2022 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

As many had predicted, another rematch has been set-up after the 2022 Grammy Award nominations were announced on November 15th between the pop music superstars, Beyoncé and Adele. Their previous showdown was back in 2017 when Beyoncé's critically acclaimed alt-soul collection, "Lemonade" and Adele's massive hit release, "25" were both vying for the top prize of Album of the Year with the British artist's album taking home the award. Now their latest albums; "Renaissance" which the r&b diva celebrates Black dance music and the fourth studio album by Adele, "30", will both be in competition for several Grammys including once again for Album of the Year. Beyoncé leads the pack with the most nominations this year with nine which also has made her become the most honored artist in Grammy history, tying her with husband, Jay-Z, with a career total to date of eighty-eight. Adele did not do so badly herself this year, receiving a total of seven nominations.

But there are plenty of other musicians up for the top prize. The reunited Swedish pop supergroup, ABBA's first album of new music in forty years, "Voyage" is up for Album of the Year (the first time ever for this band) and the single, "Don't Shut Me Down" receiving Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group recognition, made more surprising since this collection didn't receive much airplay here. Brandi Carlile's "In These Silent Days", Lizzo's "Special'; the commercial comeback for soul vocalist, Mary J. Blige, "Good Morning Gorgeous"; Coldplay's "Music of the Spheres" and the latest from Pulitzer-Prize winning rapper, Kendrick Lamar, "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" (with a total of eight nominations) are all up for Album of the Year. Bad Bunny with "Un Verano Sim Ti" became the first Spanish-language record ever to receive an Album of the Year nomination. And the artist who might have the best chance to create an upset between the ladies would be Harry Styles and his smash hit album, "Harry's House" which helped him receive a total of six nominations. And "Unholy", the current hit song from Sam Smith and Kim Petras, snuck in to receive a nod for Best Pop Duo/Group, making them become the first openly non-binary and transgender performers up for a Grammy.

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 5th, 2023 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, airing live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Here is a partial list of the nominations for the 2022 Grammys:

Album Of The Year:

"Voyage" - ABBA
"30" - Adele
"Un Verano Sin Ti" — Bad Bunny
"Renaissance" — Beyoncé
"Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)" — Mary J. Blige
"In These Silent Days" — Brandi Carlile
"Music Of The Spheres" — Coldplay
"Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" — Kendrick Lamar
"Special" — Lizzo
"Harry’s House" — Harry Styles

Record Of The Year:

"Don’t Shut Me Down" - ABBA
"Easy On Me" - Adele
"Break My Soul" - Beyoncé
"Good Morning Gorgeous" - Mary J. Blige
"You And Me On The Rock" - Brandi Carlile featuring Lucius
"Woman" - Doja Cat
"Bad Habit" - Steve Lacy
"The Heart Part 5" - Kendrick Lamar
"About Damn Time" - Lizzo
"As It Was" - Harry Styles

Song Of The Year:

"abcdefu" — Sara Davis, Gayle & Dave Pittenger, songwriters (Gayle)
"About Damn Time" — Melissa Jefferson, Eric Frederic, Blake Slatkin & Theron Makiel Thomas, songwriters (Lizzo)
"All Too Well" (10 Minute Version) — Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
"As It Was" — Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon & Harry Styles, songwriters (Harry Styles)
"Bad Habit" — Matthew Castellanos, Brittany Fousheé, Diana Gordon, John Carroll Kirby & Steve Lacy, songwriters (Steve Lacy)
"Break My Soul" — Beyoncé, S. Carter, Terius "The-Dream" Gesteelde-Diamant & Christopher A. Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé)
"Easy On Me" — Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele)
"God Did" — Tarik Azzouz, E. Blackmon, Khaled Khaled, F. LeBlanc, Shawn Carter, John Stephens, Dwayne Carter, William Roberts & Nicholas Warwar, songwriters (DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy)
"The Heart Part 5" — Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar & Matt Schaeffer, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
"Just Like That" — Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt)

Best New Artist:

