The Grammy Award for Record of the Year goes to the artists, producers, engineers and mixers behind the year’s best recording. So who will win when awards are handed out in 2021? The eligibility period for the 63rd annual kudos is September 1, 2019 through August 31, 2020. Scroll down to see the top contenders.
The Grammy eligibility period used to be a little different. It previously ran from October 1 through September 30, but the recording academy shifted everything by a month as a result of the Oscars decision to hold their 2020 Oscars in early February, which had been the Grammys’ turf. So music’s biggest night moved to January and it tweaked its calendar. That means a lot of 2021’s major contenders had already been released by the time the 2020 awards were handed out.
Record of the Year honors the year’s best song, and it goes to the recording as a whole unlike Song of the Year, which is strictly awarded to the songwriters. But the two prizes often go hand in hand. In the last 10 years, the same song won both categories six times: “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum (2011), “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele (2012), “Stay with Me” by Sam Smith (2015), “Hello” by Adele (2017), “This is America” by Childish Gambino (2019) and “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish (2020).
The most awarded artist for Record of the Year is Paul Simon, who took home the award three times: twice with Simon and Garfunkel (“Mrs. Robinson” in 1969 and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” in 1971) and once as a solo artist (“Graceland” in 1988). But the most awarded individual of all time isn’t actually a recording artist. It’s mastering engineer Tom Coyne, who took home four prizes in a row from 2015 to 2018 for his work on the aforementioned “Stay with Me” and “Hello” as well as “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars (2016) and “24K Magic” by Mars (2018).
The nominees in all four general field categories — Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist — are not decided strictly by a popular vote of recording academy members. Final decisions are made by nomination review committees, whose process has been called under question by former academy CEO Deborah Dugan, who was ousted under questionable circumstances.
So who will the Grammys go for? See some of the major contenders below. Check back often as new songs are announced and released.
UPDATED: August 24, 2020
Leading Contenders
“Adore You” by Harry Styles
Album: “Fine Line”
Label: Erskine/Columbia
Producers: Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon
“Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
Album: “After Hours”
Label: XO/Republic
Producers: Max Martin, Oscar Holter, The Weeknd
“The Box” by Roddy Ricch
Album: “Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial”
Label: Atlantic/Bird Vision
Producers: 30 Roc, Datboisqueeze, Zentachi
“Cardigan” by Taylor Swift
Album: “Folklore”
Label: Republic
Producer: Aaron Dessner
“Circles” by Post Malone
Album: “Hollywood’s Bleeding”
Label: Republic
Producers: Post Malone, Frank Dukes, Louis Bell
“Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa
Album: “Future Nostalgia”
Label: Warner
Producer: Ian Kirkpatrick
“Everything I Wanted” by Billie Eilish
Album: “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” (Reissue)
Label: Darkroom/Interscope
Producer: Finneas O’Connell
“Life is Good” by Future featuring Drake
Label: A1/Epic/Freebandz
Producers: Darius Hill, OZ, Ambezza
“Memories” by Maroon 5
Label: 222/Interscope
Producers: Adam Levine, The Monsters and the Strangerz
“Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande
Album: “Chromatica”
Label: Interscope
Producers: BloodPop, Burns
“Rockstar” by DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
Album: “Blame it on Baby”
Label: Interscope/SCMG
Producer: SethInTheKitchen
“Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion
Album: “Suga”
Label: 1501 Certified/300
Producers: J. White Did It
“Say So” by Doja Cat
Album: “Hot Pink”
Label: Kemosabe/RCA
Producer: Tyson Trax
“Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles
Album: “Fine Line”
Label: Erskine/Columbia
Producers: Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon
Strong Contenders
“Anyone” by Demi Lovato
Label: Island
Producer: Dayyon Alexander
“Bigger Love” by John Legend
Album: “Bigger Love”
Label: Columbia
Producers: Ryan Tedder, Di Genius, Cautious Clay, Zach Skelton
“The Bones” by Maren Morris
Album: “Girl”
Label: Columbia Nashville
Producer: Greg Kurstin
“Dynamite” by BTS
Label: Big Hit/Columbia/Sony Music
Producer: David Stewart
“Even Though I’m Leaving” by Luke Combs
Album: “What You See is What You Get”
Label: Columbia Nashville
