NBCUniversal; Gilbert Flores/Variety; MGM
The Grammys’ visual media field honors the best in music made for film, television and other formats. This year’s contenders range from blockbuster soundtracks to more under-the-radar but important material from critically beloved artists.
For Best Song for Visual Media, the race is full of plausible winners. Olivia Rodrigo could take home another Grammy this year here for “Can’t Catch Me Now,” the lead single from the “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” soundtrack. There’s precedent for Rodrigo, as Taylor Swift previously won here for a song from the same franchise, “Safe and Sound” from the original “Hunger Games”; both, however, were snubbed by the Oscars.
Speaking of Oscars, one Academy Award-nominated song that could be a contender here is “It Never Went Away” performed and co-written by Grammy favorite Jon Batiste for his documentary “American Symphony.” Batiste doesn’t always win at these awards, but he is a recent Album of the Year champ with a lot of passionate support, and this song in particular could strike a chord due to its touching themes of resistance and love for music amidst trying times for Batiste and his family.
Another possible winner is “Not My Fault,” the hit by Reneé Rapp and Megan Thee Stallion from the “Mean Girls” musical film. Both Megan and Rapp have had strong years, and the song was a hit for them, peaking in the top 20 on pop radio. “Better Place” by NSYNC is also a serious contender, being the group’s comeback single for the “Trolls Band Together” soundtrack. It even charted in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Speaking of hits, the “Twisters” single “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” by Luke Combs was a success for the artist, peaking at number-23 on the Hot 100 and possibly rising beyond that. Beyoncé’s “My House” was also a big hit from the “Renaissance” concert, depending on whether the song was written expressly for the film. We could also talk about H.E.R. and Usher’s “Risk It All,” a gorgeous ballad for the soundtrack of the “Color Purple” musical remake, which could get in due to how much voters love both artists. Last but not least, Bruce Springsteen is a Grammy darling, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see “Addicted to Romance,” from “She Came to Me,” get a nom here as well.
For Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, a few of the previously mentioned films are strong contenders, mainly “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” largely produced by Grammy favorite and Americana/country icon Dave Cobb, and “The Color Purple,” which features big stars like H.E.R., Usher, Coco Jones, Megan Thee Stallion, and Alicia Keys. “Mean Girls” is also a factor; it was adapted from the stage musical, and musical theater voters are eligible to vote in the visual media field as well after last year’s restructuring of the fields.
Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” is a contender for compiling composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein’s best works. Similarly, “I Am: Celine Dion,” the Celine Dion documentary, showcases Dion’s iconic discography and is likely a sentimental favorite given the singer’s recent health struggles. Another collection of an artist’s iconic discography is Bob Marley’s work in the soundtrack for the biopic “Bob Marley: One Love” starring Kingsley Ben-Adir. Some other contenders include “The Book of Clarence” (featuring Jay-Z, D’Angelo, Lil Wayne, Doja Cat), “Wonka” (featuring Timotheé Chalamet, Hugh Grant), “Emilia Pérez” (featuring Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldana), “Heartstopper” and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”
There’s also Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. From TV, the biggest contenders are likely to be “Shogun,” with music from Grammy winner Atticus Ross from Nine Inch Nails, and “Slow Horses,” from acclaimed composer Daniel Pemberton. From film, there are more contenders. Speaking of Nine Inch Nails, “Challengers” was a big hit this year, and is likely to attract a lot of voters with its score by Ross and Trent Reznor.
Oscar-nominated scores for “American Fiction” and “Poor Things” are likely to repeat here. They could be joined by the acclaimed scores from last year’s pictures “The Boy and the Heron” and “Society of the Snow.” There are also more recent films, like “Inside Out 2” and “Dune: Part Two”; the latter of those is especially likely with the first part of the sci-fi saga having been nominated for this award in 2022.
All that being said, the field is wide open with movies and shows still coming out for the remainder of the eligibility period, which ends August 30, so let’s keep an eye out for more contenders who could shake up the race.
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