Trevor Noah is set to host this weekend’s Grammy Awards (on Sunday, April 3), but the host isn’t the only one who speaks on stage. Others come on to present awards and now the Recording Academy and CBS have revealed who will be on hand to do that. The list includes Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, Questlove, Avril Lavigne, Ludacris, Anthony Mackie, Billy Porter, Bonnie Raitt, Jared Leto, Joni Mitchell, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Lenny Kravitz, and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez.
Drum roll please! Presenting this years #GRAMMYs presenters.
Aside from the presenters, also taking the stage to perform during this year’s show are Lady Gaga, Silk Sonic, Carrie Underwood, J Balvin, John Legend, Maria Becerra, BTS, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Brandi Carlile, Brothers Osbourne, Nas, HER, Jon Batiste, Chris Stapleton, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., and Rachel Zegler. Foo Fighters were previously included, but it was later confirmed they dropped out of the show after scrapping all their upcoming performances in light of Taylor Hawkins’ death.
The presenters have some 2022 Grammy nominations between them: Megan’s “Thot Sh*t” is up for Best Rap Performances, Questlove’s Summer Of Soul is up for Best Music Film, and Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) is up for Best Historical 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.
Kanye West won’t be on the GRAMMYs stage but Silk Sonic will. The duo of Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars are a part of the third cycle of performers announced for this Sunday’s show.
Named alongside Silk Sonic are Carrie Underwood, J Balvin, John Legend, and Maria Becerra.
Previous performance announcements included Chris Stapleton, Foo Fighters, H.E.R., Nas, Jon Batiste, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Rachel Zegler, Billie Eilish, Brandi Carlile, Brothers Osborne, BTS, Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow, and Olivia Rodrigo.
A new report from HITS Daily Double claims that the Recording Academy is having “conversations” with Kanye West about performing at Sunday’s show.
This would come as a surprise since Ye’s team claimed that he was “barred” from performing at the 64th annual awards. A rep for the DONDA rapper previously told Variety that he had been removed from the lineup of performers due to his “concerning online behavior.”
The decision may have had to do with his controversial comments about Grammys host Trevor Noah. Ye used a racial slur against Noah in a since-deleted Instagram post after the “Daily Show” host commented on his “harassment” of Kim Kardashian, resulting in a 24-hour suspension from Instagram. He has not returned to the social media platform since the temporary ban.
Ye, who will headline Coachella next month, is nominated for five Grammys this year including Album of the Year, Best Rap Album, and Best Rap Song.
According to HITS, the Grammys are expected to make “at least one more announcement of performers” before Sunday’s show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. In addition to Ye, producers are reportedly in talks with Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga.
The official Grammy lineup so far includes Nas, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, J Balvin, John Legend, and Silk Sonic, who will open the show.
J. Prince already got Kanye West and Drake to share the stage once. He is asking again and petitioning Nicki Minaj and more to appear in a Hip-Hop shop opposite the Grammys. The ask comes days after Kanye West was banned from performing at the award show in Vegas.
J. Prince called for the change on Instagram, in a video clip containing his voice asking to make a change and not looking toward the Grammys for validation.
“I’ve been watching the Grammys control and dictate our culture to their benefit up close and personal for the past 30 years,” J Prince said. “And all the artists, managers and executives would do is complain, but never have the nuts to come together to do anything about it.”
He added, “This is a slave master, punish a nigga mentality and act to remind us that no matter how much money we have, we’re still niggas in their eyes. So they cancel Kanye and discriminated against Drake, The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj and many others over the years. This will only be broken by us uniting our powers to bring about change moving forward.”
J. Prince would close his request by bringing the No. 1 genre in the world to come together for a special show.
J. Prince is taking matters into his own hands after the Grammys confirmed that they rescinded Kanye West’s invitation to perform at the award ceremony this year.
J. Prince’s words are similar to those of Dame Dash. TMZ caught Dash in the airport and let out a clear statement: “Ye don’t give a fuck about the Grammys. We’ll make our own Grammys.”
“I’m not trying to fit into somebody else’s system,” Dash added. “So we just create our own so we ain’t gotta worry about nobody else’s rules. … It’s not for them to judge who’s hot. It’s for us. They really shouldn’t be giving us the awards. We should be giving them the awards. They gotta respect our culture.”
It’s been a long time coming. That’s probably how Eric Bellinger feels after earning his first Grammy nomination for his personal work at this year’s award. The singer previously received a nomination at the Grammys nearly a decade ago, but it came through his work on Chris Brown’s 2011 album F.A.M.E. He’d go on to earn himself a Grammy Award in 2012 thanks to that album securing a win in the Best R&B Album category. Bellinger was nominated as a songwriter once again in 2015, but in the years that followed, Bellinger was unable to receive some Grammy love.
