Grammy Awards Ceremony 2023: Adele set to surpass British Record

Adele looks set to at least equal the British record for the most Grammy Awards wins in the 65th Annual Ceremony this weekend in Los Angeles, with research from William Hill suggesting the Tottenham-born singer’s incredible success ratio from previous editions of the ceremony holds her in good stead to surpass Sir Paul McCartney’s tally.

The Grammys, which recognise the best songs, artists and compositions of the past 12 months, has historically been a happy hunting-ground for Adele, who has amassed 15 of the iconic golden gramophone trophies from just 18 nominations since 2009.

In what will be her first appearance at the Grammys for six years, the British songwriter has received critical acclaim for her fourth studio album, 30, and has subsequently been nominated for seven awards in this weekend’s ceremony.

We break down Adele’s nominations and chances of success on Sunday night as she bids to make history in LA.

Easy On Me dominates single nominations

Adele’s flagship song from last year’s studio album, Easy On Me, has been nominated for four awards this year and, according to the markets, is touted to win the two most prestigious single accolades on Sunday night.

The single, the lyrics of which contains a plea to her son to treat her with kindness as she struggles with her dissolved marriage, is the 8/11 favourite to win Record of the Year, ahead of Harry Styles’ As It Was (6/4) and Beyonce’s Break My Soul (7/1). It would be the third time Adele has won the accolade, having taken home the award for Hello in 2017 and Rolling in the Deep in 2012.

Meanwhile, the record is likewise tipped to taste success in the Song of the Year category, which Adele has also won twice with the same two nominations. The single leads the market at EVS, with Harry Styles again providing the biggest threat at 2/1. Taylor Swift’s All Too Well rounds up the frontrunners for the accolade at 7/2.

The single has also been nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance (10/11) and Best Music Video (3/1), meaning Adele could acquire the four awards needed to surpass Sir Paul McCartney’s record of 18 through nominations for this song alone.

‘30’ nominations could also see Adele over the line

Adele’s fourth studio album, named after the age she began writing it (as is the same with all of her prior releases), has been nominated for two awards on Sunday evening, with the markets suggesting she is the favourite for at least one of the categories.

The album, which was inspired by the songwriter’s divorce and subsequent heartache, is odds-on at 8/11 to land Adele her third Best Pop Vocal Album award, after scooping the prize with her only other two prior nominations for the category – 25 in ‘2017’ and 21 in ‘2012’. It however faces fierce competition again from Harry’s House (11/10).

The coveted accolade in the album category is of course the Album of the Year Award, which Beyonce, who herself will be eyeing up the all-time most Grammy wins (currently three away from Georg Solti’s record of 31), currently heads the market for at 8/15 with Renaissance. Adele’s 30 is a 5/2 shot, with Harry Style’s Harry’s House narrowly behind at 11/4.

That makes Adele the outright favourite in four awards categories across both single and album nominations – the exact number needed for her to break the British record.

Previous success ratio something to behold

Adele also possesses a pretty staggering success ratio with her prior appearances at the Grammy Awards – she’s scooped 15 accolades from just 18 nominations since her Grammys debut in 2009.

Having won a commendable two out of four awards in her first Grammys Ceremony 14 years ago, then going trophyless the year after, Adele has incredibly won all of her last 15 nominations between 2012 and 2017.

To put that into context, current British record holder Paul McCartney won two of the first 13 awards he was nominated for between 1965-66, with his total of 18 wins coming from a huge 78 nominations. The former Beatles guitarist even holds the record for the most nominations in one night without winning when he failed to pick up any of the nine awards he was selected for in 1966, demonstrating that converting nominations into wins is no easy task.

Beyonce currently jointly-holds the record for the most nominations in Grammys history with 88, ironically sharing the record with Jay-Z, with the American nominated for nine awards this year – the ninth most nominations in one night in the ceremony’s history.

Adele’s 100% success rate in the last nine years at the Grammys can therefore be considered a phenomenal achievement, with more history likely to be rewritten in Los Angeles on Sunday night.