Friday, February 8, 2013

If I Voted for the Grammy Awards - 2013 Edition


The 55th Annual Grammy Awards will air live on CBS on Sunday, February 10th, 2013.  Normally, I try to predict, but this year I am going to share my absolute favorites for this post.  So, here - or HEAR - they are, for better or worse, are my picks for this years best in recorded music (and otherwise).  Some, of which, I will absolutely jump up and down for, *Drum roll* here are my prediction/picks in each category.

for full list of nominees CLICK HERE

RECORD OF THE YEAR

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson
Greg Kurstin, producer; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Greg Kurstin & Jesse Shatkin, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
Label: RCA Records/19 Recordings Limited

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Channel Orange - Frank Ocean
André 3000, John Mayer, Earl Sweatshirt & Tyler, The Creator, featured artists; Om'Mas Keith, Malay, Frank Ocean, Pharrell & Shea Taylor, producers; Calvin Bailif, Andrew Coleman, Jeff Ellis, Doug Fenske, Om'Mas Keith, Malay, Frank Ocean, Ken Oriole, Philip Scott, Mark "Spike" Stent, Pat Thrall, Marcos Tovar & Vic Wainstein, engineers/mixers; Vlado Meller, mastering engineer
Label: Def Jam
 
SONG OF THE YEAR

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)

Jörgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin & Ali Tamposi, songwriters (Kelly Clarkson)
Label: RCA/19 Recordings; Publishers: Universal Music Publishing MGB Scandinavia, Perfect Storm Music Group/Sony ATV Music Publishing Scandinavia, BMG Gold Songs, Kurstin Music/EMI April Music
 
BEST NEW ARTIST
 
 
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE

Set Fire To The Rain [Live] - Adele
Track from: Live At The Royal Albert Hall
Label: XL/Columbia
 
BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE

Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye Featuring Kimbra
Track from: Making Mirrors
Label: Universal Republic
 
Best Pop Instrumental Album

Live At The Blue Note Tokyo - Dave Koz
Label: Just Koz Entertainment
 
Best Pop Vocal Album

The Truth About Love - Pink
Label: RCA Records
 
Best Dance Recording

Let's Go - Calvin Harris Featuring Ne-Yo
Calvin Harris, producer; Calvin Harris, mixer
Label: Ultra Music
 
Best Dance/Electronica Album

Bangarang - Skrillex
Label: OWSLA/Big Beat/Atlantic
 
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Kisses On The Bottom - Paul McCartney
Label: Hear Music
 
Best Rock Performance 

I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons
Track from: Babel
Label: Glassnote
 
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance

No Reflection - Marilyn Manson
Track from: Born Villain
Label: Cooking Vinyl
 
Best Rock Song

We Take Care Of Our Own
Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)
Track from: Wrecking Ball
Label: Columbia Records; Publisher: Bruce Springsteen
 
Best Rock Album

El Camino - The Black Keys
Label: Nonesuch
 
Best Alternative Music Album

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do - Fiona Apple
Label: Epic/Clean Slate
 
Best R&B Performance

Adorn - Miguel 

Label: RCA Records / Bystorm Entertainment

 
Best Traditional R&B Performance

Lately - Anita Baker
Label: Blue Note
 
Best R&B Song

Adorn -Miguel Pimentel, songwriter (Miguel)
Label: RCA/Bystorm Entertainment; Publisher: Art Dealer Chic
 
Best Urban Contemporary Album 

Channel Orange - Frank Ocean
Label: Def Jam
 
Best R&B Album

Write Me Back - R. Kelly
Label: RCA Records
 
Best Rap Performance

N****s In Paris - Jay-Z & Kanye West
Track from: Watch The Throne
Label: Roc-A-Fella Records, LLC
 
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Wild Ones - Flo Rida Featuring Sia
Track from: Wild Ones
Label: Poe Boy/Atlantic
 
Best Rap Song

Daughters - Nasir Jones & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Patrick Adams, Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer & Paul Leka, songwriters) (Nas)
Track from: Life Is Good
Label: Def Jam; Publishers: Rich Daily Since '71, Universal Music Publishing, Unichappell Music
 
Best Rap Album

Undun - The Roots
Label: Island Def Jam
 
Best Country Solo Performance

Blown Away - Carrie Underwood
Track from: Blown Away
Label: 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Nashville
 
Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Safe & Sound - Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars
Label: Big Machine Records/Universal Republic

Best Country Song

Blown Away - Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)
Track from: Blown Away
Label: 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Nashville; Publishers: Global Dog Music/Lunalight Music, Big Loud Songs/Angel River Songs
 
Best Country Album

Four The Record - Miranda Lambert
Label: The RCA Records Label Nashville
 
Best New Age Album

Troubadours On The Rhine - Loreena McKennitt
Label: Verve
 
Best Improvised Jazz Solo

Alice In Wonderland - Chick Corea, soloist
Track from: Further Explorations (Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez & Paul Motian)
Label: Concord Jazz
 
Best Jazz Vocal Album

Radio Music Society - Esperanza Spalding
Label: Heads Up International
 
Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Unity Band - Pat Metheny Unity Band
Label: Nonesuch
 
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Dear Diz (Every Day I Think Of You) - Arturo Sandoval
Label: Concord Jazz
 
Best Latin Jazz Album

Flamenco Sketches - Chano Domínguez
Label: Blue Note
 
Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance

Take Me To The King - Tamela Mann
Label: Tillymann Music Group
 
Best Gospel Song

My Testimony - Aaron Lindsey & Marvin Sapp, songwriters (Marvin Sapp)
Track from: I Win
Label: Verity Gospel Music Group; Publishers: Universal Music-Brentwood Benson Songs/Marvin L. Sapp Music/Ardent Media
 
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song

Jesus, Friend Of Sinners - Mark Hall & Matthew West, songwriters (Casting Crowns)
Track from: Come To The Well
Label: Beach Street/Reunion Records
 
Best Gospel Album

I Win - Marvin Sapp
Label: Verity Gospel Music Group
 
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

Come To The Well - Casting Crowns
Label: Beach Street/Reunion Records
 
Best Latin Pop Album

MTV Unplugged Deluxe Edition - Juanes
Label: Universal Music Latino
 
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
 
Imaginaries - Quetzal
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
 
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)

Pecados Y Milagros - Lila Downs
Label: Sony Music
 
Best Tropical Latin Album

Formula Vol. 1 - Romeo Santos
Label: Sony Music
 
Best Americana Album

Babel - Mumford & Sons
Label: Glassnote
 
Best Bluegrass Album

Beat The Devil And Carry A Rail - Noam Pikelny
Label: Compass Records
 
Best Blues Album

Bring It On Home - Joan Osborne
Label: Saguaro Road
 
Best Folk Album

The Goat Rodeo Sessions - Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile
Label: Sony Classical
 
Best Regional Roots Music Album

Malama Ko Aloha (Keep Your Love) - Keola Beamer
Label: 'Ohe Records
 
Best Reggae Album

Tomahawk Technique - Sean Paul
Label: VP/Atlantic
 
Best World Music Album

The Living Room Sessions Part 1 - Ravi Shankar
Label: East Meets West Music
 
Best Children's Album

Little Seed: Songs For Children By Woody Guthrie - Elizabeth Mitchell
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
 
Best Spoken Word Album

Society's Child: My Autobiography - Janis Ian
Label: Audible, Inc.
 
Best Comedy Album

Cho Dependent (Live In Concert) - Margaret Cho
Label: Clownery Productions, Rocket Science
 
Best Musical Theater Album

The Gershwins' Porgy And Bess - David Alan Grier, Norm Lewis & Audra McDonald, principal soloists; Tommy Krasker, producer (George Gershwin, composer; Ira Gershwin, Dorothy Heyward & DuBose Heyward, lyricists)
(New Broadway Cast With Audra McDonald, Norm Lewis, David Alan Grier & Others)
Label: PS Classics
 
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

Marley (Bob Marley & The Wailers) - Chris Blackwell & Barry Cole, producers
Label: UMe/Island/Tuff Gong
 
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, composers
Label: Null/Madison Gate
 
Best Song Written For Visual Media

Safe & Sound (From The Hunger Games) - T Bone Burnett, Taylor Swift, John Paul White & Joy Williams, songwriters (Taylor Swift Featuring The Civil Wars)
Label: Big Machine Records/Universal Republic; Publishers: Sony ATV Tree Publishing, Taylor Swift Music, Sensibility Songs, Absurd Music, Shiny Happy Music, Baffle Music, Henry Burnett Music
 
Best Instrumental Composition

Mozart Goes Dancing - Chick Corea, composer (Chick Corea & Gary Burton)
Track from: Hot House
Label: Concord Jazz
 
