The 2025 Grammy Awards present one of the most competitive general field nominations we’ve seen in the 2020s. Last year displayed an incredible burst of music creativity and reinvigorated engagement with music culture. In preparation for the 2025 Grammys, four Collegian arts editors came together to discuss four categories in the Grammys general field: best new artist, song of the year, record of the year and album of the year. For each category we discussed who we think will win and who should win.
Best New Artist
The Nominees: Benson Boone, Sabrina Carpenter, Khruangbin, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey and Teddy Swims.
Suzanne Bagia (Music Editor): Most people are gonna want Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan for best new artist. It’s clear from their big year that it should go towards them.
Gustavo Atencio Flores (Head Arts Editor): Specifically about Sabrina, I think we should bring up the fact that she’s not really a new artist. Short n’ Sweet was her sixth album so far. I get what they’re [the Recording Academy] going for because she had her crazy, breakout year this year. But it does sort of feel weird that she’s there because she’s not really a new artist. And she has had popular music before, but I do agree with you that Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter should be the front runners. Especially because of Chappell’s run, she is most likely who everybody would like to win this because she’s had a crazy year. I do think Benson Boone and Shaboozey had, not to the same level of Chappell’s run, but they also had crazy years with their respective songs. “Beautiful Things” went crazy on the charts and so did “A Bar Song.”
Victoria Thompson (Film and TV Editor): I think that Chappell Roan with the amount of time that she became popular would make her deserve to win. I don’t know that much about the other artists, but Chappell Roan kind of did everything. She had the album come out and then she had “Good Luck, Babe!” come out […] but I feel like she did the most and got the most attention in the year. But for some reason just have a gut feeling that it will be Sabrina Carpenter. She plays more into the industry side of it. I feel like Chappell Roan is a little bit unconventional, so I don’t know if Sabrina Carpenter would just get it because of her recent popularity. I feel like those are kind of the two most popular names on there. I really feel like it’s gonna be down to those two.
GA: Yeah, I agree.
Paige Hanson (Local Events Editor): Yeah, I think that Chappell Roan should win. I think she’s the most deserving of [it]. I had a discussion with one of my friends about this the other day. I feel like there’s not a lot of actual mainstream artists whose demographic is the LGBTQ community. I feel like she’s this generation’s Lady Gaga or something like that. So, I think she’s the most deserving of it because whenever an LGBTQ artist is actually mainstream, it’s pretty important, but I think what’s gonna happen [is] that Sabrina Carpenter or Shaboozey are gonna win, but I [want] Chappell Roan to win.
GA: Shaboozey, I can see that happening. I can see the Academy going that way because it would be a safe pick. Or not even necessarily a safe pick, because I feel like a lot of people would be like “A Bar Song” is overplayed and that kind of stuff. He was also just in Beyoncé’s new album, right?
SB: He had two features on it.
GA: And he performed with her at the NFL halftime show that she did on Christmas. So I honestly could see Shaboozey. I also think Doechii, although she isn’t going to win, I feel like she also deserves some recognition. I can even see her winning too because recently her popularity has been crazy.

SB: Sometimes the Recording Academy, especially [with] the best new artist, they always try to throw a curveball because there’s been a lot of historic snubs with this category in the past. I think Justin Bieber never won best new artist, neither did Kendrick Lamar, or Drake. Sometimes the years where there was someone who’s obviously the biggest star still didn’t win sometimes because the recording Academy may go with someone who seems like Victoria said, more likely to play into music industry politics and unfortunately sometimes that ends up being the person who wins, the one who is willing to play the game and not everyone enjoys playing the game.
GA: I think it’s a toss up between Chappell and Sabrina Carpenter to be honest. Then Shaboozey if the Academy feels like going in a different direction. That’s what I think.
VT: I agree with that. I think you also brought up a good point that Sabrina Carpenter isn’t technically a new artist, which I wasn’t thinking about before. But I feel like they could go with Shaboozey.
