The Clarion predicts the 2010 Grammy winners

Record of the Year

"Halo" - Beyoncé

"I Gotta Feeling" - The Black Eyes Peas

"Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon

"Poker Face" - Lady GaGa

"You Belong with Me" - Taylor Swift

The Record of the Year category serves to reward the greatest songwriter or team of the year, not the most popular single.

Sure, Beyoncé had a heavenly string of hit singles, but in the context of other songs co-written by Ryan Tedder, this one is just another formulaic four minutes of pop.

"You Belong with Me" has Swift reminiscing about high school romance. Her directness and honesty is the song's biggest appeal, as is Swift herself. Yet, lyrically, "You Belong with Me" doesn't match the exciting appeal of the Peas' "I Gotta Feeling."

However, GaGa's "Poker Face" is the true winner here. Co-written by GaGa herself, "Poker Face" is simultaneously a metaphor for gambling in love and, more provocatively, a sexual come-on. And you know you were singing along.

Album of the Year

I Am…Sasha Fierce - Beyoncé

The E.N.D. - Black Eyed Peas

Big Whiskey - Dave Matthews Band

The Fame - Lady GaGa

Fearless - Taylor Swift

The competition is stiff between the Peas and GaGa again for album of the year. GaGa made pop music exciting again, churning out hit after hit, but the Peas crossed over into the dance genre while retaining their pop and hip-hop fans. And, in the process, the Peas managed to create the most seamless album of the year.

The biggest upset could come from Taylor Swift. She gained massive momentum and popularity by being everywhere in 2010. From being victimized by Kanye's mouth run amok to hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live, you can't talk about 2010 without mentioning Swift.

The Dave Matthews Band may receive this Grammy in recognition of the death of saxophonist and DMB founding member LeRoi Moore. Yet, the Peas' album raised the bar for a new decade in music and most deserves to be recognized.

Song of the Year

"Single Ladies" - Beyoncé

"Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon

"Poker Face" - Lady GaGa

"Pretty Wings" - Maxwell

"You Belong with Me" - Taylor Swift

It's OK, we didn't hear "Pretty Wings" on the radio much either. And how could we? After the single ladies, four kings, a teen queen and a lady finished dominating the airwaves, there wasn't much room for Maxwell.

That being said, it's difficult to determine which song deserves to be most recognized for the way in which it changed music.

Kings of Leon broke through to the mainstream with "Use Somebody" after four albums of quality arena-rock music. GaGa changed expectations from a pop entertainer with "Poker Face," but Swift came out of left field with a home run.

Swift's smartest move was to record both a country and pop version of the song "You Belong with Me," ensuring crossover capabilities and a broadening audience. Plus, the radio put Swift into heavy rotation.

New Artist

Keri Hilson

MGMT

Silversun Pickups

The Ting Tings

Zac Brown Band

With a year of quality emerging artists, these five rose above the others by establishing new sounds.

The Ting Tings became the new White Stripes, with a two-person-band dynamic just as tight as that of Meg and Jack White. Keri Hilson, who for years was the go-to songwriter for R&B hits and Timbaland's inspiration, finally broke with "Knock You Down." Zac Brown and his band made country ever more mainstream, and Silver Sun picked us up with their alternative rock.

But MGMT turned us on with their electric feel listen after listen. The band, a duo based in Brooklyn, released Oracular Spectacular, an album merging  East-Coast cool with hooks made for a night out in Hollywood. "Electric Feel" was a sing-along chant for members of any musical tribe, and "Kids" gave made us revel in our youth.

Pop Performance

"I Gotta Feeling" - Black Eyed Peas

"We Weren't Born to Follow" - Bon Jovi

"Never Say Never" - The Fray

"Sara Smile" - Daryl Hall and John Oates

"Kids" - MGMT

I gotta feeling that the Black Eyed Peas are going to win with "I Gotta Feeling," which is as popular as it is catchy.

The rock elder Bon Jovi put up another solid single this year with, "We weren't born to follow." However, this is a year for youth, so I wouldn't anticipate Bon Jovi taking home a Grammy.

Colorado native band The Fray has a really good chance of winning its first Grammy. The band has been robbed in previous years for hits such as "Over My Head (Cable Car)" and "How to Save a Life." However, don't put it past the award's committee to rob another well-deserved Grammy from this popular band.