The Grammy Gods’ Final Predictions

With Grammy nominations a few days away, our Grammy Gods have come back together for some last-minute predicting! The Grammy Nominations will be announced on December 6th, so check back at AwardsWatch for some reaction pieces!

Zac Nuccio’s Predictions

Record of the Year
Miley Cyrus, “Wrecking Ball”
Daft Punk, “Get Lucky”
Lorde, “Royals”
Bruno Mars, “Locked Out of Heaven”
Taylor Swift, “I Knew You Were Trouble”

Song of the Year
Miley Cyrus, “Wrecking Ball”
Macklemore + Ryan Lewis, “Same Love”
Bruno Mars, “When I Was Your Man”
Pink + Nate Ruess, “Just Give Me a Reason”
Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”

Album of the Year
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
David Bowie, The Next Day
Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
Macklemore + Ryan Lewis, The Heist

Best New Artist
Ariana Grande
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore + Ryan Lewis

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Haley Anne’s Predictions

Record of the Year
Daft Punk, “Get Lucky”
Bruno Mars, “Locked Out Of Heaven”
Macklemore + Ryan Lewis, “Thrift Shop”
Miley Cyrus, “Wrecking Ball”
Imagine Dragons, “Radioactive”

Alt: Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”; Lorde, “Royals”

I have a hard time seeing Daft Punk or Bruno Mars being edged out of this category, but I think we’re going to have a lot of surprises here, because of a lot late-in-the-game players. The biggest surprise I predict here is indie smash Imagine Dragons and their ubiquitous “Radioactive”, which I think has enough strength and popularity to blank out favorites like Justin Timberlake, whose singles have not had nearly the lasting power as “Radioactive”. (Weird, huh?) I still think that the sheer amount of backlash to Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” will keep him out of the major categories, especially with an onslaught of strong female vocalists like Miley Cyrus and Lorde releasing smash-hit songs towards the end of the eligibility period.

Song of the Year
Macklemore + Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert, “Same Love”
P!nk and Nate Ruess, “Just Give Me A Reason”
Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”
Drake, “Hold On We’re Going Home”
Lorde, “Royals”

Alt: Kanye West, “Black Skinhead”; Miley Cyrus, “Wrecking Ball”

There are so many strongly-written songs this year that it was hard for me to even begin to narrow it down. I think this is Drake’s category to lose – “Hold On We’re Going Home” is one of the best singles of the year hands-down. Firebrand Lorde might give him a run for his money, but accusations that her song lyrics are racist may bring her down in favor of the more emotional but no less fiery Miley Cyrus. At this point, I’m evenly split between the two. Otherwise I’m rather confident in my lineup, save maybe switching out P!nk and Nate Ruess for Kanye West’s metal-meets-rap mashup.

Album of the Year
Macklemore + Ryan Lewis, The Heist
Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
Lorde, Pure Heroine

Alt: Taylor Swift, Red; Drake, Nothing Was The Same

It really is a shame that Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz just missed the eligibility timeframe. She would’ve probably won this category in a landslide. As it stands, Lorde and Taylor Swift will battle it out for the token female slot, with the nom likely going to the more critically-acclaimed indie songstress. The quad-virate of Macklemore, Justin, Bruno, and Daft Punk has been pretty solid for me since about August – all of them have sold millions and had genre-spanning, year-defining hits, in addition to garnering critical success. Drake’s Nothing Was The Same stands the greatest chance of knocking an artist out of that lineup, and I think the relative failure of 20/20 Experience Part Two, and Timberlake insisting on submitting both, might make JT vulnerable to missing out on the biggest nomination of the night.

Best New Artist
Ariana Grande
Lorde
Imagine Dragons
Macklemore + Ryan Lewis
Aviici

Alt: Kendrick Lamaar

What a difference a few months makes here, too! Icona Pop is pretty much an afterthought with the rise of Lorde and Ariana Grande proving that “The Way” wasn’t just a fluke with her towering “Baby I”. Macklemore + Ryan Lewis will fill that “spent ten years touring and am now finally getting recognition” slot that Fun. took so graciously last year; Imagine Dragons is the it band in rock right now, so a snub is unlikely. I went with Aviici over any other contenders largely on the success of “Wake Me Up”, which is a top 10 hit and has crossed over to indie and pop stations. Also, 2 Chainz is apparently not eligible for Best New Artist, which is a wild shame – his B.O.A.T.S.II (Me Time) was a delightful album and a step-up from his already fantastic debut. (It better get nominated for Rap Album.)

