Instead of wearing his love on his actual sleeve, Kanye wore it on his head with the word “MAMA” shaved into his hair. Also, his performance referenced his now deceased mom many times and when it came time for Kanye to accept his first Grammy, he rebelled at the music playing that was trying to move him along when he was talking about his mother and said, “It would be in good taste to stop the music now.”

This dichotomy of gangsta rapper and momma’s boy was quite intriguing as the hip hop star went from reverent to boastful to angered in just a few sentences. Vince Gill even pointed out Kanye West’s boastfulness asking the rapper if he’d ever received a Grammy from a Beatle (Ringo Starr) before.

In Friday, I had talked about the Amy Winehouse visa debacle. In her London studio, before millions of viewers, Amy performed admirably before her audience. But, if she was one of the contestants on American Idol, Simon Cowell surely would have given her low marks and a scowl for her attempt at dancing.

True, Amy Winehouse, just out of real life rehab was singing the song “Rehab,” which she won a Grammy for, but that girl needs some dance lessons. Even Britney’s stumbling attempt at the MTV awards was better than the Winehouse shuffle last night. Be that as it may, the even came off well, and the Grammy gods once again were smiling favorably upon the boss-man Bruce Springsteen who pulled off three golden trophies for his efforts.

Nominated for six Grammys for her acclaimed “Back to Black” album, Winehouse will instead perform via satellite link from a London studio. Now, the question is will this crack performer crack under the pressure?

Many will be watching the Grammys to see if Amy goes all Britney on us or if she holds it together for just one night as she is sure to get several awards bestowed upon her. Perhaps being denied a visa will be the best thing to have happened to Winehouse so that she won’t be caught up in the Hollywood buzz and parties and will be able to focus on the task at hand, which is entertaining all her fans with a stellar performance.

So, besides Winehouse, who else will wow the crowds with a big night at the Grammys? I’m predicting Kanye West, Rihanna, Carrie Underwood and the Foo Fighters will have a big night. I’d also like to see Taylor Swift squeak in there if Amy Winehouse doesn’t get a sweep.

Only a week ago or so ago no one knew if the writer’s strike would take Grammy down for good or not. But, the show must go on and this time Amy Winehouse will be playing to a full house of the kind she’s never seen before. And, most likely she’ll be celebrating mightily across the pond, when its all said and done.

My canine instincts told me that the following artists would be celebrating today including Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, Akon, Beyonce, Chris Daughtry, Amy Winehouse, Linkin Park, Fergie, Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift.

The top honors go to:

Kanye West received 8 nominations including album of the year. Amy Winehouse gets 6 nods including song of the year, record of the year and best new artist. Springsteen got the nom 4 times including best rock album. Paul McCartney had the hat tipped his way for best pop vocal album.

Beyonce was if favor for record of the year. Chris Daughtry got the signal from the judges for best rock album. Vince Gill got the grin for album of the year and best country album. Carrie Underwood was honored for song of the year. And, Taylor Swift received recognition in the best new artist category.

Akon, Fergie and Linkin Park whiffed when swinging for the fences this year. The Foo Fighters were a grievous omission on my part as they received nominations for record of the year, album of the year and best rock album. So, by my little canine scorecard that I keep tucked in a secret hiding place, my results were 9 right, 3 wrong, 1 grievous error.

Not bad for a crazy canine with doggie breath, an old chew toy and a passion for music.

Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney are both old dogs who have learned a few new tricks. Springsteen has his acclaimed Magic album that’s been getting a lot of recognition and so has McCartney’s Memory Almost Full album.

Then there are newer cultural canines such as Kanye West, Akon and Beyonce who have all gotten acclaim for their efforts this year. Throw in some of the newest pups like Chris Daughtry and Amy Winehouse (in Germany it’s beer haus) who have been making a good showing as well.

Throw in a little Linkin Park, Fergie, Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift and this just about rounds out the Best in Show. Of course, there will be a few artists with their noses out of joint sitting in the dog pound after the nominations are revealed, but this is to be expected.

When it comes to the Grammy Nominations, there will be a lot of howling in Hollywood tomorrow. Some will get the bone while others will get boned, but either way it will be most entertaining.

Bob Dylan, one of the greatest songwriters in history, who has been cranking out meaningful lyrics for the better part of 5 decades, got the Grammy nod twice for Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album: “Modern Times,” and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: “Someday Baby” from the same album.

Dylan’s political and social commentary may have waned in recent years, but his love lyrics still pull the heartstrings and give pause to reflect on this artist’s brilliant career. The times they may be a-changin’, but let’s not forget to honor this music industry icon with the media coverage he deserves.

Blige’s breakthrough came on her album Breakthrough and in particular the song “Be Without You”, written by Mary J. Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jason Perry. The song tells the tale of both strength and vulnerability that come into play in a loving relationship.

Kudos to the R&B diva who kept dreaming and driving until one day she ended up at the Grammy’s with a handful of gold gramophones for her heroic efforts.

One of the Grammy’s Underwood won was for “Jesus Take the Wheel” written by Hillary Lindsey, Brett James and Gordie Sampson. The Christian country song features a moment whereby a woman driving her family to a Christmas Eve event skids on black ice and hands the out-of-control outcome over to her higher power.

Underwood tells a story that many driving in winter conditions can relate to along with the faith-based lyrics that her fan base will can also relate. The reserved and unflappable Underwood shows why strong lyrics are still important to fans and industry insiders alike.

The Ludacris tongue-in-cheek comments towards Winfrey were in regard to a charge he had made earlier that many of his comments as a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show were edited out. The commentary towards Bill O’Reilly, who hosts “The O’Reilly Factor” were in regards to O’Reilly getting Ludacris dropped from a Pepsi advertising campaign.

Besides the barbs, Ludacris, did however give earnest thanks to family, friends, fans and radio stations across the country that have played his music such as Runaway Love off his Grammy winning Release Therapy album.

A few years back the Dixie Chicks had received a ton of negative publicity and had their songs banned from the play lists of many large radio stations, when they criticized the country’s involvement in the Iraq War. But, the Dixie Chicks have shown resolve and stayed the course and as the Iraq War has become increasingly unpopular, the Dixie Chicks’ popularity has once again risen.

Even though the Dixie Chicks may not be ready to make nice with their song and album, it appears that the industry is once again ready to make nice to the Dixie Chicks.

Of the songs listed, two are love songs, two are female empowerment songs (one subtle and one in-your-face) and one is a religious song. The lyrics of the five songs mentioned range from the simple to the complex, so it will be interesting to see who the Academy goes with this year.

Predictions? Though there are several worthy songs, I’ll take a wild stab and guess this is the year that the Dixie Chicks get their groove back.