Hitfix goes to the Grammys: Best Male Pop Vocal

As part of our full-service Grammy coverage, I'm taking at least one of the 110 (!!!!) Grammy categories per day between now and the Feb. 8 Grammy Awards and will dissect and predict who will win.

Today, I'm looking at Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.  The nominees are:

"All Summer Long," Kid Rock

"Say," John Mayer

"That Was Me," Paul McCartney

"I'm Yours," Jason Mraz

"Closer," Ne-Yo

"Wichita Lineman," James Taylor

The Scoop: Right off the top, I'm tossing Taylor and Mayer-it's just not their year in this category (although I feel a little queasy dismissing Mayer since he's such a Grammy darling. The folks who don't know the songs will cast their votes for him on name recognition). Mraz, since he also got a song of the year nod, would seem to have the wind beneath his wings with "I'm Yours." I would think the same with Ne-Yo, since he's also up for album of the year, but voters see him more as an R&B act than solely a pop act. Kid Rock's "All Summer Long" was one of the biggest hits of the year, but it's hard to really give Rock the nod as the best vocalist in this category-no offense. McCartney is McCartney, but he doesn't deserve to win for this. The track is from a live recording at a record store. I was there and it was beyond monumental to see him in that intimate a setting, but it's not Grammy worthy.

Winner: "I'm Yours," Jason Mraz