Top-notch performances, daring fashion, a few moving moments, and possibly even some music history are all guaranteed on Grammy Awards night.
Here are five things to be aware of in Los Angeles on Sunday:
Who won New Album of the Year? –
The Album of the Year Grammy is arguably the most desired, and this year’s winner might create history in a number of ways.
Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, R&B singer Leon Thomas, Tyler the Creator, hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice), and pop sensation Justin Bieber are the eight candidates; none of them has ever won in this category.
Lamar will become the first male solo rapper to win the category if his song “GNX” wins. He has only been preceded by rappers Lauryn Hill and the duo OutKast.
Advertisements by
For the first time, a Spanish-language album will win the top prize if Bad Bunny’s “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” wins.
Song of the Year: Battle in Multiple Languages
A significant change is that three of the eight contenders for Song of the Year, another major prize, are not fully in English.
With its lyrics in both Korean and English, “APT” by Blackpink vocalist Rose and Bruno Mars and “Golden,” the hugely successful smash song from the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” have swept the music industry.
The first bilingual song to win the Grammy for songwriting would be either one.
It would be a first for a Spanish-language song if Bad Bunny wins for his Caribbean-inspired tune “DTMF.”
Sixth time is a charm for host Noah: South African comedian Trevor Noah will host the Grammy Awards for the sixth time, and according to organizers, this will be his final time.
In the midst of the coronavirus epidemic in 2021, the 41-year-old Noah made his hosting debut at a smaller gala on music’s biggest night.
The biracial comedian has received positive reviews for his work, which combines lighthearted celebrity banter with political criticism.
Ben Winston, executive producer of the show, told The Hollywood Reporter, “His impact on the show has been truly spectacular, and we can’t wait to do it together one last time.”
Bieber hits the stage: Justin Bieber, who is up for four categories, including Album of the Year for his first studio album in four years, “Swag,” which he unexpectedly released in July of last year, is one of the celebrities already scheduled to play at Crypto.com Arena.
The 31-year-old pop sensation had to postpone the penultimate leg of a world tour last year due to Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological illness that partially paralyzed his face.
Bieber, who rose to fame as a youngster in 2009, will perform as the main act at this year’s Coachella festival in the California desert in April.
According to organizers, Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, and Clipse will also be performing.
New categories: Every year, the Recording Academy bestows dozens of awards. They have eliminated one and gained two more this year, for a staggering total of 95.
Some Nashville residents thought that performers with a more pure country sound were being overshadowed by the more contemporary pop-country sound, so they established a new category for best traditional country album.
The term “best contemporary country album” has replaced “best country album.”
The best album cover is the other new category.
According to the academy, “these additions further the Recording Academy’s commitment to recognizing a broader spectrum of artistic craft and honoring the evolving ways music is created and experienced.”
Two existing categories — best recording package and best boxed or special limited edition package – have been combined into one category, best recording package.
