GRAMMY WATCH - Production, Remixer & Surround Sound Categories - Picks & Predictions

My Grammy Award preview coverage continues with those behind the scenes categories, which showcase some very important processes in the recording industry. For full coverage and list of nominees, feel free to visit the Grammy website. The Grammy Awards will be telecast live on CBS on Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 8pm/EST.

Best Surround Sound Album

My pick:

SONGS AND STORIES (MONSTER MUSIC VERSION)

Don Murray, surround mix engineer; Sangwook Nam & Doug

Sax, surround mastering engineers; John Burk, Noel Lee &

Marcus Miller, surround producers (George Benson)

[Concord Records/Monster Music]

My prediction:

BRITTEN'S ORCHESTRA

Keith O. Johnson, surround mix engineer; Keith O. Johnson,

surround mastering engineer; David Frost, surround

producer (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)

[Reference Recordings]

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

My pick & prediction:

REVOLVER (DAVID GUETTA'S ONE LOVE CLUB

REMIX)

David Guetta, remixer (Madonna)

[Warner Bros.]

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Tight category and, as usual, there are a couple of questionable ones (Rob Cavallo & Danger Mouse) and a couple glaring omissions (will.i.am & Timbaland). I think it will be a battle between Redone and The Smeezingtons between the two parties were nothin' but chart topping #1 songs.

My pick:

REDONE

• Alejandro (Lady Gaga) (S)

• Bad Romance (Lady Gaga) (S)

• The Fame Monster (Lady Gaga) (A)

• I Like It (Enrique Iglesias Featuring Pitbull) (S)

• More (Usher) (T)

• We Are The World 25 For Haiti (Artists For Haiti) (S)

• Whole Lotta Love (Mary J. Blige) (S)

My prediction:

THE SMEEZINGTONS (BRUNO MARS, PHILIP

LAWRENCE, ARI LEVINE) (pictured; CREDIT TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER)

• Billionaire (Travie McCoy Featuring Bruno Mars) (T)

• Bow Chicka Wow Wow (Mike Posner) (T)

• F*** You (Cee Lo Green) (S)

• Island Queen (Sean Kingston) (T)

• Just The Way You Are (Bruno Mars) (S)

• Nothin' On You (B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars) (T)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

My pick & prediction:

BATTLE STUDIES

Michael H. Brauer, Joe Ferla, Chad Franscoviak & Manny

Marroquin, engineers (John Mayer)