Thursday, December 02, 2010

The 53rd Grammy Awards Nominations

Wow! Some surprises on the Grammy Nominations this year! I was correct with some of my predictions and was way off to a lot of categories haha. Eminem, as expected, dominated with ten nominations followed by Bruno Mars with seven while Jay-Z, Lady Antebellum ,and Lady GaGa each had six nods. If only Bruno Mars was eligible for Best New Artist he would easily win! He wasn't qualified because he released his first full length album after the eligibility period. If he does not win any Grammy this year, he will be the front runner for the 54th Grammy Award for Best New Artist but with seven nominations, I think he will at least get one or two. Last year's big winner Taylor Swift was snubbed this year but she only had "Mine" eligible but with the current commercial and critical success of her new album "Speak Now" she will return on the 54th Grammy Awards nomination slate for sure. The full list of nominees is available here. Here are the nominees for the major awards and some genre categories plus how I fared with my predictions earlier this week :D

Album of the Year

THE SUBURBS - Arcade Fire
RECOVERY - Eminem
NEED YOU NOW - Lady Antebellum
THE FAME MONSTER - Lady Gaga
TEENAGE DREAM - Katy Perry

- 3/5 missed out on Lady GaGa and Katy Perry. I though since "The Fame Monster" is an EP it would have hard time cracking this category but well who would have thought this would be the General Field category she would get in an not SOTY/ROTY for "Bad Romance". "Teenage Dream" was not even in my shortlist of possible shockers for this one given that the album had mediocre reviews and sales so far but I guess the one-two punch of "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream" and the strong showing of current single "Firework" helped Katy Perry's chances.

Record of the Year

NOTHIN' ON YOU - B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars
LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE - Eminem feat. Rihanna
F*** YOU - Cee Lo Green
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND - Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
NEED YOU NOW - Lady Antebellum

- I got 3/5 again missing out Eminem and Cee Lo Green. Well I thought only one from "Empire State of Mind" and "Love The Way You Lie" will get in the top 5. I had a feeling "F*ck You" by Cee Lo Green would be recognized but I was apprehensive because of the title but well the voters didn't care (and they shouldn't be). I was surprised "Bad Romance" was snubbed here. With 4/5 urban leaning tracks they will likely divide the votes paving the way for a "Need You Now" win.

Song of the Year

BEG STEAL OR BORROW - Ray LaMontagne, songwriter (Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs)
F*** YOU - Cee Lo Green, Philip Lawrence & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Cee Lo Green)
THE HOUSE THAT BUILT ME - Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE - Alexander Grant, Holly Hafferman & Marshall Mathers, songwriters (Eminem Featuring Rihanna)
NEED YOU NOW - Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

- 2/5 here I was only right with Eminem and Miranda Lambert although "Need You Now" was on my alternates list I just thought there wouldn't be two country songs here. "F*ck You" is a wonderful surprise, the writing for this is song is just clever. Ray LaMontagne was the surprise and I admit it I'm not familiar with his music but it's nice to see that there's a non-mainstream and more traditional song on the line up

Best New Artist

JUSTIN BIEBER
DRAKE
FLORENCE & THE MACHINE
MUMFORD & SONS
ESPERANZA SPALDING

4/5 nearly perfect! Obviously, I missed out on Esperanza Spalding, she's a Jazz artist and like Ray LaMontagne on SOTY it's nice to see some diversity with nomination someone not in the mainstream.

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

KING OF ANYTHING - Sara Bareilles
HALO (LIVE) - Beyoncé
CHASING PIRATES - Norah Jones
BAD ROMANCE - Lady Gaga
TEENAGE DREAM - Katy Perry


-3/5 I know Beyoncé is a Grammy favorite but I never thought she would be nominated for a live version of a song she already won last year! Norah Jones is a pleasant surprise, she used to be a Grammy favorite but fell off the radar a couple years back so nice to see her again back on the nominations line up.

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

HAVEN'T MET YOU YET - Michael Bublé
THIS IS IT - Michael Jackson
WHATAYA WANT FROM ME - Adam Lambert
JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - Bruno Mars
HALF OF MY HEART - John Mayer

- 3/5 I actually forgot that Michael Jackson's "This Is It" was submitted when I made my predictions because he would have made the cut on my predictions list. Adam Lambert conquered the odds and got a nomination. Aside from Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, Idol alumni don't really fare well on the Grammy awards so I didn't think Lambert would get a nod.

