Predicting The 2016 Grammy Award Nominations

Get excited, award show aficionados: The 2016 Grammy nominations are just around the corner. According to Billboard, the nominees in the four main categories (Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist) will be announced on CBS This Morning on Mon., Dec. 7 "at around 8 a.m. ET." Shortly afterwards, the nominees in all remaining categories will be revealed on Grammy.com. You know what that means: it's time to make some 2016 Grammy nomination predictions! There are 83 different award categories in total, but in order to keep things short and sweet, I'm only predicting the aforementioned four main categories (a.k.a. "the general field").

Before we get started, here are a few quick points of clarification: Only music released between Oct. 1, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2015 is eligible to be nominated at the upcoming 58th Grammy Awards (which will be held on Mon., Feb. 15, 2016 in Los Angeles). In other words, Adele's latest album, 25 , and her new hit single, "Hello," are not eligible this time around. (Don't despair — I have a hunch the British singer will dominate the 2017 ceremony.) Also, if you're having trouble understanding the difference between Record of the Year and Song of the Year — you're not alone! This post should help clear things up.

One final item: The Grammys are notoriously tough to predict, but there's one 2016 projection I feel fairly secure about: Taylor Swift is going to score a ton of nods. (And something tells me she's going to walk away from music's biggest night with several new golden gramophones.)

And now, without further ado, here we go...

Album Of The Year

Taylor Swift, 1989Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a ButterflyFoo Fighters, Sonic HighwaysAlabama Shakes, Sound & ColorThe Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness

Quick thoughts: Swift's 1989 and Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly feel like "locks" for an Album of the Year nomination: both albums were commercial and critical successes, and both artists are well-respected within the music industry. (Oh, and they're both previous Grammy winners, too!) Otherwise, Grammy voters seem to love Foo Fighters (they're two-time Album of the Year nominees), Alabama Shakes landed a Best New Artist nod at the 57th Grammy Awards, and The Weeknd is one of 2015's biggest breakout stars.

Dream "never gonna happen" nominee: Carly Rae Jepsen, EMOTION

Record Of The Year

Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"Mark Ronson, "Uptown Funk" (feat. Bruno Mars)The Weeknd, "Can't Feel My Face"Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"Wiz Khalifa, "See You Again" (feat. Charlie Puth)

Quick thoughts: It seems clear to me that the 2016 Record of the Year race is between Swift's "Blank Space" and Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk" — both tracks were absolutely inescapable in 2015. Everybody else: Thanks for playing!

Dream "probably not gonna happen" nominee: WALK THE MOON, "Shut Up and Dance"

Song Of The Year

Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"Wiz Khalifa, "See You Again" (feat. Charlie Puth)The Weeknd, "Can't Feel My Face"

Quick thoughts: Known for their writing talents, I think Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Lamar are the most likely Song of the Year nominees. In my opinion, Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again" owes much of its appeal to Charlie Puth's soaring hook, so I suspect it will also make the cut. Admittedly, I'm wavering a bit on The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face"... but we'll see what happens. (I left off "Uptown Funk" because it has a whopping 11 co-writers, which I think could turn some Grammy voters off.)

Best New Artist

Meghan TrainorSam HuntLeon BridgesHozierWALK THE MOON

Quick thoughts: Meghan Trainor wasn't eligible for this category last year, but she is now, so I think she's pretty much a lock. Sam Hunt — one of country music's hottest newcomers — also seems like a sure thing. Leon Bridges isn't a name many people will recognize yet, but he's a critical favorite, and Grammy voters have rewarded lesser-known acts in this category in the past (see: Esperanza Spalding's surprising win over Justin Bieber, Drake, Mumford & Sons, and Florence + The Machine in 2011). As for Hozier and WALK THE MOON? Well, they're just my best guesses.

Remember: The 2016 Grammy Award nominations will be unveiled on Mon., Dec. 7. You don't want to miss it!

Images: Big Machine Records; TaylorSwiftVEVO/YouTube; MeghanTrainorVEVO/YouTube