Music is one of the most universal parts of our lives as college students. Whether it’s playing at parties or blasting through headphones on the walk to class, music permeates our day-to-day activities on campus, and many students keep up with its latest trends and releases.  

The Grammy Awards are the pinnacle of recognition for music, generating significant buzz among students every year as the ceremony approaches. With nominations announced on Nov. 7, students’ reactions and predictions are already circulating around Vanderbilt. Members of The Hustler’s staff delivered their predictions for the winners of the “Big Four” awards.  

Record of the Year 

Record of the Year recognizes the track with the best overall production, considering all artists, producers and engineers involved with the work. 

Nominees: “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “APT.” by ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, “DtMF” by Bad Bunny, “luther” by Kendrick Lamar with SZA, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter, “The Subway” by Chappell Roan and “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish

Marques Watson, Deputy Life Editor: “luther”  

Kendrick Lamar has had nothing short of a massive year. After headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, he took home five Grammys in 2025, all for his diss track “Not Like Us.” This year, he enters the field as the artist with the most nominations. “luther,” his collaboration with SZA, dominated airwaves in early 2025 and went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks. Given Lamar’s ubiquity this year and his excellent track record with the Grammys (22 wins and 66 nominations), “luther” feels like a shoo-in to take home Record of the Year.  

Alex Brodeur, Deputy Life Editor: “Abracadabra”

This was a tough category, as there are so many good contenders here. After deliberating, I narrowed my options to two: “Abracadabra” and “APT.” These two songs were not only catchy, but they were heard everywhere — from TikTok videos to grocery stores across the globe. However, I chose “Abracadabra” because of how much of an impact it had on the musical landscape. Aside from its inescapability, the dance Lady Gaga performed in the song’s music video became a viral trend, and her past wins at previous award ceremonieswould make this song a key contender for this award. 

Rachel Marlowe, Music Correspondent: “Manchild” 

Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” is a masterclass in pop performance and persona. The single’s glossy, tongue-in-cheek production and biting lyrics capture Carpenter’s signature mix of humor and heartbreak — the same duality that’s made her such a commanding force this year. Its music video only amplified the song as a cultural moment: a cinematic, pastel-soaked satire of fame and femininity that flooded TikTok feeds and fan edits for months. Coming off her huge wins at last year’s Grammys — Best Pop Vocal Album for “Short n’ Sweet”and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Espresso” — Carpenter has only continued her upward trajectory. “Manchild” feels like the defining record of that momentum, cementing her as not just a pop star, but a full-fledged cultural phenomenon.

Song of the Year 

Song of the Year recognizes the lyrical composition of a song. The award is credited to the track’s songwriter(s).  

Nominees: “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “APT.” by ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, “DtMF” by Bad Bunny, “Golden [From “KPop Demon Hunters”]” by HUNTR/X: (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI), “luther” by Kendrick Lamar with SZA, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter and “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish 

Watson: “WILDFLOWER” 

One of the biggest shocks at last year’s Grammy Awards was when Billie Eilish left the night empty-handed, going zero-for-seven on nominations for her third studio album “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.” Eilish has historically been a favorite of the Recording Academy and when compared to its competitors, the heartfelt songwriting on “WILDFLOWER” is a cut above the rest. I suspect that Academy voters, in an effort to remedy last year’s snub, may hand Eilish the award.  

Brodeur: “WILDFLOWER” 

The Grammy voters seem to love Billie Eilish’s songwriting – so much so that she has been nominated in this category six times and has taken it home twice for “bad guy” and “What Was I Made For?” — and I personally cannot disagree. While “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” was not my favorite album Eilish has released, this song is a clear standout among both the album’s 10 tracks and this category. Its personal lyricism and stripped-back musical styling make this a perfect contender for this award, and I believe it is best suited to win in February, especially as this is only nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. 

Marlowe: “WILDFLOWER” 

Billie Eilish’s “WILDFLOWER” plays like a quiet triumph, both a return to form and a reckoning with vulnerability. After being shut out of the major categories last cycle despite the acclaim of “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT,” this nomination feels like overdue recognition of Eilish’s growth as a songwriter. The track’s stripped-back piano and whisper-soft vocals highlight her lyrical precision, turning a simple image of a flower pushing through concrete into a metaphor for resilience and rebirth. It’s poetic without pretense, intimate yet universal and easily one of the most emotionally intelligent pieces of writing in this year’s lineup. 

