Predicting The 54th Grammys

It wasn't too long ago that the nominees for the 54th Grammys were announced, and it looks like a crowded field out there. In the interest of blogging, here's a look at the four big categories, the nominees, and a measured estimate of who's taking home the gold. Song Of The Year Nominees: Adele – Rolling in the Deep, Kanye West – All Of The Lights, Bruno Mars – Grenade, Bon Iver – Holocene, Mumford & Sons – The Cave. If we're talking about impact and having an amazing year, it's hard to imagine any other song getting this honor besides Adele's “Rolling in the Deep.” It's been everywhere with good reason. I can see Kanye's hook-laden “All Of The Lights” getting a win, and Bon Iver is the unpredictable indie longshot, but Adele seems like the safest bet. Bruno Mars and Mumford & Sons have relatively young careers that probably haven't begotten their biggest work. Record of the Year Nominees: Adele – Rolling in the Deep, Bon Iver – Holocene, Bruno Mars – Grenade, Mumford & Sons – The Cave, Katy Perry – Firework. The key difference between this category and the previous one is that this is dedicated to the overall recording process of a single track, so the award goes not just to the songwriter, but the performer, producer, engineer and mixer. With that said, I'm most impressed by Bon Iver's “Holocene.” It's an elegant, moving production that invokes gravity better than “The Cave.” So that's my pick. But, as anyone who has ever liked music knows, the Grammys can be a little weird in their actual awarding. If the Academy is being the Academy, I can imagine Bruno Mars and all the shiny frills of “Grenade” getting the nod. Best New Artist Nominees: The Band Perry, Bon Iver, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj, Skrillex What a diverse category. Last year, when Arcade Fire won Album of the Year, there was a portion of the listening populace that thought their win was more of a recognition of their classic album “Funeral” than a statement on the quality of “The Suburbs.” If Bon Iver wins this category, I think the same idea applies, as his real breakout was 2008's “For Emma, Forever Ago.” The Band Perry just seems to be the dark horse candidate that can very possibly take it home. The “wouldn't it be crazy if?” option is Skrillex and his brand of dubstep dissonance. Album of the Year Nominees: Adele – 21, Foo Fighters – Wasting Light, Bruno Mars – Doo Wops and Hooligans, Lady Gaga – Born This Way, Rihanna – Loud. The Foo Fighters might come away with the delayed recognition for their body of work, the way Scorcese never got his Oscar until 2006, but in my gut it feels like a toss-up between Adele and Lady Gaga. Both performers have won the year in terms of pop culture pervasiveness, but as you know, the Grammys can be weird. None of the nominees are set to frustrate young people (see 2008's Herbie Hancock win) so whoever ends up with the big one is going to have a ton of supporters.

Be sure to check out:

Vitamin String Quartet Performs Adele Available at iTunes and Amazon

Vitamin String Quartet Performs Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 Available at iTunes and Amazon

Vitamin String Quartet Performs Lady Gaga Available at iTunes and Amazon

Shape and Colour of My Heart: The String Quartet Tribute to Foo Fighters Available at iTunes and Amazon