2010 Grammy Awards: Album of the Year nominees
•I Am... Sasha Fierce, Beyonce
•The E.N.D., Black Eyed Peas
•The Fame, Lady Gaga
•Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King, Dave Matthews Band
•Fearless, Taylor Swift
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year has often been a head-scratcher, particularly in recent years, when Grammy voters chose Herbie Hancock over Kanye West and Amy Winehouse (2008), Ray Charles over Kanye and Green Day (2005), and Steely Dan over Radiohead and Eminem (2001). The Grammys seem to love rewarding veteran artists more than 20 years past their prime.
This is a year when when none of the nominees fits that description, however. So, like in 1996 when Alanis Morissette won the award, Album of the Year for 2010 is likely to go to the young rising star, in this case Taylor Swift.
Swift's Fearless was one of the biggest albums of 2009 in any genre. Three of the last four country-related Album of the Year nominees actually won the award, including the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack in 2002, the Dixie Chicks in 2007, and Alison Krauss in 2009 (though her duets album with Robert Plant was not technically a country album.) And Taylor's still benefiting from the goodwill received after the Kanye West MTV incident. All of that will be a hard combination to beat.
In recent days, there's been a lot of buzz about the Dave Matthews Band possibly winning Album of the Year. Though DMB's Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King was a terrific return to form, I just don't see it happening. The band has only claimed a single Grammy Award in its career, and that was more than a decade ago. Some voters may be inclined to support DMB based on last year's Grammy snub, but it won't be enough for them to eclipse Taylor Swift.
Beyonce is a contender, since I Am...Sasha Fierce was well-received and scored numerous hits. Being married to industry bigwig Jay-Z won't hurt her chances, either. But if voters are looking for the conservative pop choice, as they usually are, they'll likely support Swift over Beyonce.
The Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga are longer shots, as dance artists typically don't fare well in this category. Gaga has an outside shot, while the Peas have virtually no chance.
Most industry folks seem to believe the race is between Taylor Swift and the Dave Matthews Band. The prediction here is that Taylor Swift wins Album of the Year for Fearless.
2010 Grammy Awards: Album of the Year prediction
Should win: The Fame
Will win: Fearless
The 2010 Grammy Awards air on CBS on January 31.
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Comments
good analysis.. thumbs up
Can't wait to see who will win.
Third culture kids examiner
Seattle stay-at-home moms examiner
Thanks for giving a reason why GaGa won't win. She's sold over 8 million world wide for her album, which is more than Taylor. Plus gaga wrote her songs too. You gave no real reason for someone to lose or win! The peas had the best song of the year and yet they have no chance? No offense but ur really off, no critic should favor someone over someone else w/o any good reason.
I hope Gaga gets it!!
Oh my I'll comment back to this article if your "who should win" becomes the eventual winner. F & F (fearless fame)
It should win for sure DMB. The award must go to the best and that is DMB
Beyonce Baby
Beyonce Baby
Dave Matthews Band was clearly the Best of this class. Taylor's a nice girl but no way an album about teenage romances should be a grammy winner. It's equivalent to Hannah Montana winning. Grammys are not about music anymore.
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