Lucky 7 for Taylor Swift? ‘Anti-Hero’ is Grammy front-runner for Song of the Year after 6 previous losses
There’s an interesting divide evident in Gold Derby’s Grammy predictions. Miley Cyrus‘s “Flowers” and Taylor Swift‘s “Anti-Hero” are both predicted to be nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, but the two categories are expected to have different winners. Cyrus is the favorite for ROTY, while Swift is in the catbird seat for SOTY. As we have pointed out previously, such a split is rare.
Usually when ROTY and SOTY split, it’s because the winner of one category isn’t nominated in the other, as in 2023 when Bonnie Raitt surprised by winning SOTY for “Just Like That.” She wasn’t up for ROTY, though, so that prize went to Lizzo for “About Damn Time.” But for two songs to be nominated in both races and still split them is unusual. The last time that happened was 1995, when Sheryl Crow‘s “All I Wanna Do” claimed ROTY and Bruce Springsteen‘s “Streets of Philadelphia” took SOTY.
Nevertheless, Swift is the favorite to win SOTY. It would be her seventh try in the category, which would set a new record for the most nominated songwriter in the history of the category (breaking her tie with Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie). She previously contended for “You Belong with Me,” “Shake it Off,” “Blank Space,” “Lover,” “Cardigan,” and “All Too Well,” but still hasn’t won the award.
It’s been a relatively slow year for high-profile songwriters, though, and Swift is better known for her songcraft than Cyrus. So all things being equal, Swift might be the artist they gravitate to in the writing race. Perhaps that’s why 14 of our Top 24 Users and 15 of our All-Star Top 24 are betting on “Anti-Hero.” Of course, that should come with an important caveat. Few of us saw Raitt coming this past year even for a SOTY nomination, let alone the win. In a category that will have eight nominees, there’s ample room for a left-field contender or beloved veteran to ambush the race and win it all over again.
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