60th GRAMMY Awards: Nominations & Predictions

When I first planned on writing this piece, I expected to be able to gain a lot of insights in regards to predictions off of a lot of outlets with their own predictions. However, I have found this to be a lot harder than I anticipated…maybe 11 days out is too far away? The Grammys air on January 28. With that being said, I used my own guesses and a few sources that have briefly touched on predictions to create my own post.

I left out a handful of categories that I have 0 knowledge about and these categories, I’m assuming, are also not of interest to a lot of my readers. Bear with me, because I really don’t know much about the some of the genres I included (rap, country) but I’m giving it my best bet. I’m hoping to fill out a ballot this year and see how I do.

I shared some thoughts for some of the categories, some I did not. It just depends on how much confidence I actually have in my predictions for each one.

Click here to see the entire list of nominees.

Let’s go!

Record Of The Year
(Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s), if other than the artist.)

Let’s just start by diminishing any confusion: ROTY is about the entire song, as stated above. It goes to the singer, the producers, engineers, songwriter, etc. This is always confused with Song Of The Year – whereas SOTY is SOLELY for the songwriting (it’s explained with that category below). I’m not going to list every single person involved because that’s very dense and you can see that information here.

• Redbone – Childish Gambino
• Despacito – Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber
• The Story of O.J. – Jay-Z
• Humble – Kendrick Lamar
• 24K Magic – Bruno Mars

Predictions are so hard to make when you’re not a professional in the industry and when you do these sorts of things for fun. Based on what I’ve been researching thus far (12 days out from the Grammys) it seems like there’s not many predictions out yet. From what I’ve read, it seems like it will be a close race between Humble and 24K Magic (I would have guessed it would be between Humble and Despacito) but only time will tell.

Likely: 24K Magic
My Preference: Humble

Album Of The Year
(Award to Artist(s) and to Featured Artist(s), Songwriter(s) of new material, Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s), Mixer(s) and Mastering Engineer(s) credited with at least 33% playing time of the album, if other than Artist.)

• Awaken, My Love! – Childish Gambino
• 4:44 – Jay-Z
• DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar
• Melodrama – Lorde
• 24K Magic – Bruno Mars

This is such an interesting list of nominees for this category. I’m just going to say now there’s NO way that Lorde is going to take this one. In 2016, Taylor Swift won for 1989 which caused a ruckus and many people believed that Kendrick Lamar was robbed for To Pimp A Butterfly. In 2017, Adele won for 25 against Beyoncé for Lemonade. There’s just no way (looking at this from a political & PR standpoint) that the voters will be giving this award to a white woman for the third year in a row. It just isn’t going to happen.

Likely: DAMN.
My Preference: I would say Lorde because 1) I haven’t heard 4:44 (sorry), I’ve heard maybe half of 24K Magic, and I just generally don’t listen to the genre of music that is nominated for this category, aside from Lorde. I do think that Kendrick is due for this award and hope to see him win it.

Song Of The Year
(A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

This award is for the SONGWRITING. I will be listing the names of the songwriters next to each song (that may not be the artist). I’m assuming my readers will understand.

• Despacito – Ramon Ayala Rodriguez, Erika Ender, Luis Fonsi
• 4:44 –  Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson
• Issues – Benny Blanco, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Julia Michaels & Justin Drew Tranter
• 1-800-273-8255 – Alessia Caracciolo, Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Arjun Ivatury, Khalid Robinson & Andrew Taggart
• That’s What I Like – Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip (holy cow, so many)

My guess is following a political 2017, it would make sense for voters to be going for that politically driven song – which is obviously the Logic track. After the release of the song in April, the hotline reported receiving “the second highest daily call volume in its history” and Google searches of the phone number increased over 100%.

Likely: 1-800-273-8255
My Preference: 1-800-273-8255

Best New Artist
(An artist will be considered for Best New Artist if their eligibility year release/s achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.)

