Every February, recording artists eagerly anticipate music’s biggest night – the Grammy Awards. For first-time nominees, a victory could skyrocket their career. For previous winners, adding another Grammy to their collection could further establish their credibility. Performers pull out all the stops to make their mark in the history books. Whether you’re an artist or spectator, Grammy night is truly explosive.

This year’s awards will be hosted for the second year in a row by rapper LL Cool J. The rapper is all too familiar with the Grammy festivities, as he has hosted the Grammy nominations concert – televised every December – since its inception in 2008. The awards ceremony will also take place from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

As far as nominations go, there are six musical acts that all have six nominations each: R&B singer Frank Ocean, rock band Mumford and Sons, indie pop band Fun., Dan Auerbach of rock band The Black Keys, and rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z. Out of these artists, Kanye West, Jay-Z,and Mumford and Sons received the majority of their nominations from the award categories dedicated to their specific genres. Mumford and Sons gained recognition for their work on their album “Babel,” while West and Jay-Z were applauded for their collaborative efforts on their album “Watch the Throne.”

On the other hand, Frank Ocean, Dan Auerbach and Fun. received the bulk of their nominations from the most coveted Grammy categories: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. These awards are the most highly honored at the Grammys because the nominees may be from any genre of music. Therefore, if an artist is nominated – or better yet, wins – in one of these categories, they have conquered all other artists across every genre, at least until the next award season.

The award for Record of the Year is awarded to the performing artist or artists of a song. The winner is determined based on the overall popularity of the song as well as its quality. The nominees this year include “Lonely Boy” by The Black Keys, “We Are Young” by Fun. (featuring Janelle Monae), “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson, “Thinkin’ ‘Bout You” by Frank Ocean, “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye (featuring Kimbra) and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift.

Conversely, the award for Song of the Year is presented to the songwriters of the song. This means that the performing artist only receives this award if they participated in the writing process. The winner is decided upon based more upon how well the song is written. The nominees this year are “Adorn” by Miguel, “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen, “The A Team” by Ed Sheeran, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson and “We Are Young” by Fun. (featuring Janelle Monae).

Album of the Year is awarded to the performing artist, all other artists featured on the album, the producers and engineers involved with the creation of the music. The quality of the album as a whole establishes the winner. The nominees are “Babel” by Mumford & Sons, “El Camino” by The Black Keys, “Some Nights” by Fun., “Channel Orange” by Frank Ocean and “Blunderbuss” by Jack White. And finally, the award for Best New Artist is reserved for an artist that has made a noticeable mark on the music industry within the past year. Past winners of this award have gone on to become global superstars. The hopeful winners for 2013 are Frank Ocean, Fun., Hunter Hayes, The Lumineers and Alabama Shakes. Other notable nominees, recognized in their specialized genres, include Maroon 5, Rihanna, Pink, Drake, Florence + the Machine and Carrie Underwood.

In addition to the distribution of awards, the Grammys will be jam-packed with a superstar lineup of performers including Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Rihanna, The Lumineers, Fun., Miranda Lambert and The Black Keys.

Music’s biggest night is sure to be an electrifying experience for all involved. The 55th Annual Grammy Awards will air Sunday, Feb. 10 on CBS.