There are 91 awards to be handed out at Sunday’s 65th Grammy Awards, but one in particular may determine how history views this year’s ceremony.
The 10 artists nominated for the prestigious album of the year trophy include pop idol Harry Styles, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, hip-hop great Kendrick Lamar and Grammy-beloved vocal powerhouses Brandi Carlile and Adele. But all eyes, at Crypto.com Arena and at home, will be on Beyoncé, whose critically adored “Renaissance” LP generated a leading nine Grammy nominations this year and who, despite all her Grammy accolades — tied with her husband Jay-Z for most-ever Grammy nods (88); winner of 28 Grammys over her career — has never taken home album of the year.
As she prepares to embark on a sure-to-be-sold-out stadium world tour, Beyoncé is doing just fine, thanks. It’s hard to say the same about the Grammys, though, which, like all network-televised awards shows, has seen its ratings nosedive over the years, and, perhaps worse, has battled the perception that it doesn’t properly recognize Black music and its artists, especially those who are part of the hip-hop generation.
The Grammys has done admirable work the last few years making its voting bloc younger and more inclusive, and it shows in the nominations: Lamar has the second-most with eight; Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” is the first Spanish-language album to ever earn an album of the year nod; R&B polymaths Lizzo and Steve Lacy are battling for song and record of the year. But all that progress, says The Times’ Mikael Wood, will largely be for naught if Beyoncé doesn’t walk away on Sunday night with the Grammy equivalent of best picture.
Here are some other key awards and performances to watch for:
* Taylor Swift is nominated for the sixth time for song of the year, for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” Shockingly, the woman considered a generational songwriter has never claimed this prize.
* The best new artist category is wide open this year. With Brazilian singer Anitta, alt-rock duo Wet Leg, bluegrass singer-guitarist Molly Tuttle, R&B artist Muni Long and rapper Latto, plus five more, among the nominees, your guess is as good as ours (we’re guessing Tuttle).
* Confirmed performers include Styles, Bad Bunny, Lizzo, Lacy, a 50th anniversary of hip-hop tribute featuring Grandmaster Flash, De La Soul, Missy Elliott, Future, GloRilla, Lil Wayne, Public Enemy and many more, and an In Memoriam segment honoring, among others, Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, country legend Loretta Lynn and Migos rapper Takeoff.
Trevor Noah will host the ceremony, which airs at 5 p.m. on KCBS-TV Channel 2 and streams on Paramount+.
The Premiere Ceremony, during which most of the 91 Grammy awards are handed out, will stream live on the Recording Academy’s YouTube page and on live.grammy.com, beginning at 12:30 p.m. Pacific time.
And The Times will be liveblogging it all, from the first Premiere Ceremony award at brunch time to the evening’s last.
12:30 p.m. Good afternoon, music fans! Whether you’re just waking up from the Clive Davis pre-Grammys gala or you’re still in the blocks-long line for the Roots’ Grammy Jam at the El Rey, we’re glad to have you following our coverage of the 65th Grammy Awards.
This year features the most star-packed lineup in recent memory across the top categories, with landmark albums from Beyoncé, Adele, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles and more in contention for top prizes.
But first, the Premiere Ceremony will honor winners from dozens of genre and technical categories. We’ll cover some of the highlights and important wins throughout the afternoon until the main show starts at 5 p.m. PT. — August Brown
