Whether it is listening to your ipod, playing an instrument, or even just humming out a tune, music is a lifestyle that can define you. The 54^th Grammy Awards, premiering on Feb. 12, is the night where anybody can find something to be fond of. This year will be fraught with fresh, new faces. Since no one has ever hosted the Grammy’s before, Rapper LL Cool J will proudly have the honor of being the very first person to host the Grammy Awards and female rapper Nicki Minaj will perform on the Grammy stage for the very first time. So far performers of this special night will also include Coldplay, Rihanna, Paul McCartney, Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift.

To be nominated for a Grammy, ballots are sent to voting members of the association with lists of all of the eligible songs. Members (who are professional experts in the music field) are instructed to vote only in what they are experienced in and in only nine out of a total of 31 genres represented. The categories include Pop, Rock, Latin, Country, Jazz, etc. All voting members may select nominees in each of the four general categories also which are: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.

            This year the artist with the most nominations is Kanye West with seven nominees. And Adele, Bruno Mars, and Foo Fighters all are tied for second place with six nominations. But who is going to win what award? Will your favorite artist win anything? Well take a deep breath, based on information such as sales, music charts, and valuable critic reviews I have taken predictions for some of the major awards.

In the category of Best Rock Album bands like the Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Wilco have all have had a good year with their new albums. But only one can win. Wilco had good sales and a score of 83 out of 100 from Metacritic. The Foo Fighters’ album debuted at number one in 11 countries and their raw sound showed potential. Even with all the tough competition, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have a great chance at winning with their catchy rhythms in songs such as “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” and with a Rolling Stones reader’s poll naming I'm with You the eighth best album of 2011.

Best Alternative Album nominated artists are all neck-in-neck. Each nominee has something different to bring to the table. Foster the People’s Torches has gotten a lot of publicity for their  catchy yet violent hit “Pumped Up Kicks” and has earned praise from many people including U2 guitarist player named The Edge. BBC Music's Mike Diver praised Radiohead’s

 The King of Limbs as "a fan-pleasing eighth album from Britain's most consistently brilliant band," and has debuted at number six on the Billboard 200. New bands are less likely to win a Grammy their first time being nominated, so it could be a surprise to have newcomers Bon Iver’s self-titled debut album win this, for they have debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and had both Paste and Pitchfork Media name Bon Iver their top album of 2011.

Best Rap Album has well-known artist that can all be easily identified. Many nominees have not proven their worthiness of winning this award, for instance ‘Lil Wayne “letting audiences down with irrelevant topics” and Lupe Fiasco with “lumbering, overwrought choruses” accourding to Allmusic editor Andy Kellman.  Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday has debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 but has been mistaken for more of a pop album rather than rap. Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy has been very successful and has let critics such as Los Angeles Times writer Ann Powers call the music "Picasso-like, fulfilling the Cubist mandate of rearranging form, texture, color and space to suggest new ways of viewing things". Plus it has gathered a 94 out of 100 score from Metacritic. West doesn’t have much rivalry here.

For Best Country Album, there are different views on the artist. Audiences might like a more southern classic country feel to their music while others enjoy the sound of new present day country that has similarities to pop and rock. Nominees include Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Lady Antebellum, Blake Sheldon, George Strait and Taylor Swift. But due to current popularity Lady Antebellum’s Own the Night is the frontrunner in this category due to its “huge leap forward,” as said by New York Times and its debut at number one. If Grammy deciders prefer a more original country style then Jason Aldean’s My Kind of Party can also be a consideration for winning in this category.

With Adele’s memorable soul-blues beats, heart breaking lyrics, and awe-inspiring voice in Rolling in the Deep she is capable of winning Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. She has topped the main album charts in over 26 countries and has sold over 13 million copies worldwide, which also makes her album 21 a viable candidate for Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year. All in all Adele is arguably the one to take home the jackpot.

Tune in on February 12, 2012 on CBS to see the incredible performances, and the real deserving winners of the night.