What this article covers
This article explains how the Recording Academy defines Song of the Year, where Billie Eilish stands in Grammy history, and what her wins and nominations mean for her legacy. You will find category definitions, verified milestones, and practical context you can rely on over time.
What Song of the Year means at the Grammys
The Grammy Award for Song of the Year is given for an individual song’s overall writing quality across lyrics and melody. The eligibility period runs through the release year, and entrants must be published and commercially released. There is no genre restriction, but entries must be new, previously unreleased work. Song of the Year honors songwriters and publishers, not performers or producers, unless they also hold songwriting credits. Academy members vote in the final round, making this category one of the most influential indicators of broad industry respect.
Billie Eilish’s Grammy wins and nominations, at a glance
Billie Eilish has accumulated multiple Grammy wins and nominations across several general and genre-specific categories. The table below summarizes her key verified milestones through the 2020s cycle, with clear context on which awards are competitive versus technical.
Billie Eilish Grammy highlights at a glance
| Category | Song / Work | Outcome | Source type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record of the Year | bad guy | Won | Official Grammy archives |
| Song of the Year | bad guy | Nominated | Official Grammy archives |
| Best New Artist | — | Won | Official Grammy archives |
| Song of the Year | everything i wanted | Nominated | Official Grammy archives |
| Best Pop Solo Performance | everything i wanted | Won | Official Grammy archives |
| Song of the Year | No Time to Die | Nominated | Official Grammy archives |
| Record of the Year | Happier Than Ever | Nominated | Official Grammy archives |
| Song of the Year | Happier Than Ever | Nominated | Official Grammy archives |
Has Billie Eilish ever won Song of the Year?
No. Billie Eilish has not won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. She has been nominated four times: for bad guy, everything i wanted, No Time to Die, and Happier Than Ever. None of these nominations resulted in a win in the Song of the Year category. Her competitive wins include Record of the Year for bad guy and Best Pop Solo Performance for everything i wanted, which are distinct categories.
How Song of the Year differs from Record of the Year
Song of the Year is awarded to the songwriters and publishers based on the composition’s quality, while Record of the Year honors the performance and overall production of a recording. A track can earn multiple nominations in both categories if songwriting and production are strong. For example, bad guy earned Billie Eilish a Record of the Year win but only a Song of the Year nomination, underscoring that songwriting and recording excellence are judged separately.
Context for Song of the Year nominations
Being nominated for Song of the Year without a win reflects the category’s high bar and broad electorate. Song of the Year often includes pop, rock, country, and rap songs, and nominees can span many artists who share writing credits. For Billie Eilish, nominations for bad guy, everything i wanted, No Time to Die, and Happier Than Ever show consistent recognition of her songwriting across albums and soundtracks, even though the award went to other composers in those years.
What these nominations mean for her legacy
Multiple Song of the Year nominations establish Billie Eilish as a significant songwriter within the industry, even if she has not yet received the award. Nominations across different projects— from debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? to James Bond theme No Time to Die and recent work—demonstrate range and sustained relevance. For fans and industry observers, this pattern signals that her work is taken seriously by the Academy while clarifying the gap between Song of the Year recognition and her existing competitive wins.
Key takeaways
- Song of the Year rewards songwriting, not performance or production.
- Billie Eilish has been nominated four times but has not won the award.
- She has won other competitive Grammys, such as Record of the Year for bad guy.
- Nominations include bad guy, everything i wanted, No Time to Die, and Happier Than Ever.
- These nods highlight enduring songwriting impact across albums and soundtracks.
Grammy category distinctions, briefly
Understanding how categories differ helps clarify why Billie Eilish has won some Grammys but not Song of the Year. Below is a quick comparison of closely related awards she has contested.
Quick comparison of related Grammy categories
| Category | What it rewards | Example for Billie Eilish |
|---|---|---|
| Song of the Year | Songwriting (melody and lyrics) | Nominated for bad guy, everything i wanted, No Time to Die, Happier Than Ever |
| Record of the Year | Overall recording quality and performance | Won for bad guy |
| Best Pop Solo Performance | Vocal performance in the pop category | Won for everything i wanted |
Why Song of the Year is hard to win
Song of the Year is one of the most contested categories because it is genre-neutral and limited to a small number of nominees each year. Eligible songs must be new, and writers must claim credit through published shares. With dozens of qualified songs and only one winner, many excellent compositions compete. Nominees range from pop hits to album tracks and soundtrack material, and voters weigh melody, lyrics, and overall impact. For any artist, repeated nominations without a win still represent meaningful industry validation.