2024 Grammy Awards: Preview and predictions for the Rock and Alternative awards

There are 94 distinct categories in this year’s Grammy Awards. They are a jerry-rigged mishmash of overlapping genres and forms, and if you are confused by some of it, join the club. The Grammys are constantly tinkering with the formula. You have got to love them for trying.

We have already looked at the big 4 – Album, Record, Song, and New Artist. These are general categories, open to all voting members of the academy. Today, we’re going to look at five specialty categories. That’s what most of the 94 are – specialties.

We’re including one of the newest categories. Best Alternative Music Performance was created only last year when it was won by Wet Leg for “Chaise Lounge.” That was the exact right call. It is exactly why the category was created.

Who will win the Rock and Alternative categories at the 2024 Grammy Awards?

In addition to Alt Performance, we’re also looking at Best Alternative Music Album, Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album. Why isn’t there a Best Alternative Music Song category to keep it all balanced? You may as well ask where time begins or why Jethro Tull won the first-ever Grammy for metal. One of life’s unknowable mysteries.

The problem, of course, derives from the ill-defined plasticity of the term “rock.” For award purposes, it can mean pretty much anything. We are about to see that as we look at who will win, who should win, and who should have been nominated in the rock and alt categories at this year’s Grammys.