Grammys queen Beyonce chasing elusive best album honour

Pop superstar Beyonce, winner of more Grammy awards than any other female artist, has never taken home the coveted album of the year trophy at the music industry’s highest honours.

That could change on Sunday, according to industry experts and awards pundits, although it is not a sure thing in a formidable, wide-ranging field that includes Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, pop musician Harry Styles, singer and flautist Lizzo and disco-era Swedish hit makers ABBA.

Winners will be announced during a ceremony broadcast live on the CBS network and streamed on Paramount+ from 8pm Eastern time (0100 GMT on Monday).

Beyonce heads into the show in Los Angeles with nine nominations, including an album of the year nod for the dance-heavy album Renaissance.

She has won 28 Grammys across her career and could break the all-time record of 31 on Sunday.

But the top prize has escaped her. The acclaimed 2016 album Lemonade was defeated by Adele’s 25, prompting the British vocalist to say on stage that Beyonce deserved the honour.

Beyonce “is about to be the most-winningest Grammy award winner – there’s almost no way she’s not going to break the record”, said Jem Aswad, deputy music editor for Variety.

“But she has never won album of the year, one of the top awards, and that’s just wrong,” he said.

Adele, who has claimed the album trophy twice, is also in the mix this year with 30. 

It is possible that Adele and Beyonce voters could cancel each other out, Aswad said, opening a door for Styles to prevail with Harry’s House.

Beyonce’s other nominations include record and song of the year for Break My Soul. 

If she wins at least four awards, she will top the late classical conductor Georg Solti as the most-decorated artist in Grammys history.

The winners are chosen by roughly 11,000 members of the Recording Academy, which has faced complaints that it has not given Black talent proper recognition.

The organisation has worked to diversify its membership in recent years.

In the best new artist category, contenders include Italian rock band Maneskin, jazz artist Samara Joy, American bluegrass singer Molly Tuttle and TikTok phenom Gayle, who rose to fame with abcdefu.

Taylor Swift’s 10-minute version of her 2012 song All Too Well was nominated for best song. 

Swift’s latest album, Midnights, was released after this year’s eligibility window, which ran from October 2021 through September 2022.

Comedian Trevor Noah will host Sunday’s awards show. 

Scheduled performers include Styles, Lizzo, Sam Smith, Luke Combs and Bad Bunny. First lady Jill Biden is among the night’s presenters.

The Grammys have seen their television audience decline in recent years. 

Last year’s ceremony drew roughly nine million viewers, the second-smallest on record.