuting at No. 2 this summer and swiftly dropping down the charts afterward.<\/p>\n

\n\tOn the more purely pop side, Man\u2019s Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter (the only member of the class of 2024 to return with a new LP this go-round) and Justin Bieber\u2019s Swag seem poised for album of the year nods. Her \u201cManchild\u201d and his \u201cDaisies\u201d are also contenders in the record and song of the year categories.<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd as an overall-good-vibes album of the year possibility, though Jelly Roll\u2019s Beautifully Broken was shut out of the CMA nominations (following an entertainer of the year nod last year), the dude has been so omnipresent \u2014 collaborating with Snoop Dogg, Marshmello and Brandon Lake; showing up everywhere from Tulsa King to the WWE \u2014 that the general Grammy voter may find him irresistible.<\/p>\n

\n\tSo, for better or worse, there are still plenty of big names to fill the nomination slots. But there will certainly be an opening for some critics\u2019 favorites and worthy rising stars, across a wide range of genres, to get some Grammy love. Potential contenders include Bon Iver\u2019s Sable, Fable, FKA Twigs\u2019 Eusexua, Laufey\u2019s A Matter of Time, Tyler Childers\u2019 Snipe Hunter and Dijon\u2019s Baby.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the record and song of the year categories, several women familiar from recent best new artist contention are likely to return to the ballot. Last year\u2019s winner, Roan, released \u201cThe Giver\u201d and \u201cThe Subway\u201d \u2014 again, neither of which were entirely the smashes that might have been anticipated but either of which could get a lock. Doechii\u2019s \u201cDenial Is a River\u201d and 2024 contender Gracie Abrams\u2019 \u201cThat\u2019s So True\u201d should also turn up.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs for newcomers, Alex Warren\u2019s \u201cOrdinary\u201d spent 10 weeks at No. 1, and, especially in song of the year, those power ballads still count for something. Ros\u00e9 (see cover story on page 40) had one of the biggest tracks of the year in \u201cApt.\u201d with perennial Grammy favorite Bruno Mars, and the song surely will get a long look.<\/p>\n

\n\tRavyn Lenae\u2019s \u201cLove Me Not\u201d will be one of those timing judgment calls for voters: It was released all the way back in May 2024 but was not submitted for last year\u2019s awards, and it was such a slow build that it didn\u2019t peak until going viral on TikTok later in the year. Meanwhile, Eilish, as always, has a shot with \u201cWildflowers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tBad Bunny at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards in March at the Dolby Theatre.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMonica Schipper\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tOne of the more interesting genre competitions to watch \u2014 and territory that has been genuinely lacking in interest in recent years \u2014 will be the rock categories. Let\u2019s recall that at last year\u2019s ceremony, the prize for best rock performance went to The Beatles and best rock album to The Rolling Stones. But few of the leading lights in rock\u2019s greatest generation put out new music this year, nor did any of the Gen X juggernauts \u2014 Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers \u2014 that have dominated the proceedings for a while.<\/p>\n

\n\tInstead, we witnessed a resurgence in rock\u2019s popularity in 2025, with Turnstile, Ghost and Sleep Token all racking up hit albums. Female-fronted acts including Wet Leg and Wolf Alice also released innovative records, and even the bands closer to \u201clegacy\u201d status with significant new music \u2014 The Cure, Deftones, the revamped Linkin Park \u2014 feel fresher than a simple return to the usual suspects.<\/p>\n

\n\tMost intriguing is how these groups will be submitted among the rock, metal and alternative categories, distinctions that only get more confusing as time marches on.<\/p>\n

\n\tSpeaking of which, the big category shake-up this year is the introduction of best traditional country album, which is alternately being seen as a reaction to Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s best country album victory<\/a> last year or simply catching up to similar subdivisions in R&B and other genres.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tSZA, Kendrick Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKevin Winter\/Getty Images; Monica Schipper\/Getty Images; Phil McCarten\/CBS\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tClearly, country music has expanded to the point where Cody Johnson, Zach Top and The Red Clay Strays coexist alongside Bailey Zimmerman or Shaboozey. But if we\u2019re making a distinction, how \u201ctraditional\u201d are the new boundary markers? What\u2019s the minimum required pedal steel and twang? Chris Stapleton is pretty damn old school and also as big a star as the genre has, and you could say the same about Luke Combs or even Megan Moroney. And at what point does traditional country cross over into the Americana category \u2014 where will 27-time Grammy winner Alison Krauss find Arcadia, her excellent reunion with Union Station, turning up?<\/p>\n

\n\tGenres and definitions are ever-evolving, and it\u2019s healthy for the Grammys to take chances even when it\u2019s unclear where they might lead. Let\u2019s hope that in a year light on megastars and drama, there\u2019s greater opportunity for deserving surprises and overdue honors \u2014 secure in the knowledge that Swift\u2019s The Life of a Showgirl is already teed up for next year\u2019s awards.<\/p>\n

\n\t***<\/p>\n

\n\tRead more from\u00a0THR\u2019<\/a>s\u00a0Music Issue<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tThis story appeared in the Oct. 1 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are plenty of reasons to be nostalgic for the good old days of 2024. But for the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":49802,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[1096,146,14445,38161,85,46,409,38508],"class_list":["post-49801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-awards","tag-entertainment","tag-grammys","tag-grammys-2026","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-music","tag-music-issue"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49801"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49801\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}