The 68th Annual Grammy Awards are set to air live from Los Angeles this Sunday, bringing together some of the most talented singers and songwriters in the industry — including three Brown alums nominated for best arrangement, instruments and vocals.
The Herald determined which artists truly deserve the biggest awards of the night, otherwise known as the “Big Four:" album of the year, record of the year, best new artist and song of the year. These selections are based on performance quality and do not aim to predict the results of Sunday’s awards ceremony.
Album of the year
“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” Bad Bunny
"SWAG,” Justin Bieber
“Man’s Best Friend,” Sabrina Carpenter
“Let God Sort Em Out,” Clipse, Pusha T and Malice
“MAYHEM,” Lady Gaga
“GNX,” Kendrick Lamar
“MUTT,” Leon Thomas
“CHROMAKOPIA,” Tyler, The Creator
While some of this year’s nominees for album of the year left much to be desired — notably Justin Bieber’s “SWAG” — a few artists produced music truly deserving of the accolade. Not only is Bad Bunny’s album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” a musical masterpiece, it also offers sharp commentary on the colonization of Puerto Rico. It is the second-ever Spanish-language album to be nominated for album of the year, and if it wins, would be the first Spanish-language album to hold the esteemed title.
Even for listeners who don’t understand Spanish, the artist’s emotion and love for Puerto Rico resonate throughout each track. Although the album deserves to win based on its artistry alone, its themes also struck a global chord that warrants recognition.
Record of the Year
“DtMF,” Bad Bunny
“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter
“Anxiety,” Doechii
“WILDFLOWER,” Billie Eilish
“Abracadabra,” Lady Gaga
“luther,” Kendrick Lamar with SZA
“The Subway,” Chappell Roan
“APT.,” ROSÉ and Bruno Mars
Both Billie Eilish and her older brother and collaborator Finneas O'Connell, who uses the stage name FINNEAS, were snubbed at last year’s Grammys when their album “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” and its songs received six nominations but won zero awards. FINNEAS’s immaculate production in “WILDFLOWER” gives the Recording Academy a perfect opportunity to redeem themselves and give the album the recognition it deserves. By blending haunting acoustic guitars with Eilish’s intimate vocals, “WILDFLOWER” takes listeners on an emotional sonic journey truly worthy to win record of the year. While the track is a stark departure from the dark, electropop style that won Eilish five Grammys in 2020, the songwriting pair has proven their continued genius with the more acoustic “WILDFLOWER.”
“HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” is the perfect culmination of Eilish’s honest lyricism and FINNEAS’s unique production techniques — and finally celebrating the album with a win for one of its many hits would give the project the credit it deserves.
Best New Artist
Olivia Dean
KATSEYE
The Marías
Addison Rae
sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young
In 2025, Olivia Dean saw success rivaling that of Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo and Dua Lipa — all of whom previously won the category of best new artist at the Grammys. Dean’s second studio album, “The Art of Loving,” spawned numerous hits that are almost inescapable for those scrolling through TikTok or Instagram Reels.
After its release in August, her single, “Man I Need,” quickly rose to the top of several charts worldwide, reaching number one in Dean’s native United Kingdom and peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.
But this hasn’t been her only hit from the album, as “Nice to Each Other” and “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” have also charted well, garnering millions of weekly streams. With this amount of success, Dean is the standout nominee for best new artist this year. Her only real competition is Leon Thomas, whose album, “MUTT,” was nominated for best album — a category for which “The Art of Loving” is ineligible this year.
Song of the Year
“Abracadabra,” Lady Gaga
“Anxiety,” Doechii
“APT.,” ROSÉ and Bruno Mars
“DtMF,” Bad Bunny
“Golden” (from “KPop Demon Hunters”), HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
“luther,” Kendrick Lamar with SZA
“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter
“WILDFLOWER,” Billie Eilish
Despite the chart-topping success of and worldwide love for nearly every song on this list — perhaps excluding “Anxiety” by Doechii — “Golden” (from “KPop Demon Hunters”) goes far beyond a series of impressive vocal runs and pop synths.
Western media has, at times, disregarded the South Korean musical genre K-pop. Even the powerhouse K-pop group BTS, who average over 27 million monthly listeners on Spotify, have yet to receive the Recording Academy’s tiny golden gramophone. But since the release and worldwide recognition of “KPop Demon Hunters,” K-pop has finally gotten the celebration it has long deserved.
The unforgettable melody, inspiring lyrics and powerhouse vocals behind “Golden” epitomize exactly what the K-pop industry has been pumping out for years: flawless, radio-ready pop music. Even in live showings like a performance at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the three singers behind the film's protagonists — EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI — never miss a note. Although some critics have questioned the song’s nomination, “Golden” is certainly worthy to win the category of song of the year title due to its global celebration of the K-pop industry and iconic pop score.
Talia LeVine is a section editor covering arts and culture. They study Political Science and Visual Art with a focus on photography. In their free time, they can be found drinking copious amounts of coffee.
Manav is a senior from Indiana, concentrating in International and Public Affairs. In his free time, he likes attempting the daily Connections puzzle or falling down Wikipedia rabbit holes.
