GRAMMY WATCH - Dance and Traditional Pop Music Categories - Picks & Predictions

While I may be gaga over Lady GaGa, I wonder about how the Academy may feel about her. Seeing as the jury is still out as to why Bad Romance wasn't a Record or Song of the Year nominee - it is tough to call her as the winner in the wee dance cat. That being said, I am hopeful. As for Traditional Pop - Michael Buble seems to be the popular choice, I am always a fan of Barbra Striesand - and, hey, Johnny Mathis has never even won a Grammy Award, although he is in the Recording Academy's prestigious Hall of Fame - I think he is way overdue, as he still sounds as smooth as silk. We shall see, if Grammy does the right thing here.

Don't bet on it though.

Best Dance Recording

My Pick: DANCE IN THE DARK - Lady Gaga; Fernando Garibay & Lady Gaga, producers; Robert Orton, mixer (Track from: The Fame Monster) [Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope]

My Prediction: ONLY GIRL (IN THE WORLD) - Rihanna [Island Def Jam]

And don't count out LaRoux - they are the only ones in this category nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album - so they may pull an upset...BUT, I think Rihanna's ties with R&B, Rap & Pop voting members will pull her through over La GaGa.

Best Electronic/Dance Album

My Pick & Prediction: FURTHER - [Astralwerks] - The Chemical Brothers

Chemical Brothers is well known and beloved in this category. However, and again, don't count out LaRoux. People who didn't for them in the previous category may think they are worthy here. And then there is always Groove Armada - just depends how electronic they want to go here.

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

My Pick & Prediction: LET IT BE ME: MATHIS IN NASHVILLE - Johnny Mathis

[Columbia Records]

I really want Mathis to win, so I will predict him...lol, as if that will make it so. Michael Buble, Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart & Barbra Streisand are all here - WOW! What a competition, when you really look at it. Shall be interesting... Part of me still thinks Buble really, but I am putting the positive vibes in the universe to finally give Mr. Mathis his due already.

GRAMMY WATCH - Rap Music Categories - Picks & Predictions

I remember when the rap category emerged in the late 1980s and everybody in the industry was thinking it may not last, but a few years. Well, guess what? It is it's own field now with five categories and a lot of the nominees in this field have crossed over into many other fields, including the top four general categories. Eminem is definitely one to watch this year, as he leads all artists with the most nominations (with 10). He has already won a career 11 Grammy Awards in the past and could make a bit of history by getting into the over 20 club. Even if he wins five awards Grammy night, he will be in the elite top ten all-time artists with the most Grammy Award wins. For more on this, check out the article on it at Wikipedia.

Best Rap Solo Performance

My Pick: OVER - Drake (Track from: Thank Me Later) [Cash Money/Young Money/Universal Motown]

My Prediction: NOT AFRAID - Eminem (Track from: Recovery) [Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope]

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group

My Pick & Prediction: ON TO THE NEXT ONE - Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz (Track from: The Blueprint 3) [Roc Nation]

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

THREE of the nominees in this category are also nominated for Record of the Year. That has to be historical somehow. This one is so hard to call. I know which one I would vote for, but as to who will actually win - it is a toss up. I based my prediction on how a 'General' voting body of the recording academy may vote. See, voting members of the recording academy vote in the four general categories and can vote in up to no more than eight (8) of the 29 fields of music. So, let's say I were a voting member of the Academy. My field of expertise is Spoken Word, but I have also dabbled in a bit of music theory and know a thing or two about other fields of music. So I would vote for the top four general categories and my field of Spoken Word, but I would also be able to vote in Pop, Rap, R&B, Classical, Production, etc. up to seven more fields. So, honey, someone from Streisand to Swizz Beatz could vote from Pop to Rap to Country to Gospel in two seconds flat - so, I had to really think that process through when predicting this category (and some other ones too) . So, keep that in mind before complaining, if one of your favorite artists doesn't win come Awards night.

My Pick: EMPIRE STATE OF MIND - Jay-Z & Alicia Keys (Track from: The Blueprint 3

[Roc Nation]

My Prediction: LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE - Eminem & Rihanna (Track from: Recovery)

[Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope]

BUT, part of me thinks Nothin' On You, too...ugh... lol - see what I mean? Ha!

Best Rap Song

My Pick: EMPIRE STATE OF MIND - Shawn Carter, Angela Hunte, Burt Keyes, Alicia Keys, Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic & Alexander Shuckburgh, songwriters

(Sylvia Robinson, songwriter) (Jay-Z & Alicia Keys) (Track from: The Blueprint 3)

[Roc Nation; Publishers: Carter Boys Music/Al Shuckburgh/Global Talent Publishing/Foray Music/Masani Elshabazz Music/EMI April Music/J Sewell Publishing/Lellow

Productions/Twenty Nine Black Music/Gambi Music]

My Prediction: LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE - Alexander Grant, Holly Hafferman & Marshall Mathers, songwriters (Eminem & Rihanna) (Track from: Recovery) [Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope; Publishers: Songs of Universal/Shroom Shady Music/Universal Music

Publishing/Universal Music-Z Songs/Hotel Bravo Music/M. Shop Publishing]

Love the Way You Lie is the only song in this category nominated for Song of the Year, so it seems logical to think it will win here. However, two songs by Eminem from his Recover album are nominated in this category. He may cancel himself out. It is too bad because Not Afraid seems like such an anthem to me. Nothin' On You could also rain on his parade here too. Something about the pop feel to that tune makes me think it will resonate with more Academy voters. These rap cats will be close though, throughout - and I love it. It says a lot about a music genre that so many were so against early on.

