The music elite are gathering in Los Angeles for Sunday’s Grammy Awards, and all eyes are on Beyoncé: will the Recording Academy voters finally award the megastar the recognition she deserves?

As the most decorated Grammy artist in history, Beyoncé has long been a dominant figure, yet she has never won the coveted Album of the Year, despite receiving four previous nominations for her studio albums. The 67th edition of the Grammys might finally put that paradox to rest.

However, her groundbreaking album Cowboy Carter faces stiff competition from perennial Grammy favorites like Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift, as well as a crop of exciting new pop hitmakers, including Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Charli XCX.

While the star power remains high, Grammy week—usually filled with industry parties and performances—has taken on a somber tone this year, as Los Angeles continues to recover from the aftermath of the deadly wildfires that devastated neighborhoods just weeks ago.

Despite this, organizers have decided the show must go on, with a renewed mission to raise funds for those impacted by the fires and to honor both affected industry members and first responders.

On Friday, the annual MusiCares gala, which this year honored the Grateful Dead, raised over $5 million in a single evening, bringing the total raised by the organization since the fires to more than $9 million.

MusiCares, the charitable arm of the Recording Academy, provides critical support to artists and music workers in need, from disaster relief to mental health services.

The urgent need for fire relief has amplified MusiCares' mission, with industry leaders stepping up to give back. Music mogul Irving Azoff, along with concert promoters Live Nation and AEG Presents, organized a star-studded benefit concert featuring Lady Gaga, Eilish, Dr. Dre, and even Joni Mitchell.

Saturday’s Clive Davis gala, one of the most coveted tickets in the music industry, will also feature a fundraising component.

Is It Finally Beyonce’s Time?

Despite consistently producing game-changing work that has redefined the music landscape, Beyoncé has been repeatedly overlooked for the top Grammy honors in Album of the Year and Record of the Year. This has become one of the most glaring examples of the Recording Academy’s tendency to sideline the work of Black artists in the major categories.

Pop sensation Taylor Swift has won Album of the Year four times, more than any Black female artist combined. The last Black woman to win was Lauryn Hill in 1999, followed by Whitney Houston in 1994 and Natalie Cole in 1992.

Beyoncé's album Cowboy Carter, which boldly addresses the underappreciated contributions of Black artists to the country music genre, highlights the ongoing conversation about race and recognition within the industry.

But as always, the Grammys are unpredictable—anything can happen, and Monday morning will bring a slew of think pieces, regardless of the outcome.

Best New Artists Take the Stage

Hip-hop legend Kendrick Lamar is another major name to watch on Sunday. His rap battle with Drake sparked the viral hit "Not Like Us," earning him seven Grammy nods.

Post Malone, who recently collaborated with both Beyoncé and Swift, secured eight nominations, with both artists vying for top honors in multiple categories.

The race for Best New Artist is especially competitive, with favorites like Carpenter and Roan, who both exploded onto the mainstream scene over the past year.

Roan, in particular, has seen a meteoric rise, with many critics tipping her as a frontrunner for Best Record and Song of the Year.

Other nominees include Shaboozey, whose hit "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" topped the U.S. Hot Songs chart for weeks and is nominated for Song of the Year for its songwriting.

While only a small fraction of the 94 Grammy awards will be handed out during the televised portion of the ceremony, the evening will be packed with performances. Artists like Eilish, Roan, Charli XCX, and Carpenter are set to take the stage, along with other Best New Artist nominees such as Doechii, Raye, Teddy Swims, and Benson Boone.