By Kendra Beltran

With album sales low due to technology overloads…what else are we to weigh a musical artists worth with? The Grammys of course. However, there are far too many categories to rummage through. Every style of music imaginable gets its recognition, not on the telecast of course. Who really knows the Best Spoken Word Album by a group or ensemble (not sure if that’s a category, but I bet it is)? While I know you’d love for me to pick every category apart, I’m going to touch on the top four of the night; Best New Artist, Best Song, Best Record and Album of the Year. Below is just what I think will go down when the Grammys air February 13th, so tune in to see how well I think I can guess, but in the mean time, who do you think will win?

Best New Artist
For a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that artist.

Justin Bieber

Drake

Florence & The Machine

Mumford & Sons

Esperanza Spalding

Cursed or not this award marks an artists ability to make a stand among the millions of wannabe talents of the past year. Florence and the Machine along with Mumford & Sons stuck out as the unique. My Canadian boyfriends Drake and Justin Bieber are household names with commercial success to back them up. Then there’s Esperanza Spalding…yeah, well there’s a mystery mist around her I guess.

As a marketing ploy, Bieber’s camp would love him to walk away with at least one Grammy to boost tickets sales for his film debut, which coincidentally drops ?/?/11. Like they’re going to have trouble getting girls (and me) to theaters. While Bieber is the apple of my eye, I can’t let love blind me from reality. Florence and the Machine has this one in the bag for standing out among a sea of robotic pop…looking at you Spears and Gaga.

Song Of The Year
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

“Beg Steal Or Borrow” Ray LaMontagne, songwriter (Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs)

“F*** You” Brody Brown, Cee Lo Green, Ari Levine, Philip Lawrence & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Cee Lo Green)

“The House That Built Me” Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

“Love The Way You Lie”  Alexander Grant, Skylar Grey & Marshall Mathers, songwriters (Eminem Featuring Rihanna)

“Need You Now” Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

As someone who’s jotted down silent poetry for years, this is the category I appreciate most. This award doesn’t go to the face on the magazine unless that face also played a hand in crafting the tune. This song should capture a feeling, a moment and be one that isn’t just another song. Cee Lo’s “F*** You” and “Love the Way You Lie;” you sing along to without knowing, but radio’s flooded with those. Then you have Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” a country crossover about a booty call and their Country friend “The House that Built Me,” which sounds like generic Country woes. The stand out here is Ray LaMontagne’s “Beg Steal or Borrow” for it being unlike its categorical peers.

But then last year Beyonce’s “Single Ladys” won, so I’m not sure if they’re looking for annoying or artistic here. If that’s the case, congrats to Cee Lo.

Record Of The Year
Awarded to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s), if other than the artist.

“Nothin’ On You” B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars

“Love The Way You Lie” Eminem Featuring Rihanna

“F*** You” Cee Lo Green

“Empire State Of Mind” Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

“Need You Now” Lady Antebellum

Because of B.O.B’s “Airplanes” I kind of forgot about his collaboration with Bruno Mars, “Nothin’ on You.” New York got a new anthem with Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind.” Cee Lo’s “F*** You” was a naughty sing along. Lady Antebellum made crossing the country line to mainstream look easy with “Need You Now.” But when it comes to who deserves and will most likely win. Hands down the captivating back and forth of Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie” would be kind of a poetic win. Seeing how just two years ago Rihanna had the infamous Chris Brown incident the night before the Grammys.

Album Of The Year
Awarded to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s)/Mixer(s) & Mastering Engineer(s), if other than the artist.

The Suburbs, Arcade Fire

Recovery, Eminem

Need You Now, Lady Antebellum

The Fame Monster, Lady Gaga

Teenage Dream, Katy Perry

Last year modern day, Southern Belle Taylor Swift took the night’s top honor of album of the year. A surprise to me because ever since I was a kid this one’s gone to people I’d never heard of.

First off in my head Lady Gaga is from 2009 and I don’t know how she’s remained relevant. Katy Perry’s sophomore attempt fell short if you compare and contrast it to her debut One of the Boys. Was this nomination to reward her for finally releasing another album? Arcade Fire’s nomination was to bring in hipster viewers who will probably be too busy sipping lattes in $80 designer jeans to care about the win either way. That leaves Eminem and Lady Antebellum. My gut’s telling me Lady Antebellum will sweep every country category they’re in but for the top award of the night I’d put money on Eminem taking this one. Critics praised it, fans loved it and radio played the hell out of it.