It’s becoming a familiar setup: the biggest Grammy Award battle coming down to a face-off between a revered British pop star and R&B/hip-hop ­royalty. In 2016, those spots were filled by Adele and Beyoncé, ending with the former taking album of the year for 25 and ­giving a ­tearfully apologetic acceptance speech in which she said what plenty of Grammy watchers were thinking: that Queen Bey’s politically charged Lemonade, a ­“monumental,” “soul-baring” and ­“empowering” statement, deserved the win. This year, a similar showdown looks likely for album, record and song of the year. In one corner there’s Ed Sheeran, an ­established Grammy favorite who in 2017 became the first artist ever to have two singles simultaneously debut in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. In the other: Kendrick Lamar, whose DAMN. is the most acclaimed album of 2017, and who is widely considered music’s ­leading voice in our current, contentious ­sociopolitical climate. The Sheeran-Lamar subplot may ­dominate the 60th edition of the Grammys, but it’s not the only one. This year saw Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus and Kesha all breaking away from their teen-pop images with grown-up, well-received albums; JAY-Z and Lady Gaga tackling personal themes; and a new generation of rappers -- Migos, Rae Sremmurd and Lil Uzi Vert among them -- signaling the next stage of hip-hop’s evolution. Looking across the Big Four categories for the 2017 awards reveals a year full of surprises, ­disappointments and new beginnings.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR Sheeran has racked up ­nominations ­numbering in the double digits (and in 2016 won song of the year for “Thinking Out Loud”). Lamar has more trophies to his name (seven to Sheeran’s two), but none in the general categories. Regardless, Sheeran’s Divide and Lamar’s DAMN. should be locks for ­nominations. Joining those likely frontrunners, Lorde’s Melodrama is a solid bet: Though her follow-up to 2013’s Pure Heroine came up a little short commercially, it was ­considered a daring, winning step forward after her rookie success. JAY-Z’s 4:44 -- a ­thoughtful, confessional album from a true icon -- looks like it could nab him long overdue recognition in a category in which he has never been nominated ­(provided the album’s exclusive TIDAL release didn’t limit its audience too much). Don’t discount the influence of two of the year’s most powerful artist ­narratives. Gaga’s ­intimate Joanne met lukewarm reviews, but it has Mark Ronson’s imprimatur and caps off a year when Gaga won plenty of hearts with a triumphant Super Bowl performance, her revelation of her chronic battle with fibromyalgia and the release of her well-received Netflix ­documentary, Gaga: Five Foot Two. And with We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service, A Tribe Called Quest offered a ­stunning, unexpected comeback recorded with Phife Dawg before his death in 2016 -- and, as Q-Tip and crew announced, their final project.

READ MORE Grammy Watch: Will 'Despacito' Be a Contender -- Or Be Shut Out? SONG OF THE YEAR Sheeran’s “Shape of You” (written with a team including producer Steve Mac) and Lamar’s “Humble” (credited to Lamar and Mike WiLL Made-It) will likely face off again for the top ­songwriting honor, and many other record of the year ­competitors could join them: Styles and a team led by producer Jeff Bhasker for “Sign of the Times”; Mars and crew ­(including ­production teams Shampoo Press & Curl and The Stereotypes) for “That’s What I Like” or “24K Magic”; Cyrus and collaborator Oren Yoel for “Malibu”; and Hunt alongside Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne for “Body Like a Back Road.” That cohort’s strongest competition might come from songs with timely (or timeless) messages. Gaga’s raw ­vulnerability on “Million Reasons” -- ­written with Hillary Lindsey and Ronson, and roundly ­considered the most solid ­offering on Joanne -- makes it her best chance at a major ­nomination. Logic’s “1-800-273-8255,” ­written with Arjun Ivatury and featured vocalists Alessia Cara and Khalid, was an ambitious ­commentary on suicide ­prevention that has peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100.

Other new artists with chances for a nod: James Arthur, whose “Say You Won’t Let Go” (by Arthur, Neil Ormandy and Steve Solomon) was the year’s breakout low-key ballad, and Julia Michaels, whose “Issues,” written with Justin Tranter and producers Benny Blanco and Stargate, introduced her as a major new voice. And yet again, don’t count out Swift -- this time for “Better Man,” a song she wrote alone (a possible plus to some ­authenticity-seeking voters) and then handed off to her friends in Little Big Town.

READ MORE Grammys Preview: Best New Artist Hopefuls Khalid, SZA & Julia Michaels on Rooting for Change in Music 2017 GRAMMY WINNERS

Album Of The Year: WINNER: 25 -- Adele

Lemonade -- Beyoncé

Purpose -- Justin Bieber

Views -- Drake

A Sailor's Guide To Earth -- Sturgill Simpson Record Of The Year:

WINNER: "Hello" -- Adele

"Formation" -- Beyoncé

"7 Years" -- Lukas Graham

"Work" -- Rihanna Featuring Drake

"Stressed Out" -- Twenty One Pilots Song Of The Year: WINNER: "Hello" -- Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele)

"Formation" -- Khalif Brown, Asheton Hogan, Beyoncé Knowles & Michael L. Williams II, songwriters (Beyoncé)

"I Took A Pill In Ibiza" -- Mike Posner, songwriter (Mike Posner)

"Love Yourself" -- Justin Bieber, Benjamin Levin & Ed Sheeran, songwriters (Justin Bieber)

"7 Years" -- Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest, Morten Pilegaard & Morten Ristorp, songwriters (Lukas Graham)