One of the best parts of Grammy season is anticipating who will have the biggest haul on nominations morning. Artists who are nominated across the board are the ones who truly defined the year, at least in the industry’s opinion. So who will come out on top? Let’s consider five possibilities.
Beyoncé
The Grammy darling has gotten eight or more nominations multiple times in her career, and the 2025 awards should be no exception. She is a surefire contender for the big three (Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year), and is likely getting “Spaghettii,” with Linda Martell and Shaboozey, into Best Melodic Rap Performance. The rest will depend on how well country and Americana voters receive “Cowboy Carter.” The album was rejected at the Country Music Association Awards, which could be a bad sign. However, Grammy country voters tend to be more favorable to artists like Zach Bryan and Brandi Carlile who don’t necessarily show up at the country industry shows.
If things go well for Queen Bey, she should at least get into Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“II Most Wanted” with Miley Cyrus), Best Country Song (“Texas Hold Em”), and Best Country Album (“Cowboy Carter“). She could also make the cut for Best Americana Performance for “Ya Ya” and Best Country Solo Performance for “16 Carriages.” Beyond those genres, she could score Best R&B Song (“Tyrant”) and perhaps score a pop nomination or two. Worst case scenario for Beyoncé is probably four nominations, but more likely is somewhere between seven and 10.
Kendrick Lamar
The rapper is pretty much guaranteed nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for his diss track “Not Like Us,” and Best Music Video is possible as well. That’s already five noms, and he will almost certainly get a sixth, with his number-one hit “Like That” with Metro Boomin and Future also on the ballot for Best Rap Song. Considering this isn’t even a full album cycle for Lamar, six nominations would be a great get.
Sabrina Carpenter
Carpenter is this year’s biggest pop breakout, so just like fellow ingenues Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, she will be showered with nominations. It’s highly likely that she will get nominations across the board in the general field, along with nominations for Best Pop Solo Performance (“Espresso”) and Best Pop Vocal Album (“Short n’ Sweet“). Six noms would already be a strong showing, but she has a chance for even more. “Please Please Please” is a possible contender for Best Music Video, especially when you consider the multiple VMA nominations it received. If pop voters are really obsessed with Carpenter, she could also be a possibility in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her Girl In Red collaboration “You Need Me Now?” Carpenter could even cross over into country, with her album track “Slim Pickins” aiming for Best Country Solo Performance. Nine nominations is not unrealistic at all.
Chappell Roan
Another breakout this year is Roan, who took the world by storm with her debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” Like Carpenter, Roan is set for nominations across the big four, likely getting into Best New Artist, Album of the Year, and Record and Song of the Year (“Good Luck, Babe!”). In the pop field, Roan will probably be up for two awards: Best Pop Solo Performance (also for “Good Luck, Babe!”) and Best Pop Vocal Album. Roan didn’t submit anywhere else, so that’s the best she can do, but those six nominations being close to guaranteed automatically makes her a possibility for the most nominations.
Brittany Howard
There’s often a less commercial act who picks up an impressive number of nominations, and this year that might be Howard. The five-time Grammy winner is a contender in the rock and alternative field, where she’s a good bet for Best Alternative Music Album, Best Alternative Music Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Performance. Howard’s work has also been nominated twice in the Best Engineered Album category, which she will probably get this year as well. Beyond those, she could be recognized for Best Traditional R&B Performance for her song “I Don’t”; her last era got a nomination for Best R&B Performance too. And with all that potential love, one must consider the possibility of general field awards, particularly Album of the Year.
