#IMPicks: Our Thoughts on the Grammy Nominations
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North America’s biggest music awards night recently announced their nominations for what has stood out musically in the last year. As usual, the Grammys left a mixture of feelings, with some deserved nominees, and others not. The criteria isn’t always clear with the best-selling artists getting nominations, but also some obscure picks.
Still, our writers came together to give their thoughts on the categories in which they are invested. Finally, expect a variety of opinions on a wide selection of categories.
Contributors: Kloe Paton (Writer), Emily Teague (Writer), and Thomas Atkinson (Editor-in-Chief)
Record of the Year
Tom: Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us‘
This is a stacked category, with some of the biggest bangers of the year like ‘360‘, ‘Good Luck, Babe‘, and ‘Birds Of A Feather‘, to name a few. For me, it has to go to Kendrick. Not only is this track addictive, but it’s hilarious, a sensational diss track, and just an absolute anthem. Also, a rap artist winning this category is long overdue, so give it to Kung Fu Kenny.
Kloe: Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us‘
As a devoted rap fan, it’s no surprise that ‘Not Like Us‘ is my record and song of the year. It’s a menacing addition to an undeniably great rap beef. Moreover, that instrumental, perfectly curated by DJ Mustard, is an instantly recognisable tune around the world. It’s a meme and a cultural conversation. I feel it’s captured the zeitgeist of late 2024 – a time of heightened global tension, societal obsession with exposing leaders we once thought were untouchable, and general division into the ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ in music.
Does ‘Not Like Us‘ represent the best Kendrick Lamar has to offer? No. He is much more than this record, but its impact needs to be recognised.
That being said, Kendrick is up against a group of ladies who also moved the cultural dial with a simple single. Maybe the Grammy’s prefer a wink-wink, super-sweet pop piece that melts in your mouth like ‘Espresso‘ by Sabrina Carpenter. Alternatively, maybe they’ll finally give Beyoncé the recognition she deserves – her rodeo motif brought country back to the forefront of pop culture.
Emily: Chappell Roan – ‘Good Luck, Babe‘
My first thought looking at this list is that Chappell Roan could be on the way to a ground-breaking victory, similar to Billie Eilish back in 2020. I think it would also be deserving of Charli xcx to receive this award, her track ‘360‘ has been one of the viral hits of the summer on social media. Charli’s year is very prominent in my mind when considering the biggest hits. Whilst I think The Beatles’ ‘Now and Then‘ is a monumental record and somewhat historical, I doubt it will win against some real chart toppers.
Album Of The Year
Tom: Charli xcx – ‘BRAT‘
There is some good stuff here, like my favourite Billie record, and some great material from Chappell. But, there is a clear winner. For me, this is Charli’s magnum opus, and one of my faves of the decade so far, if not in pop history. Littered with bangers like ‘360‘ and ‘B2B‘, and more emotional moments like ‘So I‘ and ‘I think about it all the time‘, this release has everything. Following Charli’s journey has been a ride, and it’s great to see the recognition finally coming. Just don’t give it that mediocre Taylor Swift record, she has enough Grammys.
Kloe: Charli xcx – ‘BRAT‘
I think ‘BRAT’ is the strongest contender in this category, and that is coming from a huge Beyoncé fan. Both projects moved the cultural dial, but I think Charli xcx is who to place your money on this year.
Emily: Charli xcx – ‘BRAT‘
There are some strong contenders here this year and I struggled to settle on one. Charli xcx, Chappell Roan, and Taylor Swift have all made a big impression on the music industry and their fans with their latest albums. Personally, I’m disregarding Beyoncé this time around. While she dominated the pop industry for a long time yet I feel her latest work hasn’t made such a shift in the industry or been as well-loved by fans.
Song Of The Year
Tom: Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us‘
This is a bit easier than the other category (although the Shaboozey and Sabrina tracks have grown on me). Nevertheless, give it K Dot.
