Grammys Songwriter of the Year predictions: Nominees may include hit-makers behind Karol G, Miley Cyrus and more
This year the Grammys moved the Songwriter of the Year and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical categories into the general field. The way voting works, academy members are only allowed to vote in three fields besides general, and can only vote in 10 categories between those three fields. Songwriter of the Year was its own field when that award was introduced last year, and most members probably didn’t want to burn one of their three fields to vote for just one award. Now all voters can participate in these contests, hopefully generating a more representative list of who excelled behind the scenes. This year in particular has a diverse and exciting list of possible contenders in both categories, so let’s consider who might make the cut in the songwriting race.
This category is a bit more barren than last year in terms of heavy-hitters, with most of the big albums this year like “Guts” and “Midnights” being written by the artists and producers. As such, many of the credited writers who could’ve been here this year, like Olivia Rodrigo‘s creative partner Dan Nigro and SZA collaborator Carter Lang, chose to submit to Producer of the Year instead.
One major contender is Latin songwriter Edgar Barrera. Barrera has been killing it, working with everyone from Bad Bunny to Karol G. This year he penned their respective hits “Un x100to” and “Mi Ex Tenía Razón,” to name just a couple. He also scored the most Latin Grammy nominations this year (13).
Another Latin talent who could make the cut is Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, also known as Keityn. He has been the main writer for both Karol G and Shakira this year, penning hits like Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” Karol’s “Amargura” and their crossover hit collaboration “TQG.” Considering the standout year Latin music has had, it would be fitting to include both Barrera and Keityn in the final five.
Another songwriter who could show up is Michael Pollack. He has been a popular songwriter for years now, penning hits for some of today’s biggest pop stars. This Grammy season was particularly good for him, though, with credits including the biggest hit of his career: Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers.” Pollack also penned Brandy Clark and Brandi Carlile’s “Dear Insecurity,” which could be coming for wins in Americana categories. To top that off, he worked on the track “Raindance” from Jon Batiste’s likely nominee “World Music Radio.”
On the R&B and hip-hop side of things, three contenders stand out. First is singer-songwriter Jozzy, who you might’ve caught on “The Terrell Show.” Her hit catalog this year includes SZA’s “Low” as well as tracks for Metro Boomin, Chloe, and 6lack. Also a possible contender is last year’s nominee Nija Charles, one of the biggest writers working right now, who this year has contributed to music from Usher, Chloe, Jon Batiste, Kali Uchis, and more. Last but certainly not least is Akil King, also known as World Wide Fresh. He might have one of the most hit-heavy catalogs of the year by any songwriter, penning songs like Doechii’s “What It Is,” Coi Leray’s “Players” and David Guetta’s “Baby Don’t Hurt Me.”
My Predictions: Edgar Barrera, Nija Charles, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Akil “World Wide Fresh” King, Michael Pollack
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