As already confirmed, singers Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Khan will perform a tribute to the late Whitney Houston, whose death investigation is ongoing.
Location of the Grammys tonight (johanohrling, Flickr Creative Commons)
Houston was found lifeless and under water, according to some reports, in a bathtub in her Beverly Hilton hotel room.
As for tonight’s awards and who might receive one or seven — Kanye West will carry a leading seven nominations into tonight’s 54th annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center, but British songstress Adele and American pop/R&B sensation Bruno Mars could steal the show with nominations in the top categories of song, record and album of the year.
Adele — who will perform at the ceremony in her first major appearance since undergoing surgery to have a polyp removed from her vocal chords — is up for song and record of the year for “Rolling in the Deep” and album of the year for “21.”
Mars has nominations for song and record of the year for “Grenade” and an album of the year nod for “Doo-Wops & Hooligans.”
Also vying for song of the year honors are West for “All of the Lights,” which also features Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie; Mumford & Sons for “The Cave;” and Bon Iver for “Holocene.”
“The Cave,” “Grenade,” “Holocene” and “Rolling in the Deep” are all nominated for record of the year, along with “Firework” by Katy Perry.
The song of the year Grammy is presented to the songwriter, while record of the year is presented to the artist.
Challenging Adele and Bruno Mars for album of the year are Foo Fighters for “Wasting Light,” Lady Gaga for “Born This Way” and Rihanna for “Loud.”
Adele, Bruno Mars and Foo Fighters each have six nominations heading into the ceremony. The bulk of the Grammy Awards are presented during a pre-telecast ceremony that begins at 1 p.m., but the top honors are presented during the three-plus-hour televised awards show. The show begins at 5 p.m. but will air on a tape-delay on the West Coast at 8 p.m. on CBS.
As usual, the Grammy telecast will feature an array of performances, including a reunion of the Beach Boys. Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks will sing together for the first time in more than two decades, performing with Foster the People and Maroon 5.
Also among those expected to perform are Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band; Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson; Glen Campbell with The Band Perry and Blake Shelton; Coldplay and Rihanna; Foo Fighters; Bruno Mars; Paul McCartney; Nicki Minaj; Katy Perry; Taylor Swift; Chris Brown; Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood; Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt.
The Band Perry, Bon Iver, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj and Skrillex will compete for the coveted prize of best new artist.
Adele, meanwhile, is nominated for best pop solo performance for “Someone Like You,” along with Lady Gaga for “You and I,” Bruno Mars for “Grenade,” Perry for “Firework” and “F***in’ Perfect” by Pink.
The late Amy Winehouse is nominated for pop duo/group performance for her duet with Tony Bennett, “Body and Soul.” Also nominated are “Dearest” by the Black Keys, “Paradise” by Coldplay, “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People and “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera.
Among Kanye West’s nominations are a nod for best rap/sung collaboration for “All of the Lights,” with Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergi. Other nominees in the category are “Party” by Beyonce and Andre 3000; “I’m On One” by DJ Kahled, Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne; “I Need a Doctor” by Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey; “What’s My Name?” by Rihanna and Drake; and “Motivation” by Kelly Rowland and Lil Wayne.
Country music sensation Taylor Swift is up for best country solo performance for “Mean.” She will be vying with Jason Aldean for “Dirt Road Anthem,” Martina McBride for “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” Blake Shelton for “Honey Bee” and Carrie Underwood for ”Mama’s Song.”
The number of Grammy categories was cut from 109 last year to 78 this year, as The Recording Academy looks to streamline the awards show.
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