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Newcomers Like Lorde, Macklemore May Takeover At Grammy Awards

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) --  Not a lot of fans knew who Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Lorde were when we gathered a year ago to celebrate music with the Grammy Awards nominations.

Yet thanks to a series of inescapable and smart hits, these newcomers could very well muscle Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift and other Grammy favorites out of the way when nominees are announced Friday night in a televised special airing live from Los Angeles on CBS.

More: Check Out Pictures From Last Year's Grammys

At only 17-years-old, Lorde took the stage to perform a pulsating, stripped-down version of her hit, "Royals." Dressed casually in a flowing white shirt, black jeans, and purple lipstick, the breakout singer breezed through the song on her first attempt.

Lorde's run of "Royals" and Macklemore's hits "Thrift Shop" and "Same Love" dominated all but a few songs for attention this year, and each carried a progressive message in a pop music world obsessed with swag and twerking, something The Recording Academy's voters tend to award.

2013 has already been a big year for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and they took home three awards at the MTV Video Music Awards in August.

The Grammy Awards will be presented January 26th at the Staples Center.

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