Kloe: Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us‘
Emily: Chappell Roan – ‘Good Luck, Babe‘
Best New Artist
Tom: Doechii
There are some good artists here, although how new they are is a debate for another day. RAYE and Sabrina are deservedly getting their flowers, but for me, it’s between Doechii and Miss. Roan. Both provide great material, but the versatility, amount of bangers, and ability to rap and sing make the TDE member my pick. She truly has been the break-out rap star this year, so it would be well deserved.
Kloe: Doechii
I’m thrilled that RAYE got the nod for this category, even though Doechii is by far my personal pick. My initial thoughts aligned with many other music fans – that a lot of these nominees are not ‘new’ artists. However, The Grammys claim nominees in this category have received a ‘breakthrough in public consciousness’ in the last year, and don’t place a cap on how long they’ve been releasing music. Knowing this, artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan make sense to be nominated, as their public appeal has skyrocketed recently.
Emily: Chappell Roan
If there’s one I’m completely certain that Chappell will walk away with, it’s this one. She’s been able to stand out against a lot of well-established artists in the major categories this year so I expect this could be an easy win. However, I would quite like to see RAYE take this one. She’s had a very impressive year and I feel it would be well deserved.
Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
Tom: Dan Nigro
I could give it Mustard for ‘Not Like Us‘ alone, but Dan Nigro has been busy. Producing the Chappell Roan record and the Olivia Rodrigo extras shows he is well deserving. Speaking of great pop producers, I’m surprised not to see Jack Antanoff, who produced the Sabrina and Taylor records. However, Nigro would still get the award for me.
The nomination list is littered with nods to producers that I love – including D’Mile and DJ Mustard.
Emily: Daniel Nigro
Whilst this isn’t my strong point, it looks like Daniel Nigro has made the biggest impact in this category this year. Although I could see this going in any of the nominee’s favour, as they have all produced an impressive repertoire. I particularly noticed Nigro as he’s worked with both Chappell Roan and Olivia Rodrigo who are both dominating the pop industry at the moment.
Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical
Tom: RAYE
The standouts in this category are Amy Allen, who was involved in Sabrina’s biggest hits, and of course, RAYE. For me, the Londoner is a very good writer, as shown in her own material and her writing with Lucky Daye and Beyoncé, amongst others. She also writers her own songs, which is always a plus. This would be a huge win for the U.K. and would continue this artist’s victory lap post-leaving the label.
Kloe: Amy Allen
Allen is the mastermind lyricist behind some of the biggest hits of the year, Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Please Please Please‘ and ‘Espresso‘. She also penned Justin Timberlake’s comeback record ‘Selfish‘, and worked with Olivia Rodrigo on her ‘GUTS‘ project. Overall, this is the pen behind pop’s most promising acts.
Emily: RAYE
I’d personally like to see RAYE win this one. I’ve really enjoyed what she’s been doing recently and think she is incredibly talented. As well as her, I’ve taken note of Amy Allen who has written some of Sabrina Carpenter’s biggest hits of the year. The category is also female dominated which is always great to see at the biggest award shows, some of which aren’t always great at representing the vast diversity the music industry has to offer.
R’n’B Categories
Best R’n’B Performance
Kloe: Jhené Aiko – ‘Guidance‘
I was pleased to see Jhené Aiko get some love with a Best R&B Performance nomination for her single ‘guidance‘. I was not expecting this, perhaps because I am such a die-hard fan that I didn’t realise how well-received that song was on a wider scale.
Tom: Jhené Aiko – ‘Guidance‘
Some very good contenders here (barring Mr. Brown), making for a difficult standout. I do really enjoy Coco Jones, who gives a commanding performance, but Jhené Aiko just edges it. She provides great singing, good vocal control, and using the right notes at the right time. I’m not the biggest fan of her music all the time, but I have to give credit where it’s due.
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Kloe: Lalah Hathaway FT. Michael McDonald – ‘No Lie‘
The R&B categories are one of the most exciting this year, with no clear winner in any category. Lucky Daye has been one of my faves this year, so I’m happy to see him get a nod in Traditional R&B Performance, but Lalah Hathaway sits a bit closer to my heart.
