Predictions for the 2017 Grammy Awards nominees and winners
As much as we hate to admit it, February is right around the corner. And though the month is usually known for the crushing sadness that comes when it's cold outside and you don't even have any football to console you about the fact, it's also when the Grammy Awards are held! So allow us to help get you through the cold, dark months ahead with our predictions for this year's Grammy Award nominations and winners.
Album of the Year
Nominations
Beyonce - Lemonade
David Bowie - Blackstar
Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
Sia - This Is Acting
Adele - 25
Winner: Blackstar
It's an easy choice, here. Though 2016 has been an amazing year for music, with tons of albums that are solid from front to back, it would be really surprising if Bowie's epic final album does not take home top honors.
Record of the Year
Nominations
DNCE - Cake by the Ocean
The Chainsmokers (Feat. Halsey) - Closer
Sia (Feat. Sean Paul) - Cheap Thrills
The Weeknd (Feat. Daft Punk) - Starboy
Beyonce - Formation
Winner: Starboy
For those of you who are always as confused as me as to the difference between Record of the Year and Song of the Year, Record of the Year puts more of an emphasis on the production aspect of the song. Given this focus, The Weeknd and Daft Punk's new single Starboy has a decent chance at taking home the prize.
Song of the Year
Nominations
DNCE - Cake by the Ocean
Twenty One Pilots - Heathens
Kanye West - Famous
Sia (Feat. Sean Paul) - Cheap Thrills
Beyonce - Formation
Winner: Formation
No matter who ends up winning the award when the Grammy Awards roll around, Formation — really and truly — is and was the song of 2016. We'd be surprised if it doesn't win.
Best New Artist
Nominations
Chance the Rapper
The Chainsmokers
Twenty One Pilots
DNCE
The Weeknd
Winner: The Weeknd
If the Grammy Awards are going to continue the time-honored tradition of awarding "Best New Artist" to a musician who has been around for years and already has a huge following, The Weeknd is the only choice — though I'd love to see the award go to Chance the Rapper for the same reasons.
Best Solo Pop Performance
Nominations
Sia - Alive
Olly Murs - You Don't Know Love
Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop the Feeling
Meghan Trainor - Me Too
Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
Winner: 24K Magic
A lot of heavy hitters here, but Bruno Mars should come out on top in a close race on the strength of his new pop anthem.
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Nominations
DNCE - Cake by the Ocean
The Chainsmokers (Feat. Halsey) - Closer
Ariana Grande (Feat. Nicki Minaj) - Side to Side
Calvin Harris (Feat. Rihanna) - This Is What You Came For
The Weeknd (Feat. Daft Punk) - Starboy
Winner: Starboy
Another win for Abel Tesfaye and the robots. The Starboy single was enough to galvanize fans to come out in droves to support The Weeknd's new tour, and that speaks to the strength of the song.
Best Pop/Vocal Album
Nominations
Ariana Grande - Dangerous Woman
Sia - This Is Acting
Meghan Trainor - Thank You
Adele - 25
Lady Gaga - Joanne
ZAYN - Mind of Mine
Winner: 25
In a year that would likely see posthumous honors for David Bowie, a best pop/vocal album award for Adele's 25 seems to make sense, and would match her previous pop/vocal win for her 2012 album 21.
Best Dance Recording
Nominees
Justice - Safe and Sound
M83 (Feat. Mai Lan) - Go!
Calvin Harris - My Way
The Chainsmokers (Feat. Halsey) - Closer
Calvin Harris (Feat. Rihanna) - This Is What You Came For
Winner: This Is What You Came For
As much as I'd love the award to go to Go! or Safe and Sound — which are, in my opinion, the best two songs of the year in the genre — it won't. This Is What You Came For is everywhere and will take home the award for Best Dance Recording this year.
Best Rock Song
Nominations
Twenty One Pilots - Heathens
David Bowie - Lazarus
Green Day - Still Breathing
David Bowie - Blackstar
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
Winner: Lazarus
This is going to be a highly competitive category and will likely boil down to a showdown between two dearly departed legends, Bowie and Cohen. I think Bowie will take this category by a nose.
Best Rock Album
Nominations
Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
David Bowie - Blackstar
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Twenty One Pilots - Blurryface
Winner: Blackstar
If I'm right that Bowie will win Album of the Year for his final studio album, he will posthumously win a slew of other awards as well, including Best Rock Album.
