After breaking out as a teenager a quarter century ago, could Fiona Apple earn her first Grammy nomination for Album of the Year? Quite possibly, according to the latest predictions of hundreds of Gold Derby users who have placed their bets here in our predictions center. Her fifth album, “Fetch the Bolt Cutters,” has climbed into the top eight in our odds, which means she’s right on the bubble for a nomination since the recording academy now has eight available slots in their top categories.
Apple released “Bolt Cutters” on April 17 to adoring reviews — with 24 counted it still has a perfect score of 100 on MetaCritic — and on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated May 2 it debuted at number-four, which makes it her third top-10 album and the second highest-charting of her career. Her previous release, 2012’s “The Idler Wheel,” peaked a little higher at number-three.
The Grammys have nominated her at least once for each of the previous four albums she has released, and she won Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for her breakthrough hit “Criminal” in 1998, but she has never been nominated for Record, Song or Album of the Year. However, the 2020 lineup of nominees suggests the door might be open for Apple to finally ascend.
This year the recording academy nominated two women for their alternative-leaning pop albums: Billie Eilish (“When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”) and Lana Del Rey (“Norman F*cking Rockwell”). And Eilish won — an iconoclast who rose to fame as a teenager just like Apple did in the 1990s. And another alternative rock artist from the 1990s, Beck, won Album of the Year for “Morning Phase” in 2015.
As of this writing 13 of our Top 24 Users, who got the highest scores predicting last year’s Grammy nominations, are predicting a bid for Apple, and three of them think she’ll win. Do you agree with them that voters will fetch “Bolt Cutters” this year?
Be sure to make your Grammy predictions so that record executives and top name stars can see how their music is faring in our Grammy odds. Don’t be afraid to jump in now since you can keep changing your predictions until nominees are announced. And join in the fierce debate over the 2021 Grammys taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our music forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
