Welcome to AFP's live report on the 55th annual Grammys. The red carpet is rolled out and ready for treading by a who's who of the music industry's hottest new names and old favorites as they arrive at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Only a handful of winners from the Grammys' 81 different award categories will receive their little golden gramophone on stage tonight. Record, album and song of the year as well as best new artist are nearly guaranteed to be presented, but the winners are anyone's guess.

R&B songster Frank Ocean, indie-pop group fun. and folk-rock favorite Mumford & Sons are leading the pack with six nominees each, as are old standards Jay-Z and Kanye West, who also got six nods. Blues-rock duo The Black Keys and R&B singer Miguel are up for five.

Noticibly missing from the top four award categories is Kanye, as well as hip-hop in general. Teen heartthrob Justin Bieber will be a no-show on stage, having garnered no nominations. And last year's Grammy victor Adele, who swept the ceremony with six wins, is up for only one Grammy this year.

An eclectic mix of star mash-ups -- always a Grammy staple -- will be performed between award presentations, combining the varying talents of artists from divergent genres. Bruno Mars, Sting and Rihanna rocking it out one moment, Alicia Keys and Maroon 5 the next.

Taylor Swift will be the first performance of the evening. But first, the red carpet -- a veritable fashion gauntlet awaits.