Less is, repeatedly, more.
That old adage often apples in life — and it sure applies with Grammy nominations.
When the Big 4 categories — Album, Record and Song of the Yr — were first expanded from five to eight nominees in 2018, after which to 10 in 2021, it made it trickier for the true class acts of the sector to emerge victorious.
While five nods still feel like good enough for the elite categories, the choice to downsize back to eight nominees for the 2024 Grammy Awards is a step in the suitable direction.
Still, apart from a couple of obvious contenders — ahem, Taylor Swift — there really aren’t eight worthy enough nominees to announce on Friday, in a live stream at 11 a.m. EST on Grammy.com.
Here’s who will likely wind up competing for the highest trophies when music’s biggest night goes down on Feb. 4, 2024 on the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
Lana Del Rey, “A&W”
Luke Combs, “Fast Automotive”
Morgan Wallen, Last Night”
Lil Durk featuring J. Cole, “All My Life”
Rihanna, “Lift Me Up”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
SZA, “Kill Bill”
Tanya Tucker, “Ready as I’ll Never Be”
Hard to imagine that amongst her 17 Grammy wins, Swift has still not taken home this prestigious prize —although she has been nominated previously for “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” Travis Kelce’s boo is a shoo-in for her fifth nod, together with Combs, Cyrus and SZA. And, really, all problematic issues aside, how could they deny Wallen for a rustic record that spent 16 weeks atop the pop chart this 12 months?
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Boygenius, “The Record”
Miley Cyrus, “Countless Summer Vacation”
Lana Del Rey, “Do You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd”
Drake and 21 Savage, “Her Loss”
Foo Fighters, “But Here We Are”
Taylor Swift, “Midnights”
SZA, “S.O.S.”
Lainey Wilson, “Bell Bottom Country”
No way that Swift doesn’t get a likelihood to increase her record because the winningest woman on this category, after picking up her third Album of the Yr gramophone for “Folklore” in 2021. And her only real competition this 12 months would appear to be SZA.
SONG OF THE YEAR
Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
SZA, “Kill Bill”
Morgan Wallen, Last Night”
Lana Del Rey, “A&W”
Lil Dark featuring J. Cole, “All My Life.”
Rihanna, “Lift Me Up”
Tanya Tucker, “Ready as I’ll Never Be”
This seems like one other battle between Swift, SZA and Cyrus. But don’t count out Tucker, especially since “Ready as I’ll Never Be” was co-written by Grammy darling Brandi Carlile.
BEST NEW ARTIST
Gracie Abrams
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Coco Jones
Noah Kahan
Lainey Wilson
Pink Pantheress
Peso Pluma
Someway Jelly Roll is eligible for this award, although he began dropping recordings as a rapper way back in 2011. However the just-anointed CMAs Recent Artist of the Yr will likely be going toe to toe along with his “Save Me” collaborator Wilson — the newly crowned CMAs Entertainer of the Yr, who herself isn’t exactly a newbie on the block.
