Twenty One Pilots At The Grammys: Can They Pull Off A Major Upset Over Adele?

Twenty One Pilots is up for their first Grammy nomination this year. Actually, Twenty One Pilots is up for five Grammys in total. But with the music award that other artists like Kanye West and Justin Bieber are calling irrelevant and unrepresentative of young artists, do Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun stand a chance at actually taking a Grammy home?

The duo is undoubtedly excited to be where they are in their careers. Both Joseph and Dun are constantly commenting on the surreality of their success. In a recent interview with Circa, the Twenty One Pilots duo even admitted they used to dream of reaching the Grammys someday, though, in a strange and humorous confession, they admitted to watching the show together in their underwear when they were still making their way.

In looking at the categories Twenty One Pilots is facing for the 2017 Grammys, however, the odds might seemed stacked against them. The big three are Record of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Best Rock Performance.

In the Record of the Year category, Twenty One Pilots is nominated for “Stressed Out.” The song has been a major boost for the Pilots, though it wasn’t one of the two singles that helped Twenty One Pilots make Billboard chart history last year. But really, it’s not their chart success that will make a difference but rather, their competition.

Facing off against Twenty One Pilots in the Record of the Year category are Lukas Graham, Rihanna and Drake, Beyonce, and probably their most difficult musical hurdle, Adele. While many awards shows are striving to prove their diversity, most analysts think Adele will walk away with this one for her “Hello.”

In the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Twenty One Pilots faces Lukas Graham, The Chainsmokers and Halsey, Sia and Sean Paul, and once again, the powerhouse musical duo of Rihanna and Drake. While Twenty One Pilots are known for their outlandish, energetic, and overall fun live performances, most critics expect Rihanna and Drake to pull out the win in this category.

When it comes to the Best Rock Performance, Twenty Pilots is facing some really tough competition. While Alabama Shakes is the least of their worries, the Pilots are going up against the highly acclaimed remake of “The Sound of Silence” by Disturbed, the queen Bey herself, Beyonce with Jack White, and the late great David Bowie.

That leaves two categories for Twenty One Pilots–Best Rock Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media. In the Best Rock Song category, Twenty One Pilots faces some rock legends in Radiohead and Metallica but their biggest obstacle is the memory of David Bowie. What better way to honor an influential musician like Bowie than to offer him a Grammy award posthumously?

The Best Song Written for Visual Media may be Tyler Joseph and Twenty One Pilots best hope for taking home the coveted gramophone statue. Even in this category, the duo will be facing musical award favorite, Justin Timberlake.

We’re not saying it’s impossible for Twenty One Pilots to pull off the surprise win in any of these categories. Joseph and Dun pulled off the win for two American Music Awards last year, though that playing field was thinner. And the Pilots have been having an incredible ride, breaking records, selling out stadiums, and making history. But like many artists who are unconventional, it’s possible that Twenty One Pilots won’t get the recognition they deserve.

Regardless of whether or not they take home a Grammy, however, Twenty One Pilots has a healthy attitude for keeping things in perspective. When they accepted their American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Duo, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun made music industry jaws drop as they strayed from the usual brown-nosing of industry executives.

“Just in case this is the last award we ever win,” Joseph said to the amusement of the audience. “We want to thank one particular group. I know a lot of artists get up here and they talk about their fans, but we really want to cut through the noise and say to our fans, you guys changed our lives.”

The Twenty One Pilots duo then went on to say that basically, no other opinions of their work mattered and perhaps it’s because of that down to earth attitude, they’ve already won.

[Featured Image by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for iHeartMedia.]