Grammy nominations: Best new artist predictions

What a difference a year makes. Last year, at this time, we were all ready for the Grammy coronation of Adele, who ended up sweeping all three top categories.

This year? The field is wide open. Adele is not eligible for many awards this time, even though her “21” seems set to repeat as the year's top-seller (a feat that has only happened once — 30 years ago when Michael Jackson's “Thriller” did it in 1982 and 1983) and the year's other major seller, Taylor Swift's platinum-in-a-week “Red,” came out after the Grammys' Sept. 30 cut off date.

So who will dominate the Grammy nominations when they are announced Wednesday night in Nashville? Well, it could still be T. Swizzle. After all, she is co-hosting the nominations show with LL Cool J. The first single from “Red,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” could land Swift nominations for record and song of the year, as well as nods in the pop category, while she could also get nominations for “Ours,” from the deluxe edition of her “Speak Now” album, and “Safe and Sound,” from the soundtrack to “The Hunger Games.”

However, the big surprise may be Frank Ocean, whose stunning major-label debut “Channel Orange” and its single “Thinkin' 'Bout You” could land him nods in all four of the general categories, including best new artist, as well as in the R&B categories. Grammy loves a young artist who nods to the past. For that same reason, don't count out the “We Are Young” band fun., who bring the bombast of Queen to the “Glee” generation.

To gear up for the announcement Wednesday night, we'll take a look at the top four categories in the next few days.

Let's start with the category Ocean should be a shoo-in for — best new artist.

The nominees will likely be: