The Japan Times - Five things to watch for on Grammys night Sunday

Here are five things to watch out for on Sunday in Los Angeles:

- New Album of the Year winner? -

Perhaps the most coveted Grammy is the Album of the Year, and this year's winner could make history in several ways.

None of the eight nominees -- Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, R&B singer Leon Thomas, Tyler the Creator, hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice) and pop superstar Justin Bieber -- has ever won in the category before.

If Lamar's "GNX" takes the title, he will be the first male solo rapper to triumph in the category. Only rappers Lauryn Hill and duo OutKast have come before him.

If Bad Bunny takes the prize for "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos," it will be the first time a Spanish-language album receives the top honor.

- Song of the Year: multilingual battle -

Three of the eight nominees for Song of the Year, another main award, are not entirely in English -- a major shift.

"Golden," the wildly popular hit song from Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," and "APT" from Blackpink singer Rose and Bruno Mars, have taken the music world by storm with their lyrics in English and Korean.

A Grammy for either one would mark the first bilingual song to take the award for songwriting.

If Bad Bunny wins for his Caribbean-infused "DTMF," it would be a first for a Spanish-language song.

- For host Noah, sixth time is a charm -

South African comedian Trevor Noah will be back to host the Grammys for a sixth time -- and organizers say it will be his last.

The 41-year-old Noah made his hosting debut on music's biggest night in 2021, at a scaled-down gala in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

The biracial funnyman has offered a mix of political satire and light-hearted showbiz banter, and has generally earned decent reviews for his efforts.

"His impact on the show has been truly spectacular, and we can't wait to do it together one last time," the show's executive producer Ben Winston told The Hollywood Reporter.

- Bieber takes the stage -

Among the stars already confirmed to perform at Crypto.com Arena is Justin Bieber, who is up for four awards including Album of the Year for "Swag," his first studio album in four years, which he dropped in a surprise move last July.

The 31-year-old pop superstar has been battling Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological condition that partially paralyzed his face, which forced him to cancel the final leg of a world tour last year.

Bieber -- who first shot to stardom as a teenager in 2009 -- is scheduled to headline this year's Coachella festival in the California desert in April.

Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter and Clipse are also scheduled to perform, organizers say.

- New categories -

The Recording Academy awards dozens of prizes each year. This year, they have added two more -- and subtracted one -- for a whopping total of 95.

A new award for best traditional country album has been added, after some in Nashville felt that the more modern pop-country sound was drowning out artists with a more pure country sound.

The former best country album is now called best contemporary country album.

The other new category is best album cover.

"These additions further the Recording Academy's commitment to recognizing a broader spectrum of artistic craft and honoring the evolving ways music is created and experienced," the academy says.

Two existing categories -- best recording package and best boxed or special limited edition package – have been consolidated into one category, best recording package.

T.Ueda--JT