With the start of 2023, it is time to celebrate the music we had in 2022. The 65th annual Grammy awards will be hosted on February 5, at 6:00 pm CT, and as always, there will be controversies and arguments over nominations and winners.

Most of the biggest artists in the world released music in 2022. Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Drake, The Weeknd, Lizzo, and Kendrick Lamar being some of the most notable. In the general field for nominations, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” is included in almost every category. Her lead single for the album “BREAK MY SOUL” is also nominated for record of the year, song of the year, and best Dance/Electronic recording. Beyoncé has proven to stay on top of the music industry whenever she releases new work. Adele has also found success in 2022 with her comeback album “30”. This album and her single “Easy On Me” have received plenty of nominations.

Although there are plenty of artists nominated who have been popular for years or decades, many rising up and comers have been nominated this year. Pop artist Steve Lacy has risen into the mainstream with his hit single “Bad Habit”. The music industry has seen many new talents rise in 2022. Nominations for best new artist include the likes of Latto, Maneskin, and Muni Long. 

Mary J. Blige has racked up album and song of the year nominations with her album “Good Morning Gorgeous”, a mix of R&B and Hip-Hop with collaborators such as H.E.R., Anderson Paak, and Fivio Foreign. And it can’t be a Grammy nomination list if Brandi Carlile isn’t on it. She seems to receive nominations almost every year for her great work. Her latest album “In These Silent Days” has received critical praise and many nominations. This musical veteran continues to bless fans with great records.

As for the winners, that is yet to be determined, but critics and fans believe that certain artists will find big wins on February 5th. After a five year hiatus, Kendrick Lamar released his long awaited album “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers”. This masterpiece proves Kendrick is at the top of his game. It is an introspective project that touches on Kendrick’s feelings and personal struggles. It further solidifies him as one of the greatest rappers to ever live. Although Kendrick has won Rap Album of the Year twice, he has never one an overall album of the year. But this could certainly change this year. The association has reportedly had talks about giving the award to either Lamar or Beyoncé. The Grammys have been known to give out trophies for commercial success rather than quality of music, so certain awards can go to artists such as Harry Styles, Doja Cat, or Bad Bunny, considering they were some of the artists with the most sales and radio play.

As for every year, the Grammys will cause a stir for days about their winners, and maybe another scandal from the association arises. But fans of artists can only hope their favorite wins a golden horn, and critics can only hope their preferred tune takes home the hardware. But that is the fun of the Grammys. There is almost never a clear cut winner.