Who will emerge triumphant at the Grammys?
DECISIONS, DECISIONS: When it comes to these awards you just never know who will win
It’s Grammy night. And you know what that means: More insipid banter from inexplicably eternal host LL Cool J. More random live pairings of totally unrelated artists. More tributes to dead stars such as David Bowie, Lemmy and B.B. King. And this year, more Lady Gaga, who is apparently on a campaign to play every award show and major sporting event.
But mostly, of course, it means more ridiculous decisions, headscratching upsets and infuriating oversights as several dozen awards are handed out at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Going into the night, rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the field with 11 nominations, while Taylor Swift and Canada’s own Weeknd have a distant seven each. Who will emerge triumphant? Well, after months of listening, weeks of study, hours of contemplation and a handful of coin tosses, here are my best guesses in major categories. Play along and see for yourself when the televised portion of the ceremonies airs Monday on CBS and City.
Record Of The Year
Really Love, D’Angelo And The Vanguard
Uptown Funk, Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars Thinking Out Loud, Ed Sheeran Blank Space, Taylor Swift Can’t Feel My Face, The Weeknd
Should win: Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face — even Obama was singing it.
Will win: Ronson’s Uptown Funk.
Why: It wasn’t the top-selling song of the year for nothing.
Album Of The Year
Sound & Color, Alabama Shakes To Pimp A Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar Traveller, Chris Stapleton 1989, Taylor Swift Beauty Behind The Madness, The Weeknd
Should win: Kendrick Lamar topped countless critics’ lists. Mine included. Will win: Taylor Swift Why: Because the Grammys nearly always get this wrong.
Song Of The Year
Alright, Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears and Pharrell-Williams, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
Blank Space, Max Martin, Shellback and Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
Girl Crush, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)
See You Again, Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth and Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)
Thinking Out Loud, Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge, songwriters (Ed Sheeran)
Should win: Kendrick Lamar —
again.
Will win: Paul Walker elegy or Sheeran’s love ballad.
Why: Never bet against a song that makes grown men blubber.
Best New Artist
Courtney Barnett James Bay Sam Hunt Tori Kelly Meghan Trainor
Should win: Aussie oddball Courtney Barnett.
Will win: Anybody but Courtney Barnett.
Why: The rest — especially oddson favourite Trainor — are far more palatable.
Best Pop Vocal Album
Piece By Piece, Kelly Clarkson How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Florence + The Machine Uptown Special, Mark Ronson 1989, Taylor Swift Before This World, James Taylor
Should win: Florence + The Machine made the strongest album.
Will win: Clarkson or Swift. Why: Clarkson’s won twice — but Swift’s juggernaut seems hard to beat.
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Our Love, Caribou Born In The Echoes, The Chemical Brothers Caracal, Disclosure In Colour, Jamie XX Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü, Skrillex And Diplo
Should win: Jamie XX. Will win: Skrillex And Diplo or Chemical Brothers.
Why: Skrilly and the Chems have each taken this one twice.
Best Metal Performance
Identity, August Burns Red Cirice, Ghost 512, Lamb of God Thank You, Sevendust Custer, Slipknot
Should win: Anybody but Sevendust.
Will win: The masked marauders of Slipknot.
Why: This one usually goes to the biggest name. Or Tenacious D.