Will Olivia Rodrigo become the 3rd artist to ever sweep the Grammys?
It might be a brutal night for anyone not named Olivia Rodrigo at the 2022 Grammys.
Rodrigo could make history on Sunday as the third artist to win all four major Grammy Awards in the same year: Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year.
The pop star is nominated for her debut album Sour and its biggest song, "Drivers License." In Grammys history, the only people to sweep all four top awards are Christopher Cross, who did so in 1981, and Billie Eilish, who did so in 2020.
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The biggest threat to Rodrigo's sweep could be Eilish herself. She's nominated for Album of the Year for her sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, and its title track is up for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Taylor Swift's Evermore is also nominated for Album of the Year. That's the follow-up and "sister album" to Folklore, which won the Grammy in 2021.
But despite the tough competition, several experts, including at Vulture and Billboard, are predicting Rodrigo will win all four awards.
Others see Rodrigo as certain to win Best New Artist and likely Song of the Year, but potentially not all four categories. "I don't know if she can pull off Album of the Year," Los Angeles Times' Julian Kimble wrote. "I think that's the biggest obstacle." Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett's Love for Sale is another strong Album of the Year contender.
Rodrigo and Eilish are both set to perform at the ceremony — though after some controversy, Kanye West is not. The rapper was banned from performing due to his "concerning" social media posts about his ex-wife Kim Kardashian's current boyfriend, Pete Davidson. It's unclear whether he plans to attend.
The Grammys — which, unlike a certain other awards show, hopefully won't include any slaps on stage — will air Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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