• Alessia Cara
• Khalid
• Lil Uzi Vert
• Julia Michaels
• SZA

This one is annoying to me because Alessia Cara has been around since 2015 so I just don’t really get why she’s nominated (I like her, just don’t get it). In terms of who will win, I think this category is truly a shot in the dark.

Likely: Khalid
My Preference: SZA

Best Solo Pop Performance
(For new vocal or instrumental pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.)

• Love So Soft – Kelly Clarkson
• Praying – Kesha
• Million Reasons – Lady Gaga
• What About Us – P!nk
• Shape Of You – Ed Sheeran

I think this can go two ways: Ed Sheeran arguably had the biggest song of 2017. Kesha overcame immense struggle and came back swinging with a personal anthem of empowerment and positivity. My guess is this award goes to one of the two. Side note: Kelly Clarkson is great but her nomination seems a little sporadic. Thoughts?

Likely: Shape Of You
My Preference: Praying

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
(For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.)

• Something Just Like This – The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
• Despacito – Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
• Thunder – Imagine Dragons
• Feel It Still – Portugal. The Man
• Stay – Zedd & Alessia Cara

This seems like a weird category to me and each song seems super different in terms of style and genre. Which is odd because it’s a pop category.

Likely: Despacito
My Preference: I’ve been into Portugal. The Man for a long time so I would love to see them win for this.

Best Pop Vocal Album
(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal pop recordings.)

• Kaleidoscope EP – Coldplay
• Lust For Life – Lana Del Rey
• Evolve – Imagine Dragons
• Rainbow – Kesha
• Joanne – Lady Gaga
• Divide – Ed Sheeran

A lot of people were surprised that Sheeran wasn’t nominated for AOTY (I strongly disliked this album and I used to be a huge Sheeran fan) and it also doesn’t make sense that Lorde wasn’t nominated in this for Melodrama.

Likely: Divide
My Preference: I don’t have one. I didn’t love any of these albums but I particularly disliked Divide and Joanne (see what I thought about Joanne here).

Best Dance/Electronic Album
(For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.)

• Migration -Bonobo
• 3-D The Catalogue – Kraftwerk
• Mura Masa – Mura Masa
• A Moment Apart – ODESZA
• What Now – Sylvan Esso

If I’m being honest the only albums I’ve heard from this list in their entirety are Odesza’s and Sylvan Esso’s. I have no clue how this category is judged so I’m really not sure where this award will be going.

Likely: Mura Masa
My Preference: What Now

Best Rock Performance
(For new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative rock recordings.)

• You Want It Darker – Leonard Cohen
• The Promise – Chris Cornell
• Run – Foo Fighters
• No Good – Kaleo
• Go To War –  Nothing More

Likely: Run
My Preference: No preference

Best Rock Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

This award is for the SONGWRITING.

• Atlas, Rise! – James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters (Metallica)
• Blood In The Cut – JT Daly & Kristine Flaherty, songwriters (K.Flay)
• Go To War – Ben Anderson, Jonny Hawkins, Will Hoffman, Daniel Oliver, David Pramik & Mark Vollelunga, songwriters (Nothing More)
• Run – Foo Fighters, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
• The Stage – Zachary Baker, Brian Haner, Matthew Sanders, Jonathan Seward & Brooks Wackerman, songwriters (Avenged Sevenfold)

Likely: Run
My Preference: Blood In The Cut – love this song.

Best Alternative Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

• Everything Now – Arcade Fire
• Humans – Gorillaz
• American Dream – LCD Soundsystem
• Pure Comedy – Father John Misty
• Sleep Well Beast – The National

From my memory, Everything Now didn’t get good reviews so I would rule out Arcade Fire. LCD doesn’t seem mainstream enough. Which leaves…

Likely: Sleep Well beast
My Preference: Sleep Well Beast

Best R&B Performance
(For new vocal or instrumental R&B recordings.)

