Alicia Keys

Credit: Alex Brandon/AP

There are a few things you can always count on just as surely as winter follows fall: Paula Abdul will say something baffling on "American Idol" that defies any rational explanation, the Cubs will fall apart at some point during the season and there will be a moment during the announcement of the Grammy nominations that makes you say, "WTF?"

As we head into that most wonderful time of the year for some music watchers, Grammy season, Hitfix will bring you a complete buffet of Grammy-related stories, including my predictions in key categories, exclusive interview with some of the nominees, and several looks at the often-byzantine Grammy process as to who gets nominated, who doesn't and who ultimately gets to add a shiny gramophone statue to their awards case.

I'm  starting with a look at the nominations and the surprises and snubs. There's so much to discuss! It was a particularly juicy year for parsing the nominations and ripping into the whys and wherefores. How about Leona Lewis not getting a nod for best new artist or Grammy fave Alicia Keys losing out on an album of the year nomination? Then there's the overwhelming domination of British acts in the main categories. For example, it's the first time in 15 years that three of the five album of the year nominees are British. The nominations are so anglo-centric, I feel like I should be drinking tea.

I dissected the nominations for MSN. Let the discussion begin.