The Grammy Awards are coming up in just a week, and we here at Pop Passion are so excited. The Grammys are arguably the biggest event in music, and the discourse surrounding the dozens of awards is so interesting to listen to. Despite the many awards recognizing music of all genres and creatives involved in every step of music creation, there are 4 main awards, known as the Big 4, that are the most coveted. These awards are Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. The nomination process is lengthy, and involves the submissions from record companies and members, screening from over 350 experts, two phases of voting, and are counted by an independent accounting firm. I surveyed the team to see who would take home each of these awards, so here are Pop Passion's Big 4 Grammy Picks!
Record of the Year recognizes a specific recording of a song. It recognizes the overall performance of the artists and the contributions of the producer(s), recording engineer(s), mixer(s) and/or mastering engineer(s).
Isabel: Good Luck, Babe!
Chappell made record achievements this year, and I feel like it was played a bit more than Espresso.
Kaitlyn: Espresso
It only makes sense for Espresso to win Record of the Year. It was the biggest song of 2024, and The Grammy's loves to either follow the crowd or completely throw you off.
Ashley: Now and Then
Now and Then is a beautiful song and The Beatles are very iconic and some of the greatest musicians of all time.
Karlee - BIRDS OF A FEATHER
I feel like Billie is always a subtle winner and Birds of a Feather was everywhere. I’d say Espresso but I feel it’s too commercial.
Album of the Year recognizes any artist(s), the featured artist, songwriter(s) of new material, producer(s), recording engineer(s), mixer(s), and/or mastering engineer(s) with at least 33 percent playing time of the album. The album must contain at least 5 tracks with at least a 15 minute run time or at least a 30 minute run time with no track minimum. The voters consider quality, artistry, and the collection of tracks as a whole.
Madison S - HIT ME HARD AND SOFT
Billie is loved by everyone - including the people behind the Grammy’s - she’s won numerous times in the past and with this being her best album, I don’t see her falling out of that pattern anytime soon.
Hanna - Short n’ Sweet
Her vocals, the distinctive pop sound that weaves through extremely recognizable notes in her songs, and also I love her.
Lauren N. - BRAT
Because of how much of a cultural impact BRAT had in 2024, from “Brat Summer” to political campaigns to seeing that shade of green everywhere, I think (and hope because personally it’s my favorite lol) that the Grammy voters will choose it based on how much it encapsulates the year.
Karlee - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
They won’t give Taylor AOTY for the fifth time. Billie’s album didn’t make too many waves. Neither did Sabrina. Chappell is a new comer i think they’ll do it
Song of the Year recognizes the songwriters of new material (not included any writers of samples or interpolations). As opposed to Record of the Year, Song of the Year recognizes the composition.
Lauren D. - Fortnight
I might be biased since Fortnight was my number 1 streamed song in 2024 on Spotify, but I do think Taylor is going to take home at least 1 of the big 4 awards, and I think this one will do it. With its self-deprecating and clever lyrics and Post Malone's feature (which I do wish was longer), I feel that this song will take home Song of the Year.
Hanna - A Bar Song (Tipsy)
It's a feel-good track that truly was the song of the summer. It combines the casual fun of leaning into your vices with a sense of community. Also, I have had it running around my head since it came out.
Isabel - Die With a Smile
BEST DUO THIS YEAR
Kaitlyn - BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Billie always wins something, and just in my gut feeling I think it'll be this one.
Lauren N - Not Like Us
Similar to Espresso, Not like Us was such a big moment in 2024. That and because Kendrick Lamar has surprisingly not won a main Grammy award before makes me think this year might finally be his.
Cheyenne - Good Luck, Babe!
It's been a huge hit and I'd just really like to see it win
Best New Artist highlights new artists on the scene, whether a soloist, duo, or a group. The Record Academy defines a “new artist” as, “eligible artists must have achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and impacted the musical landscape during the year's eligibility period.” The eligibility period is from September 16, 2023 to August 30, 2024. “ The minimum required is five singles or tracks or a complete album. The maximum is either three albums or a total of 30 singles or tracks previously released.”
Lauren D. - Chappell Roan
While I could see a lot of these artists winning this award, I feel that Chappell Roan does have a leg up. She suddenly rose to the top, while a lot of these artists had steady growth. She has all the it-girl pop star qualities in my opinion. I also think that the Recording Academy will be taking public opinion into account, and I think a lot of people would be pissed if Chappell didn't win
Alexa - Benson Boone
I would’ve loved to pick Chappell but after all the negative press surrounding her I don’t think the academy would swing that way. Sabrina would also be a great choice and I know the category is new artist to blow up recently but other artists on the list had more of a short rise to fame than she did
Karlee - Sabrina Carpenter
She had such an insanely big year
Who do you think will win the Big 4 awards? Tune into CBS or Paramount Plus on Sunday, February 2nd to watch!
Written By Lauren DiGiovanni
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