They’ll be handing out the hardware this Sunday night when music stars from around the world congregate for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. LL Cool J is this year’s host and you can bet that you’ll see something on the Grammy’s that you won’t see anywhere else, ’cause they always come up with some unusual pairings. Expect to see Carrie Underwood and legendary jazz vocalist Tony Bennett, country legend Glenn Campbell with the Band Perry and Blake Shelton, The Beach Boys with Foster the People and Maroon 5, Coldplay and Rihanna, soul songstress Alicia Keys and blues great Bonnie Raitt, Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, as well as solo performances from Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Taylor Swift, Adele, Canadian chantuese Diana Krall, and many others. But don’t expect to see Bon Iver performing. The indie band’s leader, singer/songwriter Justin Vernon, up for four Grammy’s including Song of the Year and Record of the Year, says they were asked to do a collaboration with another artist but weren’t interested in playing unless they could perform the song they were nominated for, ‘Holocene.’
A number of Canadians received nominations including rapper Drake, punk rock band Sum 41, and progressive/electro house producer Deadmau5 (aka Joel Zimmerman). But this year no Canadian country artists or songwriters have been nominated in the country, americana, bluegrass and folk categories. The nominees in those Grammy categories are…
BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
Dirt Road Anthem – Jason Aldean
I’m Gonna Love You Through It – Martina McBride
Honey Bee – Blake Shelton
Mean – Taylor Swift
Mama’s Song – Carrie Underwood
BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
Don’t You Wanna Stay – Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson
You And Tequila – Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter
Barton Hollow – The Civil Wars
Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not – Thompson Square
BEST COUNTRY SONG
Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not – Jim Collins & David Lee Murphy, songwriters (Thompson Square)
God Gave Me You – Dave Barnes, songwriter (Blake Shelton)
Just Fishin’ – Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell & Ed Hill, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
Mean – Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
Threaten Me With Heaven – Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Will Owsley & Dillon O’Brian (Vince Gill)
You And Tequila – Matraca Berg & Deana Carter, songwriters (Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter)
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
My Kinda Party – Jason Aldean
Chief – Eric Church
Own The Night – Lady Antebellum
Red River Blue – Blake Shelton
Here For A Good Time – George Strait
Speak Now – Taylor Swift
BEST AMERICANA ALBUM
Emotional Jukebox – Linda Chorney
Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down – Ry Cooder
Hard Bargain – Emmylou Harris
Ramble At The Ryman – Levon Helm
Blessed – Lucinda Williams
BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM
Paper Airplane – Alison Krauss & Union Station
Reason And Rhyme: Bluegrass Songs By Robert Hunter & Jim Lauderdale
Rare Bird Alert – Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers
Old Memories: The Songs Of Bill Monroe – The Del McCoury Band
A Mother’s Prayer – Ralph Stanley
Sleep With One Eye Open – Chris Thile & Michael Daves
BEST FOLK ALBUM
Barton Hollow – The Civil Wars
I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive – Steve Earle
Helplessness Blues – Fleet Foxes
Ukulele Songs – Eddie Vedder
The Harrow & The Harvest – Gillian Welch
Here’s The Civil Wars, up for a Grammy in both country and folk categories for Barton Hollow...
