The 54th annual Grammy Awards ceremony airs on CBS this Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT, and rock fans have quite a few reasons to watch the telecast. Not the least of these is the Foo Fighters , who will compete for trophies in six categories, including Album of the Year, Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song. Other rock-related acts with multiple nominations include Skrillex , with five nods; Mumford & Sons and Bon Iver [bohn ee-VAIR], with four each; and Coldplay and Radiohead , with three apiece.
This year's Grammy Awards only have 78 categories, compared with the previous 100+ categories of previous years. But don't expect the extravaganza to wrap up earlier than usual. "No, the show won't be shorter," laughs Ken Ehrlich , the executive producer of the Grammy Awards. "We've taken categories out but we haven't figured out how to make it shorter! There's just so much good stuff out there that we want to celebrate." That means viewers will see a whopping 19 performances spread over the three-and-a-half-hour show and, as in past years, most of the actual trophies will be handed out in a non-televised ceremony that takes place beforehand.
In fact, according to Ehrlich, the Grammys Awards show isn't so much about the actual awards as it is about the performances, which feature cool collaborations from artists in every musical genre, including quite a few big names in the world of rock. This year's telecast will feature:
-
Bonnie Raitt
and
Alicia Keys
paying tribute to
Etta James
-
Coldplay
performing "Princess of China" with
Rihanna
-
The Beach Boys
teaming up with
Foster the People
and
Maroon 5
-
Foo Fighters
doing a tribute to dance music with
Chris Brown
,
Lil Wayne
and
David Guetta
- Additional performances and appearances from
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
,
Paul McCartney
and
Joe Walsh
.
Explaining why so many stars are willing to give up the solo spotlight to team with other artists for these special "Grammy Moments," Ehrlich tells ABC News Radio, "A great number of [these artists] go on other shows and perform well, but we look at our show as being what you're working towards. You want to be the best on this show because it means something to be the best on this show. And so there's this kind of mindset that allows them to be more collaborative."
Each year, the most prestigious awards -- known as the Big Four -- are Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist. Here's the difference between Record and Song of the Year: the Song of the Year Grammy goes to the song's writer or writers, who are not necessarily the same ones who performed the tune. The Record of the Year Grammy goes to the artist, producer, engineer and mixer of the song. For Album of the Year, the Grammy goes to the artist, the album's producer or producers, the engineers and any featured performers.
Here are the nominees in the main categories that include at least one rock artist:
Record of the Year
"Rolling in the Deep," Adele
"Holocene," Bon Iver
"Grenade," Bruno Mars
"The Cave," Mumford & Sons
"Firework," Katy Perry
Song of the Year [award to songwriter(s)]
"All of the Lights," Kanye West
"Rolling in the Deep," Adele
"Holocene," Bon Iver
"Grenade," Bruno Mars
"The Cave," Mumford & Sons
Album of the Year
Doo-Wops and Hooligans,
Bruno Mars
Wasting Light,
Foo Fighters
Born This Way
, Lady Gaga
Loud,
Rihanna
21,
Adele
Best New Artist
The Band Perry
Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
"Body and Soul," Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
"Dearest," The Black Keys
"Paradise," Coldplay
"Pumped Up Kicks," Foster the People
"Moves Like Jagger," Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera
Best Rock Performance
"Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall," Coldplay
"Down by the Water," The Decembrists
"Walk," Foo Fighters
"The Cave," Mumford & Sons
"Lotus Flower," Radiohead
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance
"On the Backs of Angels," Dream Theater
"White Limo," Foo Fighters
"Curl of the Burl," Mastodon
"Public Enemy No. 1," Megadeth
"Blood in My Eyes," Sum 41
Best Rock Song
"Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall," Coldplay
"Down by the Water," The Decembrists
"Walk," Foo Fighters
"The Cave," Mumford & Sons
"Lotus Flower," Radiohead
Best Rock Album
Rock 'N' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul
, Jeff Beck
Wasting Light
, Foo Fighters
Come Around Sundown
, Kings of Leon
I'm with You,
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Whole Love,
Wilco
Best Alternative Music Album
Bon Iver,
Bon Iver
Codes and Keys,
Death Cab for Cutie
Torches,
Foster the People
Circuital
, My Morning Jacket
The King of Limbs
, Radiohead
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