[divider]

Matthew Kelley Rand’s Predictions

Album of the Year
Nothing Was the Same – Drake
Random Access Memories – Daft Punk
Red – Taylor Swift
The 20/20 Experience – Justin Timberlake
Unorthodox Jukebox – Bruno Mars

Alt: The Heist – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Night Visions – Imagine Dragons, Yeezus – Kanye West

So I swapped Macklemore & Ryan Lewis out for Drake. It just makes sense: Drake’s Nothing Was the Same is simply the critically lauded audience favorite; it’s the “it” hip-hop album. (Though the same could be said about Yeezus, I suppose.) And, frankly, The Heist as a whole isn’t that good. But hey–who knows?–maybe they’ll sneak in. Imagine Dragons have been everywhere lately, so they could easily weasel their way into the lineup as the “rock” staple.

Record of the Year
“Get Lucky” – Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams
“Locked Out of Heaven” – Bruno Mars
“Mirrors” – Justin Timberlake
“Thrift Shop” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
“Wrecking Ball” – Miley Cyrus

Alt: “I Knew You Were Trouble” – Taylor Swift, “Roar” – Katy Perry, “Royals” – Lorde

Took out “Blurred Lines” (which could be a stupid idea) in favor of “Locked Out of Heaven” (kill me), since the Academy’s Bruno Mars boner can’t possibly be denied. Swapped out “I Knew You Were Trouble” for “Wrecking Ball” because, come on, you know they’ll want Miley at their ceremony performing it/it’s one of the biggest cultural moments of 2013 as a whole. Perhaps they’ll favor Swift though, or chart darlings Katy Perry (with “Roar”) or Lorde (with “Royals”).

Song of the Year
“Just Give Me a Reason” – P!nk feat. Nate Ruess
“Mirrors” – Justin Timberlake
“Royals” – Lorde
“Same Love” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
“Wrecking Ball” – Miley Cyrus

Alt: “Merry Go ‘Round” – Kacey Musgraves, “Stay” – Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko, “I Knew You Were Trouble” – Taylor Swift

This, out of anywhere, is the spot Lorde should hit tenfold. The way she’s been running her mouth about, well, everyone in the record industry leads me to believe she’ll miss out on ROTY, but the lyricism of her smash can’t be denied. Same goes for Miley and “Wrecking Ball”: sure, she’s a controversy magnet, but the beauty of the song speaks for itself. P!nk should be able to pick up some traction (finally) with her dynamite Nate Ruess duet, though I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find either country queens Kacey Musgraves (“Merry Go ‘Round”) or Taylor Swift (“I Knew You Were Trouble”) popping up here. Same goes for Rihanna (with “Stay”).

Best New Artist
Ariana Grande
Imagine Dragons
Lorde
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves

Alt: Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, Passenger (?)

If this line-up deviates at all, I’d be astounded. You’ve got the mini Mimi, the new pop-rock hit makers, the alt smasher, the hip-hop smashers, and the newly anointed country star. As much as I’d adore seeing someone like Lana Del Rey finally receive her comeuppance, it just doesn’t seem feasible at this point.

[divider]

Jeffery Berg’s Predictions

Song of the Year
Lorde, “Royals”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Same Love”
Bruno Mars, “Locked Out of Heaven”
Kacey Musgraves, “Merry Go ‘Round”
Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”

Alt. Paul McCartney, “New”

This is one of the most competitive categories. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis smartly submitted two different songs in the top categories so I feel “Same Love” seems like a good topical contender here. The Musgraves tune is a bit of an underdog but it’s both quietly emotional and cleverly written. Lorde was out for me as an alternative pop outsider until the song has now become such an inescapable hit. I have McCartney on the outside looking in since “New” is a decent track and the Grammys have loved him in the past. Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars seem like pretty sure bets. But there’s many strong ballads like “Wrecking Ball” and duets (by Taylor Swift & Ed Sheeran and P!nk & Nate Reuss) that could definitely sneak in; also ROTY contenders Daft Punk and Robin Thicke could land in here as well though their singles seem more about the production.

