SZA’s SOS was the biggest album of 2023, so it’s no surprise to see the R&B star lead the 66th annual Grammy Awards nominations with nine. She’s followed closely by Victoria Monét, with seven. In addition to multiple nods in the R&B and rap categories, the “Kill Bill” songstress is also nominated for Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. If this all sounds familiar, you’re not alone: this is exactly where we found ourselves with Beyoncé last year at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
Renaissance was the biggest album of 2022. It was universally loved and was the obvious choice for Album of the Year. However, like Kendrick Lamar, John Legend, Drake and Jay-Z before her, Queen Bey was good enough for nominations, but not good enough to win any major categories. Sure, they let her break the record for most Grammy wins with an award in the dance category, but somehow, Harry Styles’ Harry’s House was named the Album of the Year. Now, we’re left to wonder if SZA will find herself in the same place.
SOS is up against World Music Radio by Jon Batiste; The Record by boygenius; Endless Summer Vacation by Miley Cyrus; Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey; The Age of Pleasure by Janelle Monáe; Guts by Olivia Rodrigo; and Midnights by Taylor Swift.
That’s an impressive lineup of artists, but it does lead to questions about whether the Recording Academy is playing the same old games where they use Black artists to boost the ratings of their show, but don’t allow them to actually win major awards. I’m not saying Taylor, Olivia or Miley don’t deserve to win, however, when you’ve see this happen enough times—most recently to the biggest star in the world—you get skeptical. Unfortunately, Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. doesn’t seem to understand the precedent his awards show has set over the years, and how it looks to Black music fans. When The Hollywood Reporter asked if he thought SZA had a chance of winning Album of the Year, he began by joking that she “has a one in eight chance.” He followed that up by explaining the rules of how voting works.
“I think she has a chance because she had an incredible record,” he said. “The nominees this year all made such great music. It’s really going to come down to the second round of voting [and] this second listen [and] who moves the voters and who makes an impact with the voters. And I do believe she has a shot.”
That all sounds very respectable, but if we’re being honest, we all know that’s not how awards voting works, no matter what show it is. Usually, voters bring their own opinions into it, so if they’re not as familiar with SZA, but definitely know Taylor Swift, they’re going to vote a certain way. Do I want SZA to win Album of the Year? Yes, I’d be thrilled if she, Batiste or Monáe won. But the hard truth is that it’s probably going to be Taylor. The Recording Academy will want to take a page from the NFL’s book and get that Swiftie ratings and engagement bump.