You read it here first.
Several artists are likely to make history when the nominations for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards are announced later this year. (Last year’s nods were announced on Nov. 20, to give you some idea about timing.)
Here are 10 scenarios that could transpire this year—and what they would mean in terms of Grammy history. Not all of these scenarios will happen, probably, but the first four, especially, seem very likely. You read it here first.
Billie Eilish: Eilish has a good chance of landing record and song of the year nods for “everything I wanted.” The teen prodigy won both awards last year for “Bad Guy.” She would become the first artist to be nominated for record of the year the year after winning since U2 nearly two decades ago. If you’re a little hazy on your Grammy lore, let me remind you: U2 won the 2000 award for “Beautiful Day” and was nominated again the following year with “Walk On,” which also won.
Post Malone: This would be Posty’s third consecutive record of the year nomination. He was nominated two years ago for “Rockstar,” featuring 21 Savage, and this past year for “Sunflower,” his team-up with Swae Lee. Malone is vying to become only the fourth artist in Grammy history to make the finals in this category three (or more) years running. The first three were Frank Sinatra (who was nominated four years in a row from 1958-61), Roberta Flack (1972-74) and Steve Winwood (1986-88).
Maren Morris: The versatile singer has a good chance of landing her second record of the year nod for her country ballad “The Bones.” Maren was nominated two years ago for “The Middle,” her smash pop hit with Zedd and Grey. Morris would join Taylor Swift on the short list of artists who have received record of the year nominations for both pop and country records. Swift was nominated in the category once when she was a core country artist (for “You Belong With Me”), once when she was flirting with pop but still officially hitched to country (“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”) and twice as a pure pop artist (“Shake It Off” and “Blank Space”).
Harry Styles: The pop star has a good chance of landing nominations for record, album and song of the year. These would be Styles’ first Grammy nominations — in any category, solo or in One Direction. Moreover, Styles would become the first One Directioner to land a Grammy nod. Grammy voters ignored such 1D solo hits as Zayn’s “Pillowtalk,” Niall Horan’s “Slow Hands” and Styles’ own “Sign of the Times.”
Megan Thee Stallion: “Savage,” Megan’s collab with fellow Houston powerhouse Beyoncé, has a good chance at a record of the year nomination. It would be just the third all-female collab to receive a nod in that category. The first two were Brandy & Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine” (1998) and the Iggy Azalea/Charli XCX smash “Fancy” (2014). Megan may also be eligible for best new artist. If she were to win, she would be just the second female hip-hop star to prevail in that category, following Lauryn Hill.
Beyoncé: A record of the year nomination for “Savage” would be Beyoncé’s sixth in that category, which would enable her to surpass Barbra Streisand as the female artist with the most career nods. (Oddly, for all these nominations, neither superstar has yet won in this category.) Streisand’s nods include four solo hits and an ultra-romantic collab with Neil Diamond, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.” Beyoncé’s nods include three solo hits, a Destiny’s Child record and a sizzling collab with Jay-Z, “Crazy in Love.”
The Highwomen: The supergroup’s eponymous album has a good chance at an album of the year nod. All four members of the high-powered quartet—Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Morris and Amanda Shires—have won Grammys on their own. This would be only the second all-female collab to land an album of the year nod. The first was Dolly Parton-Linda Ronstadt-Emmylou Harris’ Trio 33 years ago.
Bob Dylan: “Murder Most Foul,” Dylan’s nearly 17-minute reflection on President Kennedy’s assassination, is in the conversation for a song of the year nod. This would, stunningly, be Dylan’s first nomination in that category. This would not, however, be the first song of the year nominee that referenced JFK’s assassination. Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” was nominated 30 years ago.
Lady Gaga: Gaga’s new album Chromatica could land an album of the year nomination. Gaga has three previous nods in that category for The Fame (2009), The Fame Monster (2010) and Born This Way (2011). Gaga would become only the second female solo artist to receive four or more album of the year nods as a lead artist. The first was Streisand, who has amassed six nods – for The Barbra Streisand Album (1963), People (1964), My Name Is Barbra (1965), Color Me Barbra (1966), Guilty (1980) and The Broadway Album (1986).
Dixie Chicks: Gaslighter, which is expected this summer, is the country trio’s first studio album in 14 years. Dixie Chicks’ last three studio albums, Fly (1999), Home (2002) and Taking the Long Way (2006), were all nominated in this category. If Gaslighter is nominated, Dixie Chicks would become the first act to make the album of the year finals with four consecutive studio albums since Joel did it with 52nd Street (1979), Glass Houses (1980), The Nylon Curtain (1982) and An Innocent Man (1983).
The Fine Print: Donald Fagen was nominated for album of the year with five consecutive studio albums—but only if you combine his solo albums and Steely Dan output. The hot streak encompassed three Steely Dan albums, Aja (1977), Gaucho (1981) and Two Against Nature (2000) and the first two Fagen solo albums, The Nightfly (1982) and Kamikiriad (1993).
