Nessun Dorma/Seven Nation Army

Nessun Dorma/Seven National Army - two highlights from my drag shows in Fort Lauderdale many moons ago. Thank goodness for memories! 🎼🙌💕💃

TBT Cassone performing Seven Nation Army

GRAMMY WATCH - Package, Notes & Historical Album Categories - Picks & Predictions

This next set of categories in my Grammy Award preview is for the packaging of recordings and Historical Album. These usually cover those big, bawdy, awesome packaged, multiple CD/DVD sets, some with books, all artistically manipulated to give music fans an 'ooh and ahh' experience in their journey.

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

Best Recording Package

Not sure why it took 5 people to create the packaging for Eggs by Oh No Ono, it was so simple.

My pick & prediction:

HADESTOWN

Brian Grunert, art director (Anaïs Mitchell)

[Righteous Babe Records]

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package

My pick & prediction:

UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS (LIMITED

EDITION BOX SET)

Rob Jones & Jack White III, art directors (The White Stripes)

[Third Man/Warner Bros.]

Best Album Notes

My pick & prediction:

ALAN LOMAX IN HAITI: RECORDINGS FOR THE

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 1936-1937

Gage Averill, album notes writer (Various Artists)

[Harte Recordings]

Best Historical Album

My pick:

ALAN LOMAX IN HAITI: RECORDINGS FOR THE

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 1936-1937

Jeffrey A. Greenberg, David Katznelson & Anna Lomax

Wood, compilation producers; Steve Rosenthal & Warren

Russell-Smith, mastering engineers (Various Artists)

[Harte Recordings]

My prediction:

THE BEATLES (THE ORIGINAL STUDIO RECORDINGS)

Jeff Jones, compilation producer; Paul Hicks, Sean Magee,

Guy Massey, Sam Okell & Steve Rooke, mastering engineers

(The Beatles) [Capitol/Apple]

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.