Who we think will win Best New Artist: Sabrina Carpenter
Who we think should win Best New Artist: Chappell Roan or Shaboozey
Song of the Year
The Nominees (this award goes to the songwriter): “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey, “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish, “Die with a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone, “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan, “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, “Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter and “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyonce
GA: It’s a really competitive group of songs. As you were saying, for the songs I kept thinking of a reason why each of them should win, especially because a lot of these are nominated for record of the year too and it’s sort of which one deserves record of the year versus song of the year. My initial thought was it should be “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish. That was my initial [thought] but then I think about how that one possibly would be better deserving of record of the year.
Especially because I know that Billie Eilish is sort of the Grammys’ darling. She’s won album of the year, she’s won a lot before and she’s won big before so I could see them going with “Birds of a Feather.” I could see them going with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” because that song blew up on the charts, but I don’t know. I honestly can see all of them. Like “Good Luck Babe!” has a good case for it. I think it would be hilarious if

“Not Like Us” wins. I think that would be hilarious coming from a huge Kendrick fan and like I hate Drake, you know, I think that would be hilarious, but I think my pick for what should win would be “Birds of a Feather.” I honestly am afraid of the possibility of “Fortnight” winning. We’ll get into this later, but I don’t think that Taylor Swift necessarily deserves to win anything for “Tortured Poets Departments.” Frankly, I’m kind of surprised that any of it is nominated because I just don’t think it’s anywhere near being her best stuff. It’s some of her, honestly, more mediocre work in a minute. I feel like her previous work is a lot better. My pick for who I think should win would be “Not Like Us” or “Birds of a Feather.” And then who I think has a good chance of winning is “A Bar Song” and “Fortnight.”
PH: I would like “Good Luck, Babe!” to win, because like I said earlier, it’s a song about a girl who’s gay. But she has a boyfriend and she’s like closeted, And then, Chappell sings “hey, remember me?” It’s always nice seeing those kinds of themes in the mainstream, so I’d like for “Good Luck, Babe!” to win.
GA: It is hard. There’s so many songs. They’re all genuinely good songs.
PH: I feel for some reason “Die with a Smile” could win.
GA: That’s so true.
PH: Yeah, I feel like that’s been so popular.
GA: He [Bruno Mars] has 150 million Spotify listeners right now, monthly listeners.
PH: I just feel like [with] the way they determine things now, I mean, this is just how many videos are under the song [on] TikTok.
SB: They [the Recording Academy] love Bruno Mars. They like him just like Billie Eilish in a way.
GA: Yeah, I can see “Die with a Smile” winning. “Die with a Smile” is one that was not nominated for record of the year. So honestly, I do feel like there is some sort of basis between the two [of] who wins song of the year versus who wins record over the year. I feel because “Die with a Smile” isn’t nominated for record of the year I could see them rewarding Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga.
VT: I kind of agree with Paige that I want “Good Luck, Babe!” to win, and I feel that it definitely has a really good chance because at least for me I heard that song everywhere this year. But I also think that “A Bar Song” could definitely win and I think that “Texas Hold ‘Em” could win too [..] I feel like Beyoncé for sure is winning something. I feel like this one could go to her.
I know with “Birds of a Feather” Billie’s nominated for album of the year. I think she has more hits on that album that I feel like the best album might go to her rather than song.
GA: I agree. I agree with you guys about “Good Luck, Babe!” I would want “Birds of a Feather.” I want to say that the Recording Academy is gonna acknowledge her [Chappell Roan] at these awards with at least one award. I do think and I hope that Billie Eilish is going to take best pop vocal album at least, if not album of the year. I don’t think Chappell Roan’s gonna win there. So I could see this being her recognition. Especially because she’s a songwriter on the song.