By all means, Bellinger is very talented as a songwriter and an artist. He’s written for the likes of Brandy, Jennifer Hudson, Sevyn Streeter, Teyana Taylor, and more while releasing solid projects like 2015’s Cuffing Season, 2017’s Eric B for President: Term 2, 2018’s Eazy Call, and more. But for quite some time Bellinger was very much a slept-on act on an “if you know you know” list. The lack of Grammy recognition didn’t diminish his career because he was more than worthy of one with his undeniable talents. Finally, at the end of last year, he struck gold.
Bellinger’s eighth album, New Light, was selected in the Best Progressive R&B Album category. There it joined other nominees like Lucky Daye, Masego, Hiatus Kyoto, Cory Henry, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, and others. At long last, Bellinger was getting the recognition he truly deserved.
Ahead of the Grammy Awards, we spoke to Bellinger about New Light, why he believes this is the album that brought him back to the Grammys, and what it would truly mean for him to win.
Congratulations on your Grammy nomination! Where were you when you found out and what was your initial reaction?
Ah man, I was actually in New York. I was at a rehearsal singing backgrounds, I was actually doing a show with Alicia Keys, and I was in the middle of rehearsal while the announcements went off, so I was lowkey watching it in the corner with my headphones. Don’t tell her (laughs)! But nah I’m joking, so when they announced it, it was dope, because I was just like, “Yo! I got nominated!” and everybody what like what are you talking about? Then as I explained it, we took a break and everybody celebrated with me, it was a joyous occasion.
You were previously won and were nominated as a songwriter thanks to your work on Chris Brown’s FAME. How fulfilling is it that this nomination is now for an album of yours?
It feels great bro. To transition from the songwriter world to the artistry world, or from the producer world to the rapper, it’s not easy to transition. For me, that was confirmation that this is for me. Yeah, I have some success as a songwriter, but although I’ve been independent, and to me, in an upward battle when it comes to really making a mark on the other side of the fence. This was great for me to remove the chip off my shoulder to know that all things truly are possible.
You have plenty, and I mean plenty, of great songs in your catalog, great albums as well. What do you think made New Light the album that receive the recognition it has?
I think it was just having a proper team in place to handle all the different things that are necessary when it comes to checking off boxes to even be a potential candidate. I think we got so many incredible people in place now that just know what needs to be done and I’m not guessing anymore. We’re all experienced, we’ve all been here, And we’re all veterans in this. We can lean on each other, I can throw a no-look pass and know that I’m gonna have somebody right there at the rim ready to slam it in.
After the plethora of projects that you’ve released over the last near-decade, did it ever get to a point where you believed maybe the Grammys aren’t for me?
I always wanted it. I just always felt like it was gonna be tougher because I was independent, but I always knew it’s possible because I’ve seen it done, you know? I feel like, “Why wouldn’t it be me? Why couldn’t it be me?” As long as I stay consistent, if it ain’t this year, it’s next year, and if it ain’t next year, it’s the year after that. Because I’m doing what I love, I’ve learned to enjoy the journey rather than anticipating the celebration at the destination.
Continuing off that last question, when you look throughout your discography, what’s a song or album that you think should’ve or you hoped would receive some Grammy love?
Yeah, I think The Rebirth album (2014), I think Cuffing Season, Part 3 (2019), I think Eventually (2016), Eric B For President album (2017) (laughs) maybe all of them. I definitely feel like we’ve been going crazy, like the music didn’t necessarily get better, the team just got stronger.
Furthermore, what makes New Light different than the other projects you’ve released? Was it the creative process? Types of collaborations?
I think this is a personal album. I had time after the quarantine, after the isolation, that was all spent doing self-healing, doing more awareness work on myself, so I was able to be more honest — I was forced to be more honest in the songs. I don’t really want to talk about no bullsh*t, so it was real, pure moments and intentional sessions. I got songs like “Counting My Blessings” and “Backwards,” you know, not being afraid to talk about how sh*t is backwards. You work hella hard to have money to be able to buy what you want, then they just gave it to you for free. All of the life experiences helped create “Blue Dreams,” like man, that’s a song just about manifesting. “Shine On The World,” it’s about having confidence in yourself to not be afraid to shine when the world tries to dim your light. A lot of the songs have a lot more purpose and intention behind them because of the place that I was at and the state of mind that I was in mentally while creating the album.
In this stretch of the journey as an artist, what does New Light represent for you and the music you’re creating?
It’s crazy because going into creating the album, my overall goal is to win a Grammy. When I first started making it, it was like “Yo, we got to win a Grammy with this album.” I never thought that on any other album going in and creating, but this time that was literally the main goal. It’s fire to have been nominated and be in strong consideration from my peers.
New Light was nominated in the Best Progressive R&B Album category, a category that the Grammys added to its field back in 2013. I think it speaks to the many colors and shades within R&B, do you think so? And do you think it’s a category that best speaks to your style?
Yeah, I do man, I do. I felt like I’ve been a pioneer for just merging different experimental sounds and sonics with R&B. From the beginning of my career, sampling Kriss Kross on “I Don’t Want Her,” it was R&B, but it was progressive. I think my love for drums and my love for cadences and BPMs created a new sound in R&B that has always been progressive.
