The announcement of this year’s Grammy nominees is just around the corner, and the race for both Record of the Year (given to all involved in the recording of a song) and Song of the Year (given to the songwriter) is pretty tight. This year’s guaranteed nominee will without a doubt be Adele for “Rolling The Deep,” most likely to be nominated for both categories. The song was not only a huge international success, but the critical praise it has received will ensure a nomination. Most likely to join Adele will be Bruno Mars’ “Grenade” and Taylor Swift’s “Back To December” who see a high chance to be nominated for both awards. However, who will join them is very much up in the air.
To represent rock music, it will most probably come down to The Foo Fighters for “Walk,” a possibility for both, or Foster The People’s “Pumped Up Kicks,” most likely to receive only a Record of the Year nod. Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera’s “Moves Like Jagger” is also a possible contender for Record, but not likely Song of the Year. Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaboration, “Otis,” from Watch The Throne, is a strong contender for Record of the Year as well. Kanye’s own “All Of The Lights,” which features guest vocals from a series of artists including Rihanna, Elton John, and Alicia Keys, could be holding nominations in either or both categories, but would most likely appear on the shortlist for Record of the Year.
R&B veteran Jill Scott, who scored a number one album this past year, could easily see big nominations for her song “So In Love,” representing her genre in the categories. In addition, Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse’s duet cover of “Body and Soul” is a strong contender for Record of the Year, as Bennett is a legend and Winehouse’s recent death could bring in the sympathy vote. Finally, the pop representation will most likely come down to Katy Perry’s “Firework” and Lady Gaga’s “You & I,” or possibly even “Judas.”
Other “dark horse” nominees would be Jennifer Lopez, who’s hit “On The Floor,” featuring Pitbull could sneak into the Record of the Year category. If there was anyone who could beat out Taylor Swift to represent country, it would be Carrie Underwood’s “Mama’s Song,” but most likely Lady Antebellum’s “Just A Kiss.” Alternative rock artist Bon Iver could surprise everyone and see nominations in both categories for the critically praised “Holocene.” Finally, with an outside chance that Kanye West (or Kaye and Jay-Z) won’t dominate when it comes to rap, Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” would be the most likely candidate for the nominations.
