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Bon Jovi will perform at this year's Grammy Awards

As the old saying goes, variety is the spice of life.

While there are hard-core rockers and committed country music fans who won't listen to a note of anything else, a true music lover can appreciate everything in between as well. Whether it's the rhythm of a world beat, the sentimental twang of country croon or the blips and bleeps of driving techno, genuine fans will find something to love in all art that is expressed through sound.

Luckily for them, one celebration brings artists from just about every genre together, and it's coming to television.

Lady Gaga rules the nominations list as CBS presents "The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards," Sunday, Jan. 31. She and a host of other stars will take center stage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the dazzling prime-time spectacular.

The Lady is up for five Grammys, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Dance Recording. Past Grammy winners Green Day are up for three more awards: Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album. Newbies the Zac Brown Band tie Green Day with three nominations, theirs for Best New Artist, Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals and Best Country Album.

Perennial nominees Pink and the Dave Matthews Band weigh in with two nominations each. The Dave Matthews Band is up against stiff competition in the Album of the Year and Best Rock Album categories, while Pink is up for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album.

This year, all five Album of the Year nominees are scheduled to perform at the ceremony. Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, the Dave Matthews Band and Taylor Swift will be joined by such other popular acts as Lady Antebellum, Green Day, Pink, Bon Jovi and Zac Brown Band.

Awards show aficionados are used to such glitz and glamour, but this year's Grammys brings the audience into the show, literally, and music fans could get a glimpse of themselves on TV.

Viewers of "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!" on Dec. 2, were invited to upload a 20-second video of themselves singing "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas for a chance to have their video appear as part of the group's act during the Grammy Awards.

Fans had the chance to upload their clips until Jan. 15, and the best ones will be revealed during the popular hip-hop band's performance.

Rock 'n' roll buffs have also been given the chance to program a part of the show. Earlier in January, producers invited fans to decide which hit Bon Jovi song the band will perform during this year's ceremony. Frontrunners included "Livin' on a Prayer," "Bed of Roses" and "Wanted Dead or Alive."

While not all Grammy fans may be able to enjoy the festivities alongside the stars, music lovers can celebrate all year long thanks to the 2010 Grammy Nominees CD. With proceeds going to the MusiCares and Grammy Foundation, the 20-song collection features highlights from artists nominated for "The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards."

"The diverse mix of tracks contained in this fine collection offer some of the great songs and artists that make up this year's talented crop of nominees," said Neil Portnow, president and CEO of The Recording Academy.

The tracks on the CD represent nominees from several categories, including Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, and Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals. Some of the artists featured include Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson, Dave Matthews Band, Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood, Green Day, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Pink, Taylor Swift, U2, and Zac Brown Band.

The Grammys may be taglined as Music's Biggest Night, but in fact the awards ceremony is the culmination of a weeklong celebration of music during which The Recording Academy, the organization that bestows the Grammy Awards, recognizes the hard work of music artists, producers, engineers and recording professionals.

This year, the Academy paid tribute to excellence in jazz and classical music in the days leading up to the big night. On Jan. 26, stars gathered at the Grammy Museum to honour jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell. The following day, classical music great Placido Domingo was honored at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica.

Two days before the big celebration, an all-star cast was slated to honor music legend Neil Young, the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year, for both his contribution to the world of music and his humanitarian accomplishments.

A who's who of Hollywood and the music industry were on hand to pay homage to the celebrated rocker, including his former bandmates David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. Other stars scheduled to attend the event included Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Elton John, James Taylor, Norah Jones, Josh Groban and John Mellencamp.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the MusiCares Person of the Year distinction. For the first time, fans could catch limited streaming footage of the event at grammy.com. However, those hoping for more of an insider's view of this particular ceremony would likely have been disappointed as the affair is a private, VIP charity fundraiser.

Not to worry, there will be plenty of stars to gaze at during Music's Biggest Night on CBS, Jan. 31.