By Danielle Rehor

With the Grammys quickly approaching, we thought it only fair to cover one of the most anticipated categories out there: Best New Artist. Throughout the years this category has held quite a few surprises, including last year’s, with little-known Esperanza Spalding beating out the famed Justin Bieber. This year the category holds many different genres and styles, including rapper J. Cole, country trio The Band Perry, Nicki Minaj, indie artist Bon Iver, and dubstep producer Skrillex.

Will Win: Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj will win due purely to her popularity in combination with her unbeatable rapping and catchy tunes like “Super Bass.” Her skills may not match some of the other artists selected in this category, but she is captivating, in her own sense of the word, like no other. Her popularity is undeniable; she is the first artist to have seven singles on the Billboard’s Hot 100 at the same time.

Should Win: Bon Iver

The indie band has two albums, and their first album, “For Emma, Forever Ago,” was mostly recorded in a cabin in Wisconsin. Obviously, they are the coolest. Their two albums have won them a loyal following and they have been nominated for three other awards, Best Alternative Music Album, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. They may seen the clear and obvious first choice, but because they are not mainstream, they could get overlooked for Best New Artist.

Dark Horse: The Band Perry 

The Band Perry is not much of an dark horse with their triple platinum single “If I Die Young” and quickly rising fourth single “All Your Life,” but they seem to rank just below Nicki Minaj. The sibling band has released only one album, self-titled The Band Perry. They are the only artist nominated for Best New Artist, that only has only one album, no EP’s or mixtapes. With a twangy country-pop sound, the trio could easily win this award as well.