2017 Grammy Winner Predictions: Will Beyoncé Finally Win Album of the Year?
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The 59th Grammy Awards are just over a week away, February 12th to be exact, and I have my predictions in no less than 32 categories covering the General Field plus Pop, Rock, R&B, Rap, Alternative, Country and Music for Visual Media.
At 62 nominations, Beyoncé is the most-nominated female in Grammy history. Her 20 wins are second only to Alison Krauss (27) and she is tied with Adele, no less, for the most Grammy wins by a female artist in one night (6). This year, her nine nominations cover more categories than any other artist. Besides the General Field, where she’s nominated for all three – Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year – she also has nominations in Urban Contemporary, Pop, Rock, Rap/Sung and Visual Media. But for all of her accolades, she has never won the top award, Album of the Year. It seemed like she was going to with Beyoncé in 2015 until Beck came in and swooped it. Lemonade is her 4th Album of the Year nomination and it would appear that her biggest competition there would be, yep, Adele with her 10M plus selling 25. A previous winner of Album of the Year, Adele could come right after Taylor Swift to become one of only two female artists to win Album of the Year twice. I’m predicting Bey to finally prevail here but the Grammys have proven that they are more than willing to go against the grain. But, since there isn’t a Beck or Paul Simon or Steely Dan to secure the ‘old white man’ vote, her chances look pretty good. Now watch Justin Bieber or Sturgill Simpson win.
Despite being snubbed in the General Field, I’m predicting David Bowie to earn a couple of posthumous wins in the Rock categories, The Chainsmokers to win Best New Artist (but watch out for Chance the Rapper) and Pop Duo, Drake to rule the Rap section and the Country field to see wins from Miranda Lambert, Sturgill Simpson and Pentatonix with Dolly Parton.
Here is the current lineup of performers for the show:
Beyonce (rumored)
Adele
Metallica and Lady Gaga
Katy Perry
Chance The Rapper
Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban
The Weeknd and Daft Punk
Alicia Keys and Maren Morris
Gary Clark Jr. and William Bell
Sturgill Simpson
Bruno Mars
A Tribe Called Quest and Anderson .Paak
Little Big Town, Demi Lovato, Andra Day and Tori Kelly in a tribute to the Bee Gees
John Legend and Cynthia Erivo
Kelsea Ballerini
Lukas Graham
There will also be tributes to Prince and George Michael.
The 59th Grammy Awards will be held live on Sunday, February 12th at 8pm EST/5pm PST in Los Angeles and hosted by James Corden.
Here are my predicted winners and alternatives for the 59th Grammy Awards:
GENERAL FIELD
Album Of The Year
25 — Adele (ALT)
Lemonade — Beyoncé (PREDICTED WINNER)
Purpose — Justin Bieber
Views — Drake
A Sailor’s Guide To Earth — Sturgill Simpson
Record of the Year
“Hello”— Adele (PREDICTED WINNER)
“Formation” — Beyoncé
“7 Years” — Lukas Graham (ALT)
“Work” — Rihanna Featuring Drake
“Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots
Song Of The Year
“Formation”— Khalif Brown, Asheton Hogan, Beyoncé Knowles & Michael L. Williams II, songwriters (Beyoncé) (ALT)
“Hello” — Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele) (PREDICTED WINNER)
“I Took A Pill In Ibiza” — Mike Posner, songwriter (Mike Posner)
“Love Yourself” —Justin Bieber, Benjamin Levin & Ed Sheeran, songwriters (Justin Bieber)
“7 Years” — Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest, Morten & Morten Ristorp, songwriters (Lukas Graham)
Best New Artist
Kelsea Ballerini
The Chainsmokers (PREDICTED WINNER)
Chance The Rapper (ALT)
Maren Morris
Anderson .Paak
POP FIELD
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Hello” — Adele(PREDICTED WINNER)
“Hold Up” — Beyoncé (ALT)
“Love Yourself” — Justin Bieber
“Piece By Piece” (Idol Version) — Kelly Clarkson
“Dangerous Woman” — Ariana Grande
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Closer” — The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey (PREDICTED WINNER)
“7 Years” — Lukas Graham (ALT)
“Work” — Rihanna Featuring Drake
“Cheap Thrills” — Sia Featuring Sean Paul
“Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Cinema — Andrea Bocelli
Fallen Angels — Bob Dylan (PREDICTED WINNER)
Stages Live — Josh Groban
Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin — Willie Nelson (ALT)
Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway
Best Pop Vocal Album
25 — Adele (PREDICTED WINNER)
Purpose — Justin Bieber (ALT)
Dangerous Woman — Ariana Grande
Confident — Demi Lovato
This Is Acting — Sia
DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC FIELD
Best Dance Recording
“Tearing Me Up” — Bob Moses
“Don’t Let Me Down” — The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya (PREDICTED WINNER)
“Never Be Like You” — Flume Featuring Kai (ALT)
“Rinse & Repeat” — Riton Featuring Kah-Lo
“Drinkee” — Sofi Tukker
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Skin — Flume (ALT)
Electronica 1: The Time Machine — Jean-Michel Jarre
Epoch — Tycho
Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future — Underworld (PREDICTED WINNER)
Louie Vega Starring…XXVIII — Louie Vega
ROCK FIELD
Best Rock Performance
“Joe” (Live From Austin City Limits) — Alabama Shakes (ALT)
“Don’t Hurt Yourself” — Beyoncé Featuring Jack White
“Blackstar” — David Bowie (PREDICTED WINNER)
“The Sound Of Silence” (Live On Conan) — Disturbed
“Heathens” — Twenty One Pilots
Best Metal Performance
“Shock Me” — Baroness
“Silvera” — Gojira (ALT)
“Rotting In Vain” — Korn
“Dystopia” — Megadeth (PREDICTED WINNER)
“The Price Is Wrong” — Periphery
Best Rock Song
“Blackstar” — David Bowie, songwriter (David Bowie) (PREDICTED WINNER)
“Burn The Witch” — Radiohead, songwriters (Radiohead)
“Hardwired” — James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters (Metallica) (ALT)
“Heathens” — Tyler Joseph, songwriter (Twenty One Pilots)
“My Name Is Human” — Rich Meyer, Ryan Meyer & Johnny Stevens, songwriters (Highly Suspect)
Best Rock Album
California — Blink-182
Tell Me I’m Pretty — Cage The Elephant
Magma — Gojira (ALT)
Death Of A Bachelor — Panic! At The Disco (PREDICTED WINNER)
Weezer — Weezer
ALTERNATIVE FIELD
Best Alternative Music Album
22, A Million — Bon Iver (ALT)
Blackstar — David Bowie (PREDICTED WINNER)
The Hope Six Demolition Project — PJ Harvey
Post-Pop Depression — Iggy Pop
A Moon Shaped Pool — Radiohead
R&B FIELD
Best R&B Performance
“Turnin’ Me Up” — BJ The Chicago Kid
“Permission” — Ro James
“I Do” — Musiq Soulchild
“Needed Me” — Rihanna (ALT)
“Cranes In The Sky” — Solange (PREDICTED WINNER)
Best Traditional R&B Performance
“The Three Of Me” — William Bell
“Woman’s World” — BJ The Chicago Kid (ALT)
“Sleeping With The One I Love” — Fantasia
“Angel” — Lalah Hathaway
“Can’t Wait” — Jill Scott (PREDICTED WINNER)
Best R&B Song
“Come See Me” — J. Brathwaite, Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters (PartyNextDoor Featuring Drake) (ALT)
“Exchange” — Michael Hernandez & Bryson Tiller, songwriters (Bryson Tiller)
“Kiss It Better” — Jeff Bhasker, Robyn Fenty, John-Nathan Glass & Natalia Noemi, songwriters (Rihanna) (PREDICTED WINNER)
“Lake By The Ocean” — Hod David & Musze, songwriters (Maxwell)
“Luv” — Magnus August Høiberg, Benjamin Levin & Daystar Peterson, songwriters (Tory Lanez)
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Lemonade — Beyoncé (PREDICTED WINNER)
Ology — Gallant
We Are King — KING
Malibu — Anderson .Paak (ALT)
Anti — Rihanna
Best R&B Album
In My Mind — BJ The Chicago Kid (PREDICTED WINNER)
Lalah Hathaway Live — Lalah Hathaway
Velvet Portraits — Terrace Martin (ALT)
Healing Season — Mint Condition
Smoove Jones — Mya
RAP FIELD
Best Rap/Sung Performance
“Freedom” — Beyoncé Featuring Kendrick Lamar (ALT)
“Hotline Bling” — Drake (PREDICTED WINNER)
“Broccoli” — D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty
“Ultralight Beam” — Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream
“Famous” — Kanye West Featuring Rihanna
Best Rap Song
“All The Way Up” — Joseph Cartagena, Edward Davadi, Shandel Green, Karim Kharbouch, Andre Christopher Lyon, Reminisce Mackie & Marcello Valenzano, songwriters (Fat Joe & Remy Ma Featuring French Montana & Infared)
“Famous” — Chancelor Bennett, Ross Birchard, Ernest Brown, Andrew Dawson, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Kejuan Muchita, Patrick Reynolds, Kanye West & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Rihanna) (ALT)
