The Grammy Awards, often regarded as the pinnacle of recognition in the music industry, have historically awarded an overwhelming amount of male nominees and winners. After the majority of Grammy categories were won by men in 2018, the then-head of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Neil Portnow, said that women needed to “step up.” He continued, stating, “I don’t have personal experience of those kinds of brick walls that [women] face but I think it’s upon us — us as an industry — to make the welcome mat very obvious, breeding opportunities for all people who want to be creative.” Yet, the event he hosted that year hardly reflected the “welcome mat” he described. This year, however, marks a significant shift: women increasingly dominate the major categories, signaling a major change in a traditionally male-dominated field. The 2024 nominations showcase a powerful wave of female artists whose contributions are reshaping the musical landscape and highlighting the critical importance of their recognition.
In the highly coveted categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year, six of the eight nominees are led by women, though many of these artists share billing with male collaborators. Meanwhile, the Best New Artist category is split down the middle, but the top contenders — Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter — are both women, further underscoring the growing prominence of female artists at this year’s awards. Five powerhouse women — Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter — are nominated in all three of the Grammys‘ top general categories this year — record, song and album of the year.
When it comes to Album of the Year, the dominance of female artists is clear. Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet,” Chappell Roan’s “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” Charli xcx’s “BRAT,” Billie Eilish’s “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” and Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poet’s Department” all stand out as some of the year’s most ambitious and critically acclaimed albums. In the Record of the Year category, women are well-represented. Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” join contenders like Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” and Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” alongside more tracks from male artists like Kendrick Lamar and The Beatles. These nominations highlight not only the talent of the women involved but also their ability to create work that resonates with both critics and audiences.
As expected, Beyoncé leads the pack, with her album “Cowboy Carter” garnering 11 nominations, the most for any artist this year. A Grammy titan, Beyoncé holds the record for the most Grammy wins of all time, with 32 wins. She now also holds the record for the most Grammy nominations, with 99 nominations to her name, surpassing the former record of 88 nominations shared by her and her husband Jay-Z. This achievement further cements her status as a trailblazer in the music industry.
But she isn’t alone in this historic wave of female talent. Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, two stars whose popularity has skyrocketed this year, have earned nominations in all four Grammys’ Big Four categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist. This rare feat places them among a select group of artists who have achieved such recognition, including Olivia Rodrigo, who accomplished the same in recent years. Should either Roan or Carpenter sweep these categories, they would join Christopher Cross (1981) and Billie Eilish (2020) as the only artists in Grammy history to win all of the Big Four awards in a single year.
The presence of these woman-driven tracks in categories often known for recognizing male-dominated works is a testament to the evolution of the music industry, where women’s voices and songwriting talents are finally being given the recognition they deserve. The Grammy Awards this year reflect a significant turning point in the music industry, where women are leading the charge. From Beyoncé’s groundbreaking influence to rising stars like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, it is clear that the future of music is being shaped by women. Their continued presence in the Big Four categories and beyond is a powerful reminder of the creative and commercial force they represent in today’s music scene.