Producer: Scott Moffatt
“Gaslighter” by Dixie Chicks
Album: “Gaslighter”
Label: Columbia
Producers: Jack Antonoff, Dixie Chicks
“Graveyard” by Halsey
Album: “Manic”
Label: Capitol
Producers: Jon Bellion, Ojivolta, Louis Bell, The Monsters and the Strangerz
“Heartless” by The Weeknd
Album: “After Hours”
Label: XO/Republic
Producers: Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, Illangelo, Dre Moon
“Intentions” by Justin Bieber featuring Quavo
Album: “Changes”
Label: Def Jam
Producers: Poo Bear, The Audibles
“Lose You to Love Me” by Selena Gomez
Album: “Rare”
Label: Interscope
Producers: Mattman and Robin, Finneas O’Connell
“My Future” by Billie Eilish
Label: Darkroom/Interscope
Producer: Finneas O’Connell
“My Oh My” by Camila Cabello featuring DaBaby
Album: “Romance”
Label: Epic/Syco
Producers: Frank Dukes, Louis Bell
“Nobody but You” by Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani
Album: “Fully Loaded: God’s Country”
Label: Warner
Producer: Scott Hendricks
“Slide” by H.E.R. featuring YG
Label: RCA
Producer: Cardo
“Stuck with U” by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber
Label: Silent Records Ventures/Def Jam/Republic
Producers: Gian Stone, Freddy Wexler
“Stupid Love” by Lady Gaga
Album: “Chromatica”
Label: Interscope
Producers: BloodPop, Tchami
“10,000 Hours” by Dan and Shay with Justin Bieber
Label: “Warner Nashville
Producer: Dan Smyers
“Toosie Slide” by Drake
Label: Republic/OVO
Producers: OZ
“Underdog” by Alicia Keys
Album: “Alicia”
Label: RCA
Producers: Alicia Keys, Johnny McDaid
“You Should Be Sad” by Halsey
Album: “Manic”
Label: Capitol
Producer: Greg Kurstin
Possible Contenders
“Before You Go” by Lewis Capaldi
Album: “Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent” (Extended Edition)
Label: Vertigo Berlin/Universal
Producers: TMS
“Believe It” by PartyNextDoor and Rihanna
Album: “Partymobile”
Label: OVO Sound/Warner
Producers: Bizness Boi, Cardiak, Ninetyfour
“Black Parade” by Beyonce
Label: Columbia
Producers: Beyonce, Derek Dixie
“Bluebird” by Miranda Lambert
Album: “Wildcard”
Label: RCA Nashville
Producer: Jay Joyce
“Daisies” by Katy Perry
Label: Capitol
Producers: The Monsters and Strangerz
“Father of All…” by Green Day
Album: “Father of All Motherf*ckers”
Label: Reprise
Producers: Butch Walker, Green Day
“Godzilla” by Eminem featuring Juice WRLD
Album: “Music to Be Murdered By”
Label: Aftermath/Shady/Interscope
Producers: Eminem, D.A. Doman
“I Dare You” by Kelly Clarkson
Label: Atlantic
Producer: Jesse Shatkin
“I Love Me” by Demi Lovato
Label: Island
Producers: Alex Nice, Keith Sorrells, Warren “Oak” Felder
“I’m Ready” by Sam Smith and Demi Lovato
Label: Capitol
Producer: Ilya Salmanzadeh
“Into the Unknown” by Idina Menzel featuring Aurora
Album: “Frozen II” soundtrack
Label: Walt Disney
Producers: Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Dave Metzger, Tom MacDougall
“Kinfolks” by Sam Hunt
Album: “Southside”
Label: MCA Nashville
Producer: Zach Crowell
“Laugh Now Cry Later” by Drake feat. Lil Durk
Album: “Certified Lover Boy”
Label: Republic/OVO
Producers: Cardo, G. Ry, Yung Exclusive, Chahayed
“Level of Concern” by Twenty One Pilots
Label: Fueled By Ramen
Producers: Paul Meany, Tyler Joseph
“The Man” by Taylor Swift
Album: “Lover”
Label: Republic
Producers: Joel Little, Taylor Swift
“Murder Most Foul” by Bob Dylan
Label: Columbia
“Never Worn White” by Katy Perry
Label: Capitol
Producer: Johan Carlsson
“No Time to Die” by Billie Eilish
Album: “No Time to Die” soundtrack
Label: Darkroom/Interscope
Producers: Finneas O’Connell, Stephen Lipson
“On” by BTS
Album: “Map of the Soul: 7”
Label: Big Hit
Producer: Pdogg
“Roxanne” by Arizona Zervas
Label: Columbia
Producers: 94Skrt, JaeGreen
“The Scotts” by Travis Scott and Kid Cudi
Label: Epic/Cactus Jack/Wicked Awesome
Producers: Take A Daytrip, Dot da Genius, Plain Pat, Travis Scott, Mike Dean
“Shameika” by Fiona Apple
Label: Epic
Producers:Fiona Apple, Sebastian Steinberg, Amy Aileen Wood and David Garza
“To Die For” by Sam Smith
Label: Capitol
Producers: Stargate, Jimmy Napes
“WAP” by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion
Label: Atlantic
Producers: Ayo the Producer, Keyz
“What a Man Gotta Do” by Jonas Brothers
Label: Republic
Producers: David Stewart, Ryan Tedder
“Yummy” by Justin Bieber
Album: “Changes”
Label: Def Jam
Producers: Poo Bear, Kid Culture, Sasha Sirota
Be sure to make your Grammy predictions so that record executives and top name stars can see how their music is faring in our Grammy odds. Don’t be afraid to jump in now since you can keep changing your predictions until nominees are announced. And join in the fierce debate over the 2021 Grammys taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our music forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
