While the Grammys and Oscars may take the cake for the most popular annual award shows, the handful of other knock off ceremonies still function in the same capacity. Although they struggle to match the glitz and glamour of the top dogs, they fulfill their duty. They celebrate the greatness of American film, television and music. As if they need it, the country’s top stars are given yet another opportunity to shine and take home a trophy for their extraordinary work. And now one of the year’s more soft spoken award ceremonies is gearing up for yet another phenomenal night.
The 2013 American Music Awards will be held Nov. 24, and in preparation of one of the industry’s biggest nights, here are the nominations for ‘Artist of the Year’ along with our predictions.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: Their first major single, “Thrift Shop,” exploded on the scene with the help of a spectacular music video. It reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, as did their second single “Can’t Hold Us.”
Bruno Mars: Although the majority of his success stemmed from 2012’s “Unorthodox Jukebox,” Bruno Mars continues to steal the hearts of fans nationwide. He unveiled his most recent single, “Gorilla,” at MTV’s Video Music Awards back in August with a stunning performance.
Rihanna: What’s there to say? She’s one of the biggest pop singers in the world, perhaps bowing only to Beyonce. She continues to release hit single after hit single, with the music video for her most recent, “What Now,” dropping today, Friday Nov. 15.
Taylor Swift: Once again, another star whose fame speaks for itself. What’s special about Swift is that she writes the majority of her own music. On her most recent album, “Red,” she wrote nine of the 16 tracks, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Justin Timberlake: JT has completed one of the most epic musical comebacks of all time. After years of laying dormant, focusing on an acting and entrepreneurial career, he returned to music with “The 20/20 Experience” parts 1 and 2, the first of which debuted at No. 1. Timberlake also appeared on three songs of rapper Jay-Z’s twelfth studio album, “Magna Carter… Holy Grail.”
Prediction: Justin Timberlake. Although his album may not have been the most popular among the nominees, his magnificent return to music has revitalized the pop music industry, providing a breath of fresh air and new flavor of raw talent and determination. The King of Pop has returned.