Tom: Marsha Ambrosius – ‘Wet‘
Again, some deserving nominees here, with Lucky Daye and Muni Long giving some amazing performances. But, from the moment I pressed play, Marsha Ambrosius blew my socks off. After all, it is a stellar track that gives vocals, high notes, control, and just everything you want in a performance. It’s truly a worthy winner.
Best R&B Song
Kloe: Coco Jones – ‘Here We Go (Uh Oh)‘
It sounds throwback and current at the same time and just has that traditional R&B hit feel. I think this has been a big year for Coco Jones and that should be recognised – I love her voice and artistic choices despite being so early in her career. It’s clear from her music that she’s a student of R&B, studying the great female vocalists who came before her and their hit-making formulas.
Tom: Tems – ‘Burning‘
For the most part, these categories have been pretty spot on (although a certain Leon Thomas seems to be missing). But, while the competition is tight, there is just something about this Tems track that takes it for me. It feels very nostalgic in a way that I love, whilst, as per, the Nigerian singer delivers those beautiful vocals. She’s walking away with something this year, but she edges this one for me.
Best Progressive R&B Album
Kloe: NxWorries – ‘Why Lawd?‘
‘Why Lawd’ by Knxwledge & Anderson .Paak is also a welcome addition to the ‘Progressive R&B Album’ category. Knxwledge is overdue for a Grammy win!
Tom: NxWorries – ‘Why Lawd?‘
The clear winners here are Anderson and Knxwledge. Whether solo or with a collaborator, Anderson knows what time it is and this duo has been delivering for a while now. This category feels like it could have been more competitive as others like the Gambino aren’t as consistent. Above all, where is Sampha and Tinashe?
Best R&B Album
Kloe: Lucky Daye – ‘Algorithm‘
Lucky Daye’s ‘Algorithm‘ project is one of my favourite albums this year!
Tom: Muni Long – ‘Revenge‘
The main rivalry here is between Muni and Lucky Daye, and the Muni album just delivers more. You have great performances and catchy songs; while vocally and production-wise, it just hits more. She comes just short in the other categories, but here she’s getting my vote.
Pop Categories
Tom:
Best Pop Solo Performance: Billie Eilish – ‘Birds Of A Feather‘
Best Pop Duo/ Group Performance: Charli xcx FT. Billie Eilish – ‘Guess‘
Best Pop Vocal Album: Billie Eilish – ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT‘
The first category is stacked, owing to how much great pop music we’ve had this year. Due to the emotional performance and the vocals, it just goes to Billie. Secondly, Charli and Billie don’t have much competition, so it’s an easy win there. Finally, it’s close again, but the Billie album really impressed me, so she’s taking the trophy there. I will say, why wouldn’t win any categories for me, Ariana should get a bit more praise, in particular in the general field.
Rock Categories
Best Rock Performance
Emily: Green Day – ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me‘
Green Day has really come back into their own with their latest release, after a few records that I felt were somewhat lacklustre. I’m also pleased to see the likes of IDLES and St. Vincent getting a mention. Too many years have seen rock and metal awards dominated by the same handful of names who have been in the spotlight for generations. It starts to feel repetitive and as though they’re being nominated solely because of who they are.
Tom: St. Vincent – ‘Broken Man‘
Overall, considering the rock categories can get clogged by legacy acts, outside The Black Keys and that annoying Green Day song, I like everything here. I do love a bit of IDLES, but they have made better tracks, so I’m going with St. Vincent. The performance vocally and instrumentally is great, making for a powerful headbanger.
Best Metal Performance
Emily: Knocked Loose FT. Poppy – ‘Suffocate‘
I’m really pleased with the nominees for this category. It feels more diverse and fresh in terms of range than it has done in a while. ‘Suffocate‘ has been a stand-out track for me this year and I’d be thrilled for both Knocked Loose and Poppy if they were able to take this home. Seeing Gojira nominated too is great. They made an impact on people after their appearance in the Olympic opening ceremony as well as a headlining spot at Bloodstock Festival next year. These two nominees, along with Spiritbox, are the kind of acts I think deserve to be there.
