The Grammy Awards will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on Feb. 8, 2009, and will be broacast on CBS on February 8, 2009 from 8:00 - 11:30 PM ET/PT.
The following are my predictions for winners in country music categories at this year's Grammy Awards show.
Best New Artist
(while this isn't a country category ONLY, I'm going to try to predict it.)The nominees are: Adele, Duffy, Jonas Brothers, Lady Antebellum and Jazmine Sullivan.
Who I want to win: Well, of COURSE I want Lady Antebellum to win.Who will win: This is hard to predict. I don't know a whole lot about music, other than country, but I hear a lot about Duffy, and think maybe she will win.
Who did win: Adele was the winner.
Best Female Country Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)The nominees are: Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Carrie Underwood, Lee Ann Womack, and Trisha Yearwood.
Who I want to win: I'd love to see Trisha Yearwood win the award this year.Who will win: Carrie Underwood has won the award the past two years, and I see her taking home the Grammy this year as well. Who did win: Carrie Underwood won.
Best Male Country Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)The nominees are: Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson, James Otto, Brad Paisley and George Strait
Who I want to win: I would like to see King George win this award. Why? Believe it or not, he has NEVER won a Grammy award. Hard to believe!Who will win: This is a tough call. Trace Adkins gained a lot of media exposure last year, when he was on the Celebrity Apprentice. Critics are loving Jamey Johnson's That Lonesome Song album. James Otto had a big hit with "Just Got Started Loving You." Brad Paisley had a successful year, and is the reigning ACM and CMA Male Vocalist. And, you can't say anything bad about George Strait. But, we are talking Grammy voters here. Most of which are not familiar with country music on a daily basis. I'm going to say they'll vote for Brad Paisley.
Who did win: Brad Paisley won.
Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
(For established duos or groups with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)The nominees are: Brooks & Dunn, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, The Steeldrivers, and Sugarland.
Who I'd like to win: I'd love to see Lady Antebellum win here.Who will win: Again, we are talking about a majority of voters who haven't got much of a clue about country artists, however I think they'd be most familiar with Rascal Flatts, so I'm going to say they will win.
Who did win: Sugarland won.
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
(For a collaborative performance, with vocals, by artists who do not normally perform together. Singles or Tracks only.)The nominees are: Kenny Chesney with George Strait, Robert Plant with Alison Krauss, George Strait with Patty Loveless, Sugarland with Little Big Town and Jake Owen and Trisha Yearwood with Keith Urban.
Who I'd like to win: I would love to see Sugarland, Little Big Town and Jake Owen win this.Who will win: Alison Krauss is the most-winning female artist, with 21 Grammy wins. Her album with Robert Plant is a critical success, and I'm sure that they will win the Country Collaboration Grammy.
Who did win: Alison Krauss & Robert Plant
Best Country Instrumental Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)The nominees are: Cherryholmes, Jerry Douglas & Lloyd Green, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, Charlie Haden, Pat Metheny, Jerry Douglas & Bruce Hornsby and Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert & Steve Wariner.
Who I'd like to win: Since the only one I've even heard was Brad Paisley and friends' "Cluster Pluck," I'm going to say that is the one I want to win.Who will win: Not really sure, but I'll say Brad Paisley and company.
Who did win: Brad Paisley
Best Country Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. Singles or Tracks only.)
The nominees are: "Dig Two Graves" - Ashley Gorley & Bob Regan, songwriters
"I Saw God Today" - Rodney Clawson, Monty Criswell & Wade Kirby, songwriters
"In Color" - Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller & James Otto, songwriters
"Stay" - Jennifer Nettles, songwriter
"You're Gonna Miss This" - Ashley Gorley & Lee Thomas Miller, songwriters
Who I'd like to win: I'd love to see Jennifer Nettles receive the Grammy for writing "Stay."Who will win: Jennifer Nettles won both the ACM and CMA Song of the Year award for this song, but the Grammy voters are for the most part not country fans, most likely, so they probably don't follow who wins at country awards shows. I really am unsure, but I guess I'll go with "Stay" for the win.
Who did win: Jennifer Nettles for "Stay"
Best Country Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)
The nominees are: That Lonesome Song - Jamey Johnson
Sleepless Nights - Patty Loveless
Troubadour - George Strait
Around the Bend - Randy Travis
Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love - Trisha Yearwood
Who I'd like to win: I'd really like to see George Strait win with Troubadour.Who will win: Again, a toss up with the majority of voters not country fans, most likely. Maybe they'll finally give George Strait a Grammy?
Who did win: George Strait! Yeah!!
Well, those are my picks. Watch the show on February 8th, and see how well I did. Then, come back and we'll post our winners list, plus the fan-voted winners from the AboutCountry Grammy Polls.