Bet on Grammy diversity
Hosted by James Corden, the 60th annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on CBS, 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 28, from Madison Square Garden in New York — and if the oddsmakers are correct, there will be a much more diverse group of winners than is typical.
Grammy voters have often been criticized for favoring mainstream pop acts over African American and Latin bands, but this year’s album of the year favorite — at 5 to 4, according to the Irish betting site PaddyPower — is Kendrick Lamar’s “Damn.”
Up next are Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” and Lorde’s “Melodrama,” both at 10 to 3. Rounding out the field: Jay-Z’s “4:44” at 4 to 1, and Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!” at6to1.
“I think Kendrick Lamar will walk away with album of the year,” said Kaela Napier, who covers the Grammys for SportsBettingDime.com, a site that analyzes odds. “He’s the favorite, but also the critical acclaim that album received was huge.”
Entertainment wagers aren’t legal, even in Nevada, but online betting sites such as Bovada.lv and PaddyPower.com offer action.
The Grammy Awards show has been “heavily critiqued for a while for lack of diversity, lack of inclusivity, lack of being relevant,” Napier said. “I hope we are looking forward to a different type of Grammys. Looking at the nominations this year, I felt these people were present, they were wonderful, they were pushing boundaries — and that’s what the Grammys should be doing, celebrating these people.”
In the record of the year category, the runaway favorite at 8 to 15 is “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee, featuring Justin Bieber. To win $8 you’d need to bet $15. Next are Lamar’s “Humble” at 2 to 1 and Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” at 6 to 1. The long shots are Jay-Z’s “Story of O.J.” and Gambino’s “Redbone,” both at 14 to 1.
“If you ask what was the most successful — what resonated the most, what was everywhere — it was ‘Despacito.’ It hit all the marks,” Napier said.
(Note that record of the year isn’t for an album, it’s for a single song, as is song of the year. The difference is that record considers performance and production, while song recognizes the songwriter.)
The song of the year favorite is also “Despacito” at 5 to 6, followed by Logic’s “1-800-2738255” at 5 to 2, which Napier believes could take the award. Mars’ “That’s What I Like” is 4 to 1. The long shots are Jay-Z’s “4:44” at 15 to 2 and Julia Michael’s “Issues” at 10 to 1.
In the best new artist category, the two favorites are women: Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Cara and R&B artist SZA, both at 13 to 8. Next is Khalid at 9 to 2, with Michaels at 5 to 1 and Lil Uzi Vert at 8 to 1.
Napier’s pick is SZA, who is African American. “There’s a strong movement towards making inclusive decisions,” she said, plus SZA is the strongest new artist. “She had a phenomenal album, incredible collaborations, really wonderful songs — and what’s happening culturally for sure will influence it.”