The Recording Academy and CBS have slowly but surely been unveiling their huge list of artists who are set to perform at this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony (this weekend, on April 3). They’ve unveiled even more artists today and joining the list are Silk Sonic, Carrie Underwood, J Balvin, John Legend, and Maria Becerra. Furthermore, press materials note Silk Sonic (aka Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak) will be opening the show.
It is hitting ALL the right notes.
Check out our third round of performers and watch them take the #GRAMMYs stage LIVE, this Sunday at 8pm ET/5pm PT on CBS. pic.twitter.com/EnR6w5Sp86
These artists join a performance lineup that includes BTS, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Brandi Carlile, Brothers Osbourne, Foo Fighters, Nas, HER, Jon Batiste, Chris Stapleton, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., and Rachel Zegler. (Presumably, Foo Fighters will no longer be appearing since the band just canceled all their upcoming tour dates following the death of Taylor Hawkins.)
Silk Sonic is up for some big nominations this year, as “Leave The Door Open” is up for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song. Balvin’s Jose is also nominated for Best Música Urbana Album.
Find the full list of 2022 Grammy nominations here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The 2022 Grammys are finally right around the corner after being postponed due to Omicron concerns and moved from LA to Las Vegas. As the self-proclaimed “biggest night in music,” the 2022 Grammys are expected to be a joyous gathering after last year’s ceremony was eclipsed by controversy and COVID. While this year still has a bit of controversy (Kanye West was reportedly banned from performing), The Recording Academy has increased the number of nominations to strive for more diversity. Now, all four major categories (Album Of The Year, Best New Artist, Song Of The Year, and Record Of The Year) changed from eight nominations to ten, allowing a few more artists to get recognized for their musical achievements. The expanded categories mean there is even more great music to choose from, so Uproxx has you covered with our predictions for who will win and who should win at the 2022 Grammys.
2021 saw some big breakouts and some hard-hitting releases as the US rolled out vaccines and people began to re-entering society. The artist leading the nominations is Jon Batiste, who holds an impressive 11 nominations across all categories. Following Baptiste, Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, and HER are all tied for second-most nominated, with each artist holding eight nominations.
This year is also expected to big a big one for Olivia Rodrigo, who very well could pull a Billie Eilish and sweep all four major categories, seeing as her debut album, Sour, was a smash hit. Speaking of Eilish, the singer’s Happier Than Ever earned her a number of nods, as well. She’s actually tied with Rodrigo for third-most nominations as they both received seven.
Check out our predictions below for how the biggest and most coveted categories could play out.
Best Rap Album
J. Cole — The Off-Season
Drake — Certified Lover Boy
Nas — King’s Disease II
Tyler, the Creator — Call Me If You Get Lost
Kanye West — Donda
Who will win: Kanye West — Donda
Who should win: Tyler The Creator — Call Me If You Get Lost
This year’s Best Rap Album category is filled with well-established artists. Both Kanye West’s Donda and Drake’s Certified Lover Boy dominated news cycles after being postponed and ended up getting released within days of each other. Kanye’s Donda is also nominated for Album Of The Year, and seeing as the rapper already holds 22 wins and 75 nominations throughout his career, it’s likely the Recording Academy will give him the Best Rap Album award. However, Tyler The Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost is the one that deserves to take home the trophy. The album shows off Tyler’s impeccable MC skills and his alter ego, Tyler Baudelaire, feels like his most genuine thus far. The LP addresses important contemporary topics and sees Tyler showing off some new techniques, resulting in a top-level album as a whole.
Best Rap Performance
Baby Keem — “Family Ties” Feat. Kendrick Lamar
Cardi B — “Up”
J. Cole — “My Life” Feat. 21 Savage and Morray
Drake — “Way 2 Sexy” Feat. Future and Young Thug
Megan Thee Stallion — “Thot Sh*t”
Who will win: Cardi B — “Up”
Who should win: Baby Keem “Family Ties” Feat. Kendrick Lamar
The Best Rap Performance category saw a number of deserving nominations this year. Of course, Cardi B show-stopped with her 2021 track “Up,” which featured tongue-tied verses so catchy it went viral on TikTok. Megan Thee Stallion’s “Thot Sh*t” also gets an honorable mention as it became an instant hit and its video showed the rapper torturing a misogynistic, slut-shaming senator. But even with those two songs deserving of the award, we lean towards Best New Artist nominee Baby Keem, whose role in his Kendrick Lamar collaboration, “Family Ties,” proves he more than lives up to the hype. The rapper’s flow matches the energy of the song’s propulsive beat and flexes his witty penmanship and impressive breath control.