SB: I’d like to see “Good Luck, Babe!” or “Not Like Us” because those are two songs beyond just being good [were] culturally significant [and] had so much cultural value to them. I think that in general, sometimes the public likes songs that do hold cultural value alongside being really catchy. That’s something musicians did really well this year was creating good, catchy songs that were also significant for society. And “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Not Like Us” do a really good job with that since they’re both telling specific unique experiences about different minority groups. They should win just because of their ability to capture these two dueling ideas in music.
But, who may win? It might just go to “Die with a Smile.” I think the recording Academy really likes Bruno Mars and that he’s coming back. They also may like that Lady Gaga’s coming back as well, with her new album. So, this may just be an opportunity to help kind of boost those two profiles.
GA: Yeah, I agree. The thing about “Not Like Us” [is] I honestly feel like it has a better shot of winning record of the year than it does song of the year. “Not Like Us” was [playing] everywhere, it took over sports […] I do think it would be significant if it won song of the year. I just think it would [have a] better shot of winning record of the year than it does song of the year. Rap songs don’t usually get a lot of recognition for song of the year. And, I would hate that because I don’t think “Not Like Us” is a particularly good, like, well written rap song. You know, I feel like there are so many other rap songs, especially Kendrick songs that are better written, purely from a songwriting perspective. I feel it would feel a little cheap sort of […] I mean it makes sense because of the cultural impact and how big it’s been and that’s sort of the reason why it’s getting nominated.
SB: I think it would be good to have a hip hop artist win something in the big four because the music industry [and] music critics kind of wrote off hip hop in 2024. Even though hip hop was kind of flourishing. So I think Kendrick Lamar was trying to be like, you know, that artist that’s like, we’re still here stop like trying to write us off.
But also it’s the recording academy they never really have an inclination to reward hip hop or to give it’s recognition, so they could easily just nominate Kendrick Lamar for the sake of nominating him and not actually give him anything in the general field.
Who we think will win Song of the Year: “Die with a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
Who we think should win Song of the Year: “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan
Record of the Year
The Nominees: “360” by Charli XCX, “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish, “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone, “Good Luck Babe!” by Chappell Roan, “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, “Now and Then” by The Beatles and “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyonce
GA: Alright, so immediately, the elephant in the room is what are The Beatles doing here? The issue is I liked the song. I liked “Now and Then.” I thought it was a good song. Basically they’re making a statement here with nominating The Beatles in this day and age. I feel like that’s enough of a statement. But then there’s also the aspect AI was involved in the creation of this song.
SB: The AI was used to enhance vocals that they didn’t have the proper technology to extract these pre-recorded vocals John Lennon may have recorded before he died. But then they just were never able to get clear enough [vocals] to put it on a record. And I think AI helped in enhancing the vocals for it to go on a record.
GA: I actually do think that’s a good thing because I feel like that opens opportunities, regardless of where you stand on the whole releasing musicians’ music after they die debate, I feel like it does sort of bring opportunity for people to do cool things with music. Especially because it wasn’t involved in actually making the music. It was sort of like a tool to be able to use it. I think it has a good chance of winning. The only thing that’s holding it back though is I feel like a nomination is enough recognition for that song on its own.
The Academy could be like it’s a thing of the past let’s give [it] recognition. I do think “360” is my leading pick for who I think deserves to win this category, because although I don’t necessarily think I would have picked that song off of the album. I don’t know if Charli is gonna win album of the year, so I think this is gonna be her recognition, and I feel like she deserves the recognition. I think because of this whole dance pop, techno, electronic music sort of revival that’s happening that Charli XCX is leading that screams record of the year production. I think it should win based off of that. I do think if it was “Apple” instead of “360” for record of the year I would say “Apple” would be a lock to win. But “360,” is my pick. And then, “Birds of a Feather” is next best chances for me, but I think “360” should win and will win.
VT: I agree with that. [That] would be my choice because Charli is kind of like [defining] that whole like club scene again and is coming back. However, I can also see “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Espresso” as like because I know that there’s like some sort of there’s some sort of like master class for producing out where they’re using “Good Luck, Babe!” as an example.
