FILE - In this March 12, 2012 file photo, guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys performs at Madison …The Black Keys, which won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album with its 2010 album, Brothers, is competing in the Best Rock Album category this time around. Jack White, who, with the White Stripes, won Best Alternative Music Album three times, is also competing for Best Rock Album. If the Black Keys or White wins the award, they’ll become be the fourth act to take top album honors in both fields. U2, Green Day and Coldplay also achieved the feat. (Acts are often seen as alternative when they are building and then as part of the rock establishment once they reach the top.)
Two past winners for Best Rock Album, Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen, are likely to be back in the running with their current albums, Mylo Xyloto and Wrecking Ball, respectively. Two other past winners in the category, Green Day and Muse, are also fairly strong candidates, though they may fall short this time around.
FILE - In this April 15, 2012 file photo, Australian artist Gotye performs during the first weekend of the 2012 …Gotye’s Making Mirrors is the front-runner for Best Alternative Music Album. Fiona Apple and Bjork are also likely to make the finals. Apple and Bjork are both vying to become the first female solo artist to win in the category since Sinead O’Connor took the award with her 1990 album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. The competition may also include Tom Waits, who won the award with his 1992 album Bone Machine.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 12: (L-R) Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall, Ted Dwane, and Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons …Mumford & Sons’ Babel is the front-runner to win for Best Americana Album. It’s expected to face Bonnie Raitt’s Slipstream, Bob Dylan’s Tempest, The Lumineers’ The Lumineers and The Avett Brothers’ The Carpenter. Notably, Americana by Neil Young & Crazy Horse isn’t competing for a nomination as Best Americana Album. It’s vying for a nomination as Best Rock Album. (Note: Best Americana Album is the American Roots field, but it’s such a red-hot category I decided to squeeze it in here.)
Babel is also likely to receive a nomination for Album of the Year. The Black Keys, Coldplay, Young & Crazy Horse and Gotye albums are also serious contenders for that award.
The Grammy nominations will be announced on a live TV special on Dec. 5. The awards will be presented on Feb. 10.
Best Rock AlbumBest Rock Album
The Black Keys, El Camino
Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Americana
Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball
Jack White, Blunderbuss
Alternates
Dave Matthews Band, Away From The World
Green Day, Uno!
Muse, The 2nd Law
Of Monsters And Men, My Head Is An Animal
Lou Reed & Metallica, Lulu
Patti Smith, Banga
Best Rock PerformanceBest Rock Performance
Coldplay, “Charlie Brown”
The Black Keys, “Lonely Boy”
Imagine Dragons, “It’s Time”
Mumford & Sons, “I Will Wait”
Bruce Springsteen, “We Take Care Of Our Own”
Alternates
Muse, “Madness”
Green Day, “Oh Love”
Of Monsters And Men, “Little Talks”
Arcade Fire, “Abraham’s Daughter”
Linkin Park, “Burn It Down”
Dave Matthews Band, “Mercy”
Neon Trees, “Everybody Talks”
Jack White, “Freedom At 21”
Neil Young with Crazy Horse, “Oh Susanna”
Best Hard Rock Metal PerformanceBest Hard Rock/Metal Performance
Five Finger Death Punch, “Under And Over It”
Iron Maiden, “Blood Brothers”
Korn featuring Skrillex And Kill The Noise, “Narcissistic Cannibal”
Lamb of God, “Ghost Walking”
Megadeth, “Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)”
Alternates
As I Lay Dying, “Cauterize”
Shadows Fall, “Fire From The Sky”
Anthrax, “I’m Alive”
Marilyn Manson, “No Reflection”
Best Rock SongBest Rock Song
“Charlie Brown” (Coldplay), Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters.
“It’s Time” (Imagine Dragons), Imagine Dragons
“I Will Wait” (Mumford & Sons), Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall & Marcus Mumford
“Lonely Boy” (The Black Keys), Dan Auerbach, Brian Burton & Patrick Carney
“We Take Care Of Our Own” (Bruce Springsteen), Bruce Springsteen
Alternates
“Freedom At 21” (Jack White), Jack White
“Madness” (Muse), Matthew Bellamy
Best Alternative Music AlbumsBest Alternative Music Album
Gotye, Making Mirrors
Tom Waits, Bad As Me
Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser…
Bjork, Biophilia
David Byrne & St. Vincent, Love This Giant
Alternates
The XX, Coexist
Sigur Ros, Valtari
Best Americana AlbumBest Americana Album
Mumford & Sons, Babel
Bonnie Raitt, Slipstream
Bob Dylan, Tempest
The Lumineers, The Lumineers
The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter
Alternates
Kevin Costner & Modern West, Famous For Killing Each Other: Music From And Inspired By Hatfields & McCoys
Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls
Ryan Adams, Ashes & Fire
Ryan Bingham, Tomorrowland
Bodeans, American Made
John Hiatt, Mystic Pinball
Amos Lee, As The Crow Flies
Little Feat, Rooster Rag
Lyle Lovett, Release Me
Shelby Lynne, Revelation Road
Dwight Yoakam, 3 Pears