The other major piece of news this year is the prominence of indie rock back The Arcade Fire, nominated in not only the alternative categories, but also for the coveted Album of the Year. While their chances of winning the big award are slim, it is interesting to note the extent to which the line between indie and mainstream is being continually blurred.
For anyone who can stomach it, the awards ceremony airs on CBS Sunday, February 13. Performers will include Lady Gaga, B.o.B., Cee Lo Green, Mick Jagger, Miranda Lambert, Bruno Mars, Mumford & Sons, Janelle Monae, Katy Perry, and a bunch of other intolerably dull people. Below are my predictions on who will win—and who should win—in some of the least boring categories:
Record of the Year:
“Nothin’ on You,” B.o.B. Featuring Bruno Mars
“Love the Way You Lie,” Eminem Featuring Rihanna
“Forget You,” Cee Lo Green
“Empire State of Mind,” Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
WILL WIN: “Love the Way You Lie”
SHOULD WIN: “Forget You”
Album of the Year:
The Suburbs, Arcade Fire
Recovery, Eminem
Need You Now, Lady Antebellum
The Fame Monster, Lady Gaga
Teenage Dream, Katy Perry
WILL WIN: Recovery
SHOULD WIN: The Suburbs
Song of the Year:
“Beg Borrow or Steal,” Ray LaMontagne And the Pariah Dogs
“Forget You,” Cee Lo Green
“The House That Built Me,” Miranda Lambert
“Love the Way You Lie,” Eminem Featuring Rhianna
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
WILL WIN: “Love the Way You Lie”
SHOULD WIN: “Need You Now”
Best New Artist:
Justin Bieber
Drake
Florence & the Machine
Mumford & Sons
Esperanza Spalding
WILL WIN: Drake
SHOULD WIN: Esperanza Spalding
Best Female Pop Performance:
“King of Anything,” Sara Bareilles
“Halo (Live),” Beyonce
“Chasing Pirates,” Norah Jones
“Bad Romance,” Lady Gaga
“Teenage Dream,” Katy Pary
WILL WIN: “Teenage Dream,” Katy Pary
SHOULD WIN: “Halo (Live),” Beyonce
Best Male Pop Performance:
“Haven’t Met You Yet,” Michael Buble
“This is It,” Michael Jackson
“Whataya Want From Me,” Adam Lambert
“Just the Way You Are,” Bruno Mars
“Half of my Heart,” John Mayer
WILL WIN: “This is It,” Michael Jackson
SHOULD WIN: “Whataya Want From Me,” Adam Lambert
Best Pop Vocal Album:
My World 2.0, Justin Bieber
I Dreamed a Dream, Susan Boyle
The Fame Monster, Lady Gaga
Battle Studies, John Mayer
Teenage Dream, Katy Perry
WILL WIN: My World 2.0
SHOULD WIN: The Fame Monster
Best Dance Recording:
“Rocket,” Goldfrapp
“In For the Kill,” La Roux
“Dance in the Dark,” Lady Gaga
“Only Girl (In the World),” Rhianna
“Dancing on my Own,” Robyn
WILL WIN: “Only Girl (In the World)”
SHOULD WIN: “Dancing on my Own”
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance:
“Run Back to Your Side,” Eric Clapton
“Crossroads,” John Mayer
“Helter Skelter,” Paul McCartney
“Silver Rider,” Robert Plant
“Angry World,” Neil Young
WILL WIN: “Silver Rider”
SHOULD WIN: “Angry World”
Best Rock Performance by A Duo Or Group With Vocals
“Ready to Start,” The Arcade Fire
“I Put a Spell On You,” Jeff Beck & Joss Stone
“Tighten Up,” The Black Keys
“Radioactive,” Kings of Leon
“Resistance,” Muse
WILL WIN: “Resistance”
SHOULD WIN: “Ready to Start”
Best Rock Song:
“Angry World,” Neil Young
“Little Lion Man,” Mumford & Sons
“Radioactive,” Kings of Leon
“Resistance,” Muse
“Tighten Up,” The Black Keys
WILL WIN: “Resistance”
SHOULD WIN: “Tighten Up”
Best Rock Album:
Emotion & Commotion, Jeff Beck
The Resistance, Muse
Backspacer, Pearl Jam
Mojo, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Le Noise, Neil Young
WILL WIN: The Resistance
SHOULD WIN: Le Noise
Best Alternative Music Album:
The Suburbs, The Arcade Fire
Infinite Arms, Band of Horses
Brothers, The Black Keys
Broken Bells, Broken Bells
Contra, Vampire Weekend
WILL WIN: The Suburbs
SHOULD WIN: The Suburbs
Best Urban/Alternative Performance:
“Little One,” Bilal
“Forget You,” Cee Lo Green
“Orion,” Carolyn Malachi
“Tightrope,” Janelle Monae & Big Boi
“Still,” Eric Roberson
WILL WIN: “Forget You”
SHOULD WIN: “Tightrope”
Best Contemporary R&B Album:
Graffiti, Chris Brown
Untitled, R. Kelly
Transition, Ryan Leslie
The Archandroid, Janelle Monae
Raymond V Raymond, Usher
WILL WIN: Raymond V Raymond
SHOULD WIN: The Archandroid
Best Rap Solo Performance:
“Over,” Drake
“Not Afraid,” Eminem
“How Low,” Ludacris
“I’m Back,” T.I.