 Album of the Year 

Album of the Year credits all contributors to the best overall album.  

Nominees: “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” by Bad Bunny, “CHROMAKOPIA” by Tyler, the Creator, “GNX” by Kendrick Lamar, “Let God Sort Em Out” by Clipse, Pusha T and Malice, “Man’s Best Friend” by Sabrina Carpenter, “MAYHEM” by Lady Gaga, “MUTT” by Leon Thomas and “SWAG” by Justin Bieber  

Watson: “MAYHEM” 

Before nominations dropped, “MAYHEM” and “GNX” were my two front-runners to take home Album of the Year, which many consider the most prestigious award of the night. LadyGaga is a longtime Grammy darling, and “MAYHEM” has all the ingredients to appease the Academy, from its avant-garde production to its genre diversity. Furthermore, the fact that there are three hip-hop albums and an R&B album in the field this year poses a serious risk for splitting votes that would otherwise go towards “GNX.” Meanwhile, the pop lane is wide open for Gaga, her only competition being “Man’s Best Friend,” an album which had a very lukewarm reception.  

Brodeur: “GNX” 

I cannot deny the impact “GNX” and Kendrick Lamar have had this year: from Lamar’s legacy-defining Super Bowl Halftime Show in February to being able to recognize several songs solely based on their prevalence in online trends, this album seems to have it all, including a production credit from super-producer Jack Antonoff. However, it may be hard for this to win, because of Lamar’s multiple wins at last year’s ceremony for his hit song “Not Like Us.” 

Marlowe: “Man’s Best Friend” 

Even with all the discourse surrounding “Man’s Best Friend,” from debates about its lyrics to the viral rollout that blurred self-awareness and spectacle, Sabrina Carpenter has undeniably owned this year. The album’s blend of glossy pop and biting self-reflection feels more layered with time; what once read as playful has revealed itself as smart anddeliberate storytelling. In an era where pop artists often struggle to balance irony with honesty, Carpenter manages both with precision. That said, Bad Bunny’s “DeBÍ TiRAR MáSFOToS” looms large, especially with his upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show keeping him at the center of pop culture. Still, “Man’s Best Friend” has grown unexpectedly this year as the kind of album that critics second-guess too late and fans never stop playing. 

Best New Artist 

Best New Artist awards a musician or group who has broken into the mainstream eye within the past year and has not previously been nominated for a Grammy as a performing artist.  

Nominees: Addison Rae, Alex Warren, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, sombr and The Marías 

Watson: Olivia Dean 

Olivia Dean has been the breakout star of the latter half of 2025. Her single “Man I Need” has gone viral on TikTok and just crept into the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 on Nov. 3. Her studio album “The Art of Loving,” which skillfully blends soul, R&B and downtempo pop music, was well received by critics. This unique sound combined with the fact that her meteoric rise to fame coincides with the time when the Academy cast their votes, gives Dean a solid chance to clinch Best New Artist.  

Brodeur: Olivia Dean 

Anyone who knows me knows how much I have been listening to Olivia Dean and her new album “The Art of Loving” throughout the past few weeks. And I am not alone, as fans and critics alike have been screaming her name from the rooftops in recent months as someone whose music and talent are reminiscent of the biggest names in British music, like Amy Winehouse and Adele. Both artists were once big Grammy winners, so I would not be shocked or disappointed if Grammy voters gave Dean the same treatment and her very first win. 

Marlowe: The Marías

If there’s one act that truly earned their spot in the Best New Artist category this year, it’s The Marías. Their dreamy, bilingual sound, effortlessly weaving English and Spanish lyrics over hazy synths and slow-burning basslines, has set them apart from any other group in the indie-pop scene. Though they’ve been releasing music since the late 2010s, their breakout moment has been long in the making, building a steady cult following before finally reaching mainstream recognition. Their Coachella performance earlier this year proved their rise isn’t just a streaming fluke; it was a moment of artistic arrival, mesmerizing the crowd with sultry visuals and cinematic arrangements. With every release, The Marías continue to blur the line between genre and mood, making them one of the most distinctive and deserving contenders in this category. If I could’ve added one more nominee, it would be Role Model;his sharp and emotionally candid pop belongs in this conversation. 

With several high-quality releases across genres this year, 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting and competitive year for the Grammy Awards. Make sure to take a break from studyingor have a watch party with some friends on Sunday, Feb. 1 to view the awards ceremony and see who takes home a golden gramophone.