This past Wednesday, the GRAMMYs held an extravagant announcement party for the 2011 nominations. Performances from [lastfm]Lady Gaga[/lastfm], [lastfm]Usher[/lastfm], [lastfm]Ludacris[/lastfm] and more wowed audiences nationwide, but no one could overtake the spotlight on the nominee announcements. As the night unfurled, everyone at Street Date grew less surprised by the nominees. We had already invited a number of the nominees to our studio over the past year (and before that, too!), considerably convinced of their talents already.

Therefore, we think it is fair to assume the GRAMMY judges are follow our site with Glee levels of devotion, and for that, we send our humblest gratitude. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite sessions and interviews with the 2011 nominees that we’re sure played a part in the judges’ decisions. Click through to live vicariously through the eyes of a GRAMMY judge: