The 2019 Grammys are a new frontier for the long-running awards show, with this year’s rule change — expanding the night’s four biggest contests, for album, song and record of the year as well as best new artist from five nominees to eight — resulting in one of the most diverse races Grammys viewers have seen in years.
In the album-of-the-year category, there’s no clear front-runner like there has been the past several years, with the category instead dominated by an eclectic mix of megastars and critically acclaimed favorites — its competitors including Drake, Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monae, Kacey Musgraves, Post Malone, Brandi Carlile and H.E.R.
Meanwhile, in the two major song categories, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow” is threatening a sweep, though overcoming contenders such as Childish Gambino may prove to be a challenge for the “A Star is Born” hit.
Read on for predictions for the 2019 Grammys before the show returns live to Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, airing on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST.
Grammys 2019: Everything you need to know about the 61st annual show
Grammys 2019 album of the year
Will win: “Golden Hour,” Kacey Musgraves
Should win: “Golden Hour,” Kacey Musgraves
The nominees:
“Invasion of Privacy,” Cardi B
“By The Way, I Forgive You,” Brandi Carlile
“Scorpion,” Drake
“H.E.R.,” H.E.R.
“Beerbongs & Bentleys,” Post Malone
“Dirty Computer,” Janelle Monae
“Golden Hour,” Kacey Musgraves
“Black Panther: The Album, Music From And Inspired By,” (Various Artists)
Only two country/folk artists have taken home the album-of-the-year trophy in the past decade — Alison Krauss with her “Raising Sand” collaborative album with Robert Plant in 2009, and Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” in 2010. While that’s not the strongest precedent for Musgraves winning album of the year, country artists have certainly had more luck in recent album-of-the-year races than the categories’ hip hop and R&B nominees, who time and again have lost out on the top prize. Over the past four years, albums by Beyonce (self-titled in 2015 and “Lemonade in 2017) and Kendrick Lamar (“To Pimp A Butterfly” in 2016 and “Damn” in 2018) have dominated the album of the year buzz, only for Grammys viewers to see Beck (2015), Taylor Swift (2016), Adele (2017) and Bruno Mars (2018) take home the night’s top prize instead.
The last hip-hop album to win the album-of-the-year category was Outkast’s “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” in 2004, and if the past few Grammys have taught viewers anything, it’s not to expect the rap contenders to win the night’s biggest prize, effectively knocking Cardi B’s “Invasion of Privacy,” Drake’s “Scorpion” and the “Black Panther” soundtrack out of contention — as well as Post Malone’s “Beerbongs & Bentleys,” if Recording Academy voters don’t consider that more a pop release.
Of the remaining contenders, Musgraves’ “Golden Hour,” beloved by critics and considered a crossover success for the Nashville artist, seems the best primed to take home album of the year. It’s also a stellar release that’s among the category’s most-deserving winners. However, seeing Janelle Monae win for her triumphant “Dirty Computer” album would almost certainly be the night’s most exciting upset.
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