The race towards the biggest night in music is with us, following our favourite stars sending in their submissions for award consideration.
The deadline for sending in work came and passed on August 30, per Billboard.
“The entry process has changed in recent years. There used to be no limit to the number of entries members could make. Some members took advantage of that liberal policy and submitted a large number of entries, causing the entry list to bloat. The Academy now allows each voting or professional member just five ‘courtesy entries’ before charges apply,” the report notes.
The event will take place on Sunday February 2 live at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Music industry bigwigs have sent in their biggest projects for consideration, with 32-time Grammy winner Beyoncé reportedly submitting Cowboy Carter for consideration as Best Country Album.
“Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the artiste aims to be in the running for [Best Country Album], where she could possibly be competing against the likes of Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, Zach Bryan, Kacey Musgraves and Moroney.”
Entertainment website Hypebeast notes: “The Recording Academy will help decide if her submission will be accepted, similar to the 2023 Grammys when Renaissance remained and won in the dance category. Her 2016 album Lemonade also managed to secure nominations in a number of Grammy categories, including rock, rap, R&B and pop.”
Queen Bey also reportedly submitted Tyrant for Best RnB song, Spaghetti for Best Melodic Rap Performance, Bodyguard for Best Pop Solo Performance among others.
Rapper Kendrick Lamar reportedly submitted his hit track Not Like Us for Record of the year. This week, the rap song made history, breaking the record for Most Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs Chart.
Created as a diss-track targeting nemesis, rapper Drake, it has been described as one that has evolved from a scathing battle to an anthem.
Variety poses: “Will Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Become the First Diss Track to Win Big at the Grammys?”
The rapper also submitted Like That for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap song.
Three- time Grammy winner Megan Thee Stallion is also gearing up for the night with a list of submissions, including her album Megan for Album of The Year and Best Rap Album; and viral track Mamushi for Record of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song and Best Music Video.
The rapper also sent in Hiss for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, as well as Cobra (Rock Remix) for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song, and, finally, Squeeze, where she is featured by Latto, for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
Pop and Country icon Taylor Swift is expected to be as prominent as she always is on the show- holding the record for being the first and only artiste to win the Grammy for Album of The Year four times.
“[She] has had many hits during the year, but there was little question that her camp would select “Fortnight,” her collab with Post Malone that entered the Hot 100 at No. 1 in May, becoming her 12th No. 1 hit. And that is indeed her pick. It’s vying to become Swift’s sixth nomination in [the Record of The Year category], a category she has yet to win,” Billboard notes.
Celebrated rapper Nicki Minaj has long had a complicated history with The Grammy’s, but this year, she’s put that aside to send in Pink Friday 2 for Album of The Year, Best Rap Album and Best Engineered Album.
She has also submitted FTCU for Record of The Year, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.
Nairobi News notes that renowned Kenyan acts have also sent in their submissions for the prestigious event.
“As you go about your day on social media, you may have encountered several Kenyan artists, such as Victoria Kimani and Octopizzo, posting about their music receiving consideration for the Grammy Awards,” the report notes.
“Now that the submission window for the 2025 Grammy Awards has closed, over the next two weeks those artists who have been considered, including Octoppizo and Ms Kimani, will go through the first round of voting by Academy members and hope to be nominated.”
On its official website, The Grammy Awards reports on what comes next after submissions.
“Once we receive submissions, each entry is individually and manually vetted by a member of the Recording Academy’s Awards staff to determine its eligibility.”
The report adds: “After submissions are received during the Online Entry Process, the Recording Academy’s Voting Members vote on said submissions across two Grammy voting rounds: First Round Voting determines the nominees for the majority of the categories at the annual Grammy Awards, while Final Round Voting determines the ultimate Grammy winners.”