Tom: Gojira, Marina Viotti & Victor Le Masne – ‘Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)‘
While I was underwhelmed by the Judas Priest, everything else here was some damn good metal. The standout for me was the Gojira, as it just felt fresh to most metal tracks I hear. To be honest, a win for Knocked Loose and Spiritbox would be great as well, so one of those three is the pick.
Best Rock Song
Emily: Green Day – ‘Dilemma‘
I’m intrigued to know how much the winner of this category will differ from ‘Best Rock Performance’ as the nominees are almost identical. A lot of strong songs have been put forward. I do feel like Green Day is at the forefront of a lot of people’s minds right now as they do the touring and festival circuit and celebrate their recent releases. In conclusion, they would be worthy winners in my opinion.
Tom: St. Vincent – ‘Broken Man‘
Best Rock Album
Emily: Jack White – ‘No Name‘
Jack White is a standout in this category for me. The concept of his record is interesting and he’s a great musician who consistently brings out great tracks. My only disappointment is that he isn’t nominated for more. In addition, Fontaines D.C. has had a great year and are only growing in popularity. I’m not sure whether ‘Romance‘ is worthy of a win but I reckon it could happen. Honestly, I’d be disappointed if The Rolling Stones take this one. I think it’s a safe choice as a crowd-pleaser but it isn’t a ground-breaking album or anything too special.
Tom: Jack White – ‘No Name‘
Like Emily, I have to give credit to Mr. White for a great album that embraces a subtle political message and has some awesome guitar playing. While the IDLES boys delivered another good project, there are just a bit more interesting things lyrically and instrumentally from Jack.
Best Alternative Music Performance
Emily: Fontaines D.C. – ‘Starburster‘
If Fontaines D.C. are going to take home an award this year, I believe it will be this one. However, they are up against some tough competition in a category that demonstrates talent in different areas of alternative music. Cage The Elephant is only increasing in popularity, and are often mentioned on social media. Further to this, they seem to have a consistently solid fan base. I’m also pleased to see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds here. However, I think their album as a whole was more enjoyable than this specific track, ‘Song Of The Lake‘.
Tom: Kim Gordon – ‘Bye Bye‘
This was a bit of an eh category, with some decent stuff, but not many standouts. The only truly great track that gripped me was ‘Bye Bye‘. The bass that hits you at the start immediately has your attention, while vocally Kim’s very blasé delivery fits the instrumental well. Also, Kim is one of the lesser-known artists here, so it would be cool for her to win a Grammy.
Best Alternative Music Album
Emily: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – ‘Wild God‘
After reviewing Nick Cave & The Bad Seed’s ‘Wild God‘ earlier this year, I believe it contains enough merit to win this one. It’s a well-put-together and thoughtful album that deserves this nomination. I really like this entire selection of nominees. It’s diverse and contains some names that I don’t recognise, something I actually like. The Grammys is a good time to try out new artists and maybe see why they’re worthy of their nominations. It’s also nice to see Clairo there. I feel like she’s been slightly forgotten in recent years and I’ve always really enjoyed the music she puts out.
Tom: Brittany Howard – ‘What Now‘
Overall, this is a pretty good selection, although I think Bring Me The Horizon has been massively snubbed here. The Nick Cave and Clairo are solid, but don’t wow me; the St. Vincent is good, but not her best work; and the Kim Gordon isn’t consistent enough. But, Brittany Howard vocally and instrumentally delivers throughout this record. Therefore, that will be my choice.
Rap Categories
Best Rap Performance
Kloe: Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us‘
If you have been paying any attention to pop culture this year, you’ll not be surprised to see ‘Not Like Us‘ by Kendrick Lamar nominated for Best Rap Performance – and deservedly so. However, ‘Nissan Altima‘ by Doechii knocks the socks off anyone who listens, rap fan or not. Any other year it probably would’ve clinched the win. Either way, it’s looking like a Grammy-filled year for TDE.
