Will Billie Eilish sweep the Grammys again? She’s cleaned up over the last 2 years
It’s no secret that the Grammys love Billie Eilish. This acclaimed singer-songwriter has had a massive breakout over the last two years, already achieving two number-one albums in the US and an amazing seven Grammys, including two for Record of the Year. This year Eilish is nominated in seven categories. A lot of Gold Derby users are expecting Eilish to win little, if any, due to strong competition from Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic, and Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, among others (she has a narrow lead in our odds for Album of the Year, but that’s it). However, is it wise to rule out a full sweep for Billie given her track record?
Let’s start from the bottom. Eilish is nominated for Best Music Video, a category which heavily resembles Record of the Year this year, likely because this was the first year in decades without a nomination review committee. With dubious nominees such as Bennett and Gaga’s “I Get a Kick Out of You,” it looks like voters didn’t care much about the videos and just checked off their favorite artists. This could benefit Eilish, especially since she is known for her videography. Her biggest competitor here will be Lil Nas X‘s “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” but given that he missed the pop field (while EIlish didn’t), one could argue that he lacks the overall support needed to win this category. It’s also worth noting that Eilish has beaten Nas every time they’ve competed for a Grammy together, so far at least.
Eilish is also nominated for Best Music Film for “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles.” While a win for “Summer of Soul” here is a pretty safe bet, the Grammys do love rewarding their favorite artists, like past winners that showcased Paul McCartney, The Beatles, and Quincy Jones. “Summer of Soul” also might not be as familiar to voters as Eilish; perhaps Grammy voters aren’t as tuned into the film’s Oscar hype like movie award show voters have been.
The pop categories might be a bit trickier. She has lost Pop Solo Performance twice in a row for arguably bigger hits than “Happier Than Ever.” However, it’s possible that one of the reasons she’s lost Pop Solo Performance is because pop voters gravitate towards brighter summer songs (like past winners “Truth Hurts” by Lizzo and “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles). This year, however, the big three contenders are all down-tempo, although “Happier Than Ever” is the one that actually picks up and becomes a full-force rock song. This pop/rock cross-genre appeal could also be a benefit as it might give her a broader base of support.
As for Pop Vocal Album, the only people who have won twice are Kelly Clarkson (“Breakaway” and “Stronger”) and Adele (“21” and “25”). However, if anyone can defy conventional wisdom, it’s EIlish, who has made history more than once already. And “Happier Than Ever” was popular enough that it could win, especially if voters want someone more established than 2021 breakout Olivia Rodrigo — though Eilish is still just 20-years-old.
Oddly enough, Eilish’s easiest win(s) might come in the general field. She has shown she’s a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the GF, notching two consecutive Record of the Year wins, a feat accomplished by only two other artists. This year, while she’ll have to face a few Grammy favorites like Silk Sonic duo Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak, Bennett and Gaga, and Brandi Carlile, she has the advantage of cross-genre appeal with both pop and rock/alternative voters (she’s arguably the most rock-leaning artist in contention, so she could gain a lot of support from voters who work in that genre). She also benefits from having a more recent song: “Happier Than Ever” dropped last summer as opposed to winter and spring hits like Silk Sonic’s “Leave The Door Open” and Rodrigo’s “Drivers License.”
It’ll be exciting to see what happens with Eilish. While she could potentially go home empty-handed, there’s a good case to be made for a full sweep from her, and I wouldn’t put that past the Grammys after the past two years. Since Eilish may very well be fresh off an Oscar win for her theme from “No Time To Die,” she would further cement her status as pop’s biggest awards player right now.
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify record executives and music stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where thousands of showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?