Look Out For Olivia Rodrigo To Sweep The Grammys
Rodrigo is currently nominated for seven Grammys, including all four of the biggest categories.
The 2022 Grammys are right around the corner (they’re scheduled to air live from Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3), and while nothing is certain when it comes to the biggest award show in the music world, it looks like one name will dominate the upcoming ceremony. That name is Olivia Rodrigo.
The actor, singer, and songwriter launched her music career in the first few days of 2021, and she instantly took over the planet. Her transition from Disney favorite to proper chart-topper and pop superstar took about a week, and once she delivered her debut single “Drivers License,” it became clear that a new powerhouse had arrived.
Now, she’s already become one of the most-nominated names at the 2022 Grammys, and it looks highly likely that she’ll end up not just a winner, but perhaps the top champion of the evening.
Rodrigo is currently nominated for seven Grammys, tying her with fellow young prodigy Billie Eilish for the fifth-most chances to win at the 2022 show. Included in those seven nods are entries in all four of the biggest categories.
It’s not necessarily uncommon for a special figure to appear in every single one of the top verticals, but it’s also not exactly common, either. What makes Rodrigo’s recognition even more impressive is the fact that she might very well win them all.
Of all the Grammys that Rodrigo has a good shot at taking home, Best New Artist seems the most likely. In fact, while she may be up against some really excellent voices that are just hitting their stride in the music industry, none of them have received the same critical acclaim or succeeded commercially as the 19-year-old teen sensation already has.
Rodrigo’s debut full-length Sour is also a top frontrunner for Album of the Year. The set was a massive success with fans, critics and on the charts, and while sales and positions on the Billboard rankings aren’t supposed to matter to those choosing winners at the Grammys, it never hurts to have hit No. 1.
Unlike Best New Artist, Rodrigo doesn’t have this category locked down, as titles by Eilish (Happier Than Ever) and Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett (Love For Sale) are also strong contenders.
The superstar’s debut solo single “Drivers License” is nominated for both Record and Song of the Year, and again, while nothing is 100% sure until a name is called, it seems like there’s a very good chance that the tune may claim one, or both, prizes.
For Record of the Year, Rodrigo will have to beat out Gaga and Bennett (“I Get a Kick Out of You”), Eilish (“Happier Than Ever”) and Silk Sonic, otherwise known as Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak (“Leave the Door Open”), among others. Those three tracks look like they’re the strongest possibilities, potentially keeping the teen viral talent from capturing what some consider the top honor.
In the similar-but-not-the-same Song of the Year category, “Drivers License” may have the edge, and it seems a bit more likely that Rodrigo and her fellow songwriter Dan Nigro will win this field over Record of the Year. Rodrigo’s biggest competitors may be the aforementioned tunes by Silk Sonic and Eilish, as well as H.E.R.’s “Fight For You,” which won an Academy Award for songwriting a year ago.
At just 19 years old, winning any of the big four categories at the Grammys would be a dream come true for Rodrigo as well as a surefire sign that a once-in-a-generation talent has arrived. If she snags several top prizes, she’ll be one of a relatively small group to do so in the same ceremony.
Should Rodrigo end up on top in all four verticals, she’ll become just the third artist in history to do so, following in the footsteps of Christopher Cross and Eilish, who accomplished the feat just a few years back.
The Grammys are Sunday, April 3, starting at 8 p.m. on CBS. Visit grammy.com to see the full list of nominees and for more information.
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