This post was updated Jan. 30 at 9:57 p.m.

In a few short days, the wait for music’s biggest night will be over.

The 67th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony is set for this Sunday at Crypto.com Arena, with trophies to be given in 94 categories for the best music released between Sept. 16, 2023 and Aug. 30, 2024. With a varied mix of breakout stars and veteran artists who have won several Grammys already, Sunday’s show is sure to be full of entertaining performances and some unexpected winners.

Keep reading to see which artists and bodies of work the Daily Bruin predicts to prevail in the ceremony’s top categories.

[Related: Concert Review: Billie Eilish shows her tour is ‘THE GREATEST,’ wows at Kia Forum concert]

Album Of The Year: “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” by Billie Eilish

Rather than feeling “BLUE,” Billie Eilish is likely to leave the Grammys with more gold.

The nine-time Grammy winner – who previously won Album Of The Year for her 2019 debut “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” – is poised to collect the Grammys’ top prize again for her third LP “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.” The 10-track project was released in May and is Eilish’s most intricate musical statement to date, as she and her brother Finneas O’Connell expanded their songwriting to explore new genres, while delving deeper with introspective lyrical themes. From a handful of career-best deep cuts to smash hits such as “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” transports listeners through a variety of emotions without a second of its 43-minute runtime gone to waste.

Eilish will face stiff competition to take home the Grammys’ most coveted trophy, with Charli xcx’s viral electronic opus “BRAT” and Chappell Roan’s campy underdog “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” bringing their own fresh flavor to the pop scene. But the likeliest challenger is Beyoncé’s “COWBOY CARTER,” which has a leading 11 nominations heading into Sunday’s ceremony and is the 32-time Grammy winner’s fifth nomination in Album Of The Year – a category she has never won. “COWBOY CARTER” would undoubtedly make a worthy victor, not only as a consolation prize for Beyoncé’s past losses but because of its inventive fusion of genres stretching from country to hip-hop. Ultimately, Eilish has the edge in both the commercial longevity and sonic accessibility of her album compared to Beyoncé’s comparably burdensome 78-minute project.

Regardless of the Album Of The Year outcome, the debate if Eilish’s album is “THE GREATEST” will surely be settled Sunday.

– Reid Sperisen

Record Of The Year: “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan has promising luck for Grammys’ gold with “Good Luck, Babe!”

As Roan enters Grammy consideration for the first time with six nominations, her breakout song makes a compelling case for Record Of The Year. Following its April 2024 release, “Good Luck, Babe!” became a pop sensation and queer anthem for listeners around the globe. The track pushes the boundaries of the current pop wave with Roan’s addictively catchy yet tonally innovative style and poignant lyrics. In lamenting the struggle of pursuing queer romance in a heteronormative society, Roan artfully explores complex social experiences to the backdrop of a synth-pop and baroque pop medley. Her success in layering “Good Luck, Babe!” thematically and melodically is evidence enough that the track has what it takes to win.

While “Espresso,” “360,” “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” and “Not Like Us” remain strong contenders in the Record Of The Year category, “Good Luck, Babe!” possesses a unique musical complexity that is representative of both a transforming genre and Roan’s career catalyst. “Espresso” is perhaps the greatest threat to a potential “Good Luck, Babe!” victory, with Sabrina Carpenter’s rise to success and stylistic ingenuity closely mirroring Roan’s. However, “Espresso” – and all other contenders for that matter – fall short in fusing their backing tracks and production with truly meaningful themes.

With its quality production and creative artistry, “Good Luck, Babe!” won’t need too much luck to take the Grammy win.

– Sydney Gaw

Song Of The Year: “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish and Song Of The Year will be “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” once again at the Grammys.

Released as the second single from her Grammy-nominated third album “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT,” “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is likely to become Eilish’s third Grammy win for Song Of The Year after an explosive year on music charts and social spheres. The track’s heartfelt lyrics from Eilish and O’Connell describe an overwhelming and endless love, sparking a trend of listeners showing admiration and appreciation to loved ones on TikTok and other social media platforms. The immense popularity of “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” propelled the song to No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and made it the most streamed song of 2024 on Spotify.

But Eilish’s flight to a back-to-back Song Of The Year victory is not without obstacles – most notably from Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ smash hit “Die With A Smile.” The duo’s August release continues its reign at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a fourth frame this week, and holds a similar message of loving someone wholly until the end of time. Despite this powerful contender, the emotional versatility that “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” brings to platonic and familial relationships alongside romantic ones surpasses the scope of “Die With A Smile” and encourages listeners to cherish all types of love.

