'Nique staffers offer up Grammy predictions

This Sunday, the music industry's elite will assemble at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles for the 47th annual Grammy Awards.

This year's Grammy hopefuls include Maroon 5, Green Day, Modest Mouse, Incubus, Evanescence and the late Ray Charles.

The winners are chosen by the Recording Academy, an organization of music industry professionals who, according to their website, are "dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its makers."

While we here at the 'Nique are far from music industry professionals, we do know a thing or two about music and what we like. And since no publication would be complete without its own predictions of who will go home with a Grammy, the Technique staff offers its picks for 16 of the 107 Grammy categories.

It is worth noting that our picks for Best New Artist and Best Rock Song were unanimously chosen by the participating staff members.

The category for Best Electronic/ Dance Album is new this year, and the competition is sure to be stiff with Paul Oakenfold, The Crystal Method and Paul Van Dyk, all heavyweights in the genre, as nominees.

The winners in the major categories this year look to go along predictable lines, with commercial successes Usher and John Mayer taking home Record and Song of the Year, respectively. Ray Charles is favorited to win the Album of the Year, as posthumous awards are common for such legends in the ceremony following their death.

It doesn't look as if there will be many upsets this year, like in 2001 when jazz rockers Steely Dan upset the Album of the Year category in which such commercial successes as Eminem were nominated, or in 2003 when Norah Jones upset Bruce Springsteen in the same category.

For a complete list of categories and nominees, go to www.grammy.com.

The Grammy awards will air on CBS for the 32nd consecutive year. The ceremony broadcast starts at 8 p.m. this Sunday.

Record of the Year: Yeah! by Usher

Album of the Year: Genius Loves Company by Ray Charles

Song of the Year: "Daughters" by John Mayer

Best New Artist: Maroon 5

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "My Immortal" by Evanescence

Best Dance Recording: "Get Yourself High" by The Chemical Brothers

Best Electronic/Dance Album: Legion of Boom by The Crystal Method

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand

Best Hard Rock Performance: "Megalomaniac" by Incubus

Best Rock Song: "Float On" by Modest Mouse

Best Rock Album: American Idiot by Green Day

Best Alternative Music Album: Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: "Lose Your Breath" by Destiny's Child

Best R&B Album: The Diary of Alicia Keys by Alicia Keys

Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King by Howard Shore

Best Short Form Music Video: "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand