Grammy Predictions: Could Harry Styles and Silk Sonic Be Spoilers in the Anticipated Beyoncé-Adele Showdown?

variety.com:

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic When it comes to the 2023 Grammys, it’s easy to jump ahead and look at what we expect will be the final showdown on Feb.

3 between the top two competitors — Adele and Beyoncé. Because, yes, in the top three general categories, it’s likely to be a narrow contest that runs the gamut from A to B, as it were … almost a direct sequel to the 2017 Grammy race, in which “25” was pitted against “Lemonade.” The big question may be, will this movie have the same ending, with Adele apologizing to Bey for besting her, again?

But there’s a lot of road to travel before then and considerable suspense over which other eight artists will fill out the 10 available slots in the album, record and song of the year categories. (The Recording Academy upped the slots from eight at the last minute last year, only in those divisions.) The only other virtual certainties in all three of those categories are Harry Styles and Silk Sonic, neither of whom can be completely counted out as ultimate winners, should the voting members decide they don’t even want to have to decide between all that big diva energy again And the one major category in which absolutely nothing is a given and there are no clear front-runners is best new artist.

With Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo as foregone conclusions for that honor in recent years, it’s slightly refreshing to return to a time in which it’s hard to say for sure that anybody is even a lock for that category, let alone a winner that can be called before the initial nominees have even been voted on yet.