Miranda Lambert photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville. Lady Antebellum photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.
The 53rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards will take place in Los Angeles at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, and will air live on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). This year, country music has a pretty big presence on the show. Here are our Top 5 reasons to watch:
Miranda Lambert will be making her first-ever performance on a GRAMMY® telecast. Also look for a performance from Album of the Year nominees, Lady Antebellum. Plus, although she won’t be singing a country song, Country Strong star and Academy Award® winner Gwyneth Paltrow will be singing with Cee Lo Green, whose song “Forget You” was sung by Gwyneth on an episode of the TV show Glee.
Current three-time GRAMMY® nominee Dierks Bentley and current nominee Blake Shelton will both present awards, as will winner and current four-time nominee Zac Brown and three-time winner and current nominee Keith Urban.
We’re really looking forward to the tribute to Aretha Franklin.What’s the country connection, you ask? Our own Martina McBride will be honoring the Queen of Soul with her powerful voice. Martina joins Yolanda Adams, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson and Florence Welch in the tribute.
In other related news, this Friday, Feb. 11, nominee LeAnn Rimes will take part in honoring Barbara Streisand, who’s getting the 2011 MUSICARES® Person of the Year Award. Legendary artist (and Barbara’s co-star in the movie A Star Is Born) Kris Kristofferson will present the award to her. Also, country/Americana producer T Bone Burnett was honored Feb. 8 by the The Producers & Engineers Wing® of The Recording Academy® for his commitment to excellence and ongoing support for the art and craft of recorded music.
Who’s gonna win? See the list of country nominees below and tell us your predictions! For a complete list of country, bluegrass and Americana nominees, visit Grammy.com.
We can’t wait to see what the stars will be wearing on the red carpet. Check back with us Monday morning (Feb. 14) to read our GRAMMY® wrap-up story and see photos from the big night! In the meantime, check out our red carpet photos from last year HERE.
2011 GRAMMY® AWARD NOMINEES:
Album of the Year
The Suburbs – Arcade Fire
Recovery – Eminem
Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
The Fame Monster – Lady Gaga
Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
Record of the Year
“Nothin’ On You” – B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars
“Love The Way You Lie” – Eminem feat. Rhianna
“F*** You” – Cee Lo Green
“Empire State Of Mind” – Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
“Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
Song of the Year
“Beg Steal or Borrow” – Ray LaMontagne
“F*** You” – Cee Lo Green
“The House That Built Me” – Miranda Lambert
“Love The Way You Lie” – Eminem feat. Rihanna
“Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
Best Female Country Vocal Performance
“Satisfied” – Jewel
“The House That Built Me” – Miranda Lambert
“Swingin’” – LeAnn Rimes
“Temporary Home” – Carrie Underwood
“I’d Love To Be Your Last” – Gretchen Wilson
Best Male Country Vocal Performance
“Macon” – Jamey Johnson
“Cryin’ For Me (Wayman’s Song)” – Toby Keith
“Turning Home” – David Nail
“’Til Summer Comes Around” – Keith Urban
“Gettin’ You Home” – Chris Young
Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
“Free” – Zac Brown Band
“Elizabeth” – Dailey & Vincent
“Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
“Little White Church” – Little Big Town
“Where Rainbows Never Die” – The SteelDrivers
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
“Bad Angel” – Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert & Jamey Johnson
“Pride (In The Name Of Love)” – Dierks Bentley, Del McCoury & The Punch Brothers
“As She’s Walking Away” – Zac Brown Band & Alan Jackson
“Hillbilly Bone” – Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins
“I Run To You” – Marty Stuart & Connie Smith
Best Country Song
“The Breath You Take” – Casey Beathard, Dean Dillon & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (George Strait)
“Free” – Zac Brown, songwriter (Zac Brown Band)
“The House That Built Me” – Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“I’d Love To Be Your Last” – Rivers Rutherford, Annie Tate & Sam Tate, songwriters (Gretchen Wilson)
“If I Die Young” – Kimberly Perry, songwriter (The Band Perry)
“Need You Now” – Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)
Best Country Album
Up On The Ridge – Dierks Bentley
You Get What You Give – Zac Brown Band
The Guitar Song – Jamey Johnson
Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
Revolution – Miranda Lambert
Best Country Instrumental Performance
“Tattoo Of A Smudge” – Cherryholmes
“Magic #9” – The Infamous Stringdusters
“New Chance Blues” – Punch Brothers
“Willow Creek” – Darrell Scott
“Hummingbyrd” – Marty Stuart