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals

DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' (REGIONALS VERSION) - Glee Cast
MISERY - Maroon 5
THE ONLY EXCEPTION - Paramore
BABYFATHER - Sade
HEY, SOUL SISTER (LIVE) - Train

- 4/5 near perfect prediction and to my credit I had that Glee cover on my alternates but I'm really disappointed The Script's "Breakeven" was snubbed

Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals

AIRPLANES, PART II - B.o.B, Eminem & Hayley Williams
IMAGINE - Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare
IF IT WASN'T FOR BAD - Elton John & Leon Russell
TELEPHONE - Lady Gaga & Beyoncé
CALIFORNIA GURLS - Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg

3/5 although Imagine was on my alternates shortlist I just thought OMG had better chances because big hits usually do well on this category. Elton John & Leon Russel's track replaced James Taylor & Carol King's "You've Got a Friend" for the veteran slot.

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

3/5 completely surprised James Taylor & Carol King were snubbed. I thought Bieber would only get a BNA nod so this nod was surprising for me. I didn't think Susan Boyle will get a nod too despite the success of her debut album I just thought since she's a product of a reality show, voters won't take her that seriously

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

CRAZY LOVE - Michael Bublé
THE GREATEST LOVE SONGS OF ALL TIME - Barry Manilow
LET IT BE ME: MATHIS IN NASHVILLE - Johnny Mathis
FLY ME TO THE MOON…THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK: VOLUME V - Rod Stewart
LOVE IS THE ANSWER - Barbra Streisand

4/5 I predicted Liza Minneli instead of Johnny Mathis

Best Dance Recording

ROCKET - Goldfrapp
IN FOR THE KILL - La Roux
DANCE IN THE DARK - Lady Gaga
ONLY GIRL (IN THE WORLD) - Rihanna
DANCING ON MY OWN - Robyn

3/5 missed out Goldfrapp and La Roux in favor of David Guetta tracks which were both snubbed

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals

READY TO START - Arcade Fire
I PUT A SPELL ON YOU - Jeff Beck & Joss Stone
TIGHTEN UP - The Black Keys
RADIOACTIVE - Kings Of Leon
RESISTANCE - Muse

3/5 missed out Jeff Beck & Joss Stone and Muse for "Little Lion Man" and "The Catalyst"

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

3/5 I predicted two females (Florence + The Machine and Melissa Etheridge) instead of Neil Young and Paul McCartney

Best Rock Song

ANGRY WORLD - Neil Young, songwriter (Neil Young)
LITTLE LION MAN - Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)
RADIOACTIVE - Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)
RESISTANCE - Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse)
TIGHTEN UP - Dan Auerbach & Patrick Carney, songwriters (The Black Keys)

4/5 Missed out on "Angry World" and predicted "Dog Days Are Over" instead. I'm sad that the Florence + The Machine song was completely snubbed, I guess if she went to Pop she could have better chances, rock is just a male dominated field

Best Rock Album

EMOTION & COMMOTION - Jeff Beck
THE RESISTANCE - Muse
BACKSPACER - Pearl Jam
MOJO - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
LE NOISE - Neil Young

3/5 Predicted Slash and Them Crooked Vultures instead of Jeff Beck and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers


Best Alternative Music Album

THE SUBURBS - Arcade Fire
INFINITE ARMS - Band Of Horses
BROTHERS - The Black Keys
BROKEN BELLS - Broken Bells
CONTRA - Vampire Weekend

3/5 missed out on "Infinite Arms" and "Broken Bells" in favor of MGMT and Gorillaz

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance

GONE ALREADY - Faith Evans
BITTERSWEET - Fantasia
EVERYTHING TO ME - Monica
TIRED - Kelly Price
HOLDING YOU DOWN (GOING IN CIRCLES) - Jazmine Sullivan

2/5 I only got Fantasia and Monica correct. I'm shocked Alicia Keys was snubbed!

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance

SECOND CHANCE - El DeBarge
FINDING MY WAY BACK - Jaheim
WHY WOULD YOU STAY - Kem
WE'RE STILL FRIENDS - (Kirk Whalum &) Musiq Soulchild
THERE GOES MY BABY - Usher

1/5 I only got Usher right!