You’re also on tour at the moment, your first one in a couple of years. What have the interactions you’ve had with fans taught you about this album and even about how you’re viewed as an artist?
Lately man, I feel like I’ve been able to experiment and not be afraid because of my comfortability in my space and in my personal life from my songwriting. That set me up to where I’m not hurting to where I have to jeopardize or compromise the character of my music or what I do. I think with that, who I’ve been able to portray is just literally myself and my actual growth. This is actually where I’m at in life, this is the music, this is everything that I’m talking about — it’s all so true and genuine and it comes from my honest place. So I think that’s my weapon in this all: to be able to truly be myself. This isn’t no, like, “this is what people recommend of me.” I’m able to really, really be myself and that is was getting the shine, just genuineness. I think in a time where a lot of people are doing things based on what they feel will work for the people, I’m doing what works for me and it gives me such a peaceful state of mind that it’s like, “Man, this is a winner’s mentality.” I’m able to really live life happy, you know, that’s the ultimate goal, that’s the ultimate win.
With the work you’ve put in, the albums and songs you’ve released, collaborations you’ve done over the years, what would a Grammy win for this project after all that mean to you?
It would mean everything, it would mean God’s promise is true. It would mean even if it don’t happen, I still feel like I already won being an independent artists bro. Ain’t nobody else up there independent. So with everything that I’m doing, that would just be the cherry on top. Even in all of this, I’m already basking and walking in victory. The fans and the people that tell me they voted for me or that they know of nominated, they tell me they rooted for me to win or they feel like I got this. The confidence that people tell me that “I got it,” it’s to the point where I already know that the people know I deserve it so that’s good enough for me. The people know! They know I deserve it. I just wanted the people to know that I’m out here, and for me to be on that list with those incredible artists — Masego, Lucky Daye — it’s like man, them dudes are doing it at the top of this, and I’m in that in that same category, except I’m the fuel behind my machine. There’s no feeling that can compare to that.
You’re absolutely one of the more active artists in the game, so with that being said, what’s next for you?
Man, the acting vibes. The label vibes, building my label, I got some R&B artists that are super dope. I’m excited to bring them to the world man and get on my Eazy Gordy swag.
The Las Vegas-themed experience (since the Grammys will be in Vegas for the first time this year) goes down virtually from March 30 to April 3 and will feature “artist avatar meet & greets, chats, mini games, prizes,” and a performance from Camilo, making him the first Laton artist to perform on Roblox.
Camilo says of the performance, “When Roblox approached me, I immediately got very excited because this was the first time in my life that I would be doing something like this. I’m also grateful that I’ll be able to bring this unique experience to La Tribu, especially during Grammy Week. I was already incredibly honored to be one of this year’s nominees, and to perform in a completely new way in the Metaverse, brings it to a whole new level. I can’t wait!”
Camilo is among this year’s Grammy nominees, as Mis Manos is up for Best Latin Pop Album.
Panos A. Panay, Co-President of the Recording Academy, also noted, “We are thrilled to partner with Roblox for our first-ever official Grammy Week experience in the Metaverse. We are always looking to innovate and reach music lovers wherever they are, and there is no better partner for us to accomplish this than Roblox. Online gaming platforms are quickly becoming one of the most important music discovery channels for tens of millions of fans. As an Academy, it’s our priority to continue broadening where and how our members connect with audiences around the world. Plus, my 8-year-old twin daughters think this is amazing.”
Jon Vlassopulos — vice president, global head of music of Roblox — also said, “The Grammy Awards are iconic and we’re delighted to bring the hottest music show of the year to fans across the globe. We’re thrilled to be featuring Camilo, our first Latin virtual concert performer on Roblox, giving the community new music and genres to discover.”
Find the full list of 2022 Grammy nominations here.
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 right around the corner and this year sees a number of major changes to the ceremony. Along with being postponed and moved from LA to Las Vegas, the Recording Academy expanded the number of nominees to ten in all four of their major categories; Album Of The Year, Best New Artist, Song Of The Year, and Record Of The Year.
More nominees mean more great music to choose from, and that’s why the latest episode of Obsessed has hosts Taylour Chanel and Hollis Wong-Wear walking us through each major category and sharing who they think should win. The pair kick things off by talking about how this year’s Grammys will most likely be dominated by Olivia Rodrigo, who is expected win big.
Though Rodrigo could sweep the major categories, there are still a number of very deserving artists nominated this year. Taylour and Hollis shout out their personal favorites this year, like Silk Sonic’s groovy “Leave The Door Open” and Doja Cat’s undeniable bop “Kiss Me More.”
The Grammys may have nominated more artists this year, but there are still some glaring omissions from the list. Something we explore while noting the lack of talented international artists like BTS and Bad Bunny. This before diving into a conversation about the Grammys’ current cultural impact and what the future of the awards ceremony might look like.
Watch the latest episode of Obsessed above.
Some of the 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.
Presenting this years #GRAMMYs presenters.