Best Alternative Music Album
Fleet Foxes — Shore
Halsey — If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
Japanese Breakfast — Jubilee
Arlo Parks — Collapsed In Sunbeams
St. Vincent — Daddy’s Home
Who will win: St. Vincent — Daddy’s Home
Who should win: Japanese Breakfast — Jubilee
2021 was a great year for indie and alternative music lovers. Nearly all the artists in the category delivered career highlights, with Halsey joining forces with Nine Inch Nails members for her darkest release yet, and Arlo Parks crooning spine-chilling prose that deal with the realities of mental health crises, heartbreak, and unrequited queer love. St. Vincent’s Daddy’s Home is a likely winner, per The Recording Academy’s history of awarding Annie Clark in the category in 2015, which is surprising based on its lukewarm reviews. The real winner here is Japanese Breakfast, whose album Jubilee was free of dull moments and overall constituted an electrifying and heartfelt effort from the musician.
Best Pop Solo Performance
Justin Bieber — “Anyone”
Brandi Carlile — “Right on Time”
Billie Eilish — “Happier Than Ever”
Ariana Grande — “Positions”
Olivia Rodrigo — “Drivers License”
Who will win: Olivia Rodrigo — “Drivers License”
Who should win: Olivia Rodrigo — “Drivers License”
This year’s Best Pop Solo Performance category includes more ballads than upbeat pop bangers. Even still, Billie Eilish did put on a wonderful display of her talents in “Happier Than Ever” and Ariana Grande busted out her far-reaching vocals for “Positions.” However, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” is the most likely winner in the category. The track was both her debut single and the song that put her on the map, leading to several weeks at No. 1. While the rest of her catalog is filled with more dance-ready tunes, the emotions in “Drivers License” are tangible and most definitely Grammy-worthy.
Best Pop Vocal Album
Justin Bieber — Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)
Doja Cat — Planet Her (Deluxe)
Billie Eilish — Happier Than Ever
Ariana Grande — Positions
Olivia Rodrigo — Sour
Who will win: Olivia Rodrigo — Sour
Who should win: Doja Cat — Planet Her (Deluxe)
We all know that Olivia Rodrigo’s has some impressive pipes, but Doja Cat’s Planet Her deserves the award due to its versatility. The album features some radio-ready, melodic bops like “Kiss Me More,” but it also includes several songs that show Doja trying out inventive tactics. Her voice is breathy and robust on “Woman” while she distorts her voice into airy and swaggering bursts on “Get Into It (Yuh).” The combination of styles on this Planet Her makes for an enticing and impressive effort, and one that should win Best Pop Vocal Album.
Best Progressive R&B Album
Eric Bellinger — New Light
Cory Henry — Something To Say
Hiatus Kaiyote — Mood Valiant
Lucky Daye — Table For Two
Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder and Kamasi Washington — Dinner Party: Dessert
Masego — Studying Abroad: Extended Stay
Who will win: Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder and Kamasi Washington — Dinner Party: Dessert
Who should win: Lucky Daye — Table For Two
Today’s modern R&B genre is stacked with prolific and groundbreaking artists, as exemplified by this year’s Best Progressive R&B Album category. Acclaimed artists Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder and Kamasi Washington came together for the jazzy joint album Dinner Party: Dessert, which tapped a massive team of collaborators and is likely to take home the winning trophy. But Lucky Daye’s album Table For Two also shines bright. The New Orleans native showed off his multi-faceted artistry on the album, seamlessly flipping from soulful ballads to sultry and rhythmic tracks. Either would be great wins, to be quite honest.
