By Frank “Smokin” Truatt
The Grammy Awards will be held on February 2nd this year, assuming there’s no postponement due to the California wildfires. One thing is certain, the voting period for the recording academy members is over, and the winners have been decided based on those votes. I have respect for those that have won this prestigious music award even though the vote is not based on popularity or record sales. It is up to the sole discretion of the members of the Grammy voters, those music creators, artists, producers, songwriters and engineers who make up the music industry.
In other words, the people most involved in the music industry decide amongst themselves who are the best of the year. So, don’t expect your favorite idol to sweep the Grammys! This year, there are eight songs in the running for Record of the Year. That list includes Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter. It also includes the country debut from Beyonce and even a song from The Beatles that was written and sung by John Lennon, worked on by George and Ringo, and finished by Paul and Ringo four decades later. That’s quite a mix of genres and it would be nearly impossible to guess which way the voting crew went.
Sometimes, sentiment determines the winner, and it would be interesting if The Beatles won, but keep in mind that out of 25 previous nominations, they received seven Grammys, four of which happened in their heyday of the 1960’s. The Album of the Year category features Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish and others. Even Taylor Swift, nominated 52 times, has won only 14. Even those music experts can’t accurately predict the outcomes of the many categories. Will Beyonce extend her all-time lead of 32 awards? She’s been nominated 11 times this year, becoming the most nominated artist in history.
Performances at the Grammys for this year will be announced soon. Some great performances have occurred over the years and I’m hopeful some amazing things will happen on stage again. Unlike the Golden Globes and the Oscars, odds are you’ve heard a bunch of the songs nominated this year, so you’ll have something to root for when they announce the nominations. Then again, if you’re like me, it’s best to record the show and fast forward through the slow parts and the many commercials that will be sprinkled throughout the show.
