The 2013 Best Dance/Electronica Album Grammy Nominees

We've already taken a look at the previous Grammy winners in the Best Dance/Electronica Album category, so it is only fitting that we look at the nominees for this year's award.

2013's group features artists that actually make waves within the scene, with Skrillex, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Kaskade, and the Chemical Brothers all vying for the top prize. Forget the fact that Skrillex hasn't released his debut album yet, or that Deadmau5's project was seen as an "OK" release. The Grammys are looking to recognize EDM properly, just like Billboard has and damn near the rest of the American music scene are as well.

One thing that is awesomely awful? We have to wait until 2014 to see Zedd's Clarity and Calvin Harris' 18 Months go head-to-head. Let's look back at the albums that the Grammys considered to be the best representation of the EDM scene this year.

Release Date: January 10, 2012

Label: Ultra Records

Must be nice for Aoki to score a Grammy nom with his debut studio album. He went all out, with Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, Kid Cudi, Travis Barker, NERVO, Lil Jon, LMFAO, and many others being featured on this project. It's great to see that he's representing his sound, and instead of having the featured acts making this sound like a mishmash of random tracks, they all came in and added their own spices to the jambalaya that is Aoki.

Will He Win?: It's possible, although he's not got the mainstream star power of a Skrillex or Deadmau5.

Release Date: March 26, 2012

Label: Astralwerks

The Chemical Brothers return with their live album extravaganza Don't Think, which was great as an LP but even better as a concert film. They are known for their jaw-dropping live shows, and this LP was a great representation of their block-rockin' beats colliding with psychedelic visuals.

Will They Win?: It's possible. They are the only two-time winners in this category, but they have some stiff competition from artists who are bigger than them in the public's eyes.

Release Date: September 21, 2012

Label: Ultra Records

Deadmau5 was one of the most talked-about EDM artists in 2012, but that wasn't because of his latest album. We won't call him a goldmine of controversy, but he does have a way of keeping his name in the mix, mainly due to friction with other artists. His latest album wasn't seen as a brilliant piece of work, so it might be that his status got him the nomination over the actual content.

Will He Win?: We wouldn't advise against betting on him. He lost out to Skrillex last year, and if the Grammy committee is just going by names and not actual content, he has one of the best shots of winning.

Release Date: October 22, 2011

Label: Ultra Records

Kaskade came out swinging: Fire & Ice debuted at #17 on the Billboard Top 200, #1 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, and was within the top 10 on a couple of other charts. He worked with everyone, from Skylar Grey to Skrillex, and even composed "ICE" versions of each album track. It's great to see that his seventh studio album got some mainstream recognition.

Will He Win?: We can't see it happening. Sure, a double-disc project of adventurous house, highlighting the different aspects of his sound is great, but does he have a fighting chance against the competition?

Release Date: December 23, 2011

Label: OWSLA / Big Beat

We don't want to harp on it, but this is two years in a row that Skrillex has been nominated for having the Best Album when he's just putting out an EP. At least Bangarang isn't chock full of remixes. With features from Ellie Goulding, The Doors, Kill the Noise, 12th Planet, and others, this was one of his more interesting projects, with there being just as many misses as there were hits. Bangarang topped both the US and UK dance charts, but we're still wondering when Skrillex will be dropping his full length album.

Will He Win?: It feels like he's a shoe-in. If the Grammys are neglecting that he's in the Albums category for an EP two years in a row, they'll overlook the B- / C+ output on this project. Plus, it's fucking Skrillex, he's still one of the most talked-about EDM artists in the game.