Grammy Selections 2016 — mark kennedy.

Hello all. It feels good to have the 'ole site up and running again. While I miss the beautiful site I had, it had a great two years. Back in September, I began building out this new layout knowing that I wanted the focus this time around to be on the blog. So, I set up a blog and wrote a few posts with every intention of promoting them and with all intentions to point my domain to it and update regularly, but I neglected that idea until recently, when a few weeks ago I got the itch to kickstart my side project, The Playlist Project, up again. Turns out, that domain that I let lapse is now very expensive. So, I began to build out an interface during some free moments that I had to incorporate that + a blog into one! The blog got intergrated a few weeks ago, and The Playlist Project two weekends ago, and i've been working out some kinks and bugs since then with getting some domain issues cleared up. We're in a good spot now! Still not complete, i'll be adding bits here and there as I go along, but we're in a good place now that I can share it. And what better way than to do that with my annual Grammy Selections?

Sadly, I did not get pulled for tickets this year, and the academy was quite a bit more stringent on their process, so i'll be watching from home with everyone else! Rumor has it a lot of members were not pleased with the process, so fingers crossed we go back to the old "first come first serve" member pull, and i'll be back there next year hanging out with Justin Timberlake.

My ballot is complete and was sent it, and i'll upload the actual thing once I remember to scan it at work, but for now, here is a short list of who I think/want to win some of the bigger awards tomorrow night:

Record of the Year:

D'Angelo and the Vanguard "Really Love"

Ed Sheeran "Thinking Out Loud"

Taylor Swift "Blank Space"

The Weeknd "Can't Feel My Face"

Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars "Uptown Funk"

Winner: T-Swift. 1989 was a magical pop record, one of those that I think we'll look back on and say, "that was one heck of a pop album" and I think "Blank Space" is a big part of that.

Album of the Year:

Alabama Shakes Sound & Color

Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly

Chris Stapleton Traveller

Taylor Swift 1989

The Weeknd Beauty Behind the Machine

Winner: Let me preface with this: I miss House of Balloons era The Weekend, and my heart wants Traveller to win something bad - but I think the Academy does a make good on screwing KDot out a few years back. To Pimp a Butterfly is a great listen, and all these albums are deserving in my eyes outside of The Weeknd.

Song of the Year:

Kendrick Lamar "Alright"

Taylor Swift "Blank Space"

Little Big Town "Girl Crush"

Charlie Puth ft. Wiz Khalifa "See You Again"

Ed Sheeran "Thinking Out Loud"

Winner: My gut tells me Taylor Swift again, but my heart says Ed. "Thinking Out Loud" was a massive hit, and Ed is now a full fledged superstar. However, I think Swifty walks away with it. Secretly, i'd like to see Charlie Puth win. I saw an interview with him, and he's such a legit dude. And who wouldn't love to see Wiz get up and talk?

Best New Artist:

James Bay

Courtney Barnett

Sam Hunt

Tori Kelly

Meghan Trainor

Winner: Courtney Barnett is a huge gamble here, but she absolutely deserves it and i'm pulling hard for her. "Pedestrian At Best" is fabulous. I think Meghan Trainor wins this, partly based on her being a part of the writing process on a few hit songs this year outside of just her massive hits.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

Maroon 5 "Sugar"

Florence + The Machine "Ship To Wreck"

Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars "Uptown Funk"

Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar "Bad Blood"

Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth "See You Again"

Winner: I still love "Sugar" to this day and I think it's one of the catchiest songs i've ever in my life heard, but I think Mark Ronson and Bruno win. Surely Swift and KDot won't sweep everything, right?

Best Dance Recording:

Above & Beyond "We're All We Need"

The Chemical Brothers "Go"

Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar "Never Catch Me"

Galantis "Runaway (U & I)"

Skrillex and Diplo ft. Justin Bieber "Where Are Ü Now"

Winner: I always like throwing my hat in on this one because dance/electronic music is not my specialty. However, i've nailed it the last two years. I'm saying Skrillex gets it this year.

Best Dance/Electronic Album:

Caribou Our Love

The Chemical Brothers Born in the Echoes

Disclosure Caracal

Jamie XX In Colour

Skrillex and Diplo ...Present Jack Ü

Winner: Jamie XX. I really enjoy that album.

Best Rock Performance:

Florence + The Machine "What Kind of Man"

Alabama Shakes "Don't Wanna Fight"

Foo Fighters "Something From Nothing"

Elle King "Ex's & Oh's"