Record Of The Year
ABBA — “I Still Have Faith In You”
Jon Batiste — “Freedom”
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga — “I Get A Kick Out Of You”
Justin Bieber — “Peaches” Feat. Daniel Caesar and Giveon
Brandi Carlile — “Right On Time”
Doja Cat — “Kiss Me More” Feat. SZA
Billie Eilish — “Happier Than Ever”
Lil Nas X — “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”
Olivia Rodrigo — “Drivers License”
Silk Sonic — “Leave The Door Open”
Who will win: Olivia Rodrigo — “Drivers License”
Who should win: Doja Cat — “Kiss Me More” Feat. SZA
Record Of The Year is awarded to artists whose finished song made a huge cultural impact — and this year’s list includes a number of deserving names. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” is the likely winner, seeing as the song dominated pop culture for months on end. But Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” featuring SZA is more than worthy of the award. The track is one of the most straightforward pop songs that both Doja Cat and SZA have ever made, and it definitely worked to their benefit. Not only is it playful, snappy, and captivating, but it offers a space for the two singers’ impressive vocals to shine through.
Best New Artist
Arooj Aftab
Jimmie Allen
Baby Keem
Finneas
Glass Animals
Japanese Breakfast
The Kid Laroi
Arlo Parks
Olivia Rodrigo
Saweetie
Who will win: Olivia Rodrigo
Who should win: Olivia Rodrigo
One of the great aspects of the Best New Artist category is that it’s a career highlight just to be nominated. This year has some incredible honorable mentions, like Japanese Breakfast, whose third studio album Jubilee was a masterpiece, or Arlo Parks, whose debut LP Collapsed In Sunbeams was pure poetry. But this year, the award will likely go to the deserving artist Olivia Rodrigo. With her debut album Sour, Rodrigo managed to go from Disney Channel actor to one of today’s biggest names in music over the course of just a few months. The album put her name on the map and earned her the title of certified pop star.
Song Of The Year
Ed Sheeran — “Bad Habits”
Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile — “A Beautiful Noise”
Olivia Rodrigo — “Drivers License”
HER — “Fight For You”
Billie Eilish — “Happier Than Ever”
Doja Cat — “Kiss Me More” Feat. SZA
Silk Sonic — “Leave The Door Open”
Lil Nas X — “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”
Justin Bieber — “Peaches” Feat. Daniel Caesar and Giveon
Brandi Carlile — “Right On Time”
Who will win: Olivia Rodrigo — “Drivers License”
Who should win: Silk Sonic — “Leave The Door Open”
The Song Of The Year category, which oftentimes gets confused with Record Of The Year, awards those involved in the actual writing process of a track (which sometimes doesn’t include the artist). Olivia Rodrigo’s debut single “Drivers License” became a ubiquitous feature of pop culture shortly after its release and is likely to take home the trophy. It even got its own SNL-dedicated sketch. But the real winner in 2021 was the debut single “Leave The Door Open” by Silk Sonic, the duo of Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars. Inspired by the soul greats like Bootsy Collins and James Brown, “Leave The Door Open” is sensual, dreamy, and one of the most sonically interesting tracks in this category.
Album Of The Year
Jon Batiste — We Are
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga — Love For Sale
Justin Bieber — Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)
Doja Cat — Planet Her (Deluxe)
Billie Eilish — Happier Than Ever
HER — Back Of My Mind
Lil Nas X — Montero
Olivia Rodrigo — Sour
Taylor Swift — Evermore
Kanye West — Donda
Who will win: Billie Eilish — Happier Than Ever
Who should win: Olivia Rodrigo — Sour
The Album Of The Year category is perhaps the most coveted award at the Grammys. This year, there were ten different nominees to choose from. While music lovers and critics alike may have a clear winner in mind, the Recording Academy oftentimes chooses to throw a curveball in this category, like when Beck beat out both Beyonce and Ed Sheeran in 2015. But this year, it’s likely that the award will go to Billie Eilish. The Recording Academy is clearly fond of Eilish, seeing as she holds seven wins and 17 nominations in the two years she’s submitted her music. But the award truly deserves to go to Olivia Rodrigo, whose debut album Sour was an exceptionally strong effort from a new artist. Everything about Sour is a hit — from its genre-fluid, catchy tracks to its on-point elevated schoolgirl aesthetic. All generations of music lovers can relate to the songs on Sour, making it without a doubt the album of 2021.
