The 67th annual Grammy Award nominations were revealed on the morning of Nov. 8.
Of the four major entertainment awards (EGOT), the Grammys are often the most polarizing. This usually has to do with the subjectivity of music compared to more comprehensive visual works like cinema, television or theatre. The record academy’s adherence to popularity as opposed to critical acclaim has resulted in countless “snubs” over the years, leading to a general skepticism surrounding the academy’s credibility.
Nonetheless, the Grammys are a massive cultural event. For many artists it is a shot at something big, elevating their presence in the industry and thus their careers. The fanbase surrounding these artists frequently make the buildup to Grammy night heated, holding the attention of fans before and during the show.
Here are five key takeaways from this year’s batch of nominees.
Women lead in major categories
Much like last year’s Grammys, the major categories are predominantly occupied by women nominees. The album of the year category features pop titans Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift. For Beyoncé, Eilish and Swift, their nomination recognition in the major categories is predictable, but the immense success of Charli, Carpenter and Roan in 2024 have posed a challenge to these industry giants as they’ve risen to their level of acclaim and popularity at a shockingly fast rate.
A surprising lack of nominations for Ariana Grande
Fans of singer-songwriter and actress Ariana Grande have expressed shock and disappointment over the lack of nominations for her latest LP Eternal Sunshine. Grande received two nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album for the album and Best Dance Pop Recording for the lead single “Yes, And?”. Whether or not Grande deserves recognition in the major categories like album and song of the year is debatable, but for an artist of her scale and reach it’s surprising.
Beyoncé gets a shoutout in the country categories
After the Country Music Awards went radio silent on Beyoncé’s latest album, Cowboy Carter, the recording academy has nominated the album in the best country album category and her track “Texas Hold ‘Em” in the country song of the year. Beyoncé’s experience in country music should not come as a surprise upon learning about her Texan roots. 2016’s Lemonade received critical acclaim for the country/blues track “Daddy Lessons,” but attracted no attention during the award season.
It really is impossible to downplay the scope of Beyoncé’s tremendous influence. She currently holds the title for most awarded artist in Grammy history, holding 32 golden gramophones. Her 11 nominations received this year, including Album of the Year, culminate to a grand total of 99 nominations across her prolific career, making her the most nominated artist in Grammy history as well.
Despite this she has never won album of the year, a particularly baffling realization given the universal critical acclaim for her albums Lemonade and Renaissance. The extensive list of nominations for Cowboy Carter this year prompt speculation into whether this is the year she finally receives the big award.
The Beatles are still beating
If you told someone last year that The Beatles would receive a Grammy nomination in 2024, they’d think you took a journey with Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Against all odds, legendary U.K. group The Beatles have been nominated for their previously unreleased track, “Now and Then,” in the Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance categories. Originally written and composed by John Lennon, the now released version was partially restored using machine learning artificial intelligence technologies.
However, the use of A.I. to aid in the track’s audio restoration has generated conflict and discourse surrounding their nominations.
Charli XCX finally gets her flowers
The mainstream has seemingly started to catch up with U.K. pop artist Charli XCX. After a decade-spanning career, Charli has finally received an explosion of widespread recognition with her latest LP BRAT. While she has been nominated previously for her 2014 collaboration with Iggy Azalea in “Fancy,” it’s not until this year that she has been recognized for her creative efforts in pushing the boundaries of pop music. For the upcoming ceremony, she has received seven nominations including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Music Video, Best Pop Group/Duo Performance, Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Dance Pop Recording.
For longtime fans, this calls for celebration, especially considering BRAT’s forward-thinking, experimental approach to pop music that would otherwise be deemed underground in previous years. Her recognition establishes new grounds for what the pop genre can be in the eyes of the general public. However, Charli remains ahead of the curve, keeping her fans and the public guessing as she introduces new ideas to the landscape of pop music.