Artists like Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Adele, Lizzo, and more received nominations for Record of the Year. Here are our predictions for the 2023 Grammy Awards — and the winner in this category.
Who is nominated for Record of the Year at the 2023 Grammy Awards
As one of the biggest categories at the 2023 Grammy Awards, several well-known artists earned nods in the Record of the Year category. This category shares similar nominees to Song of the Year.
However, as noted on the Grammy’s website, Record of the Year is awarded to “the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s), if other than the artist.”
That means this category specifically recognizes the recording and technical aspects behind an original. Song of the Year, on the other hand, deals with the composition and songwriters for a specific track.
In 2023, the nominees for Record of the Year are “Don’t Shut Me Down” by ABBA, “Easy On Me” by Adele, “BREAK MY SOUL” by Beyoncé, “Good Morning Gorgeous” by Mary J. Blige, “You And Me On The Rock” by Brandi Carlile, “Woman” by Doja Cat, “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy, “The Heart Part 5” by Kendrick Lamar, “About Damn Time” by Lizzo, and “As It Was” by Harry Styles.
Harry Styles or Adele could win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year
There are two frontrunners for Record of the Year — Adele with “Easy on Me” and Styles with “As It Was.” These nominees enjoyed the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100. Both songs found success on Spotify, with “Easy on Me” at 1.2 billion plays and “As It Was” at 1.8 billion plays.
Additionally, both artists have a history with the award ceremony. Adele already has 15 Grammy wins, including Record of the Year for “Hello.” Last year, Styles won his first Grammy in the Best Pop Solo Performance category.
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“As It Was,” became the first song released from Harry’s House, sporting a sunny, upbeat sound. It’s somewhat of a departure from his self-titled era, complete with a YouTube music video featuring Styles.
“Easy on Me,” similar to its title, features Adele’s iconic smooth vocals. This track was originally released in 2021 and later performed by the artist during her Las Vegas residency.
A look at other Record of the Year 2023 nominees
With a sample from Robin S. and a Big Freedia feature, “BREAK MY SOUL” ushered in Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE era, earning praise from fans and critics for its unapologetically LGBTQ-inspired sound.
The A.V. Club notes Lizzo’s “retro-funk hook” in “About Damn Time” as a reason she could earn the Record of the Year. After going viral on TikTok, this song remained on the music charts for most of 2022, making it one of her most popular Special songs.
As noted by Entertainment Weekly, Lamar has several Grammy wins (and a Pulitzer) under his belt — although he hasn’t won a Grammy Award outside the rap category. “The Heart Part 5,” specifically, puts him in a unique position to potentially snag Record of the Year.
The Grammy Awards broadcast live on CBS on Feb. 5, 2023.
