Best R&B Performance
Girl On Fire – Alicia Keys
Love On Top – Beyoncé
Thinkin Bout You – Frank Ocean
Celebrate – Jordin Sparks & Whitney Housten
Climax – Usher

Alternatives: Put It Down (Feat. Chris Brown) – Brandy, Lazy Love – Ne-Yo

Best R&B Song

Girl On Fire – Alicia Keys
Love On Top – Beyoncé
Thinkin Bout You – Frank Ocean
Adorn – Miguel
Climax – Usher

Alternatives: Chris Brown – Don’t Judge Me

Best Urban Contemporary Album 

Fortune – Chris Brown
channel ORANGE – Frank Ocean
The MF Life – Melanie Fiona
Chapter V – Trey Songz
Looking 4 Myself – Usher 

Alternatives: Kaleidoscope Dream – Miguel
 
First up in the second half of awards is R&B, an interesting genre at the grammys where last year’s winner of Best R&B Album barely contained any R&B on it at all. The name change to Urban Contemporary makes it much easier for those artists that crossover into Dance and Pop music, such as Usher and Chris Brown. The album award is Frank Ocean’s no matter what though and I’m expected a clean sweep from him in the category. The tracks from Usher, Beyoncé and Alicia Keys will definitely make the cut, but I don’t think any of them will best Thinkin Of You on the night. 

Rap

Best Rap Performance

212 (Feat. Lazy Jay) –  Azealia Banks
HYFR (Hell Ya F***in Right) (Feat. Lil Wayne) – Drake
Ni**as in Paris – Jay-Z & Kanye West
Mercy (Feat. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz) – Kanye West
Beez In The Trap (Feat. 2 Chainz) – Nicki Minaj

Alternatives: No Church In The Wild (Feat. Frank Ocean – Jay-Z & Kanye West, No Lie (Feat. Drake) – 2 Chainz

Best Rap Song

The Motto (Feat. Lil Wayne) – Drake
Ni**as in Paris – Jay-Z & Kanye West
Mercy (Feat. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz) – Kanye West
Swimming Pools (Drank) – Kendrick Lamar
Bad Girls – M.I.A.

Alternatives: Rack City – Tyga, Clique (Feat. Big Sean & Jay-Z) – Kanye West

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Girl On Fire (Feat. Nicki Minaj) – Alicia Keys
Crew Love (Feat. The Weeknd) – Drake
No Church In The Wild (Feat. Frank Ocean) – Jay-Z & Kanye West
Payphone (Feat. Wiz Khalifa) – Maroon 5
Talk That Talk (Feat. Jay-Z) – Rihanna

Alternatives: As Long As You Love Me (Feat. Big Sean) – Justin Beiber, Both of Us (Feat. Taylor Swift) – B.O.B.

Best Rap Album

Take Care – Drake
Life Is Good – Nas
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – Nicki Minaj
God Forgives, I Don’t – Rick Ross
Cruel Summer – Various Artists

Alternatives: Based On A T.R.U. Story – 2 Chainz, Careless World: Rise Of The Last King – Tyga

Expect Kanye and Jay-Z to score as many nominations here as usual, last year Kanye deservedly won every single Rap award, and with Mercy, Ni**as in Paris and No Church In The Wild they have a strong chance in every category here. Nicki is sure to make an appearance sure to pick up at least two nominations. I’d love to see some other female rappers make the cut in 2013, both M.I.A. and Azealia Banks having brilliant hits this past year. Drake is the one to beat here though, and the Best Rap Album may well be his first Grammy win to date. He’s lucky Watch The Throne was in last year’s list, as there’s not much else that could beat Take Care to the award this year.

Dance/Electronic

Best Dance Recording

Silhouettes – Avicii
Let’s Go (Feat. Ne-Yo) – Calvin Harris
She Wolf (Falling To Pieces) (Feat. Sia) – David Guetta
Bangarang (Feat. Sirah) – Skrillex
Greyhound – Swedish House Mafia

Alternatives: Feel The Love (Feat. John Newman) – Rudimental

Best Dance/Electronic Album

Bangarang – Skrillex
….

As you can see from the above categories, Best Dance/Electronic Album was surprisingly the hardest category for me to pick nominees in. With last year’s rule change, we can’t even have the likes of Madonna, Rihanna and Flo Rida submitting nominations in the Dance category. Albums from Calvin Harris and Swedish House just missed out on the eligibility period too, so without delving into the depths of electronic music from the last 12 months I found it difficult to name anyone but Skrillex. Given his clean sweep last year I think it’s pretty obvious Skrillex will win yet again for Bangarang. With no indication of who has submitted for these awards, I’m literally clutching at straws here so we’ll have to see next week who makes the cut.

I know that a lot of people aren’t as interested in awards shows, and specifically the grammys as I am, but I have really enjoyed taking an educated guess at the nominations. The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! will take place next Wednesday, and as I’ll probably be staying up for it make sure to see my instant reactions by following me on twitter at @Atkins_Sam