2022 Grammy Award Nominees
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Since 1959, the Grammys have been an annual event in the music industry, widely known as “music’s biggest night.” The 2022 Grammys were scheduled for January 31, but due to the soar in Omicron cases in the United States, the award show was pushed back to April 3. This created a five-month gap between the announcement of nominees and the ceremony. It is scheduled to air from 5:00-8:30 PM Pacific Time.
The 2022 Grammys include 86 categories with many nominations for each. Members of the Recording Academy vote upon the winners for each category, usually voting for categories they specialize in. The highly anticipated categories include Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist. Each of these four categories has ten nominees.
1. Album of the Year
Album of the Year is the most prestigious award that is presented at the Grammys. It commemorates artists who create a unique body of work. The nominations for Album of the Year are: We Are - John Batiste, Love For Sale - Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Justice - Justin Bieber, Planet Her (Deluxe) - Doja Cat, Happier Than Ever - Billie Eilish, Back Of My Mind - H.E.R., Montero - Lil Nas X, Sour - Olivia Rodrigo, Evermore - Taylor Swift and Donda - Kanye West.
Album of the year is a competitive category. Commentators in the industry have suggested that the artist with the best odds may be Olivia Rodrigo. Her debut album Sour dominated the billboard charts throughout the summer. Sour was the biggest album of 2021, and the first debut album to have two singles land number one on the Billboard Top 100 charts.
2. Song of the Year
Song of the Year is dedicated to the songwriters who composed the lyrics and melody. The nominees consist of: “Bad Habits” - Ed Sheeran, “A Beautiful Noise” - Alicia Keys & Brandi Carlile, “Drivers License” - Olivia Rodrigo, “Fight For You” - H.E.R., “Happier Than Ever” - Billie Eilish, “Kiss Me More” - Doja Cat and SZA, “Leave The Door Open” - Silk Sonic, “Montero Call Me By Your Name” - Lil Nas X, “Peaches” - Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar, and Giveon and “Right On Time” - Brandi Carlile.
“Leave The Door Open” by Silk Sonic has a strong chance of winning Song of the Year. The supergroup; Silk Sonic, was an unexpected collaboration between Anderson Paak and Bruno Mars, and “Leave The Door Open” was the highlighted song of that album. The 6-year wait for Bruno Mars to release a new album generated lots of excitement, which could boost the odds of “Leave The Door Open” winning this award. Bruno Mars has been relevant in the music industry for over a decade and has been awarded and nominated for Grammys throughout his career. His experience and reputation will be beneficial when voting occurs.
3. Record of the Year
Record of the Year differs from Song of the Year because the award goes to all contributors of the song including songwriters and publishers. The nominees for Record of the Year include: “I Still Have Faith In You” - ABBA, “Freedom”- Jon Batiste, “I Get A Kick Out Of You” - Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, “Peaches” - Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon, “Right On Time”- Brandi Carlile, - “Kiss Me More” - Doja Cat Featuring SZA, “Happier Than Ever” - Billie Eilish, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” - Lil Nas X, “drivers license” - Olivia Rodrigo and “Leave The Door Open”- Silk Sonic.
Based on previous years, “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Ellish is likely to win Record of the Year. In 2020, her hit song “Bad Guy” won this award, alongside “Everything I Wanted” in 2021. Ever since her sweep at the Grammys in 2020, Billie Ellish has been a favourite at the award show.
4. Best New Artist
Best New Artist is awarded to the artists who had the biggest breakout year: Arooj Aftab, Jimmie Allen, Baby Keem, FINNEAS, Glass Animals, Japanese Breakfast, The Kid LAROI, Arlo Parks, Olivia Rodrigo, and Saweetie.
Of all the nominees, Olivia Rodrigo is most prominent. She saw the greatest commercial success. In 2021, she was one of the biggest artists of the year, with her debut album Sour achieving double platinum status.