The China Mail - Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga face off at Grammys

All three are angling to add to their trophy cabinets by taking home the gala's most coveted award, Album of the Year, for the first time.

Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper who won five gramophones last year, has nine nominations this time around -- the most of any artist -- including for Record and Song of the year.

Pop chameleon Lady Gaga and Puerto Rico's Bad Bunny also are competing in all three categories.

Also nominated for the top album prize are: pop princess Sabrina Carpenter; R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas; Tyler, the Creator; hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice); and pop superstar Justin Bieber -- with his first studio effort in four years.

Lamar is nominated this year for his album "GNX," which includes the single "Luther" featuring R&B artist SZA. The 38-year-old has won 22 Grammys during his career.

Lady Gaga, Bieber and Carpenter are set to perform, with more acts expected to be confirmed before Sunday.

- Bad Bunny's hot streak -

Standing in Lamar's way for Album of the Year is Bad Bunny, who is currently on a world tour in support of his album "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" (I Should Have Taken More Photos).

"It was a very exciting album," musicologist Lauron Kehrer told AFP.

"It touched on so much in terms of thematic material and musical material," Kehrer said, pointing to the allusions to decolonization and use of traditional Puerto Rican rhythms.

The 31-year-old Latin megastar, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, will headline the Super Bowl halftime show a week after the Grammys, where he is up for six awards.

Last year, he completed a three-month residency in his native Puerto Rico and hosted the season opener of "Saturday Night Live."

His "Un verano sin ti" (2022) was the first Spanish-language album nominated for Album of the Year honors. A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.

Lady Gaga, 39, made a splashy comeback to touring with "Mayhem," her collection of pop bangers with a dark edge that embraces her dramatic side. She has seven nominations.

She has 14 Grammys to her name, but a win for Album of the Year would complete her hat trick of top awards.

She took Record and Song of the Year honors seven years ago for the soundtrack hit "Shallow," from "A Star is Born" -- which also earned her an Oscar.

This time around, Song of the Year -- which honors songwriting -- is a crowded category that includes Carpenter's "Manchild" and "Golden" from the Netflix animated smash hit "KPop Demon Hunters."

Many pundits believe the energetic K-pop hit will triumph.

Up for best new artist are Alex Warren, girl group Katseye, Britain's Olivia Dean, TikTok dancer-turned-singer Addison Rae, The Marias, sombr, Lola Young and Thomas -- who was already a Grammy winner two years ago for producing a song by SZA.

- 'Reactionary' -

For musicologist Kehrer, the infusion of rap, reggaeton and K-pop in the top Grammy categories reflects changes in the composition of the Recording Academy's voting group.

More than 3,800 new members have been admitted. Half of those new members are age 39 or younger, and 58 percent of them are people of color, the academy says.

Invitations were also offered to all members of the Latin Recording Academy.

"The Grammys are more reactionary than anything else," said Kehrer.

"These artists winning those major awards is more of an indication of climate, rather than trying to move or change the climate."

The Grammy Awards will once again be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah.

The main broadcast begins at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday), but many of the 95 awards will be handed out at a pre-gala event.

J.Liv--ThChM