I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the Grammys. On the one hand, I’m all for a night to celebrate music. On the other hand, I’m not really sure what we’re celebrating. Record sales? Mediocrity? Based on the albums that have won Best Album over the last 20 years, it can’t be quality. Two movie soundtracks have won (The Bodyguard, O’ Brother Where Art Thou?), Steely Dan beat out Beck’s Midnite Vultures and Radiohead’s Kid A. Maybe three times over the same 20 year period, they got it right. In 1998 and 1999 Bob Dylan’s Time Out Of Mind and Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill took top honors. In 2004 Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won perhaps the most hotly contested race for Best Album in decades, beating out The White Stripes Elephant, Justin Timberlake’s Justified, Under Construction by Missy Elliot, and the baffling Fallen by Evanescence.

Perhaps the most maddening thing about the Grammy’s is the bizarre time frame they use. Records are considered from October 1st to September 30th. So, if you put out a single in August, but you’re album doesn’t come out until November, you can be nominated for the song but the album can’t be nominated until the following year. Maybe it makes sense with the way radio play occurs, but does anyone really listen to the radio anymore?

I don’t have terribly high hopes for the albums I’d like to see win this year. My personal choices for what SHOULD win will be in CAPS. What I think WILL win will be in bold.

Album of the Year
» The Black Keys – El Camino
» Fun. – Some Nights
» Mumford & Sons – Babel D’oh!
» FRANK OCEAN-CHANNEL ORANGE
» Jack White – Blunderbuss

Record of the Year
» The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy”
» Kelly Clarkson – “Stronger”
» Fun. feat. Janelle Monae – “We Are Young”
» Gotye feat. Kimbra – “Somebody That I Used to Know” D’oh!
» FRANK OCEAN-“THINKIN BOUT YOU”
» Taylor Swift – “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”

Best New Artist
» The Alabama Shakes
» Fun. D’oh!
» Hunter Hayes
» The Lumineers
» FRANK OCEAN

Best Pop Vocal Album
» Kelly Clarkson – Stronger D’oh!
» Florence and the Machine – Ceremonials
» FUN-SOME NIGHTS
» Maroon 5 – Overexposed
» Pink – The Truth About Love

Song of the Year
» Ed Sheeran – “The A Team”
» Miguel – “Adorn”
» Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”
» KELLY CLARKSON-“STRONGER (WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU)”
» Fun. – “We Are Young” WooHoo!

Best Pop Solo Performance
» Adele – “Set Fire to the Rain (Live)” D’oh!
» KELLY CLARKSON-“STRONGER (WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU)”
» Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”
» Katy Perry – “Wide Awake”
» Rihanna – “Where Have You Been”

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
» Florence and the Machine – “Shake It Out”
» FUN.-“WE ARE YOUNG”
» Gotye feat. Kimbra – “Somebody That I Used to Know” D’oh!
» LMFAO – “Sexy and I Know It”
» Maroon 5 – “Payphone”

Best Dance Recording
» Avicii – “Levels”
» CALVIN HARRIS FT. NE-YO-“LET’S GO” 
» Skrillex feat. Sirah – “Bangarang” D’oh!
» Swedish House Mafia feat. John Martin – “Don’t You Worry Child”
» Al Walser – “I Can’t Live Without You”

Best Dance/Electronic Album
» Steve Aoki – Wonderland
» The Chemical Brothers Don’t Think
» DEADMAU5-ALBUM TITLE GOES HERE
» Kaskade Fire & Ice
» Skrillex Bangarang WOOHOO!