And, I know a couple people who produce music and I heard one of them talking about how “Espresso” is really well produced. So because I’ve heard other people talk about those two in the production realm I could see those two winning […] “360” would be my choice and I can definitely see it winning, it’s popular enough.
PH: I feel like I have so many opinions, so I’m just gonna stick with what you guys said. I feel like I can rant about this for an hour. So yeah, “360.”

SB: I would like to see “360” also [but] my main thing sometimes with these categories is if the Academy is ready for something that’s boundary pushing. Essentially, I do feel pop this year was good. You know, traditional pop songs and the Academy loves good pop music. I feel they could be easily swayed toward “Espresso” because of that. Obviously, “Birds of a Feather,” [is] good pop music that represents their ideas on what music should sound like. But, if it did go to “360,” I feel like that would be a good shift in showing that the Academy Is going to be expanding their horizons of what pop can be. If they’re at a point that they’re willing to accept, the pop can be more than just a traditional pop that we hear with “Espresso” and “Birds of a Feather, [then “360”]. But I don’t think so. I’m gonna go with “Espresso” and “Birds of a Feather” because I think the Academy likes something that is familiar to them and not too many things that push boundaries.
GA: I think it’s interesting that you bring up the thing about good pop music. Because in my opinion, specifically for Billie is that I think she’s one of the only people making interesting pop music right now. I feel like she’s doing something very different, so I would like to see that sort of rewarded but, we’ll get to that when we talk about album of the year.
SB: It’s a stacked category. I could really see there being a lot of split votes because of how stacked it is. But I feel like the split votes thing may come more with album of the year, which we’ll talk about soon, because of how stacked these categories are. I think there could be a curveball.
GA: I honestly like looking at these Grammy nominations. It feels like it’s honestly the most competitive that it’s been in years for some of these categories.
Oh, I do want to bring up that I don’t think Taylor Swift should win this category. There’s always a really big chance that Taylor Swift is going to take any of these because [..] it’s giving deja vu of last year.
Who we think will win Record of the Year: “360” by Charli XCX
Who we think should win Record of the Year: “360” by Charli XCX
Album of the Year
The Nominees: “brat” by Charli XCX, “Cowboy Carter” by Beyonce, “Djesse Vol. 4” by Jacob Collier, “Hit Me Hard and Soft” by Billie Eilish, “New Blue Sun” by Andre 3000, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” by Chappell Roan, “Short n’ Sweet” by Sabrina Carpenter and “The Tortured Poets Department” by Taylor Swift
PH: I’d really like Chappell Roan to win this one.
GA: Yeah, I’m really excited for this category, to be honest. I’m extremely excited to see who wins album of the year. There are some really good picks. I think there’s one bad pick, but to be honest, I can see anybody taking this category
I loved “New Blue Sun.” I think it would be hilarious if Andre 3000 wins album of the year for his flute album. I wrote a review of “New Blue Sun” and I was a little critical because I don’t necessarily think that it’s a great flute album, and Andre 3000, he’s not a flautist.
This is like a recent endeavor that he’s been on, and it’s not like I listen to a lot of flute music, but I was like is this really groundbreaking? How innovative could [it] possibly be. But that being said, I did love the album and I do think deep in my heart, I want Andre 3000 to win. I don’t necessarily think he should or will win. But it would be something that I would be happy about if it happened.
Now, who do I think should win? I do think that although all the categories are very competitive, the easiest category for me to say who I think 100% deserves to win is Billie Eilish for “Hit Me Hard and Soft” and well, I’m a huge Billie Eilish fan. You guys know that and may come across as bias, which I’m sure is definitely a part of it, but “Hit Me Hard and Soft” to me is one of the best albums I’ve ever heard, let alone of the year.