The 2022 Grammys airs April 3 at 8:30 pm EST. Find out how to watch it here.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Last week, The Recording Academy and CBS revealed the first set of artists set to perform at this year’s Grammy Awards: BTS, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Brandi Carlile, and Brothers Osbourne. Now, they’ve added onto that list with another set of artist reveals today. So, also performing at this year’s show (on April 3 at 8 p.m. ET) are Foo Fighters, Nas, HER, Jon Batiste, Chris Stapleton, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., and Rachel Zegler.
We’ll be playing this record on repeat!
Check out our second round of performers and watch them take the #GRAMMYs stage LIVE, April 3 at 8pm ET/5pm PT on CBS. pic.twitter.com/pWyzwKxHC3
Batiste was a no-brainer selection, as he has a whopping 11 nominations this year, which is the most this year and the second-most in a single year of all time: Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Best Traditional R&B Performance, Best R&B Album, Best Improvised Jazz Solo, Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Best American Roots Performance, Best American Roots Song, Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media, Best Contemporary Classical Composition, and Best Music Video.
Foo Fighters is a headlining act in the rock categories, as they’re up for Best Rock Performance (for “Making A Fire”), Best Rock Song (“Waiting On A War”), and Best Rock Album (Medicine At Midnight). As for Nas, King’s Disease II is up for Best Rap Album and DMX’s “Bath Salts” (featuring Jay-Z and Nas) is nominated for Best Rap Song.
Find the full list of 2022 Grammy nominations here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Earlier this week, Kanye West was suspended from Instagram for 24 hours due to consistent behavior that went against the platform’s rules. This includes constant attacks against Pete Davidson, who’s dating his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, threats against comedian D.L. Hughley, and racist slurs directed at The Daily Show host Trevor Noah. It was these slurs that proved to be the final straw leading to Instagram’s decision to suspend the rapper for a day. It turns out that Kanye’s comments against Trevor may have affected more than just his Instagram presence, it also allegedly got him removed as a performer for the upcoming Grammy Awards.
The what The Game says at least in a recent Instagram post he shared. “Time & time again they show us that they only want to STEAL the culture, not allow you to ever be their equals,” he wrote under the post. “In a more than obvious move for reasons of minuscule actions…. The Grammys have at the last minute decided to pull @kanyewest from performing on the show as if we didn’t know it was coming.”
He added, “Could be because @trevornoah is hosting and there was a conversation held amongst his team & the academy that led to the decision or because Ye’s account was suspended just days ago for reasons unknown especially in a world where all the negativities of the world can be found on the same app with no repercussions or suspensions. We’ll just say it’s all of the above & a continuous disrespect for us & all that we have brought to the table in entertainment, media & sports over the last 100 years especially.”
The Game went on to say that he will always support Kanye’s decision to speak his mind as The Game himself is someone who “can’t sleep at night knowing I was quiet about issues burning holes in my heart.” In the lengthy post, The Game also mentioned Colin Kaepernick’s inability to play in the NFL, lynching just becoming a federal hate crime, and recent legislation that was passed that made it illegal to discriminate someone from employment because of their hairstyle.
Slowly but surely, this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony is starting to come together. At the top of the year, the event was postponed, and not long after that, organizers revealed the show would be taking place on April 3 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, not its original venue, Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena. Now, we’re getting an idea of who’s going to be there: The Recording Academy and CBS revealed some of this year’s performers, a list that so far includes BTS, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Brandi Carlile, and Brothers Osbourne.
*Officially* pressing play on our first round of #GRAMMYs performers!
Be sure to watch the #GRAMMYs LIVE, April 3 at 8pm ET/5pm PT on CBS!