Tom: Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us‘
While I prefer ‘Meet The Grahams‘, ‘Not Like Us‘ is an excellent diss track that wins this category. Kendrick’s performance brings witty and cutting bars, great flows, and breath control, while flowing over the beat neatly. Some great competition from Doechii and ‘Like That‘, with some nice performances from Glorilla and Common & Pete Rock, but the anthem of 2024 takes it.
Best Melodic Rap Performance
Kloe: Rapsody FT. Erykah Badu – ‘3:AM‘
This was my favourite single of Q2, so I’m glad to see their brilliance recognised.
Tom: Rapsody FT. Erykah Badu – ‘3:AM‘
This is quite a weak category for me, with two clear front-runners (is nice to see a U.K. nomination for Jordan Adetunji). I do really enjoy ‘We Still Don’t Trust You‘, but the song relies a lot on the beat and The Weeknd’s vocals. The better performance is from Rapsody, particularly towards the end of the track, alongside Badu’s nice contribution.
Best Rap Song
Kloe: Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us‘
Tom: Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us‘
Best Rap Album
Kloe: Doechii – ‘Alligator Bites Never Heal‘
Despite J. Cole being one of my favourite artists ever, I was quite surprised to see ‘Might Delete Later‘ up for Best Rap Album. I personally love the project, but I felt it had slipped off of public consciousness, and that includes many rap critics and cultural commentators that I follow. Unsurprisingly, I think Doechii’s ‘Alligator Bites Never Heal’ should be the winner – it was my favourite album in Q3. Again, ‘The Auditorium Vol. 1‘ is a treasure for anyone who loves that golden-era rap feel, but I don’t see it getting the support it deserves to secure an overall win.
Tom: Doechii – ‘Alligator Bites Never Heal‘
This category once again ignores some of this year’s best projects from Denzel Curry, ScHoolboy Q, and JPEGMAFIA to name a few. The J. Cole and Eminem releases were both massively mediocre and shouldn’t be anyway near this list. However, the Common and Pete Rock mention is a nice nod to OGs who are still making good music in 2024. For me, the Doechii mixtape stands tall here, providing variety, hard flows, and catchy hits. In conclusion, she definitely deserves to be here, it’s just she should have more competition.
Dance Categories
Best Dance/Electronic Recording: Disclosure – ‘She’s Gone Dance On‘
Best Dance Pop Recording: Charli xcx – ‘Von Dutch‘
Best Dance/Electronic Album: Charli xcx – ‘BRAT‘
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Espresso‘ (Mark Ronson X FNZ Working Late Remix) or Julian Marley & Antaeus – ‘Jah Sees Them‘ (Amapiano Remix)
The Grammys usually get these categories right, and that is certainly the case here. The former of these is so stacked and packed full of bangers. For technicality, I’d give it to Fred for his impressive sampling to make a D’n’B anthem. However, I cannot ignore my love for the Disclosure track, which was one of the sounds of the summer. Although, no Jamie xx and Honey Dijon nomination for ‘Baddy On The Floor‘????
‘Von Dutch‘ pretty comfortably is the best in its bracket, although I do enjoy all the others there. I’ve already expressed my love for ‘BRAT‘, which is the clear winner. Finally, the remix category is very competitive, but I’m gonna have to tie Mark Ronson and FNZ’s remix of ‘Espresso‘, with the Amapiano remix of ‘Jah Sees Them‘. The former does something interesting and different with one of the year’s biggest hits, while the latter is a lovely piece of Amapiano to dance the night away to. I do enjoy the Charli remix, but the Skream & Benga remix is the better choice.
Best of the Rest
Tom: The new Kali Uchis record was a lot of fun, so I hope that picks up Best Latin Pop Album. Meanwhile, Tems deserves her flowers for the vibey ‘Love Me JeJe‘, as well as her new album in the Best African Music Performance and Best Global Music Album categories. The Song Written For Visual Media category isn’t as strong as the previous year, so I’m feeling the Olivia Rodrigo song from the new Hunger Games film.
The Best Music Video should go to either A$AP Rocky or Kendrick. Finally, the country categories are likely to be dominated by Beyoncé and Shaboozey. However, I hope Chris Stapleton gets some love, as well.
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