Grammy Awards 2021: which artists are the favourites for this edition?
The music industry awards take place in Los Angeles on Sunday with Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Pheobe Bridgers and Taylor Swift among the favourites in a female-led shortlist.
The 63rd Grammy Awards are set to take place in Los Angeles on Sunday night after a year unlike any other for the music business.
The event comes almost exactly a year since the live music industry was forced into lockdown as nations across the world battled against the coronavirus pandemic. As such Sunday’s spectacle will be a more intimate prospect than the usual glitzy event, but will still feature some exciting performances.
Among those expected to perform are Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Bad Bunny, all of whom are hotly tipped to pick up some awards. Here’s our look at some of the favourites across the 32 categories.
Beyoncé tops the charts with nine nominations
The most-nominated artist ahead of Sunday’s ceremony is Beyoncé with nine, but she possesses a mixed record in terms of previous Grammy appearances. She is the most nominated women in the history of the Grammys but has only one a major award once to date, picking up song of the year in 2010 for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”
This time her single “Black Parade”, the single released in the midst of the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, is nominated for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song. She is also heavily tipped to pick up Best Music Video for “Brown Skin Girl”, and Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “Savage”; her track with Megan Thee Stallion.
Fiona and Phoebe face-off in the rock categories
One of the stand-out musical releases of 2020 was Fiona Apple’s sensational “Fetch the Bolt Cutters”, the album recorded almost entirely in the artist’s home in Venice Beach. Not only is it the favourite to pick up the Best Alternative Music Album, it spawned “Shameika” which is tipped to win both Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance.
Her main competition in these stakes is Phoebe Bridgers, who follows closely behind in all three of those categories. Her debut studio album “Punisher” has garnered rave reviews and “Kyoto” is nominated for Best Rock Song.
Phoebe Bridgers is also nominated for the prestigious Best New Artist award, where she is alongside the likes of Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat and Kaytranada. She can certainly count on support from one big name in the music business, with Elton John telling her recently: “If you don’t win at least one [Grammy award], I’m going to hit someone, OK?”
Pop categories dominated by Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift
Two years ago Dua Lipa picked up the Best New Artist at the Grammys and looks set to add to her collection of gongs at this year’s event. Her 2020 release “Future Nostalgia” provided a hit of disco-infused hope in the midst of lockdown, and “Don’t Start Now” is the favourite for Record of the Year.
Charles Holmes, co-host of “The Ringer Music Show” on Spotify, said he believes her history with the Grammys could count in her favour: “Dua won best new artist two years ago. Once you’re in there, they’re rewarding you because they think they know you.”
However she is competing against Taylor Swift who released two full-length studio albums in 2020. The first, "Folklore", set a new record for the most first-day album streams by a female artist on Spotify and is the favourite to pick up album of the year. "Cardigan", from the same album, is the narrow favourite to win Song of the Year.