Grammys 2022: from Olivia Rodrigo to Bruno Mars, Filipino-American singers are having a moment

Artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, part of a wave of Filipino-Americans who are up for awards at the 2022 Grammys, increasingly acknowledge their Asian heritage

As Filipino-Americans they have assimilated the national culture. Like Americana singer Elle King says: ‘I’m a little Filipina and a whole lot of hillbilly’

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Olivia Rodrigo at a red carpet event for Disney+‘s “Olivia Rodrigo: Driving Home 2U” in March, 2022. Filipino-American artists like her are nominated for many of the top prizes at this year’s Grammys. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:15am, 3 Apr 2022

Growing up as a biracial black and Filipino musician, singer-songwriter H.E.R. could count on a few things her two cultures shared.

“Filipino-Americans love R&B like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. We love hip-hop and we love a really powerful ballad. There’s always music happening,” the 24-year-old born Gabriella Wilson said, two days before presenting at the Academy Awards and a week before she’s up for album of the year at the 64th Grammys.

“I should be careful here, but Filipinos are kind of like the black people of Asia. I love all our commonalities. When my mum married a black man, our cultures meshed.”

Amid the pressure on the Grammys to better represent the diversity of who makes and listens to pop music today, this year’s nominations showed one notable flowering of that work: it’s the best year for Filipino-Americans in Grammy history.

H.E.R. at the 63rd Grammy Awards in March, 2021. Photo: TNS

Across top categories, acts with Philippine heritage including Olivia Rodrigo, Saweetie and H.E.R. are up for best new artist and album, song and record of the year prizes.

Long-time Grammy favourite Bruno Mars, a multiracial Filipino-American Hawaii native, is in contention for four awards with his funk and soul band Silk Sonic, including song and record for Leave the Door Open.