The Grammy nominations will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 30, during the Grammy Nominations Concert Live special, airing at 10 p.m. ET.
The hour-long program will shoe-horn a few nomination announcements with a jam-packed evening of performances. Among those slated to play are Lady Gaga, Jason Aldean, Rihanna, Ludacris, Sugarland, the Band Perry and Lupe Fiasco. Among the presenters will be Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry.
Hitfix will offer full coverage of the evening, including an analysis of the nominations, a backstage glimpse at what you don”t see on TV, a full list of nominees, and much more. In the meantime, here are my predictions on who”s likely to hear their names announced in one of the big four categories on Wednesday night.
The 54th annual Grammy Awards will be presented Feb. 12 from Staples Center, Los Angeles. The ceremony will air on CBS. The eligibility period is Oct. 1, 2010-Sept. 30, 2011. Here are some thoughts on some key categories.
BEST NEW ARTIST
Sure Bets
The Band Perry
The Civil Wars
Foster the People
Nicki Minaj
Possibilities
Bon Iver
Hot Chelle Rae
Long shots
LMFAO
Scotty McCreery
Lowdown: It was a strong year for new artists. Although Nicki Minaj had great success in 2010, she didn”t release “Pink Friday” until the current eligibility period, so look for her to triumph here when it comes to a nomination. There”s no Esperanza Spalding-equivalent here, but some artist may come out of the blue. Bon Iver, The Band Perry and The Civil Wars have been commercial and critical faves. Despite LMFAO”s success, like Ke$ha last year, they are likely seen as too cartoonish to warrant a nomination.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
Sure Bets
“Rolling in the Deep,” Adele
“Firework,” Katy Perry
“Grenade,” Bruno Mars
Possibilities
“Pumped Up Kicks,” Foster the People
“Moves Like Jagger,” Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
“All of the Lights,” Kanye West
“You and I,” Lady Gaga
Long shots
“Super Bass,” Nicki Minaj
“Walk,” Foo Fighters
“Body and Soul,” Tony Bennett featuring Amy Winehouse
Lowdown: This award goes to the artist and producer. “Rolling in the Deep” is going to be hard to beat: it was the biggest cross-over hit in 25 years. You may be wondering where obvious contender “If I Die Young” is : it was nominated for best country song last year, so is not eligible this year. Lady Gaga could have placed a number of songs into contention here, but I”m going with “You and I,” which is a meatier song that “Born This Way.” Though we put it as a long shot, don”t be surprised if the Grammy voters decide to figure out a way to honor Winehouse, whose “Back To Black” swept to Grammys, by nominating “Body and Soul.”
SONG OF THE YEAR
Sure Bets
“Rolling in the Deep,” Adele and Paul Epworth
“Grenade,” Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, Andrew Wyatt
“Firework,” Katy Perry, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Sandy Wilhelm, Ester Dean
Possibilities
“You and I,” Lady Gaga
“Pumped Up Kicks,” Mark Foster (recorded by Foster The People)
“Back To December,” Taylor Swift and Nathan Chapman
Long shots
“The Cave,” Marcus Mumford (Mumford & Sons)
“Paradise,” Will Champion, Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Brian Eno, Guy Berryman (Coldplay)
“I Was Here,” Diane Warren (Beyonce)
Lowdown: This award goes to the songwriter. There was a time when Grammy voters really made a distinction between song and record of the year, but lately there has been a lot of overlap in the nominations, and the winners have been the same four times in the last 10 years. Look for it to happen again when Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” snares song and record.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Sure Bets
“21,” Adele
“My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” Kanye West
“Speak Now,” Taylor Swift
Possibilities
“Duets ll,” Tony Bennett
“So Beautiful or So What,” Paul Simon
“Born This Way,” “Lady Gaga
“4,” Beyonce
Long shots
“Bon Iver,” Bon Iver
“Wasting Light,” Foo Fighters
“My Kinda Party,” Jason Aldean
Lowdown: We did a longer piece on album possibilities here. To summarize, the award is Adele”s to lose, but she has some tough competition from past winners Swift and Bennett, who will likely edge out Simon for the “veteran” spot. Arcade Fire”s win this February was a shock and a bid to show that the Grammys can be hip, so that slot this year could go to Bon Iver, if the voters are really feeling adventurous, or the Foo Fighters if they want to show they rock.
Who do you think is going to be nominated this year? Who do you think will be snubbed? Share your thoughts below.