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LOS ANGELES: Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan and Barbra Streisand join rising stars and seasoned chart-toppers Sunday at the music industry's annual Grammys awards bash.
Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and teen sensation Justin Bieber are also on a star-studded roster of performers at the show in Los Angeles, where rapper Eminem hopes to seal a comeback year with a brace of awards.
While showcasing new talent, the glittering 53rd Grammys event will also pay tribute to past greats including “The King of Rock 'N Soul” Solomon Burke, who died last year, and ailing soul legend Aretha Franklin.
Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson and Florence and the Machine singer Florence Welch will stage a tribute for Franklin, who made a rare appearance an NBA game in Detroit on Friday, recovering from reported cancer surgery.
Dylan, appearing at the Grammys for his fifth time, will perform with country-tinged Brits Mumford and Son and folk-rock band the Avett Brothers in a special salute to acoustic music at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
The Grammys are the music industry's equivalent of the Oscars, the climax of Hollywood's annual awards season that this year takes place in barely two weeks' time, on February 27.
Front-runners for Grammys glory include Eminem, nominated in 10 categories including best album and best song, in what could cap a comeback year for the once-troubled rap star.
The singer – real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III – dropped out of music-making in the middle of the past decade as he battled with drug problems.
He returned with the album “Relapse” in 2009, before 2010's “Recovery.” Hawaiian-born singer Bruno Mars came second to Eminem with seven nominations including Best Male Pop Vocal, while US rap megastar Jay-Z, Nashville-born country trio Lady Antebellum and Lady Gaga each earned six nods.
Perry is also in the running for Best Album along with Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire and Lady Antebellum.
Best New Artist nominees were Canadian teen idol Bieber, quirky British singer Florence Welch, Mumford and Son, as well as Drake and Esperanza Spalding.
Here are other nominations in the main categories:- Record of the Year: “Nothin' on You” by B.o.B with Bruno Mars; “Love the Way you Lie” by Eminem featuring Rihanna; “Fuck You!” by Cee Lo Green; “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys; and “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum.
- Best Album: “The Fame Monster” by Lady Gaga; “Recovery” by Eminem; “The Suburbs” by Arcade Fire; “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum; and “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry.
- Best song: “Beg Steal Or Borrow” by Ray LaMontagne; “Fuck You!” by Cee Lo Green; “The House That Built Me” sung by Miranda Lambert; “Love the Way you Lie” sung by Eminem featuring Rihanna; “Need You Now” sung by Lady Antebellum.
A full list of nominees can be found at http://www.grammy.com.