Best Rock Performance
» Alabama Shakes – “Hold On”
» The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy” D’oh!
» Coldplay – “Charlie Brown”
» Mumford & Sons – “I Will Wait”
» BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-“WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN”

Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance
» Anthrax – “I’m Alive”
» Halestorm – “Love Bites (So Do I)” D’oh!
» Iron Maiden – “Blood Brothers”
» LAMB OF GOD-“GHOST WALKING”
» Marilyn Manson – “No Reflection”
» Megadeth – “Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)”

Best Rock Song
» Jack White – “Freedom at 21”
» Mumford & Sons – “I Will Wait”
» The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy” D’oh!
» Muse – “Madness”
» BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-“WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN”

Best Rock Album
» The Black Keys, El Camino D’oh!
» Muse, The 2nd Law
» Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
» BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-WRECKING BALL
» Jack White, Blunderbuss

Best Alternative Music Album
» FIONA APPLE-THE IDLER WHEEL
» Bjork, Biophilia
» Gotye, Making Mirrors D’oh!
» M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
» Tom Waits, Bad As Me

Best R&B Performance
» Estelle – “Thank You”
» Robert Glasper Experiment feat. Ledisi – “Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)
» Luke James – “I Want You”
» MIGUEL-“ADORN”
» Usher – “Climax” WooHoo!

Best Traditional R&B Performance
» Anita Baker – “Lately”
» Beyonce – “Love on Top” WooHoo!
» MELANIE FIONA-“WRONG SIDE OF A LOVE SONG”
» Gregory Porter – “Real Good Hands”
» SWV – “If Only You Knew”

Best Urban Contemporary Album
» Chris Brown, Fortune
» Miguel, Kaleidoscope Dream
» FRANK OCEAN-CHANNEL ORANGE WooHoo!

Best R&B Album
» Robert Glasper Experiment, Black Radio D’oh!
» Anthony Hamilton, Back To Love
» R. KELLY-WRITE ME BACK
» Tamia, Beautiful Surprise
» Tyrese, Open Invitation

Best Rap Performance
» Drake feat. Lil’ Wayne – “HYFR (Hell Ya F—ing Right)”
» JAY-Z & KANYE WEST-“NIGGAS IN PARIS” WooHoo!
» Nas – “Daughters”
» Kanye West feat. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz – “Mercy”
» Young Geezy feat. Jay-Z & Andre 3000 – “I Do”

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
» Flo Rida feat. Sia – “Wild Ones”
» JAY-Z & KANYE WEST FEAT. FRANK OCEAN-“NO CHURCH IN THE WILD” WooHoo!
» John Legend feat. Ludacris – “Tonight (Best You Ever Had)”
» Nas feat. Amy Whinehouse – “Cherry Wine”
» Rihanna feat. Jay-Z – “Talk That Talk”

Best Rap Song
» Nas – “Daughters”
» Wale feat. Miguel – “Lotus Flower Bomb”
» Kanye West Featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz – “Mercy”
» Drake feat. Lil’ Wayne – “The Motto”
» JAY-Z & KANYE WEST-“NIGGAS IN PARIS” WooHoo!
» Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Featuring Bruno Mars – “Young, Wild & Free”

Best Rap Album
» Drake, Take Care WooHoo!
» LUPE FIASCO-FOOD & LIQUOR PT II, THE GREAT AMERICAN RAP ALBUM PT 1
» The Roots, Undun
» Nas, Life Is Good
» Rick Ross, God Forgives, I Don’t
» 2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story

Best Country Song
» Carrie Underwood – “Blown Away” D’oh!
» Ronnie Dunn -“Cost of Livin’ ”
» Eli Young Band – “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” 
» Alan Jackson – “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore”
» ERIC CHURCH-“SPRINGSTEEN”

Best Country Solo Performance
» Dierks Bentley – “Home”
» Eric Church – “Springsteen”
» Ronnie Dunn – “Cost of Livin’ ”
» Hunter Hayes – “Wanted”
» BLAKE SHELTON-“OVER”
» Carrie Underwood – “Blown Away” WooHoo!

Best Americana Album
» The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter
» John Fullbright, From the Ground Up
» The Lumineers, The Lumineers
» Mumford & Sons, Babel
» BONNIE RAIT-SLIPSTREAM WooHoo!

Best Blues Album
» Shemekia Copeland, 33 1/3
» DR. JOHN-LOCKED DOWN WooHoo!
» Ruthie Foster, Let It Burn
» Heritage Blues Orchestra, And I Still Rise
» Joan Osborne, Bring It on Home