One of the hottest contests in the 68th annual Grammy Awards is in a category that rarely rates headlines – best traditional pop vocal album. Tony Bennett was such a heavy favorite in the category (14 wins from 17 nominations) that there was little suspense in this category.
But since Bennett died in 2023, the category has become competitive. This year’s top contenders include Laufey, who won two years ago for Bewitched; Lady Gaga, who shared two awards in the category with Bennett for their duet albums; Barbra Streisand, who has yet to win in the category despite 13 nods; and Elton John & Brandi Carlile, who, among them, have won 16 Grammys.
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Laufey is entered with A Matter of Time, her follow-up to Bewitched; Gaga with Harlequin, which includes alternate takes of songs from her film Joker: Folie à Deux, a box-office disappointment; Streisand with The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2, on which the legendary star teams with other singers (including Laufey); John & Carlile with their collab Who Believes in Angels?
All four seem certain to be nominated, which just leaves one open slot. The album that probably has the best chance to fill it is Seth MacFarlane’s Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements. McFarlane has been nominated three times in this category. Sinatra won in this category in 1996 with Duets II. (What’s more, Bennett and Willie Nelson both won with albums that paid tribute to the GOAT of traditional pop singers.)
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No holiday album has ever won in this category, though many have been nominated. Three holiday albums have a reasonably good shot at a nod this year: Jennifer Hudson’s The Gift of Love, Dan + Shay’s It’s Officially Christmas: The Double Album and Lea Salonga’s Sounding Joy – The Holiday Album.
Bennett’s daughter Antonia Bennett is in the mix with Expressions, as are two film actors who take their music seriously – John C. Reilly (in his Mister Romantic persona with What’s Not to Love) and Jeff Goldblum (with Still Blooming, a collab with the Mildren Snitzer Orchestra).
Other contenders include Christina Aguilera’s The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera Spotify Anniversaries Live, Stephen Bishop’s Think, Belinda Carlisle’s Once Upon a Time in California, and Livington Taylor, BBC Concert Orchestra & Bill Elliott’s Symphonic Steps. Taylor’s older brother James Taylor won in this category in 2021 with American Standard.
Ben Folds has two albums on the entry list, which may mean his support will be divided between Ben Folds Live With the National Symphony Orchestra and Sleigher.
This category used to focus on new recordings of the Great American Songbook, but in recent years it has broadened to include compatible music from all eras. From the 68th Rules and Guidelines handbook: “This category recognizes excellence in albums consisting of a type and style of song and/or performance that cannot properly be intermingled with present forms of pop music. … Contemporary pop songs performed in a traditional pop style – the term ‘traditional’ being a reference, equally, to the style of the composition, vocal styling and the instrumental arrangement, without regard to the age of the material.”
If you’re wondering how a superlative singer like Streisand has managed to go 0-13 in this category, she lost six times to Bennett (including for collabs with k.d. lang and Gaga), twice to Michael Bublé, twice to Willie Nelson and once each to Natalie Cole (for Unforgettable With Love, her tribute to her father, Nat “King” Cole), Joni Mitchell (for Both Sides Now) and Elvis Costello & the Imposters (for Look Now).
Gaga is also likely to be nominated for album of the year and best pop vocal album for MAYHEM. She won in the latter category in 2011 with The Fame Monster. She has yet to win album of the year.
