Sabrina Carpenter Nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys Again: What This Means for Her Career
Crosby, Stills & Nash, 1970-71
David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash received a nomination at the 1970 Grammy Awards for their debut album, Crosby, Stills & Nash. The following year, they were again nominated, this time alongside Neil Young, for their collaborative work, Déjà Vu.
Their debut album featured notable singles such as “Marrakesh Express” and “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” while Déjà Vu included hits like “Woodstock,” “Teach Your Children,” “Our House,” and “Carry On.”
The Carpenters, 1971-72
Karen and Richard Carpenter earned a nomination at the 1971 Grammy Awards for their second album, Close to You. The next year, they were nominated again for their third album, known colloquially among fans as The Tan Album, Carpenters, referencing The Beatles’ The White Album.
Close to You produced unforgettable singles like “(They Long to Be) Close to You” and “We’ve Only Just Begun.” The album Carpenters yielded hits such as “For All We Know,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” and “Superstar.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, 1972-73
Composers Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were nominated at the 1972 Grammy Awards for the London production of their acclaimed rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar. They received another nomination in 1973 as co-producers (with Tom Morgan) for the Broadway cast album.
The London production was recognized as the No. 1 album of 1971 on Billboard’s Year in Music charts, generating hit singles such as “Superstar” and “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”
George Harrison, 1972-73
George Harrison received a nomination at the 1972 Grammy Awards for his triple-album All Things Must Pass, followed by another nomination the next year as lead artist for The Concert for Bangla Desh, which featured notable artists like Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton.
Co-produced by Harrison and Phil Spector, All Things Must Pass was Harrison’s third solo album and his first after the breakup of The Beatles, featuring popular singles such as “My Sweet Lord,” “Isn’t It a Pity,” and “What Is Life.”
Stevie Wonder, 1974-75
Stevie Wonder won the Grammy for Innervisions at the 1974 ceremony and secured another win the following year for Fulfillingness’ First Finale. These were his 16th and 17th studio albums, showcasing his early start in the music industry.
Innervisions gave rise to influential singles including “Higher Ground,” “Living for the City,” and “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing.” Meanwhile, Fulfillingness’ produced hits like “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” and “Boogie on Reggae Woman.”
Elton John, 1975-76
Elton John’s eighth studio album, Caribou, received a nomination at the 1975 Grammy Awards, while his following album, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, secured a nomination the next year. Both albums were produced by Gus Dudgeon.
Caribou featured the ballad “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and the energetic track “The Bitch Is Back.” The subsequent album, Captain Fantastic, produced the single “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.”
Elton John’s popularity was evident during this period, as he also released Greatest Hits, which topped the Billboard 200 for ten consecutive weeks, alongside two non-album singles: “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” and “Philadelphia Freedom,” both of which reached number one on the Hot 100.
Billy Joel, 1980-81, 1983-84
Billy Joel captured the Grammy for Best Album in 1980 with his sixth studio album, 52nd Street. His seventh album, Glass Houses, was nominated the following year, and after a break, The Nylon Curtain received a nomination in 1983, followed by An Innocent Man in 1984. Renowned producer Phil Ramone was behind all four albums.
52nd Street produced hits like “My Life,” “Big Shot,” and “Honesty.” Glass Houses included popular tracks such as “You May Be Right,” “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “Don’t Ask Me Why,” and “Sometimes a Fantasy.” The Nylon Curtain spawned singles “Pressure,” “Allentown,” and “Goodnight Saigon.” An Innocent Man generated six significant singles: “Tell Her About It,” “Uptown Girl,” “An Innocent Man,” “The Longest Time,” “Leave a Tender Moment Alone,” and “Keeping the Faith.”
Donald Fagen, 1982-83
Donald Fagen, part of the duo Steely Dan with Walter Becker, received a nomination in 1982 for their seventh studio album, Gaucho. The following year, Fagen was nominated for his first solo album, The Nightfly, with both albums produced by Gary Katz.
Gaucho included notable singles like “Hey Nineteen” and “Time Out of Mind,” while The Nightfly featured tracks such as “I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World),” “New Frontier,” and a rendition of The Drifters’ classic “Ruby Baby.”
Kanye West, 2005-06
Kanye West was nominated for Best Album at the 2005 Grammy Awards for his debut studio offering, The College Dropout, and again in 2006 for his sophomore album, Late Registration.
The singles from The College Dropout included “Through the Wire,” “Slow Jamz,” “All Falls Down,” “Jesus Walks,” and “The New Workout Plan.” His second album, Late Registration, produced hits such as “Diamonds From Sierra Leone,” “Gold Digger,” “Heard ‘Em Say,” “Touch the Sky,” and “Drive Slow.”
Lady Gaga, 2010-12
Lady Gaga received nominations at the Grammys for three consecutive years, becoming the first artist to achieve this milestone since The Beatles, who were nominated five years in a row from 1966 to 1970.
In 2010, Gaga was nominated for her debut album, The Fame, followed by her EP, The Fame Monster, in 2011, and her second full-length album, Born This Way, in 2012. Notably, producer RedOne was recognized for his contributions to all three releases.
Singles from The Fame included “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “LoveGame,” and “Paparazzi.” The Fame Monster featured the tracks “Bad Romance,” “Telephone,” “Alejandro,” and “Dance in the Dark,” while Born This Way introduced the anthemic title track along with “Judas,” “The Edge of Glory,” “You and I,” “Marry the Night,” and “Bloody Mary.”
H.E.R., 2019-20
H.E.R. received her first Grammy nomination in 2019 for her compilation album, H.E.R., and followed it up with a nomination in 2020 for her second compilation, I Used to Know Her.
Co-producing both albums, H.E.R. saw her first album yield the single “Focus,” while I Used to Know Her gave rise to singles “Could’ve Been” and “Hard Place.”
Taylor Swift, 2021-22, 2024-25
Taylor Swift achieved a notable feat by securing Grammy nominations in consecutive years, similar to Billy Joel’s accomplishments. She won the award for her eighth studio album, Folklore, at the 2021 ceremony, and was nominated for her ninth album, Evermore, in 2022. After a one-year hiatus, Swift won again in 2024 with Midnights, marking her as the first four-time winner in this category. She received another nomination in 2025 with The Tortured Poets Department. Producers Jack Antonoff and Swift were nominated for all four albums.
Folklore produced singles like “Cardigan,” “Exile,” and “Betty,” while Evermore yielded hits such as “Willow,” “No Body, No Crime,” and “Coney Island.” From Midnights, singles included “Anti-Hero,” “Lavender Haze,” and “Karma,” while The Tortured Poets Department featured tracks like “Fortnight” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”
During this time, Swift also released Taylor’s Versions of her earlier albums, including Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989, and embarked on the highly successful Eras Tour.
Sabrina Carpenter, 2025-26
Sabrina Carpenter received a nomination for her sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet, at the 2025 Grammy Awards, and has been nominated again for her seventh album, Man’s Best Friend, at the upcoming ceremony on February 2. Producers Jack Antonoff and John Ryan were recognized for their work on both albums.
Short n’ Sweet generated singles including “Espresso,” “Please Please Please,” “Taste,” “Bed Chem,” and “Juno.” So far, Man’s Best Friend has produced tracks like “Manchild,” “Tears,” and “When Did You Get Hot?”
