Pop
Best Female Pop Vocal
- Chrisina Aguilera - "Ain't No Other Man"
- Natasha Bedingfield - "Unwritten"
- Sheryl Crow - "You Can Close Your Eyes"
- Pink - "Stupid Girls"
- KT Tunstall - "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"
Unfortunately, due to eligibility schedules, Christina Aguilera's "Hurt" is not among the nominees here. In its absence, I lean toward KT Tunstall's star-making performance on "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree." If she wins, a thank-you is owed to Katharine McPhee and American Idol for helping make American audiences aware of this tremendous recording.
Best Male Pop Vocal
- James Blunt - "You're Beautiful"
- John Legend - "Save Room"
- John Mayer - "Waiting on the World to Change"
- Paul McCartney - "Jenny Wren"
- Daniel Powter - "Bad Day"
I think this will be a third victory for Blunt, as his vocal performance is the strongest element of the record. However, Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" is now such an ingrained part of American pop culture, he could be a surprise winner.
Best Pop Duo or Group With Vocal
- The Black Eyed Peas - "My Humps"
- Death Cab for Cutie - "I Will Follow You Into the Dark"
- The Fray - "Over My Head (Cable Car)"
- Keane - "Is It Any Wonder?"
- The Pussycat Dolls - "Stickwitu"
The Fray's powerful breakthrough performance on "Over My Head (Cable Car)" should walk away with this award easily. The Black Eyed Peas and the Pussycat Dolls are laughable nominees by comparison.
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
- Tony Bennett & Stevie Wonder - "For Once in My Life"
- Mary J. Blige & U2 - "One"
- Sheryl Crow & Sting - "Always On Your Side"
- Nelly Furtado & Timbaland - "Promiscuous"
- Shakira & Wyclef Jean - "Hips Don't Lie"
There are a crowd of Grammy favorites in this category, but I have to lean to Mary J. Blige and U2. They performed "One" on last year's Grammy Awards program, and they would be deserved winners this year.
Best Pop Instrumental
- George Benson (& Al Jarreau) - "Mornin'"
- Enya - "Drifting"
- Bela Fleck & the Flecktones - "Subterfuge"
- Bruce Hornsby - "Song H"
- The Brian Setzer Orchestra - "My Favorite Things"
Have you heard all of these nominees? Unfortunately, instrumental pop music rarely receives significant exposure in today's pop world. It is a shame since all of these nominees are tremendous musicians, but the actual nominated song is probably unfamiliar to most voters and fans. I'll select Enya simply because she is currently the bestselling artist on this list, and, in a category like this, familiarity often wins.
Best Pop Instrumental Album
- Gerald Albright - New Beginnings
- Larry Carlton - Fire Wire
- Fourplay - X
- Peter Frampton - Fingerprints
- Spyro Gyra - Wrapped in a Dream
Peter Frampton has the double assistance of sentimentality and a truly fine performance.
Best Pop Vocal Album
- Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics
- James Blunt - Back to Bedlam
- Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse
- John Mayer - Continuum
- Justin Timberlake - FutureSex / LoveSounds
Christina Aguilera's album is the most impressive of these nominees from a purely vocal standpoint, and I will pick her as my prediction. However, she is far from a shoo-in.