Anitta
Omar Apollo
DOMi & JD Beck
Muni Long
Samara Joy
Latto
Måneskin
Tobe Nwigwe
Molly Tuttle
Wet Leg

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Easy On Me" - Adele
"Moscow Mule" - Bad Bunny
"Woman" -Doja Cat
"Bad Habit" - Steve Lacy
"About Damn Time"- Lizzo
"As It Was" - Harry Styles

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Don’t Shut Me Down" - ABBA
"Bam Bam" - Camila Cabello Featuring Ed Sheeran
"My Universe" - Coldplay & BTS
"I Like You (A Happier Song)" - Post Malone & Doja Cat
"Unholy" - Sam Smith & Kim Petras

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"Voyage" — ABBA
"30" — Adele
"Music Of The Spheres" — Coldplay
"Special" — Lizzo
"Harry’s House" — Harry Styles

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

"Higher" — Michael Bublé
"When Christmas Comes Around..." — Kelly Clarkson
"I Dream Of Christmas (Extended)" — Norah Jones
"Evergreen" — Pentatonix
"Thank You" — Diana Ross

Best Dance/Electronic Recording:

"Break My Soul" — Beyoncé 

"Rosewood" — Bonobo
"Don’t Forget My Love" — Diplo & Miguel
"I’m Good (Blue)" — David Guetta & Bebe Rexha
"Intimidated" —  Kaytranada Featuring H.E.R.
"On My Knees" — RÜFÜS DU SOL

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album:

"Renaissance" — Beyoncé
"Fragments” — Bonobo
"Diplo” — Diplo
"The Last Goodbye” — ODESZA
"Surrender” — RÜFÜS DU SOL

Best Rock Performance:

"So Happy It Hurts" — Bryan Adams
"Old Man" — Beck
"Wild Child" — The Black Keys
"Broken Horses" — Brandi Carlile
"Crawl!" — Idles
"Patient Number 9" — Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Jeff Beck
"Holiday" — Turnstile

Best Rock Album:

"Dropout Boogie" — The Black Keys
"The Boy Named If" — Elvis Costello & The Imposters
"Crawler" — Idles
"Mainstream Sellout" — Machine Gun Kelly
"Patient Number 9" — Ozzy Osbourne
"Lucifer On The Sofa" — Spoon

Best Alternative Music Performance:

"There’d Better Be A Mirrorball" — Arctic Monkeys
"Certainty" — Big Thief
"King" — Florence + The Machine
"Chaise Longue" — Wet Leg
"Spitting Off The Edge Of The World" — Yeah Yeah Yeahs featuring Perfume Genius

Best Alternative Music Album:

"WE" — Arcade Fire
"Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You" — Big Thief
"Fossora" — Björk
"Wet Leg" — Wet Leg
"Cool It Down" — Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Best R&B Performance:

"Virgo's Groove" — Beyoncé
"Here With Me" — Mary J. Blige Featuring Anderson .Paak
"Hrs & Hrs" — Muni Long
"Over" — Lucky Daye
"Hurt Me So Good" — Jazmine Sullivan

Best R&B Album:

"Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)" — Mary J. Blige 

"Breezy (Deluxe)" — Chris Brown
"Black Radio III" — Robert Glasper
"Candydrip” — Lucky Daye
"Watch The Sun" — PJ Morton

Best Progressive R&B Album:

"Operation Funk" — Cory Henry
"Gemini Rights" — Steve Lacy
"Drones" — Terrace Martin
"Starfruit" — Moonchild
"Red Balloon" — Tank And The Bangas

Best Rap Performance:

"God Did" — DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy 

"Vegas" — Doja Cat
"pushin P" — Gunna & Future Featuring Young Thug
"F.N.F. (Let’s Go)" — Hitkidd & GloRilla
"The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar

Best Rap Album:

"God Did" — DJ Khaled
"I Never Liked You” — Future
"Come Home The Kids Miss You” — Jack Harlow
"Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” — Kendrick Lamar
"It’s Almost Dry" — Pusha T

