The Best New Artist category went to the Zac Brown Band last year but it will not go to a country band this year as alternative rock seemed to rule the day with Florence and the Machine, Esperanza Spalding and Mumford and Sons (who use loads of banjo in their music) were nominated alongside probable frontrunners Drake and Justin Bieber (let’s not kid ourselves, Bieber is the likely winner of this category).
The Album of the Year nominees are Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now, Eminem’s Recovery, Arcade Fire The Suburbs, Lady Gaga The Fame Monster, Katy Perry Teenage Dream. Given the success of Lady Antebellum this year this isn’t a surprise.
The Grammy’s “Record Of The Year” nominees are BOB W/Bruno Mars for “Airplanes,” Eminem feat. Rihanna for “I Love The Way You Lie”, Cee-Lo Green “F***K You”, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys for “Empire State of Mind” and Lady Antebellum for “Need You Now.” Not surprised by this category at all and like the CMA Awards, not every song on the “Song of the Year” category is listed in this category with B.o.B and Bruno Mars replacing Ray LaMontagne and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys replacing Miranda Lambert.
Country Categories
Country Album
- Dierks Bentley, Up on the Ridge
- Zac Brown Band, You Get What You Give
- Jamey Johnson, The Guitar Song
- Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
- Miranda Lambert, Revolution
This list of albums isn't unexpected at all and while people may be wondering how two albums released in September 2010 can be on this list it's good to remember that the Grammy Awards for this year have an eligibility period of Sept 3, 2009-Sept 30, 2010. There's likely to be some Carrie Underwood fans wondering why her album Play On didn't make the shortlist here. But there are other artists like The Band Perry or even Jerrod Niemann who could have a similar argument.
Female Country Vocal Performance
- Jewel, “Satisfied”
- Miranda Lambert, “The House That Built Me”
- LeAnn Rimes, “Swingin’”
- Carrie Underwood, “Temporary Home”
- Gretchen Wilson, “I’d Love to Be Your Last”
Three of these nominees don't make the most sense but then again Jewel, LeAnn and Gretchen are past bigtime Grammy Winners as is Underwood. Lambert may be the new 'player' here but she may very well win this category but don't count out Gretchen Wilson. That's the best song on her I Got Your Country Right Here album and if it were more 'loud' it might have a shot at radio but it's too quet for that, I suppose.
Male Country Vocal Performance
- Jamey Johnson, “Macon”
- Toby Keith, “Cryin’ For Me (Wayman’s Song)”
- David Nail, “Turning Home”
- Keith Urban, “‘Til Summer Comes Around”
- Chris Young, “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)”
the Urban, Johnson and Keith nominees weren't unexpected but David Nail's "Turning Home" and Chris Young's "Gettin' You Home" are certainly surprises. However, given how great these two singers are, it's really cool to see them get Grammy nominations.
Duo/Group Country Vocal Performance
- Zac Brown Band, “Free”
- Dailey & Vincent, “Elizabeth”
- Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”
- Little Big Town, “Little White Church”
- The SteelDrivers, “Where Rainbows Never Die”
A diverse list of nominees but it's pretty damn cool to have obvious tunes like the Zac Brown Band and Lady Antebellum mixed in with Bluegrass Dailey & Vincent's cover of "Elisabeth" and the fantastic ballad from The SteelDrivers' second album. Still, this is Lady Antebellum's category to lose.
Country Collaboration with Vocals
- “Bad Angel” — Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert & Jamey Johnson
- “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” — Dierks Bentley, Del McCoury & The Punch Brothers
- “As She’s Walking Away” — Zac Brown Band & Alan Jackson
- “Hillbilly Bone” — Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins
- “I Run To You” — Marty Stuart & Connie Smith
A diverse and pretty standard list of nominees outside of Marty Stuart and his wife Connie Smith. Marty and Connie may not have a chance at winning but it'd be pretty damn cool if they took the award from Zac Brown and ALan Jackson or Deirks and collaborators as one of those three songs are likely to win here.
Country Instrumental Performance
- Cherryholmes, “Tattoo of a Smudge”
- The Infamous Stringdusters, “Magic #9″
- Punch Brothers, “New Chance Blues”
- Darrell Scott, ‘Willow Creek”
- Marty Stuart, “Hummingbyrd”
I love to hear great instrumental tunes and have heard the Scott and Stuart songs and will seek out the others to give an educated opinion on this category later.
Country Song
- “The Breath You Take” — written by Casey Beathard, Dean Dillon & Jessie Jo Dillon
- “Free” — written by Zac Brown
- “The House That Built Me” — written by Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin
- “I’d Love To Be Your Last” — written by Rivers Rutherford, Annie Tate & Sam Tate
- “If I Die Young” — written by Kimberly Perry
- “Need You Now” — written by Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott
This is seriously a great selection of well-written tunes with the only 'curveball' being the fact that "I'd Love To Be Your Last" is nominated for Country Song along with the female vocalist nomination. It was, without a doubt, the best song off of her I Got Your Country Right Here album.
Americana Album
- Rosanne Cash, The List
- Los Lobos, Tin Can Trust
- Willie Nelson, Country Music
- Robert Plant, Band of Joy
- Mavis Staples, You Are Not Alone
I've only heard the Rosanne Cash and Willie Nelson projects and suspect either one of them will take home this award but it's possible the older grammy voters will award Robert Plant this award instead.
Bluegrass Album
- Sam Bush, Circles Around Me
- Patty Loveless, Mountain Soul II
- The Del McCoury Band, Family Circle
- Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, Legacy
- The SteelDrivers, Reckless
Each of these albums have their merits but I'm hoping that the SteelDrivers, Loveless or Bush take home the award.
0 Comments