Best Rap Album

My Pick: HOW I GOT OVER - The Roots [Def Jam Recordings]

Hey, what can I say? Jimmy Fallon's late night gab fest is one of my favorite shows and The Roots do so well as his band. I gotta show them some love. Just plain, good BAND music. Love them for their style. They truly have their own sound that sets them apart from their contemporaries, but let;s face it... We know there is a shoo-in in this category hands down...

My Prediction: RECOVERY - Eminem [Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope]

Only Jay-Z could pull an upset here, and it would be deservedly so.

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will be telecast live on Sunday, February 13, 2011 on CBS at 8pm, EST. For complete coverage and a full list of nominees, please visit the Grammy website.

GRAMMY WATCH - Music Video Categories - Predictions & Picks

Last year, I waited till the last minute, got horribly ill and couldn't finish my blogs about the Grammy Awards - with my annual picks and predictions. In fact, for the first time in my life, I totally missed the entire broadcast altogether. Anyone who knows me knows that the four major U.S. showbusiness awards dates are almost like a national holiday for me - these next several blogs will be all about the music, which is food for my soul.

This year, as always, the Grammy nominations provide a hodge podge of what the music industry sees as it's best worthy of recognition. They have gotten younger in their choices, but all in all every category has what should be there along with one or two surprises - and, of course, a few glaring omissions.

I am kicking off my Grammy coverage with two categories that I have always argued whether or not Grammy ever gets it right. Sometimes they reward an artist for career achievement here, without having to give them a vocal Grammy (ie Janet Jackson and Madonna won their first Grammy Awards in these categories), other times they go so left field one wonders who is choosing in these categories (if anyone at all). Short Form is for those videos we lay people seemingly catch on MTV, VH1, et al - Long Form is collections, concerts, documentaries with longer running times.

Best Short Form Music Video

AIN'T NO GRAVE / THE JOHNNY CASH PROJECT

Chris Milk, video director; Jennifer Heath, Aaron Koblin & Rick

Rubin, video producers [American/Universal] (Johnny Cash)

LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE (EXPLICIT VERSION)

Joseph Kahn, video director; Maryann Tanedo, video producer

[Aftermath] Eminem & Rihanna

STYLO

Pete Candeland & Jamie Hewlett, video directors; Cara Speller,

video producer

[Virgin Records] Gorillaz, Mos Def & Bobby Womack

F*** YOU

Matt Stawski, video director; Paul Bock, video producer

[Elektra] Cee Lo Green

BAD ROMANCE

Francis Lawrence, video director; Heather Heller, video producer

[Streamline/Interscope/KonLive/Cherrytree] Lady Gaga

I say it is between Lady Gaga and Cee Lo Green. First of all, let it be known I am tickled pink about F*** YOU getting some nominations. It says a lot about censorship, freedom of speech, etc. Cee Lo Green I ain't mad at ya! I love it. However, Lady Gaga simply, very simply worked the hell out of that Bad Romance video and I hope she gets the prize here. Don't count out Eminem & Rihanna (Em has the most nominations this year with 10) and everybody industry wide loves them some Johnny Cass and I wouldn't be surprised if they reward him posthumously here.

My Pick: Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

My Prediction: Bad Romance - Lady Gaga, BUT...she may be 'too popular' for Granny tastes among elder Grammy voters beaming it to Cash, or those who want to make a bold statement guiding Grammy Cee-Lo Green's way.

Best Long Form Music Video

NO DISTANCE LEFT TO RUN

Blur. Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern & Giorgio Testi, video directors;

Thomas Benski, Laura Collins & Lucas Ochoa, video producers

[Parlophone/EMI]

WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE

(The Doors). Tom Dicillo, video director; John Beug, Jeff Jampol, Peter

Jankowski & Dick Wolf, video producers [Eagle Vision]

THE GREATEST EARS IN TOWN: THE ARIF MARDIN

STORY

(Arif Mardin) Doug Biro & Joe Mardin, video directors; Doug Biro & Joe

Mardin, video producers [Nunoise Records]

RUSH: BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE

Rush. Sam Dunn & Scot McFadyen, video directors; Sam Dunn & Scot

McFadyen, video producers [Zoe]

UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS

The White Stripes. Emmett Malloy, video director; Ian Montone & Mike Sarkissian,

video producers [Third Man/Warner Bros.]

A lot of history here. The Doors, Rush, Arif Mardin, White Stripes, Blur... WOW!

My pick: Arif Mardin - Gone, but not forgotten - he was such an awesome producer and this would be a nice testament to his legacy.

My prediction: The White Stripes are Grammy darlings and I just have a hunch about this one.

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Photo: Lady Gaga, from Nick Knight photo shoot, CREDIT TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will be telecast live on Sundays, February 13 - 8pm on CBS.

For more about the Grammy Awards visit their website.