“Power,” Kanye West
WILL WIN: “Not Afraid”
SHOULD WIN: “Power”
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:
“Nothin’ On You,” B.o.B. & Bruno Mars
“Deuces,” Chris Brown, Tyga & Kevin McCall
“Love the Way You Lie,” Eminem & Alicia Keys
“Wake Up! Everybody,” John Legend, The Roots, Melanie Fiona & Common
“Empire State of Mind,” Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
WILL WIN: “Love the Way You Lie”
SHOULD WIN: “Empire State of Mind”
Best Rap Song:
“Empire State of Mind,” Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
“Love the Way You Lie,” Eminem & Rhianna
“Not Afraid,” Eminem
“Nothin’ On You,” B.o.B. & Bruno Mars
“On to the Next One,” Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz
WILL WIN: “Love the Way You Lie”
SHOULD WIN: “Empire State of Mind”
Best Rap Album:
The Adventures of Bobby Ray, B.o.B.
Thank Me Later, Drake
Recovery, Eminem
The Blueprint 3, Jay-Z
How I Got Over, The Roots
WILL WIN: Recovery
SHOULD WIN: How I Got Over
Best Country Performance By a Duo or a Group With Vocals:
“Free,” Zac Brown Band
“Elizabeth,” Dailey & Vincent
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
“Little White Church,” Little Big Town
“Where Rainbows Never Die,” The SteelDrivers
WILL WIN: “Need You Now”
SHOULD WIN: “Elizabeth”
Best Country Instrumental Performance:
“Tattoo of a Smudge,” Cherryholmes
“Magic #9,” The Infamous Stringdusters
“New Chance Blues,” Punch Brothers
“Willow Creek,” Darrell Scott
“Hummingbyrd,” Marty Stuart
WILL WIN: “Hummingbyrd”
SHOULD WIN: “Magic #9”
Best Country Song:
“The Breath You Take,” George Strait
“Free,” Zac Brown Band
“The House That Built Me,” Miranda Lambert
“I’d Love to Be Your Last,” Gretchen Wilson
“If I Die Young,” The Band Perry
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
WILL WIN: “Need You Now”
SHOULD WIN: “Need You Now”
Best Country Album:
Up on the Ridge, Dierks Bentley
You Get What You Give, Zac Brown Band
The Guitar Song, Jamey Johnson
Need You Now, Lady Antebellum
Revolution, Miranda Lambert
WILL WIN: Need You Now
SHOULD WIN: Up on the Ridge
Best Improvised Jazz Solo:
“Solar,” Alan Broadbent
“A Change is Gonna Come,” Herbie Hancock
“Body and Soul,” Keith Jarrett
“Lonely Woman,” Hank Jones
“Van Gogh,” Wynton Marsalis
WILL WIN: Wynton Marsalis
SHOULD WIN: Keith Jarrett
Best Jazz Instrumental Album:
Positootly!, John Beasley
The New Song and Dance, The Clayton Brothers
Historicity, Vijay Iyer Trio
Moody 4B, James Moody
Providencia, Danilo Perez
WILL WIN: Moody 4B
SHOULD WIN: Moody 4B
Best Americana Album:
The List, Rosanne Cash
Tin Can Rust, Los Lobos
Country Music, Willie Nelson
Band of Joy, Robert Plant
You are Not Alone, Mavis Staples
WILL WIN: Band of Joy
SHOULD WIN: You are Not Alone
Best Bluegrass Album:
Circles Around Me, Sam Bush
Mountain Soul II, Patty Loveless
Family Circle, The Del McCoury Band
Legacy, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
Reckless, The SteelDrivers
WILL WIN: Family Circle
SHOULD WIN: Reckless
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