Kanye West better be on the lookout for Taylor Swift at the upcoming Grammy Awards. He’s given her plenty of opportunity to be upstaged by her as payback for his antics at the MTV Video Music Awards.
West and UK pop singer Adele lead in nominations for Grammy awards, which were announced yesterday (Nov. 30) at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
Swift, who has dominated the Country Music Association awards and the American Music Awards, is contending for country album of the year for Speak Now, but was shut out of album of the year, record of the year and song of the year.
Grammy Nominations, Major Categories
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
21- Adele
Wasting Light: Foo Fighters
Born This Way: Lady Gaga
Doo-Waps & Hooligans: Bruno Mars
Loud: Rihanna
Our Picks: Favorite: Adele; Darkhorse: Lady Gaga; Upset: Bruno MarsRECORD OF THE YEAR
Rolling in the Deep: Adele
Holocene: Bon Iver
Grenade: Bruno Mars
The Cave: Mumford & Sons
Firework: Katy Perry
Our Picks:Favorite: Adele; Darkhorse: Katy Perry; Upset: Bon IverBEST NEW ARTIST
The Band Perry
Bon Iver
J.Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex
Our Picks: Favorite: Band Perry; Darkhorse: Niki Minaj; Upset: SkrillexSONG OF THE YEAR
All of the Lights: Jeff Bhasker, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter, Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West, featuring Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie)
The Cave: Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)
Grenade: Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, Phillip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars, Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Bruno Mars)
Holocene: Justin Vernon, songwriter (Bon Iver)
Rolling in the Deep: Adele Adkins, Paul Epworth songwriters (Adele)
Our Picks: Favorite: Adele; Darkhorse: Grenade; Upset: HolooceneBEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
Adele, Someone Like You
Lady Gaga, Yoü and I”
Bruno Mars, Grenade
Katy Perry, Firework
Pink, F***in’ Perfect
Our Picks:Favorite: Adele; Darkhorse: Lady Gaga; Upset: PinkBEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
21: Adele
The Lady Killer: Cee Lo Green
Born This Way: Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops & Hooligans: Bruno Mars
Loud: Rihanna
Our Picks: Favorite: Adele; Darkhorse: Lady Gaga; Upset: Cee Lo GreenBEST 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 Chilli Peppers
The Whole Love, Wilco
Our Picks: Favorite: Kings of Leon; Darkhorse: Jeff Beck; Upset: Foo FightersBEST 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
Our Picks: Favorite: Bon Iver; Darkhorse, Death Cab for Cutie; Upset; RadioheadBEST R&B ALBUM
F.A.M.E., Chris Brown
Second Chance, El DeBarge
Love Letter, R. Kelly
Pieces of Me, Ledisi
Kelly, Kelly Price
Our Picks: Favorite: Chris Brown; Darkhorse: R. Kelly; Upset: LedisiBEST RAP ALBUM
Watch The Throne, Jay-Z and Kanye West
Tha Carter IV, Lil Wayne
Lasers, Lupe Fiasco
Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West
Our Picks: Favorite: Watch the Throne; Darkhorse; Pink Friday; Upset: The Carter IVBEST COUNTRY ALBUM
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
Speak Now, Taylor Swift
Our Picks: Favorite: Own the Night; Darkhorse: Speak Now; Upset: Here for a Good Time
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences awards Grammys in 78 categories covering almost every facet of music production. Winners are picked by the group’s 13,000 voting members.
Adele, with six nominations, one less than West, was clearly dominant because she was nominated for all three top categories: record, album and song of the year.
The nominations mark an incredible year for the UK pop singer. Her album 21 has sold almost 5 million copies worldwide, making it the biggest seller.
Adele also is a sentimental favorite after undergoing surgery on her vocal chords. It’s up in the air whether she’ll perform at the Grammy ceremony in February.
Lady Gaga’s album Born This Way will be giving Adele’s 21 a run for the money for album of the year.
But Gaga’s “Born This Way,” her powerful anthem in support of gay rights, is a no show for song of the year.
For the most prestigious honor, record of the year, Adele’s song “Rolling in the Deep” is up against Bon Iver’s “Holocene,” Bruno Mars’ “Grenade,” Mumford & Sons’ “The Cave” and Katy Perry’s “Firework.”
West has two nominations for best rap album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and Watch The Throne, a collaboration with Jay-Z. He’s also up for song of the year for “All of the Lights.”
Like Swift, however, West was also shut out for album of the year. Get ready for some major push-back on his blog.
This Grammy Awards show could also mark the return to grace for Chris Brown.
It was a fateful night on the eve of the Grammy Awards show in 2009 that he had his infamous bust up with then-girlfriend Rihanna.
The assault sent his career into a tailspin, and he’s spent the better part of two years trying to recover.
Now he’s a player once again, at least among rappers.
He received three Grammy nominations, including best rap performance and best rap song and best R&B album.
Everyone likes a comeback story, which might give Brown some room to run.
His blowup before the American Music Awards, however, still suggests that he has anger management issues.
Question is can the Grammy voters forgive and forget?
Folk band Bon Iver, country trio Band Perry, rappers J. Cole and Nicki Minaj and Los Angeles-based DJ-dance music performer Skrillex are providing widely diverse competition for best new artist.
Amy Winehouse, who died of alcohol poisoning in July, received a posthumous nomination for her duet “Body and Soul” with Tony Bennett. They’re competing for best pop duo or group performance.
The 54th annual Grammys air Sunday, February 12, on CBS.