Preliminary Grammy Predictions (Part Two of Two)

[This is the second part of my predictions for the 2010 Grammy Award nominations]

"Best New Artist"

[Acts recognized in this category have released material for the first time during the eligibility period or gained notoriety due to a breakthrough album]

-Justin Bieber

-B.o.B.

-The Script

-V.V. Brown

-Owl City

Before getting upset by the omission of Drake, the up-and-coming emcee is ineligible for the award, as he received two nominations last year for his hit, "Best I Ever Had." (strict Grammy rules prohibit any act from being recognized in this category if they've received any prior nominations) Obviously, he would be the artist to beat had he been able to secure the nomination but since he won't be included in the pack, the field is wide open. Commercially, Justin Bieber is the only bonafide breakthrough act of the year, as his debut album opened to sales in excess of 250k its first week. He also has arguably become the first teen pop sensation of the 21st century (following the colossal pop craze of the late 90s), filling a void that has been notably missing for quite sometime. It may seem a bit absurd, but Bieber just might be the one to beat. His competition may include:

• Atlanta-bred B.o.B., whose debut album "The Adventures of Bobby Ray" and first single, "Nothin on U" both managed to reach the top of the charts.
• British ingénue, V.V. Brown, whose "Travelling Like the Light" struck a chord with British consumers and as of late, American audiences (although on a much smaller scale).
• Irish rock band, The Script. Although their debut album was released in 2008, their single "Breakeven" managed to break into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year, solidifying them as an act to keep an eye on.
• Owl City, whose aforementioned "Fireflies" became a number-one hit last fall.

This category would be so much clearer had Drake not disqualified himself due to last year's submissions. Oh well, a little suspense is good, right?

"Album of the Year"

[This award is given to the artist(s), producer, mixers and arrangers of a full-length album]

-"Soldier of Love," Sade

-"Need You Now," Lady Antebellum

-"Mojo," Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

-"Brothers," the Black Keys

-"The Blueprint 3," Jay-Z

Before I delve into my analysis, let me say that I really wanted to include Janelle Monae's "The ArchAndroid" in this lineup. Although the album is one of the best reviewed so far this year and is a musical opus, I don't believe NARAS will acknowledge the album in its top category. All disappointment aside, it looks as though Sade is a shoo-in. Following an eight-year hiatus, the act's return was met with glowing reception as--at the time of this publication--"Soldier of Love" stands as the album with the biggest first week sales of 2010 (at 502k copies shifted). "Need You Now" will secure the requisite country spot, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers should be able to slide into the veteran-act slot with their comeback album, "Mojo." The last two predictions are a complete toss-up, but "Brothers" by blues duo the Black Keys has garned universal acclaim from critics (boasting an aggregate score of 81 on the review site, Metacritic), while Jay-Z has yet to make it to make it into this category, despite becoming one of the most prolific artists in music.

PS: Take all these predictions with a grain of salt, and we'll see what actually transpires when the nominations are revealed in December.