Grammy Nominations

The 54th Grammy Awards are being held this Sunday, February 12, at the Staples Centre, in Los Angeles. This award show is the music industry’s largest award ceremony, held every year of the past 54 years, as this year’s comprehensive ceremony is comprised of 78 awards, spanning all genres of music. Today, I’ll be going over some of the most competitive and topical categories up for grabs, as well as giving you some of my picks for potential winners.

The nominees for the 54th Record of the Year (for best performer) are: Adele – “Rolling In The Deep,” Bon Iver – “Holocene,” Bruno Mars – “Grenade,” Mumford & Sons – “The Cave,” and Katy Perry – “Firework.” All five of the nominated songs and their respective artists reached #1 on the charts, receiving numerous acknowledgements and awards from elsewhere in the music community. Each of the songs can still be heard numerous times a day on the radio, be it as their original version or one of the thousands of remixes made by fans of the songs. My pick for Record of the Year goes to “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons, with “Fireworks” (my guilty pleasure song) and “Rolling In The Deep” close behind, edging out my second favorite track of the bunch, “Holocene.”

Album Of The Year is also a tough category to pick a winner for, as certain albums tell a story, while others are just numerous hit songs put together on the same vinyl or plastic. Adele – 21, Foo Fighters – Wasting Light, Lady Gaga – Born This Way, Bruno Mars – Doo Wops & Hooligans, and Rihanna – Loud are all vying for the golden gramophone. Although having earned their respective artists millions of dollars, each, Adele‘s masterpiece, 21, is a clearcut winner in my books.

Song Of The Year (for best composer and writer of a song) will be going to one of the following tracks: Kanye West (Ft. Fergie, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, and the composers) – “All of the Lights,” Mumford & Sons – “The Cave,” Bruno Mars (and his ghostwriters) – “Grenade,” Bon Iver (and Justin Vernon for composing it) – “Holocene,” and Adele and Paul Epworth for “Rolling In The Deep.” My pick is Adele and Paul Epworth‘s gem, “Rolling In The Deep.”

Best New Artist nominees: Skrillex, Bon Iver, The Band Perry, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj. Although I would personally love for Bon Iver to win, I have a feeling like Skrillex will not be denied because of his international success, despite the narrowness of his “grimestep” feel.

Best Pop Duo/Group nominees: Coldplay – “Paradise,” The Black Keys – “Dearest,” Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera – “Moves Like Jagger,” Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse – “Body and Soul,” and Foster The People – “Pumped Up Kicks.” This award should rightfully go to either Tony & Amy or Foster The People, with my money going on “Pumped Up Kicks.”

Best Dance Recording is one of my favorite categories this year, featuring five spectacular songs, each of them equally deserving of the nomination. Deadmau5 and Greta Svabo Bech are nominated for “Raise Your Weapon,” Skrillex for “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” David Guetta and Avicii for “Sunshine,” Duck Sauce for “Barbara Streisand,” and Robyn for “Call Your Girlfriend.” Among these nominees, if the vote were up to me, alone, Robyn would win, however, because this is not the case and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences is in charge of voting, I have a feeling that “Barbara Streisand” might take the cake.

This year’s Best Alternative Album is also a tough category to decide, as it is between Bon Iver‘s Bon Iver, Death Cab For Cutie‘s Codes and Keys, Foster The People‘s Torches, Circuital by My Morning Jacket, and The King Of Limbs by Radiohead. Among these albums, Bon Iver‘s eponymous album is my favorite, while I think the award will go to either TKOL by Radiohead or Torches by Australia’s Foster The People and, seriously, I don’t know how I could choose between the two albums.

Lastly, here’s a look at Best Rap Song, whose nominees are: “All Of The Lights” by Kanye West (and crew), “Black & Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa, “I Need A Doctor” by Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Skylar Grey; “Look At Me Now” by Chris Brown, Lil’ Wayne, and Busta Rhymes (and Afrojack for his production); “Otis” by Jay-Z and Kanye West, and “The Show Goes On” by Lupe Fiasco. This category is really one that includes 3 sell-outs by their respective artists artists, an epic Kanye, Fergie, Rihanna, and Kid Cudi track; an epic Kanye and Jay-Z collaboration and the first good Chris Brown track to be released over the past several years. My vote is for “All Of The Lights,” but watch “I Need A Doctor” take home the win for Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey.