Grammy Awards 2017 Nominees: Grammys Nominations Refresher And Predictions

Check out our predictions for the 2017 Grammy Awards. Pictured: Beyonce on Feb. 9, 2015 in Los Angeles. Reuters/Mike Blake

The 2017 Grammy Awards are finally here. In just a few hours, some of music’s biggest stars will be in Los Angeles for music’s biggest nights. Before the awards get underway, get caught up with some of the major nominees including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kanye West and Drake, and check out who we think will take home awards.

Record of the Year

“Hello” – Adele
“Formation” – Beyoncé
“7 Years” – Lukas Graham
“Work” – Rihanna Featuring Drake
“Stressed Out” – Twenty One Pilots

While song of the year is awarded to the songwriter, record of the year is all about the song itself. As one of the biggest and most memorable songs of 2016, Beyoncé should expect to take home the award.

Prediction: Beyoncé - “Formation”

Album of the Year

“25” – Adele
“Lemonade” – Beyoncé
“Purpose” – Justin Bieber
“Views” – Drake
“A Sailor's Guide to Earth” – Sturgill Simpson

Since 1959, only 10 black artists have won album of the year. While Sturgill Simpson could pull off an upset, expect Beyoncé to be added to the small list.

Prediction: Beyoncé - “Lemonade”

Song of the Year

“Formation” – Beyoncé
“Hello” – Adele
“I Took a Pill in Ibiza” – Mike Posner
“Love Yourself” – Justin Bieber
“7 Years” – Lukas Graham

Song of the year and album of the year aren’t synonymous, so don’t expect Beyoncé to win this award. Danish pop group Lukas Graham has a definite shot at taking home the award for their hit song “7 Years,” but expect Adele to win.

Prediction: Adele - “Hello”

Best New Artist

Kelsea Ballerini
The Chainsmokers
Chance the Rapper
Maren Morris
Anderson .Paak

Chance The Rapper should be the front-runner after his breakthrough in 2016, but Anderson .Paak and The Chainsmokers may make it difficult for him. Morris and Ballerini will also make it tough as country artists have won the award before.

Prediction: Chance the Rapper

Best Pop Solo Performance

“Hello” – Adele
“Hold Up” – Beyoncé
“Love Yourself” – Justin Bieber
“Piece by Piece (Idol Version)” – Kelly Clarkson
“Dangerous Woman” – Ariana Grande

Betting against Beyoncé or Adele may seem foolish, but Ariana Grande has become a favorite in the music industry. What Grande lacks in size she makes up for with an amazing voice.

Prediction: Ariana Grande - “Dangerous Woman”

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Closer” – The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey
“7 Years” – Lukas Graham
“Work” – Rihanna Featuring Drake
“Cheap Thrills” – Sia Featuring Sean Paul
“Stressed Out” – Twenty One Pilots

“Closer” has to be lock for this award. The Chainsmokers’ single was huge success in 2016 and it would be difficult to find a bigger pop song this year.

Prediction: The Chainsmokers - “Closer”

Best Pop Vocal Album

“25” – Adele
“Purpose” – Justin Bieber
“Dangerous Woman” – Ariana Grande
“Confident” – Demi Lovato
“This Is Acting” – Sia

Sia could pull off the upset but expect the race to be between Adele and Ariana Grande. Adele is the easy bet but Grande does have a chance at beating her.

Prediction: Adele - “Dangerous Woman”

Best Rap Album

“Coloring Book” – Chance the Rapper
“And the Anonymous Nobody” – De La Soul
“Major Key” – DJ Khaled
“Views” – Drake
“Blank Face LP” – ScHoolboy Q
“The Life of Pablo” – Kanye West

The Grammy committee usually gets it pretty wrong when it comes to hip-hop awards so don’t always expect the clear favorite to win. With Drake being a Grammy darling, he may be expected to win, but historically, Kanye West does very well in the best rap album category, winning four times. Chance the Rapper is the dark horse, but with the Grammys nominating a mixtape (“Coloring Book”) for the first time, Chance could continue his amazing year.

Prediction: Chance the Rapper - “Coloring Book”

Best Rap Song

“All the Way Up” – Fat Joe & Remy Ma Featuring French Montana & Infared
“Famous” – Kanye West Featuring Rihanna
“Hotline Bling” - Drake
“No Problem” – Chance the Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz
“Ultralight Beam” – Kanye West Featuring Chance the Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream

Kanye West and Drake are always a sure bet to win in rap categories but while Kanye’s “Ultralight Beam” may have been one of the year’s best rap songs, Chance the Rapper has a real shot at cleaning up in the hip-hop categories.

Prediction: Chance the Rapper - “No Problem”

Best Rap/Sung Performance

“Freedom” – Beyoncé Featuring Kendrick Lamar
“Hotline Bling” – Drake
“Broccoli” – D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty
“Ultralight Beam” – Kanye West Featuring Chance the Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream
“Famous” – Kanye West Featuring Rihanna

New-comer D.R.A.M. is deserving of the award for his surprise hit, but expect Kanye West’s collaboration with Chance, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin and The-Dream to win.

Prediction: Kanye West - “Ultralight Beam”

Best R&B Performance

“Turnin’ Me Up” – BJ the Chicago Kid
“Permission” – Ro James
“I Do” – Musiq Soulchild
“Needed Me” – Rihanna
“Cranes in the Sky” – Solange

It’s tough to choose between Solange and Rihanna, who are both deserving of the award. Solange, however, was a favorite of critics in 2016.

Prediction: Solange “Cranes in the Sky”

Best R&B Song

“Come See Me” – PartyNextDoor Featuring Drake
“Exchange” – Bryson Tiller
“Kiss It Better” – Rihanna
“Lake By the Ocean” – Maxwell
“Luv” – Tory Lanez

R&B fans will say Bryson Tiller has the best song among the nominees, but Tory Lanez’s hit song and Maxwell’s comeback single may challenge him.

Prediction: Maxwell - “Lake By the Ocean”

Best Urban Contemporary Album

“Lemonade” – Beyoncé
“Ology” – Gallant
“We Are King” – KING
“Malibu” – Anderson .Paak
“Anti” – Rihanna

This will finally settle the “Lemonade” vs. “Anti” debate. But while Anderson .Paak’s album is nothing to scoff at, this battle is clearly between Bey and Rih.

Prediction: “Lemonade” - Beyoncé

Best Rock Song