The full list of Grammy nominations came out last night and Lil Wayne leads with eight. We're not sure why everyone is surprised about that since Carter III sold a billion copies already and the Grammys traditionally reward big sellers, but we do share in the excitement. In fact, there are many things to be excited about at The FADER as many of our former coverstars and both of our current covers—Kanye and No Age—got nods. The full (relevant) list is after the jump, where you will see our picks and predictions annotated with enthusiastic ALL CAPS comments.
Album of the Year
Coldplay, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
[COLDLAY IS ACTUALLY PRETTY GREAT BUT COME ON, WEE YOO WEE YOO SONG HAS REAL CULTURAL CACHE]
Ne-Yo, Year of the Gentleman
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand
Radiohead, In Rainbows
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
Big Boi (featuring Raekwon and Andrew 3000), “Royal Flush”
Jay-Z and T.I. (featuring Lil Wayne and Kanye West), “Swagger Like Us”[THIS IS A TOUGH ONE. WE'LL GO WITH "SWAGGER." IT HAS BRAND LEVERAGE.]
Lil Wayne (featuring Jay-Z), “Mr. Carter”
Ludacris (featuring T.I.), “Wish You Would”
Young Jeezy (featuring Kanye West), “Put On”
Record of the Year
Adele, “Chasing Pavements”
Coldplay, “Viva la Vida”
Leona Lewis, “Bleeding Love”
M.I.A., “Paper Planes” [MAYA ONSTAGE SUPER PREGS WITH DIPLO--AWKWARRRD]
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, “Please Read the Letter”
Song of the Year
Estelle (featuring Kanye West), “American Boy” [THIS SONG GREW ON US WHILE WE WERE XMAS SHOPPING LAST WEEK AND WE HAVE HEARD 900,000 THOUSAND TIMES ALREADY]
Adele, “Chasing Pavements”
Jason Mraz, “I’m Yours”
Sara Bareilles, “Love Song”
Coldplay, “Viva la Vida”
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
Coldplay, “Viva la Vida” [THEY DESERVE AT LEAST ONE. DID YOU SEE CHRIS MARTIN ON 'EXTRAS'? FUNNY GUY.]
The Eagles, “Waiting in the Weeds”
Gnarls Barkley, “Going On”
Maroon 5, “Won’t Go Home Without You”
OneRepublic, “Apologize”
Best Rap Album
Jay-Z, American Gangster
Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III [SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM FOR WEEZY, BUT WE'D BE HAPPY TO SEE ANY OF THESE DUDES WIN. EXCEPT NAS. J/K NASIR.]
Lupe Fiasco, The Cool
Nas, Nas (?)
T.I. Paper Trail
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Danger Mouse
Nigel Godrich [ONLY ALBUM WE ACTUALLY LISTENED TO OUT OF ALL THE ONES CONSIDERED ON THIS LIST WAS IN RAINBOWS. SORRY, RICK.]
Johnny Karkazis
Rick Rubin
Will.I.Am
Best Alternative Music Album
Beck, Modern Guilt
Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs
Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple
My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges[THIS CATEGORY IS SILLY. LAURIE ANDERSON WAS NOMINATED THE FIRST YEAR IT EXISTED! IN 1991! THE HEIGHT OF GRUNGE AND SHOEGAZE. THE JACKET, IN A SQUEAKER.]
Radiohead, In Rainbows
Best Rap Solo Performance
Jay-Z, “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is … )”
Lil Wayne, “A Milli”
Lupe Fiasco, “Paris, Tokyo”
Nas, “N.i.*.*.e.r. (The Slave and the Master)”
Snoop Dogg, “Sexual Eruption” [NOT REALLY. 'A MILLI' FOR SURE.]
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
[CAN'T DECIDE. KANYE OR T-PAIN ONSTAGE SOMEHOW IS FINE.]
Estelle (featuring Kanye West), “American Boy”
Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain), “Low”
John Legend & Andre 3000, “Green Light”
Lil Wayne featuring T-Pain, “Got Money”
Lupe Fiasco (featuring Matthew Santos), “Superstar”
Best Rap Song
Lil Wayne, “Lollipop”
Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain), “Low”
Snoop Dogg, “Sexual Eruption”
Lupe Fiasco (featuring Matthew Santos), “Superstar”
Jay-Z & T.I. (featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne), “Swagger Like Us” [LEVERAGE]
Best Rock Album
Coldplay, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends [WE NOT SO SECRETLY JAM THIS SHIT SO HARD]
Kid Rock, Rock N Roll Jesus
Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
Metallica, Death Magnetic
The Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Kid Rock, "All Summer Long"
John Mayer, "Say" [MAYER, DO IT FOR THE UNDER 40 SET!]
Paul McCartney, "That Was Me"
Jason Mraz, "I'm Yours"
Ne-Yo, "Closer"
James Taylor, "Wichita Lineman"
Best Dance Recording
Daft Punk, "Harder Better Faster Stronger" [DID THIS COME OUT THIS YEAR? OH IT'S THE LIVE VERSION. OKAY, BUT THAT'S KIND OF BULLSHIT.]
