The Grammy’s rock category is usually the only one that’s true to its nature – the best performing song wins. Rock music is usually not up for multiple forms of interpretations, but this year’s nominees definitely made some categories interesting.

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Best Rock Performance (Category 12)
Alabama Shakes – “Hold On”
The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy”
Coldplay – “Charlie Brown”
Mumford and Sons – “I Will Wait”
Bruce Springsteen – “We Take Care Of Our Own”

Who Should Win: Coldplay’s “Charlie Brown”

Who Will Win: Mumford and Sons’ “I Will Wait”

As much as I’d like Coldplay to snag another golden trophy, the reign of indie folk band Mumford and Sons just won’t let up. Their first week sales alone (600k+) should be enough to propel their second album to superstardom.

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Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance (Category 13)
Anthrax – “I’m Alive”
Halestorm – “Love Bites (So Do I)”
Iron Maiden – “Blood Brothers”
Lamb of God – “Ghost Walking”
Marilyn Manson – “No Reflection”
Megadeth – “Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)”

Who Should Win: Megadeth’s “Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)”

Who Will Win: Iron Maiden’s “Blood Brothers”

While the category implies ‘hard rock’, Iron Maiden’s approach is more commercial and appealing to the ears here. Expect the #lighterside of ‘hard’ rock to prevail here.

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Best Rock Song – Songwriters Award (Category 14)
Jack White – “Freedom At 21”
Songwriters: Jack White
Mumford and Sons – “I Will Wait”
Songwriters: Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall, Marcus Mumford
The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy”
Songwriters: Dan Auerbach, Brian Burton, Patrick Carney
Muse – “Madness”
Songwriters: Matthew Bellamy
Bruce Springsteen – “We Take Care Of Our Own”
Songwriters: Bruce Springsteen

Who Should Win: Muse’s “Madness”

Who Will Win: Jack White’s “Freedom At 21”

I’m not sure if it was the Hype Williams-directed video or Jack’s underlying sexiness, but I’m expecting him to narrowly edge Muse, despite the band’s massive success of their last album ‘The Resistance’.

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Best Rock Album (Category 15)
The Black Keys – ‘El Camino’
Coldplay – ‘Mylo Xyloto’
Muse – ‘The 2nd Law’
Bruce Springsteen – ‘Wrecking Ball’
Jack White – ‘Blunderbuss’

Who Should Win: Coldplay’s “Mylo Xyloto”

Who Will Win: The Black Keys’s “El Camino”

In a different day and age, a Rihanna collaboration would normally guarantee a Grammy. This time, classic rockers The Black Keys deliver a stronger (and surprisingly more moving) set than a Coldplay release.

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Best Alternative Music Album (Category 16)
Fiona Apple – ‘The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do’
Björk – ‘Biophilia’
Gotye – ‘Making Mirrors’
M83 – ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’
Tom Waits – ‘Bad As Me’

Who Should Win: M83’s ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’

Who Will Win: Fiona Apple’s ‘The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do’

Simply stated, Fiona’s fourth studio album (and first in seven years) is enough to award her with her second Grammy.

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Best Americana Album (Category 45)
The Avett Brothers – ‘The Carpenter’
John Fullbright – ‘From The Ground Up’
The Lumineers – ‘The Lumineers’
Mumford and Sons – ‘Babel’
Bonnie Raitt – ‘Slipstream’

Who Should Win: The Lumineers’ ‘The Lumineers’

Who Will Win: Mumford and Sons’ ‘Babel’

Mumford and Sons have done enough in 2012 to become frontrunners in this underwhelming (but new) Grammy category.