The Beatles achieved their first Grammy nominations since 1997 on Friday, marking a significant return to the Grammy stage.
The legendary band received two nominations for their newly released track, “Now and Then,” which has been described as their final song.
One nomination is in the prestigious Record of the Year category, where they share the spotlight with modern music icons like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish. Additionally, the Beatles are nominated in the Best Rock Performance category for the same track.
This year’s nominations for “Now and Then” are the Beatles’ first Grammy nods since the late 1990s. In 1997, they took home three Grammy Awards, underscoring their lasting influence.
The song, called “the last Beatles song” by Paul McCartney, was originally written by John Lennon before his death in 1980. Lennon’s vocals were recorded in 1970 and preserved using artificial intelligence to bring the song to life today.
“Now and Then” also features new musical contributions from McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two surviving Beatles members, alongside guitar recordings from George Harrison, who passed away in 2001.
Harrison’s guitar parts were originally recorded in the 1990s, making this track a fitting tribute to the group’s enduring legacy.
The Beatles won their first Grammy in 1965 at the 7th Grammy Awards, securing the award for Best New Artist of 1964 and Best Performance by a Vocal Group for “A Hard Day’s Night.”
In 1968, they won Album of the Year for their innovative record Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and, to date, the band has earned a total of seven Grammy Awards.
This year’s Grammy nominations also include another iconic group from the Beatles’ era. The Rolling Stones received a nomination for Best Rock Album for their 2023 release, Hackney Diamonds.
The Stones, led by founding members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood, have won three Grammys, with their most recent win in 2018 for Best Traditional Blues Album for Blue & Lonesome.
The Stones received their first Grammy nod in 1978, when their album Some Girls was nominated for Album of the Year.
