The 66th Annual Grammy Awards are this Sunday, Feb. 4. Among the Canadians nominated for the music industry’s biggest prize are Toronto rapper Drake, indie rockers Alvvays, and emerging roots artist Allison Russell.
But you won’t find any of those names listed in the so-called “big three” categories at the Grammys— that is, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year — which are typically the only awards offered to bettors at Ontario sportsbooks. Still, if you’re keen to wager on a Canadian taking home a Grammy this Sunday, you can always back Serban Ghenea, a 19-time winner who scored five nominations in the “big three” categories this year.
Born in Romania but raised in Montreal, Ghenea is an audio engineer and mixer. He has worked with some of the biggest names in pop music over the past decade, including Katy Perry, Adele and Taylor Swift. This year, Ghenea mixed/engineered three Record of the Year nominations, including Swift’s “Anti-Hero” album, “Worship” by Jon Batiste and “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo. His other two “big three” nominations come courtesy of his work with Rodrigo and Swift in the Album of the Year category. Ghenea also garnered a pair of noms in the Best Pop Dance Recording Category, giving him seven nods at the Grammy Awards 2024.
By the odds, Ghenea’s best shot at another Grammy this year is for his work with Swift. Bet365 Ontario Sportsbook has the Ghenea-mixed “Anti-Hero” at +162 to take home Record of the Year. Meanwhile, “Midnights” is the odds-on favourite at -225 to win Album of the Year, the biggest prize of the night.
For his part, Drake checks in with four nominations alongside fellow rapper 21 Savage, who was born in London but raised in Atlanta. Drizzy and 21 Savage are recognized for “Her Loss,” which was nominated for Best Rap Album. Songs from that release also found nominations in the Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Melodic Rap Performance categories.
Allison Russell, who was born in Montreal but now resides in Tennessee, matched Drake with four nominations at the 2024 Grammy Awards. She’s beginning to receive widespread recognition for her work, but the 41-year-old artist has been performing since the early-2000s. The soulful folk singer is nominated for Best Americana Album for 2023’s “The Returner,” alongside two song nominations from that album.
The only other Canadian with multiple nominations is Montreal-born conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who scored nods for Best Orchestral Performance and Best Opera Recording.
There are many more Canadian artists recognized by the Grammys this year. Indie darlings Alvvays received their first nomination in the Best Alternative Music Performance category for the jangly-rock track “Belinda Says.” Music icon Joni Mitchell earned a “Best Folk Album” nom for her live album “Joni Mitchell at Newport.” And prolific singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright was also named in that category for his latest album “Folkocracy.”
Finally, Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner, was nominated for the audio recording of his latest book, “Boldly Go: Reflections On A Life Of Awe And Wonder.”
Canadian viewers can watch Sunday’s 66th Annual Grammy Awards live on CBS or CityTV starting at 8 p.m. Eastern. And follow OntarioBets.com for more lifestyle stories and Ontario casino apps reviews.
Author
Jeff Parker is an entertainment writer for OntarioBets.com. A writer for film, television and the internet, Jeff is a life long movie buff, with a Masters Degree in Popular Culture. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he works full time as documentary filmmaker and producer.
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