Best Rock Performance
Nominations
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
David Bowie - Blackstar
David Bowie - Lazarus
Twenty One Pilots - Heathens
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dark Necessities
Winner: You Want It Darker
If the Grammy Awards want to honor both Cohen and Bowie with awards in the rock category, they'll probably split the awards for best song and best performance. Personally, I think that Bowie will take the best song category and Cohen's You Want It Darker will take the best performance category, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were swapped either.
Best R&B Song
Nominations
The Weeknd (Feat. Daft Punk) - Starboy
Drake (Feat. WizKid & Kyla) - One Dance
Solange - Cranes in the Sky
Rihanna - Love on the Brain
John Legend - Love Me Now
Winner: One Dance
Sure, The Weeknd will come home with a whole bunch of awards this year, but the fact of the matter is One Dance is a better R&B song than Starboy is. It's a better fit for the award and the genre.
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Nominations
Frank Ocean - Blonde
Beyonce - Lemonade
Solange - A Seat at the Table
Rihanna - Anti
Drake - Views
Winner: Lemonade
This is probably the easiest pick to make, especially since Frank Ocean didn't even submit Blonde for consideration. Blonde wouldn't have won the award if he had, of course, but the race would have been a bit tighter.
Best Rap Song
Nominations
Rae Sremmurd (Feat. Gucci Mane) - Black Beatles
D.R.A.M. (Feat. Lil Yachty) - Broccoli
Drake - Fake Love
Kanye West (Feat. Kid Cudi) - Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1
Future (Feat. Drake) - Used to This
Winner: Broccoli
Though the field for Best New Artist this year is a strong one, it's a shame that neither D.R.A.M. nor Lil Yachty seems likely to make the cut. Broccoli is a great song,and should take home the award for Best Rap Song over tracks by more established artists.
Best Rap Album
Nominations
Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered
Drake - Views
De La Soul - And the Anonymous Nobody
A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
Winner: Views
It's been a great year for rap music, and though the field will likely include two incredibly strong albums from legends of the genre, the magnitude of Drake's status in the game is probably too hard for voters to ignore.
Best Rap Performance
Nominations
Rae Sremmurd (Feat. Gucci Mane) - Black Beatles
D.R.A.M. (Feat. Lil Yachty) - Broccoli
Drake - Fake Love
Kanye West (Feat. Kid Cudi) - Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1
Future (Feat. Drake) - Used to This
Winner: Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1
The field here should look identical to the one for Best Rap Song, but once production is taken into account, Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 will win this award handily.
Best Country Song
Nominations
Maren Morris - 80s Mercedes
Florida Georgia Line - H.O.L.Y.
Kenny Chesney (Feat. P!nk) - Setting the World on Fire
Miranda Lambert - Vice
Cole Swindell - Middle of a Memory
Winner: Vice
This is another strong category, and that's even before you take into account the fact that Sturgill Simpson won't be nominated in the category even though he should be. Vice, however, is the strongest of the bunch this year.
Best Country Album
Nominations
Keith Urban - Ripcord
Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth
Miranda Lambert - The Weight of These Wings
Kenny Chesney - Cosmic Hallelujah
Dierks Bentley - Black
Winner: The Weight of These Wings
As much as I'd love to think that Sturgill Simpson will be rewarded for creating an amazing, must-listen country album, one that is, in my opinion, the best of the year, there's little chance he'll win here. Given that fact, Miranda Lambert will probably win this award, since her album is the second strongest.
Best Musical Theater Album
Nominations
Fiddler on the Roof (2016 Broadway Cast Recording)
Waitress
Paramour
Dear Evan Hansen
A Bronx Tale
Winner: A Bronx Tale
A Bronx Tale's wonderful soundtrack isn't Hamilton's, to be sure, but it's the closest thing we have this year. I'd be very surprised if it doesn't pick up top honors in its genre — even though the cast recording isn't even out yet.
Best Music Video
Nominations
Kanye West - Famous
David Bowie - Lazarus
Beyonce - Formation
Chance the Rapper (Feat. Saba) - Angels
Rihanna (Feat. Drake) - Work
Winner: Formation
This is going to be the most hotly contested category this year, in our opinion. And though Bowie's beautiful video for Lazarus and Kanye West's controversial video for Famous would be more than worthy to take home the award in any other year, Formation's video is just so striking and so well put together that it'll end up winning.
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