So I definitely think “Hit Me Hard and Soft” deserves to win because [as] I was saying earlier, she is, in my opinion, the only person right now making interesting pop music and I don’t include Charlie XCX in that because I don’t necessarily see her music as pop music, more sort of electronic like dance music, although it probably is pop, but I don’t necessarily include Charli XCX in there [though] I do think she’s making interesting music. Billie and “Hit Me Hard and Soft” just feels so fresh, feels so new. It feels so well done. It feels clean, polished. I do think it’s her best work, and if she’s won album of the year before, I feel like why not now? This is better than anything she’s ever done.
Who I think will win, however, I don’t necessarily think that Billie Eilish is the leading one on that. I do think she has a good shot to win. I think who will win is between “brat,” “Cowboy Carter” or “The Tortured Poets Department.” Because, I feel like Charli XCX would be their [the Recording Academy] supreme recognition of her year that she’s had [by] giving her album of the year. However, it brings up the question: Beyoncé’s never won album of the year. Is it time? I think it might be time, at least in the academies, like voting sense. But there’s also, like the narrative […] will Taylor Swift win back-to-back? I do think from a certain perspective, the Grammys also like to sort of reward like storylines.
SB: I also would like to see Andre 3000 win. I think the reason why they have nominated [it is] because they may like his music. The flute music may not be groundbreaking itself, but it may be considered groundbreaking because of the fact that he is a very well respected hip hop artist who has done well at the Grammys in the past. Doing this stark genre shift that I think the Grammys are like “that’s interesting as an artist because you’re able to be so versatile.”
I think split votes could lead to him winning. But if split votes didn’t lead to him winning, I really would like to see “brat” win for a should and who I think will win, because of its cultural significance. It did really well among audiences. It did really well with critics. It pushed people as a whole to actually recognize her talent and her artistry. It was a major part of the summer, like she’s a cultural reference now. It’s undeniable the impact of “brat” [as] an album.
And her ability to create a follow up to it that brought in a lot of more versatility [of] what she could do with that album. I think it really just shows her expanse as an artist and I think she should be rewarded just based off of her artistry this year–for last year.
PH: I would have to agree with you. Now, part of me is like “brat” should win and “brat” will win. But I don’t know. I think of last year when Bonnie Raitt won song of the year and no one was expecting that at all. Maybe something like that will happen with Andre 3000 or Jacob Collier. I mean, all the points made kind of have me leaning towards like “brat” should win and I think “brat” will win.
VT: I really want “brat” to win. I feel like it would be my pick for sure. I can see “Hit Me Hard and Soft” or “Cowboy Carter” winning. I feel like the Billie Eilish album is just like Gustavo said, like really polished. I feel like it’s just a good collective pop album, so I could see that winning. I think it’s cool that “New Blue Sun” is there but I don’t see them giving that to him because it’s a flute album. I think it’s cool it’s even on the list. I just feel like it’s too unconventional for them to pick it.
GA: When I look at this list, to me, it’s undeniable, at least for me, that from a critic-musical perspective, not necessarily like [the] Grammy Award, I think “Hit Me Hard and Soft” is by far the best. I don’t know if the Academy is gonna see it that way as I do. Although I would love it, it would be so validating if the Academy was like yes, album of the year […] I think “brat,” if we were to use the word undeniable again “brat” is, it’s undeniable. It’s so big it influenced to a certain point an election. I think “brat” definitely deserves to win, although my choice for who deserves it is Billie.
VT: I feel like I’m switched on those.
GA: You think “brat” deserves to win and “Hit Me Hard and Soft” will win.
VT: Yeah. Billie did win album the year before. I don’t know if they would do that twice, but there’s a good chance.
PH: Maybe give her a break from one for once. They have to have someone else win.
GA: She already got the break for “Happier Than Ever.” She didn’t win anything for that, so it’s time.
SB: I would just say it’s like historic [territory]. It would be nice to see Beyoncé win because a Black woman has not won album of the year since what, 1999? And after last year with SZA not winning. Critics are recognizing how Black women are not winning album of the year. If she doesn’t win, it’s just gonna continue that cycle.
