The time has come, the 2014 Grammy Awards are taking place in Los Angeles this weekend and I couldn’t be more excited. The Grammys are my favourite award show for many reasons; the performances and unusual onstage collaborations, the surprise winners and bizarre fashion.
Below are the nominees of the categories that include country music’s finest. In BOLD is who I think should take home Grammy gold and in ITALICS is the artist who will probably win the award.
Best New Artist
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran
- I would love to see Kacey take home the award for Best New Artist as she’s representing country music in this category – but I think this will go to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis who had an incredibly successful year both critically and commercially.
Album Of The Year
“The Blessed Unrest” — Sara Bareilles
“Random Access Memories” — Daft Punk
“Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” — Kendrick Lamar
“The Heist” — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
“Red” — Taylor Swift
- I’d be thrilled if Taylor took home the Album of the Year award for “Red” (and left the Best Country Album award to someone else) but I think Kendrick Lamar’s “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” will take home the trophy in this category.
Best Country Solo Performance
“I Drive Your Truck” — Lee Brice
“I Want Crazy” — Hunter Hayes
“Mama’s Broken Heart” — Miranda Lambert
“Wagon Wheel” — Darius Rucker
“Mine Would Be You” — Blake Shelton
- This is a tough category as there has been many great country songs in 2013. The Grammys used to have two awards; Best Female Country Performance and Best Male Country Performance – but now everyone’s lumped together in one category which makes my life (and the artists lives) much more difficult. I’ve been sitting here and I can’t pick just one, I honestly can’t. I really think anyone could take home the trophy for Best Country Solo Performance but I’m going to go with Miranda or Darius as the winner.
Best Country Album
Night Train — Jason Aldean
Two Lanes Of Freedom — Tim McGraw
Same Trailer Different Park — Kacey Musgraves
Based On A True Story — Blake Shelton
Red — Taylor Swift
- Kacey Musgraves should no doubt win the award for Best Country Album – but I think Taylor will take home the trophy. Kacey’s album had the critical acclaim but Taylor’s album was very well received by critics and was wildly successful with sales – the album sold 1.2 million copies in it’s first week, the second highest debut ever behind Britney Spears.
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“From This Valley”— The Civil Wars
“Don’t Rush” — Kelly Clarkson Featuring Vince Gill
“Your Side Of The Bed” — Little Big Town
“Highway Don’t Care” — Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
“You Can’t Make Old Friends” — Kenny Rogers With Dolly Parton
- Tim, Taylor and Keith – three talented artists who have all taken home Grammys before on one massive hit song – how could it not win? Although, I wouldn’t mind a surprise victory for Little Big Town either.
Best Country Song (A Songwriters Award)
“Begin Again” — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
“I Drive Your Truck” — Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington & Jimmy Yeary, songwriters (Lee Brice)
“Mama’s Broken Heart” — Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“Merry Go ‘Round” — Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
“Mine Would Be You” — Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington & Deric Ruttan, songwriters (Blake Shelton)
- Another ridiculously tough category. Deric Ruttan has a nomination for his co-write on “Mine Would Be You” and I would love to see him take home the hardware but Kacey has not one but two nominations as songwriter in this category. As I don’t see Kacey winning in any of the other categories (as much as I wish she would) – I think she’ll be taking home an award for her songwriting this year.
