Grammy predictions: Pop categories include a Brit brawl and a couple of overdue legends

Big names and stories are coming out of the pop field this year at the Grammys. Not only do we have big faceoffs between year-defining artists, we’ve also got a couple of stars looking for their first ever wins and Grammy darlings trying to reassert their place as the Grammy GOATs.

Best Pop Vocal Album

This category features one of the most heated battles of the year, with Brit superstars Adele and Harry Styles going head-to-head. Styles has the upper hand when it comes to his singles: “Harry’s House” produced three top-10 hits on the pop charts, which means the album is well known to voters and audiences. “House” also notched a nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. While that category doesn’t necessarily seal a win for Styles here, that type of support is typically important, as most Engineered Album winners end up taking home their genre category. That said, Adele is Adele, always a hot commodity among voters (she hasn’t lost a Grammy race in over a decade). “30” is also the best-selling album here, despite lacking the number of individual hits Styles has.

If both artists were to somehow lose, the award might go to Lizzo, who has had a big year with her “Special” era. I will warn, though, not to underestimate ABBA (“Voyage”); they’re legends and voters might carry passion for them, and it helps that they stand out against their younger fellow nominees. As for Styles vs. Adele, I’ll just go with Adele here, but Styles is very much in the game.

Will win: Adele, “30”
Likeliest upset: Harry Styles, “Harry’s House”
Dark horse: Lizzo, “Special”

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

This category should easily be going to Diana Ross, who to this day has never won a competitive Grammy. “Thank You” is objectively deserving, and Grammy voters will likely not pass up the opportunity to award a living legend who might not get another chance at Grammy glory. “Thank You” is Ross’s first album in 16 years and would be a great way to honor her legacy since it’s a thank-you note for her fans and loved ones. Plus, every other nominee here is at least a three-time winner already, so just give Ross her flowers!

But if voters simply ignore the Ross narrative and her years of work, Michael Buble’s “Higher” might be the next in line. He’s won this category four times, so he has an edge. The remaining three nominees are Christmas albums, and those have never won in the category’s 30-year history despite being frequently nominated. If anyone’s in third place, though, it might be Kelly Clarkson, who’s a pop field favorite and has been making noise this Christmas season with her recurrent hit “Underneath the Tree” and her newest single “Santa Can’t You Hear Me.”

Will win: Diana Ross, “Thank You”
Likeliest upset: Michael Bublé. “Higher”
Dark horse: Kelly Clarkson, “When Christmas Comes Around…”

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