I feel like Beyoncé is interesting because she’s always stuck in this politic with the Grammys where they make her the most awarded Grammy winner of all time but they won’t give her album of the year for some reason. I don’t know [if it’s] because her recent albums have been really focused on Black identity and the Black community and the Grammys aren’t the best with recognizing works that have that focus.
That I think they could easily overlook. Also, I think I’ve read things in the past that Grammy voters have said about Beyoncé, and it seemed like they don’t like her in general. I don’t really know why. But historically [it] would be good for her. But I can also see her just not winning again because they just don’t ever wanna give this to her and also because of the politics surrounding her husband right now could easily influence this as well.
VT: If you’re saying that I feel like she has no shot of winning.
GA: I can see “Cowboy Carter” winning, to be honest. I like all you said. I feel like it’s time. People said the same thing with “Renaissance” like it was time for her to win. Although I don’t think “Renaissance” deserved to win, I think I think that was the same year as “Un Verano Sin Ti” I feel like that deserved. But, I do think it is time. I feel like it could be seen as a “sorry about not giving it to SZA last year, here’s Beyoncé.” So, I could see “Cowboy Carter” winning, but I also don’t think it has really that good of a chance against “brat.”
SB: Also, they should have just given it to SZA. That was their one opportunity to give it to her. Because also I don’t think she may get much for “LANA” either. So it’s like either give album of the year to a Black woman now and or just not give Black women recognition in this category for another couple of years.
GA: I can see what you mean exactly, because [is] SZA even gonna be back to this? Do you think she’s ever even gonna get nominated again for album of the year? I could see her dropping another album that’s really good, but especially with how sporadic she is with her music, although recently she’s been dropping more, “SOS” was fantastic and it’s hard to surpass. And if they didn’t give her the album of the year for that, are they even gonna give it to her ever, you know? So I do think that influences to a certain extent Beyoncé’s chances because I do think that there’s like a narrative there.
So we haven’t mentioned “Short n Sweet” by Sabrina Carpenter, but I feel the unspoken thing about that is it really even great as an album. I like “Espresso” and I like “Please Please Please.” I think she’s deserving of all the recognition there. I don’t think it necessarily was particularly interesting as a whole. But who knows? Maybe she’ll win.
And lastly for me I think again we need to mention the possibility of Taylor Swift winning because she will be running back-to-back album of the year. This would be her fifth if she wins. It would be terrible. I don’t know, the Grammys love Taylor Swift. So we’ll see.
SB: I think my one thing that makes me think she may not win is because critics collectively did not like that album. And even though sometimes the Academy doesn’t listen to critics, I think having that much noise, the Grammys would be so wrong to do this. I don’t think she’s gonna win this, and I think this may be a good thing, because then she may give us another great album.
PH: Let’s hope it’s Taylor’s version album.
GA: I agree, because it does feel like this needs to be a wake up call for Taylor Swift because I’m not one of those people that’s going to sit here and tell you Taylor Swift’s music sucks because I don’t think that’s true. I think Taylor makes–has made really good music. Like I’m a huge fan of “Folklore” and “Evermore.” I think that’s where Taylor Swift was at her best, and a lot of her earlier music, even “Midnights,” there was the case to be made for album of the year, although I don’t particularly agree with it. I think rewarding Taylor Swift’s more mediocre efforts would be damaging to her and to us in the long run because it’s like if she doesn’t win, it’s like ok back to the drawing board, see if we can make something new and fresh and something that’s actually good.
Who we think will win Album of the Year: “brat” by Charli XCX or “Hit Me Hard and Soft” by Billie Eilish
Who we think should win Album of the Year: “brat” by Charli XCX or “Hit Me Hard and Soft” by Billie Eilish

The 67th Grammys will be held on Feb. 2, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. The live telecast of the main ceremony begins at 8pm EST.
Suzanne Bagia can be reached at [email protected]