Award shows are a pillar of the music industry, recognizing the artists who have stood out throughout the year. But the Grammys are the real deal. Unlike the American Music Awards, which are fan-voted, the Grammys honor artists across a wide range of genres, and the winners are chosen by industry professionals—producers, artists, engineers, and others—rather than the public.

This year’s Grammys will be held on Sunday, February 2nd, and, similarly to previous years, the line-ups are nothing short of star-studded. With artists such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, and new pop icons Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan all releasing music during this nomination period, it is already one for the books.

Every time Grammy season comes around, I am always excited for the event. To pass the time, I make predictions about which artists will win and which deserve the coveted trophy the most. The main four categories of the Grammys include Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist, and Record of the Year. With that being said, here are my predictions for this year’s Grammy Awards.

Disclaimer: These are MY personal opinions, and I am not trying to bash any artist’s work.

Song of the Year

Nominations:

• A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
• Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
• Die With a Smile – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
• Fortnight – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
• Good Luck, Babe! – Chappell Roan
• Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
• Please Please Please – Sabrina Carpenter
• TEXAS HOLD ’EM – Beyoncé

This is a very strong category, as every single one of these songs was extremely successful. However, a few of the songs in this category either: 1) did not have as much impact as the others mentioned, 2) had more popular songs from the same artists, or 3) were only popular for a month or two, rather than a year. That being said, only two of these songs stand out among the others: “Die With a Smile” and “Birds of a Feather.” My prediction is that “Birds of a Feather” will win this category, as it truly was Billie’s year, and its popularity has been relatively consistent since its release.

This song is the ultimate friendship anthem, as it captures the love between two like-minded individuals. It was the second single off of Billie’s recent album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT. Billie Eilish stated in a Vanity Fair interview, “I thought ‘Lunch’ would be the hit, but I also remember being like, ‘but watch, Birds of a Feather is going to end up being the real hit.’” Billie’s prediction came true, as Birds of a Feather became the most-streamed song of 2024 with almost 2 billion streams. Due to its popularity, relatability, and great production, Birds of a Feather just screams Song of the Year.

Album of the Year

Nominations:

• New Blue Sun – André 3000
• Cowboy Carter – Beyoncé
• Short n Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter
• BRAT – Charli XCX
• Djesse Vol. 4 – Jacob Collier
• HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – Billie Eilish
• The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor Swift
• The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – Chappell Roan

This category typically goes to the album that made the greatest impact in music in terms of popularity. Unfortunately for André 3000 and Jacob Collier, their albums weren’t as mainstream as others on this list. Cowboy Carter was an experimental album for Beyoncé, and I don’t think it is necessarily Album of the Year material. Although BRAT and The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess were great albums, Charli XCX and Chappell Roan aren’t as well-known as artists such as Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, which limited their albums’ reach.

That being said, I am going to predict that HIT ME HARD AND SOFT takes this category. Although it only has ten songs, the tracklist is great, and it had the greatest impact on music, as its singles were some of the most popular songs of the year. Compared to Billie’s prior work, some might say this or her debut album is her best piece of work, which is saying a lot because, in the year Billie Eilish released When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, she won all four major categories.

Is it a reach that she wins both Song of the Year and Album of the Year? I think not.

Best New Artist

Nominations:

• Benson Boone
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Doechii
• Khruangbin
• RAYE
• Chappell Roan
• Shaboozey

Looking at this selection, I believe that there are two nominees that stand out among the rest: Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter. Roan burst onto the pop music scene with her hit single Good Luck, Babe! and ever since then, her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which was released in 2023, became one of the most popular albums of 2024. Why? “Good Luck, Babe!” brought something refreshing to the pop industry: queer representation and joy. This not only reeled in LGBTQ+ listeners who were unfamiliar with her, but also listeners across multiple demographics. Roan’s music may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but she undeniably had great success and transformed the pop scene.

Sabrina Carpenter released hits such as Feather, Nonsense, and Thumbs throughout her career, but she exploded into mainstream pop-girl territory after the release of Espresso, and since then, her popularity has not slowed down. I personally have been a Sabrina fan since 2021 when I first heard “Skin”, and her album Emails I Can’t Send has been on repeat since its release. Although her music is much more mainstream pop now than it was when I first became a fan, I still absolutely love it.

Even though I love both of them, I have to view this through the eyes of the voters. And there is one major difference between the two: Carpenter has released a total of six albums, while Roan has only released one. If voters are truly going based on new artist status, it would be Chappell, but if the winner is decided based on popularity despite making music for quite some time, then I think Sabrina takes this category. I can’t really make a prediction for this one because it really could go either way.

Record of the Year

Nominations:

• Now and Then – The Beatles
• TEXAS HOLD ’EM – Beyoncé
• Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
• 360 – Charli XCX
• Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
• Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
• Good Luck, Babe! – Chappell Roan
• Fortnight – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone

Many people think that Record of the Year is the same as Song of the Year. However, that is not the case. The main difference is that Record of the Year focuses more on the production of the song and recognizes the artists, producers, and engineers who helped create the track. When it comes to production, I believe “Espresso” has the best production. Its catchy chorus and playful rhythm just elevate the song to an even greater level. It also has been all over TikTok and Instagram Reels. If you haven’t listened to the song in full, you have probably at least heard part of Verse 2, “I’m working late ‘cause I’m a singer.” My prediction is that Sabrina Carpenter will take this category and get her first Grammy win.

No matter who takes home the coveted trophies on Sunday night, one thing is for certain: it truly was an amazing year for pop music. Whether that music came from the world’s biggest artists or upcoming superstars, the 2025 Grammys will certainly be one to remember.