The sixty eighth Annual Grammy Awards were just held on February 2. A total of 95 awards were given to artists, and some have proven to be very controversial.

Every year since May 4, 1959, The Recording Academy  has put out a voting system for artists with a music career to nominate their peers for category specific awards. The Recording Academy is a global nonprofit organization of professionals in the musical industry. Over the years, they have dedicated themselves to celebrating exceptional musical talent, as well as advocating for the rights of all artists and supporting their community.

In order for someone to be nominated for one of the many awards, they have to submit their music to an entry for one of the categories. After that, there is a round of voting for music artists to determine whether their peers will be nominated for a grammy.

There are 95 categories that a song, album, or artist can fall into. They range from Best New Artist and Producer of the Year to Album of the Year and Song of the Year. There are about 5 people nominated per category.

This year, the Album of the Year award went to the popular artist, Bad Bunny, for his album DeBí TiRAR MáS FOTos. This album consists of 17 total tracks, including BAILE INoLVIDABLE, DtMF, NUEVAYoL, and more. Bad Bunny’s album was the first ever fully Spanish-language album to win this award, marking a very significant moment this year.

Olivia Dean was the recipient of the Best New Artist award. She dropped her first album on June 30 of 2023, labeled Messy. So far, she has a total of two studio albums and five EPs, with about 60 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Her first song to blow up was Man I Need, from her most recent album, The Art of Loving. Olivia also has another single from this album that has gained a large amount of attention, So Easy (To Fall in Love).

Both of these songs revolve around a theme of knowing one’s worth and some of the many challenges that many relationships face. Man I Need is specifically written about asking for what you want in a relationship, and being vulnerable. So Easy (To Fall in Love) highlights the feeling of a romantic connection and being loved.

Song of the Year was awarded to Billie Eilish for her track Wildflower. This song came from her ten track album HIT ME HARD HIT ME SOFT, released in 2024. Wildflower was written to explore the complex feelings of guilt and anxiety of dating a close friend’s recent lover.

Record of the Year is another well known award, and this year it was given to Kendrick Lamar and SZA for their song Luther, dropped in 2024. This award honors the record’s achievements through performance, lyrics, production, and musical execution. Luther is a song about wanting to protect loved ones and create a better world for them.

From the many categories of awards, to the mix of different artists, the Grammys never fail to be one of the more entertaining times of the year.