“Hotline Bling” — Aubrey Graham & Paul Jefferies, songwriters (Drake) (PREDICTED WINNER)
“No Problem” — Chancelor Bennett, Dwayne Carter & Tauheed Epps, songwriters (Chance The Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz)
“Ultralight Beam” — Chancelor Bennett, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Kirk Franklin, Noah Goldstein, Samuel Griesemer, Terius Nash, Jerome Potter, Kelly Price, Nico “Donnie Trumpet” Segal, Derek Watkins, Kanye West & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream)
Best Rap Album
Coloring Book — Chance The Rapper (PREDICTED WINNER)
And The Anonymous Nobody — De La Soul
Major Key — DJ Khaled
Views — Drake (ALT)
Blank Face LP — ScHoolboy Q
The Life Of Pablo — Kanye West
COUNTRY FIELD
Best Country Solo Performance
“Love Can Go To Hell” — Brandy Clark
“Vice” — Miranda Lambert (PREDICTED WINNER)
“My Church” — Maren Morris
“Church Bells” — Carrie Underwood (ALT)
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Keith Urban
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Different For Girls” — Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King
“21 Summer” — Brothers Osborne
“Setting The World On Fire” — Kenny Chesney & P!nk (ALT)
“Jolene” — Pentatonix Featuring Dolly Parton (PREDICTED WINNER)
“Think Of You” — Chris Young With Cassadee Pope
Best Country Song
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey & Steven Lee Olsen, songwriters (Keith Urban)
“Die A Happy Man” — Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett & Joe Spargur, songwriters (Thomas Rhett)
“Humble And Kind” — Lori McKenna, songwriter (Tim McGraw) (ALT)
“My Church” — busbee & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris)
“Vice” — Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Miranda Lambert) (PREDICTED WINNER)
Best Country Album
Big Day In A Small Town — Brandy Clark
Full Circle — Loretta Lynn (ALT)
Hero — Maren Morris
A Sailor’s Guide To Earth — Sturgill Simpson (PREDICTED WINNER)
Ripcord — Keith Urban
MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA FIELD
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
“Amy” — (Various Artists)
“Miles Ahead” — (Miles Davis & Various Artists) (ALT)
“Straight Outta Compton” — (Various Artists)
“Suicide Squad” (Collector’s Edition) — (Various Artists) (PREDICTED WINNER)
“Vinyl: The Essentials Season 1” — (Various Artists)
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
“Bridge Of Spies” — Thomas Newman, composer
Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” — Ennio Morricone, composer (ALT)
“The Revenant” — Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, composers
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” — John Williams, composer
“Stranger Things” Volume 1 — Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, composers (PREDICTED WINNER)
“Stranger Things” Volume 2 — Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, composers
Best Song Written For Visual Media
“Can’t Stop The Feeling! — Max Martin, Shellback & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Zooey Deschanel) (PREDICTED WINNER)
“Heathens” — Tyler Joseph, songwriter (Twenty One Pilots) (ALT)
“Just Like Fire” — Oscar Holter, Max Martin, P!nk & Shellback, songwriters (P!nk)
“Purple Lamborghini” — Shamann Cooke, Sonny Moore & William Roberts, songwriters (Skrillex &Rick Ross)
“Try Everything” — Mikkel S. Eriksen, Sia Furler & Tor Erik Hermansen, songwriters (Shakira)
“The Veil” — Peter Gabriel, songwriter (Peter Gabriel)
MUSIC VIDEO/FILM FIELD
Best Music Video
Formation — Beyoncé (PREDICTED WINNER)
River — Leon Bridges
Up & Up — Coldplay
Gosh — Jamie XX
Upside Down & Inside Out — OK Go (ALT)
Best Music Film
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead — Steve Aoki
The Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years — (The Beatles) (ALT)
Lemonade — Beyoncé (PREDICTED WINNER)
The Music Of Strangers — Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble
American Saturday Night: Live From The Grand Ole Opry — (Various Artists)
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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