Women's pop culture power takes centre stage at Sunday's Grammys
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Women are poised to pile up the gold at the Grammy awards on Sunday, reflecting a rise in female representation on pop music charts and record-setting performances at stadium concerts and cinemas.
Taylor Swift, SZA and songs from the Oscar-nominated "Barbie" movie lead the competition for the music industry's highest honors. Jon Batiste is the only man among eight nominees for album of the year, the top Grammy prize.
SZA, the female singer of revenge fantasy "Kill Bill," will head into the ceremony as the mostnominated artist with nine nominations.
The strong showing coincided with a year of milestones for women in entertainment and gains in the predominantly male music business.
Swift's Eras Tour broke ticket sales records, eclipsing Elton John's, at the same time Beyonce played to packed stadiums. "Barbie" created a pink-fueled phenomenon at cinemas, where Swift's concert film also became a blockbuster.
"Women had a phenomenal year, not just in music, but in 'Barbie' being the biggest-grossing movie," said Billboard awards editor Paul Grein. "Women dominated pop culture." In addition to Swift and SZA, the other women vying for this year's album prize are Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Olivia Rodrigo, Janelle Monae and boygenius, the band featuring indie rock musicians Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus.
It is just the 12th time in the Grammys' 66-year history, Grein said, that women received the majority of nominations for album of the year. In other categories, hits from the "Barbie" movie landed 12 Grammy nominations, including a song of the year nod for Billie Eilish's ballad "What Was I Made For?" Changing demographics in the Recording Academy, the group of musicians, producers, engineers and others who vote on the Grammy nominees and winners, likely prompted a shift. Since 2019, the percentage of female members has risen to 30% from 26%.