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What to Expect for the 2016 Grammy Awards

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.

Tonight, some of the biggest artists will gather to celebrate one of the most important events in music: the Grammy Awards. The artists set to perform include Adele, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, John Legend, Ellie Goulding and The Weeknd, but the full lineup promises a whole lot more.

There are many other features of the Grammys to get excited about besides the long list of performances. Let’s not forget the coveted awards, the acceptance speeches and the amazing red carpet fashion.

Courtesy: Hollywire

Fashion

The Grammys are known for having the most risqué and fun looks. Taking a look back at last year’s red carpet, Rihanna stunned with a bright pink Giambattista Valli ball gown. Critics and twitter users weren’t as much in love with it as she was, but she looked radiant and confident while wearing it which is all that really matters, right?

Courtesy: US Magazine

We’re excited to find out what she will wear this year and can’t wait to see what other artists like Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift will rock on the runway. Lady Gaga looked spectacular last year in a beaded Brandon Maxwell dress that showed off her amazing figure. This look was different from her past red carpet fashion but as always, she did not disappoint. Gaga has been killing it lately, so we’re looking forward to seeing what she’ll wear this time!

Courtesy: US Magazine

Performances

Taylor Swift will be starting tonight’s show with a song from 1989, but hasn’t said which one. Rumors suggest that it will be “New Romantics” – a song that was released on the deluxe edition of her album and is a favorite among fans. All that is known for sure is that it will be a song she hasn’t performed live on television. Any guesses? Swift is part of a huge list of performers that include Alabama Shakes, Joey Alexander, Miguel, a tribute to Lionel Richie (by Luke Bryan, John Legend, Demi Lovato, and Meghan Trainor), Pitbull, Johnny Depp, the cast of Broadway’s Hamilton, Lady Gaga (who will be doing a David Bowie tribute), James Bay, The Eagles (who will be doing a tribute to former band member Glenn Frey), Carrie Underwood, Kendrick Lamar, Little Big Town and Rihanna, who will be taking the stage for the first time since releasing her latest album “Anti.”

Awards

The biggest awards of the night are “Record of the Year,” “Best New Artist,” “Song of the Year” and “Album of the Year.”

“Record of the Year” is one of two major categories honoring individual singles and the performance of a song, meaning that everyone involved—artist, producer, engineer, mixer—wins an award. The songwriter, however, is excluded from this award; they receive a trophy if they win “Song of the Year.” This year the nominees for “Record of the Year” are “Really Love” by D’Angelo, “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran, “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift, and “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd.

“Best New Artist” nominees for this year are Courtney Barnett, James Bay, Meghan Trainor, Sam Hunt and Tori Kelly.

“Song of the Year” nominees are “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar (Lamar is the most nominated artist this year), “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift, “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town, “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth and “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran.

“Album of the Year” is the most significant award of the night. Last year, Beck infamously beat out Beyonce’s self-titled album and had Kanye crashing the stage once again. This time, the nominees are “Sound and Colour” by the Alabama Shakes, “To Pimp a Butterfly” by Kendrick Lamar, “Traveller” by Chris Stapleton, “1989” by Taylor Swift and “Beauty Behind the Madness” by The Weeknd.

Who will you be rooting for this year, Collegiettes? Make sure to tune in to the Grammy Awards tonight and see who wins!

The 58th Annual Grammy Awards will air Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Anacarla is currently attending her last year at Florida State. Can't live without coffee and her dog. You can follow her on Twitter at @anacarlasanchez
Her Campus at Florida State University.