The 2024 Grammy categories that should be aired live
A look into which Grammy categories will be the most entertaining to make the main broadcast, and who will most likely walk away with the gold, as well as Harpsichord’s picks for who should win.
BY HARPSICHORD
JANUARY 28, 2024
The Grammys are considered a Super Bowl of sorts for music lovers. It’s a day full of unsuspected surprises happening in the middle of stiff competition. This year’s Grammys have a plethora of key superstars who are vying for their own storylines to add to their legacies.
While the Grammys pride themselves on showcasing music performances, the most exciting portion of each telecast will always be the announcement of award categories. Most of the awards are broadcast during the pre-telecast ceremony that doesn’t air live on CBS. This is the time where celebrities pose on the red carpet heading into the arena. Meanwhile, about 80 to 90 percent of the categories and the respective winners are announced. That leaves to about ten categories being determined during the live three and a half hours showing. Here is a wishlist of the categories that should be aired for millions of viewers to witness– as well as guesses of who will probably win, and who should win.
The General Field “Big Four”
The Grammys have the top prizes of the “Big Four,” which are always aired each year, regardless of who the nominees are, who performs, and who shows up.
Song of the Year
A songwriter award to honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position.
Nominees:
"A&W" by Lana Del Rey
Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey & Sam Dew, songwriters
"Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift
Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters
"Butterfly" by Jon Batiste
Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters
"Dance The Night" by Dua Lipa
Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters
"Flowers" by Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein & Michael Pollack, songwriters
"Kill Bill" By SZA
Rob Bisel, Carter Lang & Solána Rowe, songwriters
"Vampire" by Olivia Rodrigo
Dan Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters
"What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters
What Will Probably Win: “What Was I Made For?”
While this category consists of four songs that all reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (“Anti-Hero,” “Flowers,” “Kill Bill,” and “Vampire”), none of them had the emotional impact that Grammy lovers would enjoy more than “What Was I Made For?” Billie Eilish and her brother are Grammy darlings that won the category in 2020 for “Bad Guy.” Plus, “What Was I Made For?” stood out for being the contrasting song of the Barbie film that worked dually as a ballad that expressed sentiments of Eilish’s own artistic persona.
What Should Win: “Flowers”
Miley Cyrus has never won a Grammy. “Flowers” proved to be the biggest hit of her career thus far, and smashed globally. It’s a song that’s relatable about loving oneself and gave a new direction to Miley’s own discography.
Best New Artist
Recognizes an artist whose eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.
Nominees:
Gracie Abrams
Fred again..
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Coco Jones
Noah Kahan
Victoria Monét
The War And Treaty
Who Will Probably Win: Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll gives traditional talent as much as the Grammys would like. Strong big voice, songs that bend on country and rock. As well as likability after giving a passionate awards show speech at the CMA Awards when winning their category for ‘Best New Artist.’
Who Should Win: Victoria Monét
Technically, Victoria Monét is not a “new artist,” as she’s been active in the industry for over a decade. However, thanks to “On My Mama” and her debut studio album, Jaguar II, she has secured seven Grammy nominations and is one of the night’s most nominated artists. After the VMAs snubbed her for a spot to perform at their ceremony last summer, it would make for an “I told you so…” moment. And with all her songwriter and guest vocalist contributions for other names, it would be a gift from her voting peers recognizing her greatness.
Record of the Year
Awarded to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s). For commercially released singles or tracks of new vocal or instrumental recordings.
Nominees:
"Worship" by Jon Batiste
Jon Batiste, Jon Bellion, Pete Nappi & Tenroc, producers; Serban Ghenea & Pete Nappi, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
"Not Strong Enough" by Boygenius
Boygenius & Catherine Marks, producers; Owen Lantz, Catherine Marks, Mike Mogis, Bobby Mota, Kaushlesh "Garry" Purohit & Sarah Tudzin, engineers/mixers; Pat Sullivan, mastering engineer
"Flowers" by Miley Cyrus
Kid Harpoon & Tyler Johnson, producers; Michael Pollack, Brian Rajaratnam & Mark "Spike" Stent, engineers/mixers; Joe LaPorta, mastering engineer
"What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish & Finneas, producers; Billie Eilish, Rob Kinelski & Finneas, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
"On My Mama" by Victoria Monét
Deputy, Dernst Emile II & Jeff Gitelman, producers; Patrizio Pigliapoco & Todd Robinson, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
"Vampire" by Olivia Rodrigo
Dan Nigro, producer; Serban Ghenea, Michael Harris, Chris Kasych, Dan Nigro & Dan Viafore, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
"Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift
Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Serban Ghenea, Laura Sisk & Lorenzo Wolff, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
"Kill Bill" by SZA
Rob Bisel & Carter Lang, producers; Rob Bisel, engineer/mixer; Dale Becker, mastering engineer
What Will Probably Win: “Worship”
Jon Batiste stunned mainstream fans of music when he seemingly came from out of nowhere to capture Album of the Year against the likes of Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, and Olivia Rodrigo in 2022. That night he won five Grammys. “Worship” is a melting pot of genres that appeals to the Recording Academy’s efforts to celebrate a global spectrum of music. With a gospel choir like chant, and a leading man of an artistic background that blends political messaging with themes of unity and faith, “Worship” is a reminder of the formula for “This Is America” by Childish Gambino, which won in 2019.
What Should Win: “Not Strong Enough”
Forming the supergroup, Boygenius, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus provided an album that recalls the power of Lilith Fair Pop Rock. The Grammys have made a concerted effort to honor women’s impact in music, so this is another strong contender for that narrative. However, out of all the listed songs, this one is the most powerful in terms of beautifully being mastered, and catchy enough to translate through headphones.
Album of the Year
Awarded to Artist(s) and to Featured Artist(s), Songwriter(s) of new material, Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s), Mixer(s) and Mastering Engineer(s) credited with 20% or more playing time of the album.
Nominees:
World Music Radio – Jon Batiste
The Record – Boygenius
Endless Summer Vacation – Miley Cyrus
Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd – Lana Del Rey
The Age of Pleasure – Janelle Monáe
Guts – Olivia Rodrigo
Midnights – Taylor Swift
SOS – SZA
What Will Probably Win: ‘Midnights’ by Taylor Swift
The Grammys love Taylor Swift. She already has three Album of the Year wins, and it seems like there is an agenda to make sure she becomes one of the most awarded artists of our time. Media enjoys the oversaturation of Taylor Swift, because they know they need her ratings to survive. Midnights also just looks good on paper: It’s timely enough in terms of bedroom pop’s takeover in the mainstream; it generated a No. 1 hit and other Top 10s; sold over a million in a week; and finally, a fine record from a household name. Swift has been named the Person of the Year by Time Magazine, and she’s about to be the main topic of conversation at the Super Bowl (maybe even surpassing the halftime performer, Usher). If Midnights wins, Taylor Swift will become the artist who has won the most ‘Album of the Year’ trophies at four– surpassing Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, and Paul Simon. The writings are on the wall– we’ve seen this story all too well…
What Should Win: ‘SOS’ by SZA
On the opposite end, we have an album that actually maintained longevity throughout the eligibility year. SZA was able to secure a No. 1 hit with “Kill Bill” and a top 5 with “Snooze,” both becoming some of the longest charting hits in Hot 100 history, as well as globally. SOS became a cultural moment rather than just appealing for a certain sector of the media. The album had R&B fans going crazy, received hip hop appreciation, crossed over well into pop, and showed an alternative music turn for SZA. It’s been 25 years since a Black woman has won ‘Album of the Year’– and even though SOS shouldn’t receive the top honor as a way of the Recording Academy playing catch up.