Sarah Jarosz

The Country Universe staff has picked and predicted the 2014 Grammy Awards below, strange bunch that they are. Chime in with your thoughts, and catch the show on Sunday at 7 p.m. CST.

Album of the Year

Should Win:

• Sara Bareilles, The Blessed Unrest
• Daft Punk, Random Access Memories – Kevin
• Kendrick Lamar, good kid m.A.A.d. city – Jonathan
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Heist
• Taylor Swift, Red

Will Win:

• Sara Bareilles, The Blessed Unrest
• Daft Punk, Random Access Memories – Kevin, Jonathan
• Kendrick Lamar, good kid m.A.A.d. city
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Heist
• Taylor Swift, Red

Kevin: With electronic music so mainstream now, it would be wise and timely for NARAS to acknowledge the excellent comeback of one of its pioneers, especially as the year’s best country albums (Brandy Clark, Kacey Musgraves, Ashley Monroe, etc.) and the year’s best rap album (Kanye West) didn’t score nominations in the top category.

Jonathan: Lamar and Daft Punk would both be worthy winners of an award that rarely seems to go to one. Hip-hop and R&B have notoriously struggled in the general field in recent years, so Daft Punk’s cachet with the rock contingent should give them the edge over Swift, who didn’t score the across-the-board support many were expecting from her this year. If the voters are feeling especially timid, though, watch out for “Brave” yelper Bareilles as a spoiler.