Record of the Year
Daft Punk, “Get Lucky”
Bruno Mars, “Locked Out of Heaven”
Taylor Swift, “I Knew You Were Trouble”
Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell, “Blurred Lines”
Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”

Alt. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Thrift Shop”

My lineup still hasn’t changed here which feels weird but all these choices look so solid. It wouldn’t be a bad lineup since all of them are exceptionally produced records. The epic “Mirrors” looks like it’s in. The old school, Sting-ish vibe to “Locked Out of Heaven” has typical Grammys appeal though it’s a bit worn out. Maybe Swift could be replaced by another pop female like Katy Perry, Lorde, P!nk, or Miley Cyrus but her single was a risk taker and sort of undeniable. I may be in the minority but “Blurred Lines” doesn’t seem like such a sure bet; I can see how radio overkill, the Marvin Gaye lawsuit and the mixed reception towards Thicke as of late could sink it. “Get Lucky” is a bit burned out as well but the song was pretty magnificent and refreshing. I have “Thrift Shop” as one of the year’s more unique hit singles that could potentially replace one of these.

Album of the Year
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, The Heist
Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
Taylor Swift, Red
Justin Timberlake, The 20 / 20 Experience

Alt. David Bowie, The Next Day

This has been my lineup for a while and I was considering dropping Taylor Swift from the mix until her recent American Music Awards sweep. It still seems she’s in the game with Red. Last year, this category alternated between super pop hits (Fun.) and edgier critical darlings (Frank Ocean and Jack White) so I can envision many artists spoiling here including David Bowie (though legendary vets haven’t fared too well in this category in recent years), Drake, Kacey Musgraves, Kendrick Lamar, and maybe Kanye West (though his somewhat cloying public behavior of late is probably a turn off to voters). I do hope Daft Punk gets recognized for their sprawling achievement. Timberlake has gotten a bit of a mixed reaction for his epic double album but he’s been dominating a lot of the year’s televised music awards so I think he’s safe. Since he has been nominated in this category before, Bruno Mars seems like a given with his latest hit album of varying styles. With catchy, somewhat risky, but inoffensive material that ended up being an unlikely smash, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis is the sort of Cinderella story that appeals to the typical Grammy narrative.

New Artist
Imagine Dragons
Kendrick Lamar
Lorde
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves

Alt. Ed Sheeran

This lineup would be a balanced mix of country, pop, rap, and mainstream rock. I think it’s weird that Sheeran has been submitted in this category despite being nominated for Song of the Year last year. I have him on the outside for now but he could be swept in due to his popularity. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis is the only lock. Musgraves’ proven goodwill from Nashville and acclaim makes her a likely bet. Lorde is a quirky artist that’s gotten a lot of attention this year: “Royals” was truly a breakthrough single. Kendrick Lamar has been around but has gotten mainstream attention and critical acclaim. Don’t be surprised if blues & folk singer Valerie June lands here somehow; I’m not sure if she has been submitted or not so I’m not predicting her as of now.

[divider]

David Long’s Predictions

Album of the Year
Pure Heroine, Lorde
Random Access Memories, Daft Punk
Red, Taylor Swift
The 20/20 Experience: The Complete Experience, Justin Timberlake
Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars

The top four in this category seems to have reached a consensus. Swift, Timberlake, Mars, and Daft Punk all seem to have their spots sewn up here. All of their albums received favorable reviews and sold very well, especially Red which made headlines last year for selling a million the first week. The first half of 20/20 nearly hit a million but the second half wasn’t even able to break half of that. The fact that Timberlake is combining the two and submitting them as one whole could have some affect win it comes to winning. The nomination is pretty safe though. The last spot is what’s tripping up most predictors. There are about four contenders competing for it. David Bowie’s The Next Day, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ The Heist, Drake’s Nothing Was The Same, and Lorde’s Pure Heroine. I feel like I’m completely underestimating Macklemore and Ryan Lewis who are by far the biggest breakout success act of 2013, but it feels like the album didn’t have an impact like the first three singles did. I’m going with Lorde’s Pure Heroine. Her first single Royals is currently owning the radio and is peaking at the right time and her album sold very well for a debut. She’s also a major contender for Best New Artist and they usually end up here (see fun. last year).

Record of the Year
Daft Punk, “Get Lucky”
Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”
Lorde, “Royals”
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, “Thrift Shop”
Robin Thicke, “Blurred Lines”

Record of the year is the category that usually recognizes the biggest songs of the year. The song that completely dominated 2013 was “Blurred Lines” which I can’t imagine being snubbed in this or SOTY, but the backlash on the song and Robin Thicke has grown since its summer debut.

Song of the Year
Bruno Mars, “Locked out of Heaven”
Drake, “Hold On, We’re Going Home”
Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”
Lorde, “Royals”
Robin Thicke, “Blurred Lines”

I know nothing about this category this is a complete guess. It feels weird to omit “Get Lucky” and one of Macklemore’s singles, specifically “Same Love”, but it also feels like something the Grammys would do.

Best New Artist
Ariana Grande
Imagine Dragons
Kendrick Lamar
Lorde
Maklemore and Ryan Lewis

This my favorite category at the Grammys! Not because it’s winners are the most deserving or that it always helps the winner launch their careers. In fact it kind of does the opposite except for rare cases like Adele. No I love this category because it is a complete mess. This is the category that usually makes people question the Grammys as a whole. This year we have two complete locks in the form of Lorde and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Lorde is currently ruling the charts and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis had three of 2013’s biggest singles. Kendrick’s album was released only slightly after qualification last year so he is eligible. He’s probably the most talked about rapper of the past few years and made hip-hop headlines when he called out rappers on his genius verse on Big Sean’s “Control”. Imagine Dragons have reigned over alternative and rock radio for the past year and a half and crossed over to mainstream during the summer with their massive hit “Radioactive”. Their album is not eligible but “Radioactive” is and that’s all they really need. They will most likely pick up a couple trophies over in the rock categories as well. The last spot is a bit of a toss up between a few contenders like Kacey Musgraves, Ariana Grande, Of Monsters and Men, Emeli Sande, Avicii, Lana Del Rey, or even Florida Georgia Line. Grande makes the most sense at the moment to me. Her album sold well and received massive acclaim and everytime she sings people pay attention. She feels like the real deal.

[divider]

Federico Artico’s Predictions

Album of the Year
The Heist, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
The 20/20 Experience, Justin Timberlake
Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars
The Next Day, David Bowie
The Electric Lady, Janelle Monae

Alt. Red, Taylor Swift

Song of the Year
“Same Love”, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Mary Lambert
“Mirrors”, Justin Timberlake
“Merry Go Round”, Kacey Musgraves
“Royals”, Lorde
“I Knew You Were Trouble”, Taylor Swift

Alt. “Locked Out of Heaven”, Bruno Mars

Record of the Year
“Thrift Shop”, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
“Get Lucky”, Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams
“Skyfall”, Adele
“Locked Out of Heaven”, Bruno Mars
“Royals”, Lorde

Alt. “Blurred Lines”, Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell Williams & T.I.

