Guide to the 2013 Grammy Awards

Nominated: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Solo Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album

Kelly Clarkson has gone far since she won American Idol in 2002. The Grammy winner has become an international platinum recording artist and most recently performed at President Obama's second inauguration ceremony. Her song "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You") has been nominated for both Song and Record of the Year.

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Nominated: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album

Fun. has had quite a year. Their sophomore album, "Some Nights," has propelled them to stardom, with the anthemic single "We Are Young" becoming the go-to pump-up song of the year. "We Are Young" has been nominated for both Record and Song of the Year, and "Some Nights" has scored two nominations as well.

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Nominated: Record of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Alternative Music Album

The Belgian-Australian musician had a fairly successful career in Australia in the early 2000s, but garnered international success in 2010 with his third album "Making Mirrors." The second single from the album, "Somebody I Used to Know," was a sleeper hit single that eventually went on to become one of the best-selling digital singles of all time, and be nominated for Record of the Year.

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Nominated: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Short Form Music Video

Frank Ocean made headlines as the first major African-American music artist to be openly bisexual. And it shows in his music. In songs like the Grammy-nominated "Thinkin Bout You" (which happens to be about a boy) Ocean's lyrics are oddly sensitive in a genre that often boasts of drugs and sex. In a tough race for Best New Artist, his unique style may push him to be the frontrunner.

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Nominated: Record of the Year, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media

America's sweetheart seems to be losing some of her audience's goodwill, with only one major nomination for her song "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and a nomination for the Civil Wars co-penned "Safe and Sound," which served as the theme song for "The Hunger Games." Although the tweens may still love her, it looks like Taylor Swift is no longer the critical darling of the Grammys.

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Nominations: Album of the Year, Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, Best Americana Album, Best Song Written for Visual Media, Best Long Form Music Video

The banjo-toting, English folk rock band have been on the outskirts of commercial success for a couple of years now, with songs like "The Cave" and "Little Lion Man" gaining traction amongst the indie-rock community. Despite having no smash commercial hit, they have slowly inched their way into the public consciousness with their second album "Babel," which is nominated for Album of the Year.

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Nominated: Album of the Year, Best Rock Song, Best Rock Album

Perhaps best known as the vocalist, guitarist and pianist of The White Stripes, Jack White has made a name for himself as a solo artist after forming a slew of groups, including The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. His debut solo album "Blunderbuss" was released in April 2012, and is nominated for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album.

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Nominations: Song of the Year

English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran hasn't had quite as an illustrious year as his competitors, but his Grammy-nominated debut single "The A-Team" has been gaining traction on the radio in the past couple months. His debut album "+" topped the charts in the United Kingdom, but has yet to see as much success in the U.S.

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Nominated: Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song, Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best Rap Song

Miguel Pimental, who goes by the stage name Miguel, has successfully broken into the R&B community with his second album "Kaleidoscope Dream," after his debut album "All I Want Is You" became a sleeper hit. The lead single from "Kaleidoscope Dream," "Adorn," is nominated for Song of the Year and Best R&B Song.

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Nominated: Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance

It seems every year there's a new viral star, though few of them are nominated for a Grammy award. Carly Rae Jepsen's bubbly pop song "Call Me Maybe" made such huge waves on YouTube and eventually the radio that she's won a spot singing at Dick Clark's Mew Year's Rockin' Eve and garnered a bit of critical success with a Song of the Year nomination.

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Nominations: Best New Artist, Best Rock Performance, Best Recording Package

True to their name, Alabama Shakes is a Southern rock band that hails from Athens, Alabama. Their debut album "Boys & Girls" peaked at number 8 on the U.S. Billboard charts, and has garnered them a Best New Artist and Best Recording Package nomination.

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Nominations: Best New Artist, Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Album

This fresh-faced country singer is on his way to becoming the newest country star, with his single "Wanted" from his self-titled debut album, hitting number one on the U.S. Country charts. His success among the country music community has led him to be nominated for Best New Artist.

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Nominations: Best New Artist, Best Americana Album, Best New Artist

The Lumineers are perhaps best known for their indie folk song "Ho Hey," which has been played on virtually every quirky commercial and twee movie trailer imaginable in the past year. Riding on the success of their hit single from their debut eponymous album, the Lumineers have performed on Saturday Night Live and now are nominated for Best New Artist.

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