Could Joni Mitchell be the next Grammys Album of the Year winner?
The past two years have shown that we all still really love Joni Mitchell. The legendary singer-songwriter made headlines last year when she appeared at the Newport Folk Festival completely by surprise. Mitchell was brought by Brandi Carlile, who has been a longtime fan, and performed multiple songs with her and other artists. The news broke quickly, and many were excited that Mitchell had decided to perform again after more than 20 years without giving a full concert. Earlier in 2022, Mitchell had also been honored with the Grammy Person of the Year Award, honoring her legacy. And now, in 2023, Mitchell is back with two major events: she had a headlining concert back in June, and she’s got a new live album of her Newport session coming to us this month. And trust, you should probably keep an eye out for it.
“Joni Mitchell at Newport,” slated for a July 28 release, is Mitchell’s first album since 2007’s “Shine.” As such, many are hyped for her comeback, especially since it contains some of her most beloved classics. This hype could translate to some big Grammy wins for Mitchell. We have seen veterans prevail in the general field recently, including Robert Plant, Beck, and Bonnie Raitt. If you think about it, it makes sense why: these veterans are usually nominated alongside all younger acts, so when voting time comes, typically the older voters will flock to this veteran artist, while the younger ones are split between multiple others. This could be especially true this year, with front-runners like SZA and Taylor Swift potentially dividing some of the young vote.
This year is also set up for a potential surprise win. The big frontrunner, Taylor Swift, might suffer from already having won three AOTYs. Meanwhile, SZA and Olivia Rodrigo‘s more youthful sounds may be less Grammy-friendly. A new Mitchell album could serve as a safe alternative for voters to default to, even if they are not the biggest Mitchell fans.
Another possible advantage Mitchell has is her cross-genre appeal. While “Newport” would likely compete in American roots or folk, Mitchell’s talent is not just appreciated in the roots field. She has previously won in the pop field, taking home Best Pop Vocal Album for “Turbulent Indigo” and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for “Both Sides Now.” A Mitchell-inspired album, Herbie Hancock‘s “River: The Joni Letters,” was also a big hit with jazz voters, taking home Best Contemporary Jazz Album as well as the all-genre Album of the Year. Plus, Mitchell is likely well known and respected by rock and alternative voters too. As such, don’t be shocked if Mitchell becomes the popular choice. And with Grammy favorite Brandi Carlile doing the production, you can bet there’ll be even more voters stanning the album.
Nevertheless, Mitchell is still a mysterious case. She could truly be headed for a win, or she might just miss altogether because live recordings are often not as well received as studio albums. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what a new, non-paneled Grammys membership thinks of live recordings in the big leagues, especially with such an important release as Mitchell’s.
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