Official nominations for the 67th annual Grammy Awards are here and with the ceremony on the horizon, the award show pits both new and experienced artists head to head for the prestigious honor. This year’s nominations mark special occasions in many categories, with new additions of Best African Music Performance and Best Pop Dance Recording, among others. Newcomers like Chappell Roan, Benson Boone and Doechii add a competitive edge to the popular award show. Here are some key contenders with good standing to win in the most popular categories.

Record of the Year:

Not to be confused with Album of the Year, Record of the Year is awarded to entire teams behind songs as a whole, including the artists, producers, mixers and recording engineers. While the nominations are full of some of the year’s most popular songs, “The Rise and Fall of the Midwest Princess” by Chappell Roan is likely gunning for the winner. The album has a very high production quality, which has boosted Roan’s monthly listeners exceedingly over the last 10 months alone. Songs like “HOT TO GO!” and “Pink Pony Club” make the lineup of her live performances and draw massive crowds based on the sheer range of Roan’s voice alone, but add the masterminds behind the booth, and together they created a reckoning force.

Song of the Year:

When put up against popular hits like Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please,” Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” there is some stiff competition when it comes to Song of the Year. Made as the fifth and most recent diss track in Lamar’s standing feud with Canadian rapper Drake, it was met with critical acclaim from critics, who felt like it was Lamar’s victory lap. Igniting conversations about race and cultural appropriation, the song, as well as the rest of the disses like “Meet the Grahams” are all considered 2024 anthems, making it a solid contender for Song of The Year.

Best New Artist:

Sabrina Carpenter may be a shoo-in. She did not have the typical career trajectory to a Best New Artist nomination, as a former Disney actress and having already released five prior studio albums. Still, Carpenter has been a talent in the making since an early age, and is finally getting high recognition for her album “Short n’ Sweet.” With radio hits “Espresso,” “Please Please Please” and “Taste” along with the accompanying music videos and a captivating stage presence, Carpenter showed her well-rounded artistry in both musical and visual capabilities that pushed her far among the ranks of the category. 

Album of the Year:

Charlie XCX’s “brat” was a landmark achievement in her nearly decade-long career, cultivating her own cultural phenomenon: “Brat Summer,” and solidifying her prominence in the pop and club music scene. The album’s viral success on TikTok showed her ability to connect with a new generation of listeners, with a bold and unapologetic style. But beyond the online hype, the albums showcased Charli XCX’s versatility as an artist, with a diverse range of sounds in songs like “360” and “I think about it all the time,” showing her more pulsing club ragers but also a more introspective approach within her lyricism. “Brat” stood out as a bold statement that pushed the boundaries of modern pop music and displayed her as a true visionary in the industry.

Though these are mere predictions, all of these artists have a strong foundation in their music journeys. While the true winners are left in the hands of the Recording Academy voters and the results will be as surprising as they normally are, one thing remains true: the Grammy’s are a must-watch event for any music fan looking for the best new music.