This Oct. 12, 2012 photo shows R&B singer-songwriter and music executive Ne-Yo, born Shaffer Chimere Smith, in …For the second year in a row, male and female pop artists are competing in the same Grammy category—Best Pop Solo Performance. And for the second year in a row, females are likely to take four of the five spots. Last year, Bruno Mars was the only male artist nominated in the category. This year, Ne-Yo may wind up as the only male artist in the finals for his smash “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself).”
On last year’s Grammy telecast, Maroon 5 participated in a tribute to the Beach Boys. (Adam Levine and his crew sang “Surfer Girl.”) This year, the two acts may be competing for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Maroon 5 has won twice in this category (for “This Love” and “Makes Me Wonder”). The Beach Boys, remarkably, have never won a Grammy in competition (though group mastermind Brian Wilson won for an instrumental performance on his 2004 album Smile.)
Nicki Minaj performs “Freedom” at the 40th Anniversary American Music Awards on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012, in Los Angeles. …Nicki Minaj’s debut album Pink Friday was a finalist last year for Best Rap Album. Her follow-up, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, is in the running for a Best Pop Album nomination. (The Grammys’ placement of the new album reflects a general perception that Minaj is now primarily a pop artist.) Minaj has a good chance of making the Pop Album finals, though that is a very competitive category. The other artists with the best chance of making the finals are Rihanna, P!nk, Maroon 5 and Justin Bieber. (The Rihanna and P!nk albums are also serious contenders for Album of the Year nominations.)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 28: Sonny Moore aka Skrillex performs as part of the 2012 Voodoo Music Experience at …Skrillex, who won Best Dance/Electronica Album last year for Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites, is likely to be back in the finals with Bangarang. His chief competitors are expected to be Deadmau5’s >Album Title Goes Hereand The Chemical Brothers’ Don’t Think. The Chemical Brothers won in this category with 2005’s Push The Button and 2007’s We Are The Night.
MILAN, ITALY - NOVEMBER 26: Michael Buble performs at 'Che Tempo Che Fa' Italian TV Show on November 26, 2012 in …Michael Buble, a three-time winner for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, will probably be nominated again for his smash album, Christmas. But he faces a serious challenge from Paul McCartney, who is likely to be nominated for his low-key album of standards, Kisses On The Bottom. McCartney has won in the pop and rock fields, but not yet in Traditional Pop. Complicating things for Buble: No Christmas album has ever won in this category.
The Grammy nominations will be announced on a live TV special on Dec. 5. The awards will be presented on Feb. 10.
Here are the five likely nominees (followed by some key alternates) in all of the categories in the Pop, Dance/Electronica and Traditional Pop fields.
Best Pop Vocal Album
Best Pop Vocal Album
Maroon 5, Overexposed
Rihanna, Talk That Talk
P!nk, The Truth About Love
Justin Bieber, Believe
Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
Alternates
Kelly Clarkson, Stronger
John Mayer, Born And Raised
.fun, Some Nights
The Beach Boys, That’s Why God Made The Radio
Imagine Dragons, Night Visions
Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
Jason Mraz, Love Is A Four Letter Word
One Direction, Up All Night
Leonard Cohen, Old Ideas
Lana Del Rey, Born To Die
Best Pop Solo PerformanceBest Pop Solo Performance
Adele, “Set Fire To The Rain” (Live)
Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”
Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe”
Ne-Yo, “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself)”
Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
Alternates
Lady Gaga, “You And I” (Live)
Jason Mraz, “I Won’t Give Up”
Katy Perry, “Wide Awake”
P!nk, “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)”
Rihanna, “Where Have You Been”
Justin Bieber, “Boyfriend”
Phillip Phillips, “Home”
Seal, “Let’s Stay Together”
Best Pop Duo/Group PerformanceBest Pop Duo/Group Performance
.fun featuring Janelle Monae, “We Are Young”
Gotye featuring Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used To Know”
Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa, “Payphone”
Train, “Drive By”
The Beach Boys, “That’s Why God Made The Radio”
Alternates
The Lumineers, “Ho Hey”
Coldplay featuring Rihanna, “Princess Of China”
One Direction, “What Makes You Beautiful”
The Wanted, “Glad You Came”
Florence + the Machine, “Shake It Out”
Best Pop Instrumental AlbumBest Pop Instrumental Album
Chris Botti, Impressions
Larry Carlton, Four Hands & A Heart Volume One
Dave Koz, Live At The Blue Note Tokyo
Gerald Albright & Norman Brown, 24/7
The Rippingtons, Built To Last
Alternates
Hiroshima, Departure
Najee, The Smooth Side Of Soul
Best Dance Electronica AlbumBest Dance/Electronica Album
Skrillex, Bangarang
Deadmau5, >Album Title Goes Here
The Chemical Brothers, Don’t Think
Tiesto, Club Life Volume Two—Miami
Martin Solveig, Smash
Alternate
Paul van Dyk, Evolution
Best Dance RecordingBest Dance Recording
The Chemical Brothers, “Superflash”
Deadmau5 and Gerard Way, “Professional Griefers”
Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo, “Let’s Go”
Skrillex featuring Sirah, “Bangarang”
Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin, “Don’t You Worry Child”
Alternates
Elton John vs. Pnau, “Good Morning To The Night”
Scissor Sisters, “Let’s Have A Kiki”
Martin Solveig, “The Night Out”
Best Traditional Pop Vocal AlbumBest Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Paul McCartney, Kisses On The Bottom
Michael Buble, Christmas
Michael Feinstein, The Sinatra Project, Vol. II: The Good Life
Glenn Frey, After Hours
Carole King, A Holiday Carole
Alternates
BeBe Winans, America America
Steve Tyrell, I’ll Take Romance
Billy Vera, Big Band Jazz
Barbara Cook, Loverman