On Jan. 28, the 60th Grammy Awards will be held in New York. The nominees have been announced and there seems to be solid competition between the artists, albums and songs that defined 2017. The most noticeable artist absence in the award show’s main categories is Ed Sheeran, whose album, Divide, was the top selling album of the year. Other than Sheeran’s record, the nominees are spot-on.

Predicted Song of the Year: “1-800-273-8255” by Logic, featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid

Competing Against: Luis Fonsi Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber’s “Despacito,” Jay-Z’s “4:44,” Julia Michaels’ “Issues” and Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like.”

This song spread suicide awareness across the globe in 2017. It inspired a different and important topic of conversation and helped many people. The biggest competitor for the same award is “Despacito”.  The competing song intertwines Spanish and English, which is an interesting and different approach. This song is extremely popular, but it is repetitive and seems to be just another song to listen to in the car with friends and at parties. Not to mention, the song is not as naive as it may seem when it is translated to English. The award for Song of The Year focuses on songwriting, and the writing in Logic’s song is relatable and inspirational to a countless number of people.

Predicted Album of the Year: DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar

Competing Against: Melodrama by Lorde, Awaken My Love! by Childish Gambino, 4:44 by JAY-Z and 24K Magic by Bruno Mars.

It’s simple. DAMN. sold 603,000 copies within its first week of sales. It ranked number one on many 2017 best album lists, including lists from Rolling Stone and Complex. The album tackles politics, love and various other topics that listeners are able to connect to. All 14 songs on the record have had a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts, demonstrating how popular the album is. The Grammy Awards have been known to overlook rap music, so selecting this album, which is categorized as “Hip-Hop/Rap” on iTunes, would be a big step in the right direction for the show. The album’s biggest competitor is Lorde’s “Melodrama.” The New Zealand singer took an artsy approach on her album with fun, upbeat songs as well as incorporating relatable lyrics.  Lorde’s record did not rule the charts for as long as DAMN did. Lamar’s DAMN. incorporates modern media and news outlets, as well as delivers a message to the listener. It is likely to take the title of 2017’s Album of the Year.

Predicted Best New Artist: Khalid

Competing Against: Lil Uzi Vert, Alessia Cara, Julia Michaels and SZA.

Khalid, an on the rise singer/songwriter, is only 19 years old. He completed his debut album, American Teen, during his senior year of high school, making him an inspiration to young aspiring musicians. The teen is nominated for five Grammys this year and has accomplished a lot, especially for his young age. Khalid’s first ever single, Location, reached number three on the US R&B Charts and his album climbed to number nine on the US charts for all genres of music. While Khalid’s record is impressive, rapper Lil Uzi Vert is his biggest competitor. The popularity of rap music increased over the year of 2017, so rewarding a new rap artist with this award may be fitting. The rapper’s album, XO Tour LIif3, spent 34 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. Through Khalid’s music, many teens are able to relate to the struggles he expresses through his lyrics. From issues with parents, to feeling “Young, Dumb, And Broke,” teens can connect to the popular and fresh singer and songwriter’s diverse selection of songs. 

Be sure to watch the Grammys this Sunday, Jan. 28 on CBS at 4:30 p.m.