Best Instrumental Arrangement

Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite For Ellington - Michael Philip Mossman, arranger (Bobby Sanabria Big Band)
Track from: Multiverse
Label: Jazzheads
 
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

City Of Roses - Thara Memory & Esperanza Spalding, arrangers (Esperanza Spalding)
Track from: Radio Music Society
Label: Heads Up International
 
Best Recording Package

Boys & Girls - Brett Kilroe, art director (Alabama Shakes)
Label: ATO Records
 
Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

Some Girls: Super Deluxe Edition - Stephen Kennedy & Jimmy Tilley, art directors (The Rolling Stones)
Label: UMe/Universal Republic
 
Best Album Notes

Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles - Billy Vera, album notes writer (Ray Charles)
Label: Concord
 
Best Historical Album

Ram - Paul McCartney Archive Collection (Deluxe Edition) - Paul McCartney, compilation producer; Simon Gibson, Guy Massey & Steve Rooke,
mastering engineers (Paul & Linda McCartney)
Label: MPL/Hear Music/Concord
 
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

The Goat Rodeo Sessions - Richard King, engineer; Richard King, mastering engineer (Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile)
Label: Sony Classical
 
Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

Salaam Remi
  • Back To Love (Anthony Hamilton) (T)
  • Between The Cheats (Amy Winehouse) (T)
  • Girl On Fire (Alicia Keys & Nicki Minaj) (S)
  • How Many Drinks? (Miguel) (T)
  • Life Is Good (Nas) (A)
  • Like Smoke (Amy Winehouse Featuring Nas) (T)
  • Running (Melanie Fiona Featuring Nas) (T)
  • Sins Of My Father (Usher) (T)
  • A Song For You (Amy Winehouse) (T)

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

Promises (Skrillex & Nero Remix) - Skrillex, remixer (Nero)
Joseph Ray, Skrillex & Daniel Stephens, remixers
Label: Cherry Tree/Interscope
 
Best Surround Sound Album

Rupa-Khandha - Daniel Shores, surround mix engineer; Daniel Shores, surround mastering engineer; Marina Ledin & Victor Ledin, surround producers (Los Angeles Percussion Quartet)
Label: Sono Luminus
 
Best Engineered Album, Classical

Beethoven: The Late String Quartets, Op. 127 & 131 - Bruce Egre, engineer (Brentano String Quartet)
Label: Aeon
 
Producer Of The Year, Classical

Marina Ledin, Victor Ledin
  • Americana (Modern Mandolin Quartet)
  • Brubeck & American Poets (Lynne Morrow & Pacific Mozart Ensemble)
  • Delibes: Sylvia; Coppélia (Martin West & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra)
  • Mind Meld (ZOFO Duet)
  • Rupa-Khandha (Los Angeles Percussion Quartet)
  • Weigl: Isle Of The Dead; Six Fantasies; Pictures & Tales; Night Fantasies (Joseph Banowetz)

Best Orchestral Performance

Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances - Valery Gergiev, conductor (London Symphony Orchestra)
Label: LSO Live
 
Best Opera Recording

Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen
James Levine & Fabio Luisi, conductors; Hans-Peter König, Jay Hunter Morris, Bryn Terfel & Deborah Voigt; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
 
Best Choral Performance

Handel: Israel In Egypt - Julian Wachner, conductor (Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Trinity Choir Wall Street)
Label: Musica Omnia
 
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

Rupa-Khandha - Los Angeles Percussion Quartet
Label: Sono Luminus
 
Best Classical Instrumental Solo

Kurtág & Ligeti: Music For Viola - Kim Kashkashian
Label: ECM New Series
 
Best Classical Vocal Solo

Poèmes - Renée Fleming (Alan Gilbert & Seiji Ozawa; Orchestre National De France & Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France)
Label: Decca Records
 
Best Classical Compendium

Une Fête Baroque - Emmanuelle Haïm, conductor; Daniel Zalay, producer
Label: Virgin Classics
 
Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Stucky, Steven: August 4, 1964 - Steven Stucky, composer; Gene Scheer, librettist (Jaap Van Zweden, Dallas Symphony Chorus & Orchestra)
Label: DSO Live
 
Best Short Form Music Video

We Found Love - Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris
Melina Matsoukas, video director; Juliette Larthe, Ben Sullivan, Candice Ouaknine & Inga Veronique video producers
Label: Def Jam
 
Best Long Form Music Video
 
Bring Me Home - Live 2011

Sade; Sophie Muller, video director; Roger Davies, Grant Jue & Sophie Muller, video producers
Label: Epic