Saturday

Personal Picks for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards

Awards season is upon us again, and the Grammy Awards are up next. Who will win the coveted gramophone trophies from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for 2012?

The Grammy Awards ceremony will air live from Los Angeles’ Staples Center on CBS TV on Sunday evening, February 12th.

Here are my personal predictions of those most likely to win, though not necessarily those I’d pick for each of the top categories. My predicted winners are bolded in red. 

Nope, I'm not explaining my picks. How do they compare to your Grammy Awards predictions?


Record of the Year
Rolling in the Deep, Adele
Holocene, Bon Iver
Grenade, Bruno Mars
The Cave, Mumford & Sons
Firework, Katy Perry

Album of the Year
21, Adele
Wasting Light, Foo Fighters
Born This Way, Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Bruno Mars
Loud, Rihanna, Drake, Eminem & Nicki Minaj

Song of the Year
All of the Lights, Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
The Cave, Mumford & Sons
Grenade, Bruno Mars
Holocene, Bon Iver
Rolling in the Deep, Adele

Best New Artist
The Band Perry
Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex

Best Pop Solo Performance
Someone Like You, Adele
You and I, Lady Gaga
Grenade, Bruno Mars
Firework, Katy Perry
F***in’ PerfectPink

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Body and Soul, Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
Dearest, The Black Keys
Paradise, Coldplay
Pumped Up Kicks, Foster The People
Moves Like Jagger, Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera

Best Pop Vocal Album
21, Adele
Born This Way, Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Bruno Mars
Loud, Rihanna
The Lady Killer, Cee Lo Green

Best Dance Recording
Raise Your Weapon, Deadmau 5 & Greta Svabo Bech
Barbra Streisand, Duck Sauce
Sunshine, David Guetta & Avicii
Call Your Girlfriend, Robyn
Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, Skrillex
Save The World, Swedish House Mafia

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Duets II, Tony Bennett & Various Artists
The Gift, Susan Boyle
In Concert on Broadway, Harry Connick Jr.
Music Is Better Than Words, Seth MacFarlane
What Matters Most - Barbra Streisand Sings the Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Barbra Streisand

Best Rock Performance
Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall, Coldplay
Down By The Water, The Decemberists
Walk, Foo Fighters
The Cave, Mumford & Sons
Lotus Flower, Radiohead

Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance
On The Backs Of Angels, Dream Theater
White Limo, Foo Fighters
Curl of the Burl, Mastodon
Public Enemy No. 1, Megadeth
Blood In My Eyes, Sum 41

Best Rock Song
The Cave, Mumford & Sons
Down by the Water, The Decemberists
Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall, Coldplay
Lotus Flower, Radiohead
Walk, Foo Fighters

Best Rock Album
Rock ‘n’ Roll Party Honoring Les Paul, Jeff Beck
Wasting Light, Foo Fighters
Come Around Sundown, Kings of Leon
I'm With You, Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Whole Love, Wilco

Best Alternative Music Album
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Codes and Keys, Death Cab for Cutie
Torches, Foster the People
Circuital, My Morning Jacket
The King of Limbs, Radiohead

Best R&B Performance
Far Away, Marsha Ambrosius
Pieces of Me, Ledisi
Not My Daddy, Kelly Price & Stokley
Is This Love, Corinne Bailey Rae
You Are, Charlie Wilson

Best Traditional R&B Performance
Sometimes I Cry, Eric Benet
Fool For You, Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
Radio Message, R. Kelly
Good Man, Raphael Saadiq
Surrender, Betty Wright & The Roots

Best R&B Song
Far Away, Marsha Ambrosius
Fool For You, Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
Not My Daddy, Kelly Price & Stokley
Pieces of Me, Ledisi
You Are, Charlie Wilson

Best R&B Album
F.A.M.E., Chris Brown
Second Chance, El DeBarge
Love Letter, R. Kelly
Pieces of Me, Ledisi
Kelly, Kelly Price

Best Rap Performance
Look At Me Now, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
Otis, Jay-Z & Kanye West
The Show Goes On, Lupe Fiasco
Moment 4 Life, Nicki Minaj & Drake
** Black and Yellow, Wiz Khalifa

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Party, Beyonce & Andre 3000
I’m On One, DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
I Need a Doctor, Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey
What’s My Name?, Rihanna & Drake
Motivation, Kelly Rowland & Lil Wayne
All of the Lights, Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie

Best Rap Song
All of the Lights, Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
** Black and Yellow, Wiz Khalifa
I Need a Doctor, Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey
Look At Me Now, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
Otis, Jay-Z & Kanye West)
The Show Goes On, Lupe Fiasco

Best Rap Album
Watch The Throne, Jay-Z & Kanye West
Tha Carter IV, Lil Wayne
Lasers, Lupe Fiasco
Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West

Best Country Solo Performance
Dirt Road Anthem, Jason Aldean
I’m Gonna Love You Through It, Martina McBride
Honey Bee, Blake Shelton
Mean, Taylor Swift
Mama’s Song, Carrie Underwood

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Don’t You Wanna Stay, Jason Aldean/Kelly Clarkson
You and Tequila, Kenny Chesney/Grace Potter
Barton Hollow, The Civil Wars
Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not, Thompson Square

Best Country Song
Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not, Thompson Square
God Gave Me You, Blake Shelton
Just Fishin’, Trace Adkins
Mean, Taylor Swift
Threaten Me With Heaven, Vince Gill
You and Tequila, Kenny Chesney/Grace Potter

