The Grammy Awards hand out trophies in more than 80 categories, honoring artists across all genres. But the four biggest categories — Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist — all went to just one artist this year: Billie Eilish.
Billie Eilish makes history at her first Grammys, sweeping the top categories
Eilish is the youngest artist and the first woman to win all four of the awards’ major trophies: Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Eilish took the stage wearing her trademark oversize, androgynous couture and neon green roots to collect five of the awards that she and her brother/producer/co-writer, Finneas O’Connell, were nominated for. (She also won Best Pop Vocal Album.) It was a historic sweep, and not just because Eilish is a total newcomer on the pop music scene. In picking up the coveted Album of the Year trophy, the 18-year-old became the youngest artist ever to win that category.
Eilish is also the first woman to win all four of the Grammys’ big-deal trophies. And yes, it really took until this, the 62nd annual edition of this awards show, for that to happen. Welcome to the 21st century, Grammys.
Eilish is a memorable and welcome honoree, though: Her eclectic and often ingenious debut When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? heralded the teen as a unique, anxious, delicate voice of the post-millennial generation, one who speaks across the age gap. And almost exactly one year after the album’s release, the Grammys have affirmed her as the queen of pop, beating out tough competition like Lizzo, Lil Nas X, and Ariana Grande for the crown.
The nominees for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist are listed below, with the winner (a.k.a. Billie Eilish) in bold.
Visit the Grammys’ website for the full list of 2020 Grammys winners.
Song of the Year
(This award goes to the songwriters of a song.)
- “Always Remember Us This Way” — Natalie Hemby, Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey, and Lori McKenna, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
- “Bad Guy” — Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish) **WINNER**
- “Bring My Flowers Now” — Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth, and Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)
- “Hard Place” — Ruby Amanfu, Sam Ashworth, D. Arcelious Harris. H.E.R., and Rodney Jerkins, songwriters (H.E.R.)
- “Lover” — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
- “Norman Fucking Rockwell” — Jack Antonoff and Lana Del Rey, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
- “Someone You Loved” — Tom Barnes, Lewis Capaldi, Pere Kelleher, Benjamin Kohn, and Sam Roman, songwriters (Lewis Capaldi)
- “Truth Hurts” — Steven Cheung, Eric Frederic, Melissa Jefferson, and Jesse Saint John, songwriters (Lizzo)
Best New Artist
(This award is given to artists who have released their breakthrough recording during the Grammy eligibility period — October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019, in the case of the 2020 awards — not to artists who made their first recording during that time.)
- Billie Eilish **WINNER**
- Black Pumas
- Lil Nas X
- Maggie Rogers
- Rosalia
- Tank and the Bangas
- Yola
Record of the Year
(This award goes to the overall production of a single song and is awarded to the artist who records it.)
- “Hey, Ma” — Bon Iver
- “Bad Guy” — Billie Eilish **WINNER**
- “7 Rings” — Ariana Grande
- “Hard Place” — H.E.R.
- “Talk” — Khalid
- “Old Town Road” — Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
- “Truth Hurts” — Lizzo
- “Sunflower” — Post Malone and Swae Lee
Album of the Year
(This award is given to an entire album and all of its songs.)
- thank u, next — Ariana Grande
- When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? — Billie Eilish **WINNER**
- i,i — Bon Iver
- I Used to Know Her — H.E.R.
- Norman Fucking Rockwell — Lana Del Rey
- 7 EP — Lil Nas X
- Cuz I Love You — Lizzo
- Father of the Bride — Vampire Weekend
Correction: Billie Eilish won a total of five awards on Grammys night, not six. We’ve amended the story above to reflect this.