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

LOVE - Chuck Brown, Jill Scott & Marcus Miller
TAKE MY TIME - Chris Brown & Tank
YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND - Ronald Isley & Aretha Franklin
SHINE - John Legend & The Roots
SOLDIER OF LOVE - Sade

3/5 I'm shocked "Put It In A Love Song" by Alicia Keys & Beyonce was snubbed! That was a powerhouse collaboration! I also wrongly predicted Boyz II Men and missed out on the two Browns and friends

Best R&B Song

BITTERSWEET - Charles Harmon & Claude Kelly, songwriters (Fantasia)
FINDING MY WAY BACK - Ivan "Orthodox" Barias, Curt Chambers, Carvin "Ransum" Haggins, Jaheim Hoagland & Miquel Jontel, songwriters (Jaheim)
SECOND CHANCE - E. Debarge & Mischke, songwriters (El DeBarge)
SHINE - John Stephens, songwriter (John Legend & The Roots)
WHY WOULD YOU STAY - K. Owens, songwriter (Kem)

1/5 I only got Shine right! So many shockers here with Alicia Keys yet again snubbed for her #1 R&B song (12 weeks at #1 on Billboard R&B Song chart) "Un-thinkable". SOTY/ROTY nominee "F*ck You" was left out as well.

Best R&B Album

THE LOVE & WAR MASTERPEACE - Raheem DeVaughn
BACK TO ME - Fantasia
ANOTHER ROUND - Jaheim
WAKE UP! - John Legend & The Roots
STILL STANDING - Monica

2/5 Only got Monica and John Legend & The Roots right. Frontrunners Alicia Keys' "Element of Freedom" and Sade's "Soldier of Love were left out! My wildcard pick was Melanie Fiona's "The Bridge".

Best Contemporary R&B Album

GRAFFITI - Chris Brown
UNTITLED - R. Kelly
TRANSITION - Ryan Leslie
THE ARCHANDROID - Janelle Monáe
RAYMOND V RAYMOND - Usher

2/5 I only got Usher and Janelle Monáe. Predicted Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and Trey Songz. Oh boy I was was way wrong with my R&B field predictions

Best Rap Solo Performance

OVER - Drake
NOT AFRAID - Eminem
HOW LOW - Ludacris
I'M BACK - T.I.
POWER - Kanye West

4/5 predicted Nicki Minaj over T.I

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

NOTHIN' ON YOU - B.o.B & Bruno Mars
DEUCES - Chris Brown, Tyga & Kevin McCall
LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE - Eminem & Rihanna
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND - Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
WAKE UP! EVERYBODY - John Legend, The Roots, Melanie Fiona & Common

3/5 missed out on "Deuces" and "Wake Up! Everybody". I actually had "Wake Up!" on my initial prediction but deleted it in favor of "Bottoms Up". And I thought the powerhouse and hit song "Bedrock" with Young Money and Lloyd was a shoo-in.

Best Rap Song

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND - Shawn Carter, Angela Hunte, Burt Keyes, Alicia Keys, Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic & Alexander Shuckburgh, songwriters (Sylvia Robinson, songwriter) (Jay-Z & Alicia Keys)
LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE - Alexander Grant, Holly Hafferman & Marshall Mathers, songwriters (Eminem & Rihanna)
NOT AFRAID - M. Burnett, J. Evans, Marshall Mathers, L. Resto & M. Samuels, songwriters (Eminem)
NOTHIN' ON YOU - Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Bobby Simmons Jr., songwriters (B.o.B & Bruno Mars)
ON TO THE NEXT ONE - Shawn Carter, J. Chaton & K. Dean, songwriters (G. Auge & X. De Rosnay, songwriters) (Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz)

4/5 Predicted "Power" by Kanye West instead of "On To The Next One"

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

5/5 My only perfect prediction!

Best Short Form Music Video

AIN'T NO GRAVE / THE JOHNNY CASH PROJECT - Johnny Cash
LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE (EXPLICIT VERSION) - Eminem feat Rihanna
STYLO - Gorillaz
F*** YOU - Cee Lo Green
BAD ROMANCE - Lady GaGa

2/5 I only got Bad Romance and Stylo correct. I was surprised Arcade Fire's innovative "The Wilderness Downtown / We Used to Wait" music video was snubbed as well as The Black Eyed Peas amazing "Imma Be Rockin' That Body"

Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media

DOWN IN NEW ORLEANS - Randy Newman (The Princess and The Frog)
I SEE YOU - Leona Lewis (Avatar)
KISS LIKE YOUR KISS - Lucinda Williams & Elvis Costello (True Blood)
THIS CITY - Steve Earle (Treme)
THE WEARY KIND - Ryan Bingham (Crazy Heart)

1/5 I only got Oscar winner "The Weary Kind" right. My bad to not predict any song from TV and just all movies!

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