Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: Gabriel Buoys/Getty Images.
Music's biggest stars are squaring off Sunday at an especially competitive Grammy ceremony.
Why it matters: As is usually the case, all eyes are on Beyoncé.
State of play: Queen Bey is once again vying for the coveted album of the year trophy, an award she has never won despite churning out multiple revolutionary albums.
It remains to be seen if her country-inflected opus "Cowboy Carter," which is easily one of the most discussed albums in years, will triumph.
Other nominees include the reigning champ Taylor Swift, Grammy darling Billie Eilish and ascendant divas Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.
Zoom in: We'll also be watching to see if Beyoncé wins in the country categories, where she could make history.
Fun fact: Axios' Maxwell Millington compared data from 2024 Spotify Wrapped to the albums that will be up for a golden gramophone.
Four album of year nominees are among the country's top 10 most-streamed albums: Carpenter's "Short n' Sweet," Eilish's"Hit Me Hard and Soft," Roan's "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" and Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department."