Best Country
My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean
Chief, Eric Church
Own the Night, Lady Antebellum
Red River Blue, Blake Shelton
Here for a Good Time, George Strait

Best Jazz Vocal Album
‘Round Midnight, Karrin Allyson
The Gate, Kurt Elling
American Road, Tierney Sutton Band
The Music of Randy Newman, Roseanna Vitro

Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Bond: The Paris Sessions, Gerald Clayton
Alone at the Vanguard, Fred Hersch
Bird Songs, Joe Lovano/Us Five
Road Shows Vol. 2, Sonny Rollins
Timeline, Yellowjackets

Best Gospel Song
Hello Fear, Kirk Franklin
Sitting With Me, Mary Mary
Spiritual, Donald Lawrence & Co. with Blanche McAllister-Dykes
Trust Me, Richard Smallwood & Vision
Window, Canton Jones

Best Gospel Album
The Love Album, Kim Burrell
The Journey, Andrae Crouch
Hello Fear, Kirk Franklin
Something Big, Mary Mary
Angel & Chanelle Deluxe Edition, Trin-I-Tee 5:7

Best Blues Album
Low Country Blues, Gregg Allman
Roadside Attractions, Marcia Ball
Man In Motion, Warren Haynes
The Reflection, Keb Mo
Revelator, Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best Folk Album
Barton Hollow, The Civil Wars
I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive, Steve Earle
Helplessness Blues, Fleet Foxes
Ukulele Songs, Eddie Vedder
The Harrow & The Harvest, Gillian Welch

Best Reggae Album
Harlem-Kingston Express Live!, Monty Alexander
Reggae Knights, Israel Vibration
Revelation Pt 1: The Root of Life, Stephen Marley
Wild and Free, Ziggy Marley
Summer in Kingston, Shaggy

Best World Music Album
AfroCubism, AfroCubism
Africa For Africa, Femi Kuti
Songs From a Zulu Farm, Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Tassili, Tinariwen

Best Children’s Album
All About Bullies ... Big and Small, Various Artists
Are We There Yet?, The Papa Hugs Band
Fitness Rock & Roll, Miss Amy
Gulf Alive, The Banana Plant
I Love: Tom T. Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow, Various Artists

Best Spoken Word Album
Bossypants, Tina Fey
Fab Fan Memories ‘ The Beatles Bond, Various Artists
Hamlet, Oregon Shakespeare Festival
If You Ask Me (and Of Course You Won’t), Betty White
The Mark of Zorro, Val Kilmer & Cast

Best Comedy Album
Alpocalypse, Weird Al Yankovic
Finest Hour, Patton Oswalt
Hilarious, Louis C.K.
Kathy Griffin: 50 & Not Pregnant, Kathy Griffin
Turtleneck & Chain, The Lonely Island

Best Musical Theater Album
Anything Goes
The Book Of Mormon
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
Boardwalk Empire: Volume 1 (Various Artists)
Burlesque, Christina Aguilera
Glee: The Music, Volume 4
Tangled (Various Artists)
True Blood: Volume 3 (Various Artists)

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
Black Swan, Clint Mansell, composer
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows ‘ Part 2, Alexandre Desplat, composer
The King’s Speech, Alexandre Desplat, composer
The Shrine, Ryan Shore, composer
Tron Legacy, Daft Punk, composers

Best Song Written For Visual Media
Born To Be Somebody (from ‘Never Say Never,’ Justin Bieber)
Christmastime Is Killing Us (from ‘Family Guy’)
I See The Light (from Tangled)
So Long (from Winnie The Pooh)
Where The River Goes (from Footloose)
You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me (from Burlesque)

Best Instrumental Composition
Falling Men, John Hollenbeck, composer
Hunting Wabbits 3 (Get Off My Lawn), Gordon Goodwin, composer
I Talk to the Trees, Randy Brecker, composer
Life in Eleven, Bela Fleck & Howard Levy, composers
Timeline, Russell Ferrante, composer

Best Instrumental Arrangement
All or Nothing at All, Peter Jensen, arranger
In The Beginning, Clare Fischer, arranger
Nasty Dance, Bob Brookmeyer, arranger (The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra)
Rhapsody In Blue, Gordon Goodwin, arranger
Song Without Words, Carlos Franzetti, arranger

Best Orchestral Performance
Bowen: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2, Andrew Davis, conductor (BBC Philharmonic)
Brahms: Symphony No. 4, Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Haydn: Symphonies 104, 88 & 101, Nicholas McGegan, conductor (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra)
Henze: Symphonies Nos. 3-5, Marek Janowski, conductor (Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin)
Martinu: The 6 Symphonies, Jire Belohlevek, conductor (BBC Symphony Orchestra)

Best Short Form Music Video
Rolling In The Deep, Adele
Yes I Know, Memory Tapes
All Is Not Lost, OK Go
Lotus Flower, Radiohead
First of the Year (Equinox), Skrillex
Perform This Way, Weird Al Yankovic

Best Long Form Music Video
I Am ...World Tour, Beyonce
Foo Fighters: Back And Forth, Foo Fighters
Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon, Kings of Leon
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, A Tribe Called Quest
Nine Types of Light, TV On The Radio

Be sure to c’mon back on Monday, and see how I did. And don’t be shy about commenting, if you agree or disagree with my Grammy Awards predictions.

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Grammy Award
Photo byYa’akov
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