On Friday, November 7, the nominations for the annual Grammy Awards were announced. While there were the obvious picks like Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, and Lady Gaga, there were also some shocks within the categories.

2 of the nominees for the Best New Artist category, Addison Rae and Alex Warren, were previously influencers, peaking on TikTok during the COVID era. I think it is interesting that TikTok’s music is becoming more mainstream,” says senior Hannah LaGrossa. “I don’t typically listen to their music but it’s good for them.”

The number of soundtracks that received nominations also stands out, from hit movies this year like Wicked and K-Pop Demon Hunters. The fictional band, “Hunter/x” featured in the global phenomenon K-Pop Demon Hunters, had their song “Golden” nominated for both Song of the Year and Best Pop/Duo Group performance alongside “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. “Fans of the “Kpop Demon Hunters” franchise were eager to see whether Grammy voters would celebrate the inescapable “Golden” with multiple nominations, despite a perception that Academy members might turn up their noses at voting for avatars,” says an article from Variety.

Despite recent controversy following his plans to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, Bad Bunny is a major contender for multiple Grammys. “The six nominations for Bad Bunny, the impending Super Bowl halftime showman, came as good news for anyone who was worried that Latin music might be shut out of the big categories, as it often has been, and relegated to the Latin Grammys,” states Variety. “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” his most recent album, was nominated for Album of the Year, and his #1 track “DTMF” was nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

“I am most excited for album of the year, and for Tyler the Creator to hopefully win,” adds LaGrossa. Nominated for 6 Grammys this year, Tyler the Creator is hitting a career peak. Not only has he received nominations for his latest album “Don’t Tap the Glass,” but he is still receiving praise for his 2024 album “Chromokopia.”

The Grammy Awards will be aired on Sunday, February 1, and will be available to watch on CBS and Paramount+. Given the uniqueness of the nominations this year, it definitely isn’t one to miss!