Best New Artist
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Lorde
Kacey Musgraves
A$AP Rocky
Imagine Dragons

Alt. Icona Pop

[divider]

George Portades’ R&B Category Predictions

Best R&B Performance
Bruno Mars, “Gorilla”
Ciara, “Body Party”
Kelly Rowland, “Dirty Laundry”
John Legend, “All of Me”
Tamar Braxton, “Love and War”

Alt. Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors” or TLC “Meant to Be”

There’s a few Grammy-favorites (Bruno Mars, John Legend) that I’m predicting, in addition to some former winners (Ciara, Kelly Rowland) who scored big/mid-sized R&B hits, plus one performer who’s having a breakthrough year (Tamar Braxton). Legend’s “All of Me” is starting to hit big (crossover-wise), while Mars (any of his songs from his 2nd album) is a given. I was thinking about Robin Thicke getting a nod here, but then again, although he’s had numerous R&B hits in the past, the Grammys have yet to nominate him for his own music career (versus his songwriting). He may get one for “Blurred Lines” but then him getting into the big categories (Song of the Year, etc) may stop him from getting a nod here. Additionally there’s the possiblity of Timberlake getting a nod here (a la Beyonce’s year of getting into 50+ categories). Also, if they want to welcome multiple Grammy-winning TLC back, they could nominate “Meant to Be.”

Best Traditional R&B Performance
Amel Larrieux, “Afraid”
Avant featuring Keke Wyatt, “You & I”
Lianne La Havas, “Lost & Found”
Toni Braxton & Babyface, “Hurt You”
TGT, “I Need”

Alt. Donell Jones, “Forever” or Chante Moore, “Talking in My Sleep”

Sometimes I get confused by this category, as I either think of it for veteran artists (like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight) or just those R&B artists who don’t fit into their main “R&B Performance” slot. With that in mind, I think Avant & Keke Wyatt could land a nod, seeing how their past collaborations have been very successful radio-wise, and that could get them some awards recognition with this. Additionally, there’s sometimes a new artist here (like Luke James’ excellent “I Want You” last year) so I’m hoping Lianne La Havas could get in. Toni Braxton & Babyface have been on the promo trail (interviews, talk shows, Christmas tree lighting performances), plus their single just recently hit #1 on UAC, so “Hurt You” has a really strong chance. Additionally, with three popular R&B male singers (Tank, Ginuwine, Tyrese) in TGT, that could be a way for them to nominate three artists all at once. I have Donell Jones & Chante Moore as alternates, mainly because out of the recent resurgence of 90s R&B acts on indie labels, these two have had strong work in the past overlooked by the Grammys, so they may finally get their ‘due’ career noms.

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Brandy, “Two Eleven”
Bruno Mars, “Unorthodox Jukebox”
Janelle Monae, “The Electric Lady”
Justin Timberlake, “The 20/20 Experience”
Tamar Braxton, “Love and War”

Alt. Ciara, “Ciara” or Kelly Rowland, “Talk a Good Game” or Robin Thicke, “Blurred Lines”

Going with the popular vote (since it’s this category), I’d see Mars, Timberlake, and perhaps Monae, as locks. Not sure if a few other artists were eligible for this period (Alicia Keys?), but I was surprised (and estastic) to find that Brandy’s excellent “Two Eleven” was submitted. She’s a Grammy-winner, and has had some noms in the past, so hopefully they’ll remember her this time and give her another nomination. Braxton’s having a big year, so she could get a nomination here as well. My close alternates include Ciara and Kelly Rowland (who both released very acclaimed albums that have faded a bit), in addition to Robin Thicke. Thicke’s had trouble with getting Grammy noms for his own work (“Lost Without U”!), but then again he’s finally had a Pop crossover this year.

Best R&B Album
India.Arie, “SongVersation”
Jaheim, “Appreciation Day”
John Legend, “Love in the Future”
Robert Glasper Experiment, “Black Radio 2”
TGT “3 Kings”

Alt. Amel Larrieux, “Ice Cream Everyday” or Brian McKnight, “More than Words” or Lianne La Havas, “Is Your Love Big Enough?”

There’s the winner from last year (Robert Glasper Experiment) with a new album, some Grammy favorites (Arie, Legend), plus a R&B mega-group (TGT) and one artist who’s had a dedicated fanbase/R&B radio support (Jaheim). As alternates, La Havas could sneak in (if the Grammys go for her big, a la Melanie Fiona), one veteran artist who’s yet to win (Brian McKnight), and a former Grammy nominee (Amel Larrieux).