Topline
Nominations for February’s Grammy Awards ceremony will be unveiled Friday morning, with many publications and awards bettors expecting top contenders to include Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga and Bad Bunny—the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show headliner who could make history with his Spanish-language album.
Bad Bunny could score Grammy nominations Friday. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Puerto Rican rapper-singer Bad Bunny, already a three-time Grammy winner, looks primed to score big nominations with his latest album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” which was released in January to positive reviews from critics.
Another Album of the Year nomination would be history-making, as “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” could become the second Spanish-language album ever nominated in that category—the first of which was his own “Un Verano Sin Ti” in 2022—and it could become the first Spanish-language album to win.
Some awards pundits have said Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime gig—which sparked some right-wing backlash over his Spanish-language music and opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration raids—could raise his profile and help him secure Grammy victories in February.
“The racist backlash to Bunny’s selection will stir a ‘backlash to the backlash’ among many Grammy voters, who will want to show their support,” Billboard reported, noting his album spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
When Will The Grammy Nominations Be Announced?
The Recording Academy will livestream the Grammy nominations announcement Friday at 11 a.m. EST on its website and YouTube channel. The Grammys have tapped more than a dozen artists to present the nominations, including Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Chappell Roan, Jon Batiste, Lizzo and Nicole Scherzinger.
When Will The Grammy Awards Take Place?
The Grammys will air live on Feb. 1 on CBS and Paramount+.
Who Else Could Be Nominated For Grammys?
Many publications and awards bettors have indicated Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX” and Lady Gaga’s “Mayhem” are the top contenders for Album of the Year, alongside Bad Bunny. Lamar and Lady Gaga rank Nos. 1 and 2 on the Gold Derby Grammys betting odds, a website where thousands of users make award show predictions. Rolling Stone bet on Lady Gaga as the likely winner, while Variety called the top prize “Lamar’s to lose.” Songs looking to score nods for Song and Record of the Year, according to various predictions, including Lamar and SZA’s “Luther,” Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” Carpenter’s “Manchild,” Roan’s “The Subway,” Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT” and Alex Warren’s “Ordinary.”
What’s New With This Year’s Grammy Awards?
The Grammys will unveil nominations for two brand-new categories on Friday: Best Best Traditional Country Album, which will be distinguished from the existing Best Contemporary Country Album category, as well as the new Best Album Cover award.
Tangent
Bad Bunny will take the Super Bowl halftime show stage just one week after the Grammy Awards ceremony. The NFL’s announcement in September that he would headline the biggest stage in music drew backlash from some right-wing commentators, as well as politicians including President Donald Trump, who called him an “absolutely ridiculous” choice. Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem threatened immigration officers will be “all over” the Super Bowl, stating the only people who should attend are “law-abiding Americans who love this country.” Backlash stemmed from Bad Bunny’s decision to skip the United States, except for his native Puerto Rico, on his latest tour, which he said he did because he did not want his fans targeted by immigration raids. He has also previously criticized Trump’s immigration policies and indicated support for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.
Furthe Reading
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Sparks Right-Wing Backlash Over Rapper’s Anti-ICE Activism (Forbes)
NFL Commissioner Goodell Defends Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Show Pick: ‘Carefully Thought Through’ (Forbes)