Eilish has “nothin’ left to lose” at the Grammys with the universal sincerity of “BIRDS OF A FEATHER.”

– Aisosa Onaghise

Best New Artist: Sabrina Carpenter

It’s not “Slim Pickins” for Best New Artist this year, but it looks like Sabrina Carpenter will “Taste” victory.

Ardent fans of Carpenter know she is not exactly new and has been in the music scene since releasing her debut album “Eyes Wide Open” in 2015. She has released five more albums since, but broke through to the top of the pop zeitgeist with her August release, “Short n’ Sweet.” However, while touring in support of “emails i can’t send” in 2022 and 2023, Carpenter went viral for the creative outros to her song “Nonsense.” This virality gave her the momentum to enter the public spotlight, and her hits from 2024 including “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” both made the top three of the Billboard Hot 100.

Carpenter has some tough competition for the crown, with other nominees including Chappell Roan, Benson Boone and Shaboozey. The Grammys have given the Best New Artist award to artists from a variety of different genres, but when an artist has an undeniable explosion into the industry – such as Olivia Rodrigo in 2021 – the Recording Academy gives credit where it is due. Roan is Carpenter’s fiercest competitor, as she blew up as a queer pop icon with her debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” but based on the charts, Carpenter has edged her out this year.

It’s no “Coincidence” Carpenter is nominated, but it will be “Nonsense” if she does not win.

– Katy Nicholas

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars

If the world was ending, there’s one duo that might make it out with an extra Grammy – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

The pop juggernauts collaborated to produce the wildly popular “Die With A Smile,” which boasts more than 1.7 billion streams on Spotify to date. Gaga and Mars paired their incredible vocals and created gorgeous harmonies as they sang, “If the world was ending / I’d wanna be next to you.” This production stands out as the epitome of what the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award is all about – seamlessly combining two artists’ styles and elevating their individual abilities. Gaga is one of only two people to have won this Grammy category multiple times, and she makes a strong case to take it home a third time with Mars.

But readers do not have to guess who Gaga and Mars’ biggest competition is, as Charli xcx and Billie Eilish’s “Guess featuring billie eilish” poses the greatest challenge. Eilish adds her own twist to the original song, singing a sultry new verse about a girl she is interested in. While Gaga and Mars work together well, the beauty in the “Guess” remix lies in the fact that Charli xcx and Eilish have two completely different sounds, but Eilish’s whisper-pop aesthetic fits perfectly into the gritty remix.

But despite Charli xcx and Eilish’s standout hit, it looks like Gaga and Mars will die with smiles on their faces – and Grammys in their hands – this Sunday.

– Vishnu Potharaju

[Related: Concert review: Erotic, euphoric, electrifying — tour’s no ‘Sweat’ for Charli xcx, Troye Sivan]

Best Music Video: “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar delivers a triumph with the music video for “Not Like Us,” a cultural and artistic powerhouse that has dominated conversation since its release.

With 17 Grammy wins already under his belt, Lamar continues to break industry conventions and reach new heights. Hailed as one of the greatest diss tracks of all time, “Not Like Us” earned five Grammy nominations and has collected more than one billion Spotify streams. The accompanying music video is a masterclass in the art form, blending symbolism, dance and vivid cinematography to elevate the track’s message and visual storytelling. Set in Compton, the video reflects Lamar’s enduring connection to his roots, celebrating community, resilience and family. It solidifies the song’s status as a modern cultural anthem, staying true to Lamar’s authentic poetic style while effortlessly eviscerating Drake in the two artists’ notorious feud.

Lamar is up against other iconic artists in the Best Music Video category, but their videos are comparatively superficial next to “Not Like Us.” Perhaps the most formidable opponent is Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone. While this collaboration garnered enthusiasm, the video lacks the arresting visuals or masterful storytelling of Swift’s Grammy-winning music videos “All Too Well: The Short Film” and “Bad Blood,” the latter featuring Lamar. Nominee A$AP Rocky’s music video for “Tailor Swif” also stands out with its psychedelic, dreamlike style, but does not deliver the emotional or cultural impact that Lamar’s video has.

Lamar seems set to clinch yet another Grammy for the technical knockout that is his “Not Like Us” music video.

– Jade Wang-O’Shea