Which Stars Are In It to Win It?

Friday, November 7th, is the day when your favorite artists and your favorite artists’ favorite artists gather together for the nominations for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. Leading the nominations was Kendrick Lamar, who earned nine nominations across the major categories. Lady Gaga followed with seven nominations and has been a Grammy-nominated artist since 2009. Both Sabrina Carpenter and Bad Bunny earned six nominations, highlighting global sound and also younger stars. 

The Big Three award categories, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year, are not subject to any genre, offering a fair chance of getting nominated, based on the Academy’s criteria. 

Album of the Year brings a mix of different emotions. Bad Bunny’s DtMF feels like something you would blast on a late-night drive through Suan Juan, whereas Justin Bieber’s Swag has a similar vibe to his 2015 days, but with a grown-man polish. Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend explores both sides of relationships and heartbreak, while Leon Thomas’ MUTT reminds everyone he is not just the “guy from Victorious.” Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse, GNX by Kendrick Lamar, Mayhem by Lady Gaga, and Chromakopia by Tyler the Creator represent how all the albums nominated have significantly different sounds.  

Freshman Odelia Alfy and Sophomore Audrey Kum both predict Chromokopia to win due to its widespread recognition, comeback hype, and memorable songs, noting that the other nominated albums were just mid. 

Now for the Record of the Year nominations; this award is awarded to the artist, producer, and all engineers of the song. Nominees include Wildflower, which definitely hit me both hard and soft, Chapell Roan’s The Subway,  APT  by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars (all my four-year-old sister sings on repeat), Luther by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, DtMF, Anxiety, Abracadabra, and Manchild. Senior Carly Arauz believes Sabrina Carpenter will win due to her popularity within Gen Z and her newly finished tour, arguing that many other nominated songs are “too old for the attention span of the young generation.”

Song of the Year spotlights the pen, as songwriters are awarded. The nominees are the same as Record of the Year, with the addition of Golden by HUNTR/X, a fictional K-Pop band. “I am officially Unc now, but it’s going to be Golden as recency bias, and the other songs kind of suck,” believes Mr. Harris, Social Studies teacher at OM. 

There are so many more nominations and categories that deserve recognition, as it shows how music is its own language that brings people together. This is your sign to tune in to the Grammy Awards shown on CBS and Paramount +, or any shady pirated website that you can find. So, on February 1st, when the lights hit Crypto.com Arena and the cameras roll, we won’t just be watching an awards show; we will be watching the history of music. So bring on the sparkle, the tears, and the standing ovations. Who do you think is going to win?