SALON

Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 1:50 PM UTC

Who will get a 2013 Grammy nomination?

Contenders will be announced at a concert streaming live from Nashville tonight

By

Topics: grammy, Awards, celebrities, Grammys, Music,

Who will get a 2013 Grammy nomination? (Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock.com)

Tonight, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences will announce Grammy nominations for the top musical artists of the year, a precursor to the 55th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10. To be eligible, an artist must have released a song between Oct. 1, 2011 and Sept. 30, 2012.

Here are a look at some of the artists who could appear in the four general categories:

Album of the Year

Last year, Adele’s “21″ picked up album of the year (along with a slew of other top awards), given to the performer and the production team of a full album. Overall influence and popularity are key factors in the decision to what might arguably be the Grammy’s top honor. This year, two obvious picks include Frank Ocean’s “Channel Orange” and “The Black Keys’ “El Camino.”  Fun.’s “Some Nights”, Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded,” and Taylor Swift’s “Red” could also be strong contenders. (But we’re guessing that Lana Del Ray’s “Born to Die” probably won’t be).

Record of the Year

This award goes to the artist and production team behind a single track. Chances are good, therefore, that this pick will go to a popular, highly infectious song (But, as MTV notes, no rap song has ever won in this category). Our picks include the year’s sing-along favorites: Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe,”  Fun.’s ”We Are Young”, and of course the K-pop viral hit “Gangnam Style.” (If Psy wins, it would be Korea’s first Grammy Award).  And though unlikely,  after seeing the Biebs sweep the AMA, “Girlfriend” could make it on the list.

Song of the Year

Unlike Record of the Year, Song of the Year goes to the actual songwriter, which means the honor could go to a more earthy, less manufactured-sounding song. Any of The Black Keys’ soulful singles–we’re not sure which–from their “El Camino” album are an obvious choice here. British rock band Mumford & Sons will probably also make it to the list for ”I Will Wait,” as will Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Pop perennials Bruno Mars and Jason Mraz could also make the cut with “Locked Out of Heaven” and “I Won’t Give Up,” respectively.

Best New Artist

This might be most exciting award, if only because it cements a newcomer permanently into the music scene. Breakthrough artists are still eligible even if they’ve had previous releases, which makes it a bit tougher to decide who should get this award. Carlie Rae Jepson and Gotye are obvious contenders here, but Gotye’s duet partner Kimbra could  make an appearance on the list, too. And soulful singer Ellie Goulding and rapper Kendrick Lamar are too talented not to get a nom.

Tune in tonight at 10 pm E.T. on CBS to see this year’s “Grammy Nominations Concert Live!!”

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com. More Prachi Gupta.

Next Article

Related Stories

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

The week in 10 pics

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • Lisa Montgomery embraces her nephew Thursday after a tornado tore apart her home in Cleburne, Texas. The twister killed six people and destroyed entire swaths of the North Texas town.
    Credit: AP/LM Otero

  • Jack McMahon, the defense attorney for abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, speaks outside the Criminal Justice Center Philadelphia Tuesday. His client was convicted of killing three babies in his clinic, and will serve multiple life sentences.
    Credit: AP/Matt Rourke

  • A photo taken Monday captures Vice President Joe Biden's response to a Milwaukee second-grader's innovative proposal to end America's epidemic of gun violence. This guy!
    Credit: AP/Jenny Aicher

  • Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., flanked by a grouper-eyed Michele Bachmann, addresses the IRS' admission that it targeted Tea Party groups in advance of the 2012 election. In an op-ed for CNN Thursday, the Kentucky senator slammed the president for his faux outrage.
    Credit: AP/Molly Riley

  • Ousted IRS chief Steven Miller is sworn in on Capitol Hill Friday. Miller testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on the extra scrutiny the agency gave conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
    Credit: AP/J. Scott Applewhite

  • Attorney General Eric Holder pauses as he testifies on Capitol Hill before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Holder is under fire, among other things, for the Justice Department's gathering of phone records at the Associated Press.
    Credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster

  • O.J. Simpson sits during an evidentiary hearing at Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nev., Thursday. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison for armed robbery and kidnapping, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial.
    Credit: AP/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Jeff Scheid

  • Major Tom to ground control: On Sunday astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded the first music video from space, a cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity."
    Credit: AP/NASA/Chris Hadfield

  • When it rains it pours. President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, inexplicably inspiring an #umbrellagate Twitter meme.
    Credit: AP/Jacquelyn Martin

  • A smoke plume rises high above a road block at the intersection of County A and Ross Road east of Solon Springs, Wis., Tuesday. No injuries were reported, but the the wildfire caused evacuations across northwestern Wisconsin.
    Credit: AP/The Duluth News-Tribune/Clint Austin

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

Comments

 0 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: So long, Sookie Stackhouse

Recommendations