This year's Grammy Awards will be like nothing we've ever seen from past ceremonies. It's not because the producers have some epic performance planned that will knock our socks off (although the scheduled Motown performance sounds pretty fun), it's because a rule change allowed for more nominees in each category.
The Grammys have been criticized the last couple of years for major snubs and a lack of diversity among its nominees, so hopefully expanding the nominee list will ease some of those issues. Still, it all depends on who goes home with the big awards, and we've got some predictions to make.
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Album of the Year
Invasion of Privacy — Cardi B
By the Way, I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
Scorpion — Drake
H.E.R. — H.E.R.
Beerbongs & Bentleys — Post Malone
Dirty Computer — Janelle Monáe
Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
Black Panther: The Album, Music From And Inspired By — (Various Artists) Kendrick Lamar, featured artist
Let's start with the toughest category of the evening, shall we? Kacey Musgraves' "Golden Hour" is a perfect album and a truly career-defining moment for the country singer. Given that she is the only country artist in the category, another nominees could split the vote (Cardi B, Drake, Post Malone and Kendrick Lamar are all in the same genre) and the award could go to Musgraves or even Brandi Carlile. However, 2018 was the year of Cardi B, and it would be a shame to not see the rapper give an acceptance speech, okurrr.
Record of the Year
“I Like It” — Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile
“This Is America” — Childish Gambino
“God’s Plan” — Drake
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
“All the Stars” — Kendrick Lamar and SZA
“Rockstar” — Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
“The Middle” — Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey
If Cardi B doesn't win for Album of the Year, then Record of the Year has to be hers. While other songs on this list were played all over the radio, like dark horse crossover hit "The Middle" or the socially aware and dance-able "This Is America," this award has Cardi B's name written all over it.
Song of the Year
“All the Stars” — Kendrick Duckworth, Solána Rowe, Al Shuckburgh, Mark Spears and Anthony Tiffith, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar and SZA)
“Boo’d Up” — Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai and Dijon McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)
“God’s Plan” — Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels and Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)
“In My Blood” — Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes and Geoffrey Warburton, songwriters (Shawn Mendes)
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
“The Middle” — Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha and Anton Zaslavski, songwriters (Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey)
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper)
The Oscars ceremony is just a couple weeks after the Grammys, and Lady Gaga is the front-runner to win the Oscar for Best Original Song, so it wouldn't be surprising if Gaga and company take home the Grammy for Song of the Year. The song is a slow-burning rock anthem that resonates, and everyone seems to be pretty obsessed with Gaga and Bradley Cooper. "Shallow" should and will win big Sunday night.
Best New Artist
Chloe x Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith
The Best New Artist category never makes any sense (country singer Margo Price's debut album came out in 2016), and some felt that actual new artists like indie darling Snail Mail or R&B singer Ella Mai should have gotten nominations, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles. There really isn't a front-runner here, but Dua Lipa should go home with this award. The British pop singer is so underrated, it should be criminal. The award will probably go to R&B singer H.E.R., who is also nominated for Album of the Year.
Pop Vocal Album
Camila – Camila Cabello
Sweetener – Ariana Grande
Reputation – Taylor Swift
Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes
Beautiful Trauma – Pink
Meaning of Life – Kelly Clarkson
None of these nominees were in the spotlight quite like Ariana Grande was in 2018. Sweetener is a fantastic pop album, and it seems like her award to lose. Grande made news recently when she announced she's not going to perform at or attend the ceremony because she had disagreements with producers of the show, so who knows what will go down with this award. If not Grande, then Kelly Clarkson or Pink deserve it.
Best Alternative Album
Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino — Arctic Monkeys
Colors — Beck
Utopia — Björk
American Utopia — David Byrne
Masseduction — St. Vincent
The Arctic Monkeys deserve this award so much, but we'd put our money on Beck winning this one. Rememeber when Beck beat Beyoncé for Album of the Year a few years ago? Yeah, the Grammys love him. Justice for Arctic Monkeys!
Best Rap Album
Invasion of Privacy — Cardi B
Swimming — Mac Miller
Victory Lap — Nipsey Hussle
Daytona — Pusha T
Astroworld — Travis Scott
This would be an incredible and historic win for Cardi B (a solo female rapper has never won the award), but given the circumstances, this award could go to Mac Miller, who shockingly died of an overdose last September.
So who do you think will take home the big awards on Sunday night? Let us know in the comments below.
