This post was written by Hatchet reporter Carly Sterns

Tonight marks the biggest night in music: the 56th annual Grammy Award Show. Hosted for the third time by LL Cool J, the show will feature a wide range of performances including a reunited Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, and more than 20 more artists. With 30 genres and 82 categories, even the most savvy music guru might feel a bit overwhelmed.

Here’s a rundown of the most important award battles of the night:

Record of The Year

This award recognizes the technical and artistic quality of the performance and production of a single recorded track. There are several strong contenders this year, including Lorde’s anthem for the antihero, “Royals” and Robin Thicke’s controversial “Blurred Lines.” However, Daft Punk’s innovative blend of ‘70s disco beats and up-tempo hip-hop pulses easily makes “Get Lucky” the best of the category.

Song of the Year

Both Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven” and Lorde’s “Royals” are strong contenders deserving of this award, which recognizes excellence in songwriting. However, the progressive “Same Love,” by Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, and Mary Lambert could pull an upset for the win. There’s no better way to celebrate a year that saw the Defense of Marriage Act struck down and same-sex marriage legalized in nine states.

Best New Artist

Surprisingly, Lorde, who is nominated for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, and Best Pop Vocal Album, was snubbed from a nomination in this category. Instead, candidates include Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran, James Blake, and Kacey Musgraves. While Macklemore & Lewis enjoyed the most commercial success of the nominees, in previous years this has not been a determining factor for success in this category. Many consider Lamar an obvious choice for the award. Through honest lyrics with clever rhyme schemes, this artist shows the scope of his talent and proves himself to be a representation of the next generation of rappers.

Album of The Year

Arguably the most prestigious award of the night. One top contender is Kendrick Lamar’s “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.” While not necessarily the best album of the category, it would be interesting to see this indie-turned-mainstream artist triumph, especially considering a rap album hasn’t snagged the honor since 2004. But once again, Daft Punk’s groundbreaking “Random Access Memories” will likely nab the award. In their latest endeavor, the duo  manages to further revolutionize the house music genre by incorporating psychedelic guitar and auto tune, catapulting them to the top of the ballots.