• Get You – Daniel Caesar Featuring Kali Uchis
• Distraction – Kehlani
• High – Ledisi
• That’s What I Like – Bruno Mars
• The Weekend – SZA

Likely: That’s What I Like
My Preference: The Weekend

Best R&B Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

For songwriting.

• First Began – PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton)
• Location – Alfredo Gonzalez, Olatunji Ige, Samuel David Jiminez, Christopher McClenney, Khalid Robinson & Joshua Scruggs, songwriters (Khalid)
• Redbone – Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
• Supermodel – Tyran Donaldson, Terrence Henderson, Greg Landfair Jr., Carter Lang & Solana Rowe, songwriters (SZA)
• That’s What I Like – Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

Likely: Redbone
My Preference: Redbone

Best Urban Contemporary Album
(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded contemporary vocal tracks derivative of R&B.)

• Free 6LACK – 6LACK
• “Awaken, My Love!” – Childish Gambino
• American Teen – Khalid
• Ctrl – SZA
• Starboy – The Weeknd

This is a big category in terms of competition. I think it will come down to Childish vs. SZA.

Likely: “Awaken, My Love!” 
My Preference: Ctrl

Best R&B Album
(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new R&B recordings.)

• Freudian – Daniel Caesar
• Let Love Rule – Ledisi
• 24K Magic – Bruno Mars
• Gumbo – PJ Morton
• Feel The Real – Musiq Soulchild

Bruno has had a huge 2017. I’m thinking he’s going to sweep the categories he is nominated in.

Likely: 24K Magic
My Preference: No preference

Best Rap Performance
(For a Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

• Bounce Back – Big Sean
• Bodak Yellow – Cardi B
• 4:44 – JAY-Z
• HUMBLE. – Kendrick Lamar
• Bad And Boujee – Migos Featuring Lil Uzi Vert

This is HARD. I’m honestly shocked that Bad And Boujee is even nominated, but hey, rap isn’t my area of expertise. Cardi B. has continuously broken records for females in music so I would like to see her get this, but I’m thinking it will go to Kendrick.

Likely: Humble…but let’s hope that Bodak Yellow has a chance.
My Preference: Bodak Yellow

Best Rap/Sung Performance
(For a solo or collaborative performance containing both elements of R&B melodies and Rap.)

• PRBLMS – 6LACK
• Crew – Goldlink Featuring Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy
• Family Feud – JAY-Z Featuring Beyoncé
• LOYALTY. – Kendrick Lamar Featuring Rihanna
• Love Galore – SZA Featuring Travis Scott

I don’t even want to pretend that I have any knowledge on rap music. So I basically assume that any category with Kendrick means he’s going to win. But I don’t really know.

Likely: LOYALTY.
My Preference: Love Galore

Best Rap Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award.  A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

For songwriting.

• Bodak Yellow – Belcalis Almanzar, Dieuson Octave, Klenord Raphael, Shaftizm, Jordan Thorpe & J White, songwriters (Cardi B)
• Chase Me – Brian Burton, Hector Delgado, Jaime Meline, Antwan Patton & Michael Render, songwriters (Danger Mouse Featuring Run The Jewels & Big Boi)
• • HUMBLE. – K. Duckworth, Asheton Hogan & M. Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
• Sassy – Marlanna Evans, E. Gabouer, Jason Martin & Wyann Vaughn, songwriters (Rapsody)
• The Story Of O.J – Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson, songwriters (JAY-Z)

Likely: HUMBLE.
My Preference: HUMBLE.

Best Rap Album
(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rap recordings.)

• 4:44 – JAY-Z
• DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar
• Culture – Migos
• Laila’s Wisdom – Rapsody
• Flower Boy – Tyler, The Creator

Likely: DAMN.
My Preference: DAMN.

Best Country Solo Performance
(For new vocal or instrumental solo country recordings.)

• Body Like A Back Road – Sam Hunt
• Losing You – Alison Krauss
• Tin Man – Miranda Lambert
• I Could Use A Love Song – Maren Morris
• Either Way – Chris Stapleton

Likely: Body Like A Back Road
My Preference: No preference

 Best Country Duo/Group Performance
(For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative country recordings.)

