There will be 91 awards presented at Sunday’s 65th annual Grammy Awards, but one in particular could define how history views this year’s ceremony.
Among the 10 artists nominated for the prestigious Album of the Year trophy are pop idol Harry Styles, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, hip-hop great Kendrick Lamar and Grammy-winning vocal favorites Brandi Carlyle and Adele. But all eyes, both at Crypto.com Arena and at home, will be on Beyoncé, whose critically-acclaimed album Renaissance earned nine Grammy nominations this year and who, despite all the Grammys , tied with her husband Jay-Z for the most Grammy nods (88); winner of 28 Grammys in his career — has never taken home Album of the Year.
When she prepares to start a a world tour of stadiums that is sure to sell out, Beyonce is fine, thank you. However, the same can hardly be said for the Grammys, which, like all network televised awards ceremonies, have fallen in ratings over the years and, worse, struggled with the perception that it does not adequately recognize black music and its artists, especially those who are part of the hip-hop generation.
The Grammys have done a great job over the past few years of making their voting block younger and more inclusive, and it shows in the nominations: Lamar is second with eight; Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” is the first Spanish-language album ever to win Album of the Year; R&B specialists The Face and Steve Lacy compete for song and record of the year. But all this progress, says Michael Wood of The Timeswill mostly be for naught if Beyoncé doesn’t walk away Sunday night with the Grammy equivalent of Best Picture.
Here are some other key awards and performances to watch out for:
* Taylor Swift is nominated for song of the year for the sixth time for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” It’s shocking that a woman who is considered the songwriter of an entire generation has never been nominated for this award.
* The Best New Artist category is open this year. With Brazilian singer Anita, alt-rock duo Wet Leg, bluegrass singer/guitarist Molly Tuttle, R&B artist Mooney Long and rapper Lato, along with five others among the nominees, your guess is as good as ours (we’re guessing Tuttle).
* Confirmed artists include Styles, Bad Bunny, Lizzo, Lacy, a 50th anniversary hip-hop tribute featuring Grandmaster Flash, De La Soul, Missy Elliott, Future, GloRilla, Lil Wayne, Public Enemy and more, plus a segment In Memoriam honoring Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, country legend Loretta Lynn and Migos rapper Takeoff, among others.
Trevor Noah will host the ceremony, which will air at 5:00 PM on KCBS-TV Channel 2 and air on Paramount+.
The premiere ceremony, where most of the 91 Grammy Awards are presented, will be broadcast live on the Recording Academy YouTube page and so on live.grammy.combeginning at 12:30 p.m. PT.
And The Times will be live-blogging it all, from the first awards ceremony at breakfast to the final ceremony in the evening.
16:01 At the closing ceremony of the premiere, Tobias Jesso Jr. was named the first-ever Songwriter of the Year, and Jack Antonov won Producer of the Year. Jess’ breakout year has included work with Omar Apollo, Marcus Mumford and Harry Styles, leading to his first ever Grammy win and raising eyebrows that it could bode ill later in the night for Beyoncé, whose frequent collaborator The-Dream, Jess – junior, defeated. Meanwhile, Antonov became the producer of the year twice in a row. — KD
15:52 Dave Chappelle just won his fourth comedy album Grammy for the controversial stand-up special “The Closer,” which sparked protests and employee walkouts at the Netflix streamer over Chappelle’s transphobic comments. — KD
15:49 Taylor Swift may not have received an Oscar nomination for “All Too Well: The Short Film,” but she now has a Grammy, beating out Adele, Beyoncé, BTS, Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles and Dodge Cat in the highly competitive music category video. Swift is nominated for four Grammy Awards this year, including Song of the Year. – SM
15:40 Bonnie Raitt’s “Made Up Mind” just won for American performance, and her song “Just Like That” won for American roots. She’s now won 12 Grammys, and she could walk away with more tonight, with “Just Like That” also up for song of the year. Minutes later, Brandi Carlyle took home her third Grammy of the day, winning in the Americana album category for “In These Silent Days.” “Bonnie Raitt is my hero,” Carlisle exclaimed from the podium during her speech. — KD
14:33 Panamanian salsa legend Ruben Blades and Brazilian pop group Boca Livre won the award for Latin Pop Album for their collaborative LP Pasieros. Boca Livre is the first Brazilian team to win this category since Roberto Carlos in 1989. — SE
2:30 p.m Spanish singer Rosalia won the Grammy for Latin rock or alternative album for her famous “Motomami”. The record was also recognized as album of the year at the Latin Grammy Awards.