Those artists have a storied history with the Grammys. Eilish, for instance, won all four major awards at the 2020 show and had a major presence the next year, winning Record Of The Year for “Everything I Wanted,” which she also performed. As for BTS, this is their second year both being nominated for a Grammy and performing at the ceremony. Rodrigo had a huge Grammy year in 2021 as she was nominated for a whopping seven awards, which she called “probably the most meaningful” of her dreams that came true that year.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In less than a month, the 2022 Grammy Awards will kick off live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It marks the first time in Grammy history that the award show will take place outside of Los Angeles. The 2022 Grammys was originally set to take place on January 31 at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as Staples Center). However, the coronavirus pandemic forced The Recording Academy to push it back to April 3 with the hope that they’ll be in a safer position to have the show. Thankfully, with three weeks left until showtime, that appears to be the case.
How To Watch The 2022 Grammys:
The 2022 Grammys will begin at 8:30 pm EST/5:30 pm PST. The award show will air live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. By tuning in to this year’s Grammy Awards, you’ll see Trevor Noah entertain the crowd and viewers at home as the host for the night. Elsewhere, Jon Batiste leads the way for nominations as he was selected in 11 categories. Right behind him, Doja Cat, HER, and Justin Bieber each received eight nominations. There will also be a collection of great performances, but the full list of performers has yet to have been revealed. That can be expected to arrive soon as one of the greatest nights in music is just three weeks away.
In normal times, the 2022 Grammy Awards would’ve already taken place. We would’ve learned who went home with trophies in the big four categories — Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. In fact, the number of nominations in each of those categories was increased to ten for the upcoming award show. Furthermore, we would’ve witnessed excellent performances from some of the music industry’s best talents. However, we are not in normal times, and unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic caused the Grammys to be delayed from its usual late-January/early-February date. Thankfully, a new date is locked in and it’s coming soon.
When Are The 2022 Grammys?
The 2022 Grammys will take place on April 3 at 8:30PM EST. The new date also came with a new location for the award show as the Grammys will be hosted from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This marks the first time ever that the Grammys will be hosted outside of Los Angeles. The 2022 Grammys will be hosted by Trevor Noah and as for the nominations, Jon Batiste leads the way with 11 while Doja Cat, HER, and Justin Bieber trailed him with eight nominations each.
Performers for the 2022 award have not been revealed yet, but with less than a month to go before showtime, we can expect a list of performers to arrive sooner than later.
It was revealed earlier this month that the 2022 Grammy Awards had been postponed due to concerns about the Omicron variant of COVID-19. A new date wasn’t revealed at the time, but now it has been set: The event is now set to take place on April 3, as Variety reported and The Recording Academy later confirmed. Furthermore, the ceremony has been moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas from its original venue, Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena. The new venue (which has 17,000 seats) is one the Academy knows well, as the 2021 Latin Grammys were just hosted there in November.
Details about other official Grammy Week events — like the Premiere Ceremony, the MusiCares Person Of The Year benefit concert (in honor of Joni Mitchell this year), and the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala (honoring Sony Music’s Rob Stringer) — will be announced soon. The CMT Awards were originally scheduled to take place at the MGM Grand on that date, but the event will be moved to a later date in April.
This marks the second year in a row that the Grammys were forced to postpone, as the 2021 event was also pushed back due to coronavirus concerns.
Find the full list of this year’s Grammy nominees here.
In recent days, there have been rumors that the 2022 Grammy Awards would be postponed, and now, it is official: The Recording Academy has confirmed that the 64th Annual Grammy Awards have been postponed, with a new date yet to be announced. This year’s ceremony was initially set to take place on January 31 at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.
“After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, the Recording Academy and CBS have postponed the 64th Annual Grammy Awards Show. The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience, and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority. Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31st simply contains too many risks. We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon.”
At the moment, the 64th Annual Grammy Awards are set to go down at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on January 31, but that may not be the case for long: Billboard reports that “according to multiple sources,” the 2022 Grammys may be postponed, with a “source with direct knowledge” noting it’s “looking likely.” The publication reached out to The Recording Academy, who did not confirm the reports or announce a new date for the show.
It was around this time last year that it was announced that the 2021 Grammys would be delayed. On January 5, 2021, the Grammys shared a statement in which they noted, “After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards to be broadcast Sunday, March 14, 2021. The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show.”
