Country Music Set To Take Grammy Stage

Country music artists will share the spotlight with rising stars and veteran performers at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night.

Organisers are aiming to bring attention back to the music this year after the death of singer Whitney Houston on the eve of last year's awards ceremony.

This year's categories are dominated by male artists, with British folk band Mumford & Sons, indie-pop trio FUN and R&B singer Frank Ocean going into the show with six nominations each.

They will be among dozens of performers including US rock band The Black Keys and former White Stripes frontman Jack White.

After paying tribute to electronic dance music last year, the Grammys are highlighting country in 2013.

Country music will be represented by nominees Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Hunter Hayes.

Veterans Tim McGraw and Faith Hill will also hand out awards.

British performers Elton John and Ed Sheeran are set to perform a duet at the ceremony, at the Stapels Center in Los Angeles.

But much of the attention would be on Rihanna and Chris Brown, who both received nominations, and who recently resumed their romance four years after Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting the singer on the eve of the 2009 Grammy Awards.