• It Ain’t My Fault – Brothers Osborne
• My Old Man – Zac Brown Band
• You Look Good – Lady Antebellum
• Better Man – Little Big Town
• Drinkin’ Problem – Midland

I’m only including country categories because my girl T.Swift is nominated for Better Man (Best Country Song) so I figured I should include all of the country categories.

Likely: Better Man
My Preference: Better Man

Best Country Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

Songwriting.

• Better Man – Taylor Swift, songwriter (Little Big Town)
• Body Like A Back Road – Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Sam Hunt)
• Broken Halos – Mike Henderson & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
• Drinkin’ Problem – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne & Mark Wystrach, songwriters (Midland)
• Tin Man – Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

I think Better Man is one of the best songs that Taylor wrote that came out in 2017 (the songwriting is better than a lot of Reputation, in my opinion).

Likely: Better Man
My Preference: Better Man

Best Country Album
(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new country recordings.)

• Cosmic Hallelujah – Kenny Chesney
• Heart Break – Lady Antebellum
• The Breaker – Little Big Town
• Life Changes – Thomas Rhett
• From A Room: Volume 1 – Chris Stapleton

I really don’t know much about this category. Sorry, guys.

Likely: From A Room: Volume 1
My Preference: No preference

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
(Award to the artist(s) and/or ‘in studio’ producer(s) of a majority of the tracks on the album.  In the absence of both, award to the one or two individuals proactively responsible for the concept and musical direction of the album and for the selection of artists, songs and producers, as applicable. Award also goes to appropriately credited music supervisor(s).)

• Baby Driver – (Various Artists) Edgar Wright, compilation producer
• Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 – (Various Artists) James Gunn, compilation producer
• Hidden Figures: The Album – (Various Artists) Pharrell Williams; Pharrell Williams, compilation producer
• La La Land – (Various Artists) Marius de Vries & Justin Hurwitz, compilation producer
• Moana: The Songs – (Various Artists) Opetaia Foa’i, Tom MacDougall, Mark Mancina & Lin-Manuel Miranda, compilation producers

Likely: La La Land
My Preference: I enjoyed Baby Drive and Hidden Figures. I didn’t see Moana but can see that winning too.

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
(Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current legitimate motion picture, television show or series, video games or other visual media.)

• Arrival – Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer
• Dunkirk – Hans Zimmer, composer
• Game Of Thrones: Season 7 – Ramin Djawadi, composer
• Hidden Figures – Benjamin Wallfisch, Pharrell Williams & Hans Zimmer, composers
• La La Land – Justin Hurwitz, composer

Likely: La La Land
My Preference: I suppose La La Land.

 Best Song Written For Visual Media
(A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television, video games or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

• City Of Stars – Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, songwriters (Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone)
  Track from: La La Land
• How Far I’ll Go – Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Auli’i Cravalho)
  Track from: Moana: The Songs
• I Don’t Wanna Live Forever – Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew & Taylor Swift, songwriters (ZAYN & Taylor Swift)
  Track from: Fifty Shades Darker
• Never Give Up – Sia Furler & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Sia)
  Track from: Lion
• Stand Up For Something – Common, Andra Day & Diane Warren, songwriters (Andra Day Featuring Common)
  Track from: Marshall

I would be shocked if anything stands a chance against City of Stars. But maybe How Far I’ll Go…

Likely: City Of Stars
My Preference: I Don’t Wanna Live Forever

Best Music Video
(Award to the artist, video director, and video producer.)

• Up All Night – Beck
• Makeba – Jain
• The Story Of O.J. – Jay-Z
• Humble – Kendrick Lamar
• 1-800-273-8255 – Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid

Likely: 1-800-273-8255
My Preference: I haven’t seen any of these music videos. I’m sorry!

This took me a LONG time to format and hopefully it’s clear and straight to the point. PLEASE share with me your own predictions! I’d love to hear.

– Kristin