H.E.R.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR / BEST NEW ARTIST / BEST R&B SONG / BEST R&B ALBUM / BEST R&B PERFORMANCE

R&B newcoMer H.e.r. almost always wears sunglasses, and she’s never revealed her real name, but that didn’t stop her from earning more than a billion streams for her downtempo debut. “I did not expect Album of the Year,” says the singer. Staying private, which began as “a way for me to be honest in my music,” has gotten harder lately, with eager fans sleuthing out her past as a child prodigy who sang on shows like The View. But she’s taking it all in stride: “I’m prepared for whatever’s gonna happen,” she says. “There’s only so much you can do.”

BRITTANY SPANOS