Aside from stroking music industry egos, the only purpose the Grammy Awards has ever served is to alert people who don't bother keeping up with music the rest of the year to things they might want to take the time to check out.  And even that limited virtue retains little value any more.  With 109 categories, including several created by the Grammy Department Of Redundancy Department (Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year), you would like to think a balance could be struck between awards for creative/artistic merit and ones awarded purely on the basis of commercial clout. The 2010 nominations show there remains little risk of that happening.  For what it's worth - and a Grammy has become worth less to Rock artists every year for the last two decades, here are the artists Rock Insights follows nominated for awards Wednesday (12/1):

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Mojo - Best Rock Album
Neil Young - Le Noise - Best Rock Album
Jeff Beck - Emotion & Commotion - Best Rock Album
Pearl Jam - Backspacer - Best Rock Album

Robert Plant & Band Of Joy - Best Americana Album

Leon Russell & Elton John - If It Wasn't For Bad - Best Pop Collaboration
Jeff Beck & Joss Stone - I Put A Spell On You - Best Song Rock Duo Or Group With Vocal
Ozzy Osbourne - Let me Hear You Scream - Best Song Rock Duo Or Group With Vocal
Neil Young - Angry World - Best Rock Song
Eric Clapton - Run Back To Your Side - Best Solo Rock Vocal
Paul McCartney - Helter Skelter (CitiField live) - Best Solo Rock Vocal
Robert Plant & Band Of Joy - Silver Rider - Best Solo Rock Vocal
Neil Young - Angry World - Best Solo Rock Vocal
Jeff Beck - Hammerhead - Best Rock instrumental