Hot Chip, "Ready for The Floor"
Lady Gaga and Colby O'Donis, "Just Dance"
Madonna, "Give It 2 Me"
Rihanna, "Disturbia"
Sam Sparro,"Black & Gold"
Best Electronic/Dance Album
Brazilian Girls, New York City
Daft Punk, Alive 2007 [SEE, IT'S OKAY HERE BECAUSE THE REST OF THIS STUFF IS SOFT BATCH AND WE WANT TO SEE THESE DUDES WEAR HELMETS AND NOT TALK DURING AN ACCEPTANCE SPEECH. THEY SHOULD GET BART SIMPSON TO COME OUT AND TALK FOR THEM.]
Cyndi Lauper, Bring Ya to The Brink
Kylie Minogue, X
Moby, Last Night
Robyn, Robyn
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
AC/DC, "Rock N Roll Train"
Coldplay, "Violet Hill"
The Eagles, "Long Road Out of Eden"
Kings of Leon, "Sex on Fire" [DUDE, JOKES. THESE OTHER SONGS ARE ALMOST BALLADS]
Radiohead, "House of Cards"
Best Hard Rock Performance
Disturbed, "Inside the Fire"
Judas Priest, "Visions"
The Mars Volta, "Wax Simulacra" [TOTALLY TORN. ALL THESE GUYS REALLY DESERVE TO WIN. OH WAIT, NO THEY DON'T.]
Mötley Crüe, "Saints of Los Angeles"
Rob Zombie, "Lords of Salem"
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Beyoncé, "Me, Myself and I"
Keyshia Cole, "Heaven Sent"
Jennifer Hudson, "Spotlight"
Alicia Keys, "Superwoman"
Jazmine Sullivan, "Need U Bad" [UPSET ALERT. LAURYN IS PISSED SOMEWHERE.]
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
Eric Benét, "You're the Only One"
Chris Brown, "Take You Down"
Ne-Yo, "Miss Independent" [KERI HILSON WAS IN THE VIDEO. SHE WAS ON THE COVER OF THE FADER ONCE.]
Trey Songz, "Can't Help But Wait"
Usher, "Here I Stand"
Best Urban/Alternative Performance
Kenna, Say Goodbye To Love
Maiysha, Wanna Be
Chrisette Michele Featuring will.i.am, Be OK
Janelle Monae, Many Moons [THESE CATEGORIES, SHEESH. WHY AREN'T THESE R&B?]
Wayna Featuring Kokayi, Lovin You (Music)
Best R&B Song
Salaam Remi & Jazmine Sullivan, songwriters (Deandre Way, songwriter) (Jazmine Sullivan), Bust Your Windows [SALAAM REMI LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD]
I. Barias, Raheem DeVaughn, C. Haggins, K. Oliver & J. Smith, songwriters (Raheem DeVaughn), Customer
Keyshia Cole, Jason Farmer & Alex Francis, songwriters (Keyshia Cole), Heaven Sent
M.S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen & S. Smith, songwriters (Ne-Yo), Miss Independent
Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen & Shaffer Smith, songwriters (Jennifer Hudson), Spotlight
Best Latin Urban Album
Akwid, La Novela
La Sinfonia, La Sinfonia
Rkm & Ken-y, The Royalty: La Realeza
Voltio, En Lo Claro [HAVE YOU NOT HEARD THIS DUDE?]
Wisin y Yandel, Los Extraterrestres
Best Reggae Album
Burning Spear, Jah Is Real
Elephant Man, Let's Get Physical [REGGAE: MADE BY OLD MEN SINCE 1969. SOMEONE FIRE THIS CATEGORY.]
Heavy D, Vibes
Lee "Scratch" Perry, Repentance
Shaggy, Intoxication
Sly & Robbie, Amazing
Best Traditional World Music Album
Debashish Bhattacharya, Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey
Toumani Diabaté, The Mandé Variations [THIS MAN PLAYED THE KORA TWO FEET AWAY FROM US. WE ALMOST LOST IT.]
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu
Lakshmi Shankar, Dancing In The Light
Best Recording Package
Death Magnetic, Bruce Duckworth, Sarah Moffatt & David Turner, art directors (Metallica)
Hawk Nelson...Is My Friend!, Don Clark, art director (Hawk Nelson)
Nouns, No Age & Brian Roettinger, art directors (No Age) [HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT]
Radio Retaliation, Neal Ashby, Matthew Curry & Patrick Donohue, art directors (Thievery Corporation)
Summer Rains, Amanda Barrett, Abby DeWald, Renee Jablow & Rick Whitmore, art directors (The Ditty Bops)
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
Closer (StoneBridge Radio Edit)
StoneBridge, remixer (Ne-Yo)
Electric Feel (Justice Remix)
Justice, remixers (MGMT) […]
4 Minutes (Junkie XL Remix)
Junkie XL, remixer (Madonna Featuring Justin Timberlake)
Just Fine (Moto Blanco Remix)
Moto Blanco, remixers (Mary J. Blige)
The Longest Road (Deadmau5 Remix)
Deadmau5, remixer (Morgan Page Featuring Lissie)
(full list here)