Natalia Lafourcade won the Grammy for regional Mexican music album (including Tejano) for the song “Un Canto por México, El Musical”. Lafourcade also won this category in 2021 for the song “Un Canto por México Vol. 1.” — Susie Exposito
14:28 Willie Nelson, 89 and counting, won his 11th Grammy on Sunday, taking home best country solo performance for “Live Forever.” He beat out Zac Bryan (arguably Bryan’s only Grammy nominee this year), Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini. Nelson will turn 90 on April 29 in Los Angeles, when his friends and peers celebrate his storied career and body of songs in the first of two nights of super-baked tributes at the Hollywood Bowl. – SM
14:05 The R&B categories welcomed new and old winners.
Mooney Long, up for Best New Artist, won her first Grammy for R&B Performance for her breakout hit “Hrs & Hrs.”
Beyoncé won her third traditional R&B Grammy for Renaissance’s sensual “Plastic Off the Sofa.” The song was co-written and produced with Syd, lead singer and songwriter of LA Internet; other credits include R&B singer Sabrina Claudio, Nick Greene and Patrick Page II.
Steve Lacy’s Gemini Rights album won a Grammy for Progressive R&B. Its lead single, “Bad Habit,” soared to the top of the Billboard 100, marking the Angeleno native’s first No. 1 hit. — YW
Doja Cat arrives at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday.
(Allen J. Chaben/Los Angeles Times)
14:03 Future’s “Wait for U,” featuring Drake and Tams, just won for melodic rap performance. The song beat out nominees from Kendrick Lamar, Jack Harlow and Lat, as well as DJ Khaled’s “Beautiful,” which features Future. This is Future’s second Grammy win and the first for Tams, the Nigerian singer who also featured on Beyoncé’s “Renaissance.” — KD
13:56 British duo Wet Leg beat Arctic Monkeys, Big Thief, Florence + the Machine and Yeah Yeah Yeahs to win alternative music for their smash hit ‘Chaise Lounge’. “What are we doing here? I don’t know, but we are here, – they said shyly, taking the cup. They then returned to the podium moments later to accept the award for alternative music album for their self-titled debut. – SM
13:51 Kendrick Lamar just took home two Grammys for “The Heart Part 5,” winning for rap song and rap performance. In the song, the Compton-born rapper spoke from the perspectives of various black superstars who have caused controversy in recent years, including Will Smith, Kanye West and Juicy Smollett. This is his second win in a row in the rap performance category after last year’s song “Family Ties” with Baby Kim. Lamar is up for six more Grammys tonight and could win rap album. — Kenan Draghorn
13:48 Brandy Carlyle beat out Ozzy Osbourne, Turnstile, Bryan Adams, the Idles, the Black Keys and Beck to win the Grammy for Rock Performance on his way to the podium. Carlyle has seven Grammy nominations, including Record and Album of the Year. Moments later, Osbourne’s ‘Patient Number 9’ won Best Rock Album, while Carlyle’s ‘Broken Horses’ won Best Rock Song. — Craig Marks
13:37 Michael Bublé took home his fifth career Grammy, winning traditional pop vocal album for “Higher,” his 11th collaboration with Paul McCartney and Willie Nelson. Bublé earned 12 Grammy nominations, ahead of Kelly Clarkson, Norah Jones, Pentatonix and Diana Ross. — AB
13:04 Beyoncé just won her first of many Grammys today for the dance/electronic record “Break My Soul,” the lead single from her sweeping ode to the black queer club, Renaissance. She joins Donna Summer, Janet Jackson and Rihanna as black women to win this award. Beyonce leads this year with nine nominations. — AB
12:30 p.m Good afternoon, music lovers! If you’re just waking up from Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy bash, or you yet in the quarter-long lineup for the Roots’ Grammy Jam at the El Rey, we’re excited to have you follow our coverage of the 65th Grammy Awards.
This year’s top categories feature the most star-studded album in recent memory, with iconic albums from Beyoncé, Adele, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles and more competing for the top prizes.
But first, the winners in dozens of genre and technical nominations will be awarded at the Premiere Ceremony. We’ll be covering some of the highlights and important wins throughout the afternoon until the main show begins at 5:00 PM PT. — August Brown
