The nominees for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards were announced Friday, Dec. 6, and it seems Captain Obvious is the presiding judge. Lines were blurred, robots "got lucky" and a teen Kiwi ruled them all. Here are some notable categories and our predictions of who will win (and who should!). The Grammys will be televised January 26, 2014 on CBS.
WHO WILL WIN: Daft Punk/Pharrell Williams
WHO SHOULD WIN: Lorde
Pharrell Williams was THE MAN in 2013, and the academy recognized that by honoring his two biggest contributions to pop. With "Blurred Lines" rubbing many the wrong way with its misogynistic lyrics and video, we're thinking his teaming with French droid DJs Daft Punk will be victorious. Though, you've got to hand it to the 17-year-old known as Lorde. Her genre-crossing megahit was one of the wittiest and most badass numbers of the year.
WHO WILL WIN: Daft Punk
WHO SHOULD WIN: Kendrick Lamar
This writer honestly wretched when this category was announced, almost having me longing for the days the dinosaurs roamed the ceremony (Steely Dan's Two Against Nature, anyone?). "Best" shouldn't equal "most popular" or even "most entertaining," as either Red or The Heist could be. Daft Punk will likely take this one, if only as a roundabout way of honoring rock 'n' roll stalwart Nile Rodgers, who gave "Get Lucky" its funkiness. The only nominee that really pushed the boundaries of music's impact was Kendrick Lamar, who moved up the ranks of heralded emcees with "Swimming Pools (Drank)."
WHO WILL WIN: Pink & Nate Ruess
WHO SHOULD WIN: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Mary Lambert
Though we carped about white-bread rapper Macklemore's Album of the Year nomination, here's one that was truly deserved. His pairing with singer Mary Lambert about same-sex marriage was heartfelt and progressive. But the academy will likely award the "safer" duet choice of perpetual winner Pink and Nate Ruess, whose band, Fun., was named Best New Artist this past year.
WHO WILL WIN: Ed Sheeran
WHO SHOULD WIN: Kendrick Lamar
The adorable versus the daring. Also, where the heck is Lorde?!
WHO WILL WIN: ???
WHO SHOULD WIN: ???
This is a legitimately tough decision. This writer is partial to Neko Case's warts-and-all alt-country, but all of these albums have might. Modern Vampires has had a ton of momentum lately, topping many major outlets' Best of 2013 lists. But whether that translates to a statuette remains to be seen.
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