Grammys
More than 16,000 members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences vote on the Grammy Awards each year. The academy says it’s out to reward “artistic excellence” regardless of sales or chart position, but rarely does it go out of its way to recognize up-and-coming talent that doesn’t move big numbers.
Here’s a look at which nominees will win tonight, which ones should win, and who you really ought to hear if you’re left wondering if there’s anything better out there.
Album of the Year
Nominees: “Taking the Long Way,” Dixie Chicks; “St. Elsewhere,” Gnarls Barkley; “Continuum,” John Mayer; “Stadium Arcadium,” Red Hot Chili Peppers; “FutureSex/LoveSounds,” Justin Timberlake.
Who will win: Vindication for the Dixie Chicks, who survived a potentially career-killing controversy to make their most personal, pop-flavored album.
Who should win: Gnarls Barkley’s adventurous yet thrillingly melodic “St. Elsewhere.”
Who got shafted: One of the year’s most widely lauded discs, TV on the Radio’s “Return to Cookie Mountain.”
Record of the Year
(Award to the artist and the producer, recording engineer and/or mixer)
Nominees: “Be Without You,” Mary J. Blige; “You’re Beautiful,” James Blunt; “Not Ready to Make Nice,” Dixie Chicks; “Crazy,” Gnarls Barkley; “Put Your Records On,” Corinne Bailey Rae.
Who will win: If “Crazy” doesn’t win, the academy is indeed nuts.
Who should win: “Crazy” was the song by which we’ll remember the summer of ‘06.
Who got shafted: Lupe Fiasco’s instant skateboard classic, “Kick, Push.”
Song of the Year
(A songwriters award)
Nominees: “Be Without You,” Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox, Jason Perry (performed by Blige); “Jesus Take the Wheel,” Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson (performed by Carrie Underwood); “Not Ready to Make Nice,” Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Dan Wilson (performed by Dixie Chicks); “Put Your Records On,” John Beck, Steve Chrisanthou and Corinne Bailey Rae (performed by Rae); “You’re Beautiful,” James Blunt, Amanda Ghost and Sacha Skarbek (performed by Blunt).
Who will win: With a leading eight nominations, Blige should get at least one major award, and this will be her best shot.
Who should win: “Not Ready to Make Nice” put some teeth in the Chicks’ pop-country sound.
Who got shafted: Lily Allen’s “Smile” and “LDN” were deservedly huge Internet hits.
Best New Artist
Nominees: James Blunt, Chris Brown, Imogen Heap, Corinne Bailey Rae, Carrie Underwood.
Who will win: Look for British chanteuse Rae to pull an upset over Underwood and Blunt.
Who should win: Heap is the strongest, if quirkiest, talent of this bunch.
Who got shafted: Knockout debuts by Gnarls Barkley and Lupe Fiasco.
Best Pop Vocal Album
Nominees: “Back to Basics,” Christina Aguilera; “Back to Bedlam,” James Blunt; “The River in Reverse,” Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint; “Continuum,” John Mayer; “FutureSex/LoveSounds,” Justin Timberlake.
Who will win: Timberlake’s star power should trump the New Orleans vote for the fine but under-selling Costello-Toussaint collaboration.
Who should win: Timberlake is maturing into an artist to be reckoned with.
Who got shafted: Nelly Furtado’s “Loose” and its mega-hits “Promiscuous” and “Maneater.”
Best Rock Album
Nominees: “Try!” John Mayer Trio; “Highway Companion,” Tom Petty; “Broken Boy Soldiers,” The Raconteurs; “Stadium Arcadium,” Red Hot Chili Peppers; “Living With War,” Neil Young.
Who will win: The Chili Peppers should cash in one of their six nominations.
Who should win: Petty’s “Highway Companion” is one of the best albums of his career.
Who got shafted: Mission of Burma’s “The Obliterati” outrocks them all.
Best Alternative Music Album
Nominees: “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not,” Arctic Monkeys; “At War with the Mystics,” the Flaming Lips; “St. Elsewhere,” Gnarls Barkley; “Show Your Bones,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs; “The Eraser,” Thom Yorke.
Who will win: The sales figures alone should boost Gnarls Barkley.
Who should win: Gnarls all the way; “Crazy” isn’t the only great song on “St. Elsewhere.”
Who got shafted: Art Brut’s “Bang Bang Rock & Roll.”
Best Contemporary R&B Album
Nominees: “B-Day,” Beyonce; “Chris Brown,” Chris Brown; “20 Y.O.,” Janet Jackson; “Kelis Was Here,” Kelis; “In My Own Words,” Ne-Yo.
Who will win: Beyonce’s star power and sales will prevail.
Who should win: Kelis continues to take more musical chances than any other mainstream R&B singer.
Who got shafted: Anthony Hamilton’s “Ain’t Nobody Worryin’.”
Best Rap Album
Nominees: “Lupe Fiasco’s Food and Liquor,” Lupe Fiasco; “Release Therapy,” Ludacris; “In My Mind,” Pharrell; “Game Theory,” the Roots; “King,” T.I.
Who will win: T.I.’s “King” was the year’s biggest-selling hip-hop release.
Who should win: Lupe Fiasco, who stretched hip-hop’s borders with his skateboard nerd persona.
Who got shafted: Ghostface Killah’s “Fishscale.”
Best Country Album
Nominees: “Taking the Long Way,” Dixie Chicks; “Like Red on a Rose,” Alan Jackson; “The Road to Here,” Little Big Town; “You Don’t Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker,” Willie Nelson; “Your Man,” Josh Turner.
Who will win: The Chicks were snubbed by country radio, which should make this win all the sweeter.
Who should win: Jackson’s “The Road to Here” is that rare traditional-sounding country album that’s also a hit.
Who got shafted: Marty Stuart’s scorching “Live at the Ryman.”