Bruno Mars is one of the big nominees this year. Pictured here performing at the Grammy nominations concert in December 2010 (John Shearer/WireImage)

Album of the Year

Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” sits on the nominees list placating hipsters among the rap and pop that music fans should come to expect from the Grammy committee. Eminem’s bounce-back album “Recovery” has the strong-man anger from Slim Shady that most have missed since “The Eminem Show” last made soccer moms invest in earmuffs for their children. Lady Gaga and Katy Perry bring in the Madonna-runoff and Lady Antebellum counters with good-girl roots. There’s a taste for everybody in this category.

Record of the Year

A standard amount of fame-mongering within the nominees for the award that went to Taylor Swift last year. B.o.B/Bruno Mars’ “Nothin’ On You” all the way through Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” represent the most-played on the radio within, really, the last six months or so. Eminem and Rihanna’s summer/fall hit “Love The Way You Lie” and Jay-Z’s collaboration with Alicia Keys on “Empire State Of Mind” add prestige to the Rap/Sung category and Cee Lo Green’s bitter tale of love gone wrong in “F*** You” round out the hopefuls.

Best New Artist

Although it may seem like Justin Bieber’s been around forever, it’s really only been a year since the boy wonder began wrenching hearts out of age-inappropriately-clothed girls the world over. His partner-in-song Drake helps to bring Canadian flavor while Mumford & Sons gets the enormous pleasure of playing live with Bob Dylan. Florence & The Machine’s dog days are over, as well. Esperanza Spalding is the only nominee that plays the upright bass as well as the oboe in her performances.

Song of the Year 

There’s a lot of homogeneity in Grammy categories. Cee Lo, Eminem/Rihanna, and Lady Antebellum all get extra kudos for their three-to-five-minute wonders. Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs get a nod for their “Beg Steal Or Borrow” and Miranda Lambert’s song “The House That Built Me,” penned by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, both join their ranks.

The 53rd Grammy Awards will air at 8pm (PST) on CBS. 

Reach reporter Mike Juliani here.