Grammy nominations preview: An album of the year race that’s impossible to predict and more

Finish up that espresso, grab your pink cowboy hat and buckle up for what’s shaping up to be ladies night at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

Finish up that espresso, grab your pink cowboy hat and buckle up for what’s shaping up to be ladies night at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Chappell Roan are behind some of this year’s biggest chart-topping albums, so it’s possible some or all of these women will be named in multiple categories on Friday when the Recording Academy announces the nominations. More women have been represented in the album of the year category since it was expanded in 2019, going from 5 nominees to 8 or more. Female artists have earned 50% of the nominations or more in that category since then, peaking last year when seven of the eight nominees were women. Jon Batiste was the sole male nominee in that category. Billboard’s Awards Editor Paul Grein told CNN that because “women have dominated pop music in the last few years,” he anticipates this year’s crop of nominees for album of the year to match last year’s, “which is remarkable.” Eilish, Swift and Beyoncé have emerged as the “frontrunners” to lead the category, said Grein. Beyoncé stands to earn her fifth album of the year nod for “Cowboy Carter.” Grein believes she may hold the edge over the others considering she’s never won in the category.