The ceremony will give away a complete of 95 awards, together with the coveted ‘Album of the Yr’
Kendrick Lamar, Dangerous Bunny and Woman Gaga. Photograph: AFP
LOS ANGELES:
Superstars Kendrick Lamar, Dangerous Bunny and Woman Gaga are primed to make historical past on Sunday in Los Angeles on the 68th Grammy Awards, honoring the very best in music.
All three are angling so as to add to their trophy cupboards by taking residence the gala’s most coveted award, Album of the Yr, for the primary time.
Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper who received 5 gramophones final 12 months, has 9 nominations this time round — probably the most of any artist — together with for File and Track of the 12 months.
Pop chameleon Woman Gaga and Puerto Rico’s Dangerous Bunny are also competing in all three classes.
Additionally nominated for the highest album prize are: pop princess Sabrina Carpenter; R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas; Tyler, the Creator; hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice); and pop celebrity Justin Bieber — along with his first studio effort in 4 years.
Lamar is nominated this 12 months for his album “GNX,” which incorporates the only “Luther” that includes R&B artist SZA. The 38-year-old has received 22 Grammys throughout his profession.
Woman Gaga, Bieber and Carpenter are set to carry out, with extra acts anticipated to be confirmed earlier than Sunday.
Dangerous Bunny’s scorching streak
Standing in Lamar’s means for Album of the Yr is Dangerous Bunny, who’s at the moment on a world tour in help of his album “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” (I Ought to Have Taken Extra Images).
“It was a really thrilling album,” musicologist Lauron Kehrer advised AFP.
“It touched on a lot by way of thematic materials and musical materials,” Kehrer mentioned, pointing to the allusions to decolonization and use of conventional Puerto Rican rhythms.
The 31-year-old Latin megastar, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, will headline the Tremendous Bowl halftime present per week after the Grammys, the place he’s up for six awards.
Final 12 months, he accomplished a three-month residency in his native Puerto Rico and hosted the season opener of “Saturday Night time Stay.”
His “Un verano sin ti” (2022) was the primary Spanish-language album nominated for Album of the Yr honors. A win on Sunday would give Dangerous Bunny one other point out within the historical past books.
Woman Gaga, 39, made a splashy comeback to touring with “Mayhem,” her assortment of pop bangers with a darkish edge that embraces her dramatic aspect. She has seven nominations.
She has 14 Grammys to her identify, however a win for Album of the Yr would full her hat trick of prime awards.
She took File and Track of the Yr honors seven years in the past for the soundtrack hit “Shallow,” from “A Star is Born” — which additionally earned her an Oscar.
This time round, Track of the Yr — which honors songwriting — is a crowded class that features Carpenter’s “Manchild” and “Golden” from the Netflix animated smash hit “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Many pundits consider the energetic Okay-pop hit will triumph.
Up for finest new artist are Alex Warren, lady group Katseye, Britain’s Olivia Dean, TikTok dancer-turned-singer Addison Rae, The Marias, sombr, Lola Younger and Thomas — who was already a Grammy winner two years in the past for producing a track by SZA.
‘Reactionary’
For musicologist Kehrer, the infusion of rap, reggaeton and Okay-pop within the prime Grammy classes displays adjustments within the composition of the Recording Academy’s voting group.
Greater than 3,800 new members have been admitted. Half of these new members are age 39 or youthful, and 58 p.c of them are folks of coloration, the academy says.
Invites have been additionally provided to all members of the Latin Recording Academy.
“The Grammys are extra reactionary than anything,” mentioned Kehrer.
“These artists successful these main awards is extra of a sign of local weather, relatively than making an attempt to maneuver or change the local weather.”
The Grammy Awards will as soon as once more be hosted by comic Trevor Noah.
The principle broadcast begins at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday), however most of the 95 awards will probably be handed out at a pre-gala occasion.
Key nominees: Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with 9, adopted by Woman Gaga with seven, and a trio of artists tied at six — Dangerous Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas.