Best Country Solo Performance:

"Heartfirst" — Kelsea Ballerini
"Something In The Orange" — Zach Bryan
"In His Arms" — Miranda Lambert
"Circles Around This Town" — Maren Morris
"Live Forever" — Willie Nelson

Best Country Album:

"Growin’ Up" — Luke Combs
"Palomino" — Miranda Lambert
"Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville" — Ashley McBryde
"Humble Quest" — Maren Morris
"A Beautiful Time" — Willie Nelson

Best Americana Album:

"In These Silent Days" — Brandi Carlile
"Things Happen That Way" — Dr. John
"Good To Be..." — Keb’ Mo’
"Raise The Roof" — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
"Just Like That..." — Bonnie Raitt

Best Jazz Vocal Album:

"The Evening : Live At APPARATUS" — The Baylor Project 

"Linger Awhile" — Samara Joy 

"Fade To Black" — Carmen Lundy 

"Fifty" — The Manhattan Transfer With The WDR Funkhausorchester 

"Ghost Song" — Cécile McLorin Salvant

Best Latin Pop Album:

"Aguilera" — Christina Aguilera 

"Pasieros" — Rubén Blades & Boca Livre 

"De Adentro Pa Afuera" — Camilo 

"VIAJANTE" — Fonseca 

"Dharma +" — Sebastián Yatra

Best Música Urbana Album:

"Trap Cake, Vol. 2" — Rauw Alejandro
"Un Verano Sin Ti" — Bad Bunny
"Legendaddy" — Daddy Yankee
"La 167" — Farruko
"The Love & Sex Tape” — Maluma

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording:

"Act Like You Got Some Sense" — Jamie Foxx
"All About Me!: My Remarkable Life In Show Business by Mel Brooks" — Mel Brooks
"Aristotle And Dante Dive Into The Waters Of The World" — Lin-Manuel Miranda
"Finding Me" — Viola Davis
"Music Is History" — Questlove

Best Comedy Album:

"The Closer" — Dave Chappelle
"Comedy Monster" — Jim Gaffigan
"A Little Brains, A Little Talent" — Randy Rainbow
"Sorry" — Louis CK
"We All Scream" — Patton Oswalt

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media:

"Elvis" — (Various Artists)
"Encanto" — (Various Artists)
"Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4 (Vol 2)" — (Various Artists)
"Top Gun: Maverick" — Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga, Hans Zimmer & Lorne Balfe
"West Side Story" — (Various Artists)

Best Music Video:

"Easy On Me" — Adele
"Yet To Come" — BTS
"Woman" - Doja Cat
"The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar
"As It Was" — Harry Styles
"All Too Well: The Short Film" — Taylor Swift

Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical):

Amy Allen
Nija Charles
Tobias Jesso Jr.
The-Dream
Laura Veltz

Producer of the Year (Non-Classical):

Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
Boi-1da
Dahi
Dernst "D’mile" Emile II 

ADELE: EASY ON ME

After an agonizingly long delay, Adele has finally reemerged with new music. It's understandable that the singer would want to take a break following the massive, global success of her Grammy-Award winning album, "25" but I didn't imagine it would take five years. The British singer first created some buzz last year when she made an appearance on an October episode of "Saturday Night Live" as the host. Yet surprisingly, she was not the musical guest and ultimately had nothing new to promote.

Then last week, Adele dropped a new single, "Easy On Me". This low-key, soulful ballad reteams the singer with Greg Kurstin, the co-writer and producer of "Hello", the low-key, soulful first single from "25". On the surface, this may not feel like much of a stretch and a relatively safe re-entry back in to the pop-music scene yet it's still a powerfully effective, welcome return. The emotionally moving song deals with a plea to her child to be easy on her as she tries to get a handle on their lives together post-divorce.

The music video for "Easy On Me" also has a feeling of continuation with Canadian filmmaker, Xavier Dolan, who was behind the clip for "Hello", returning to direct this new song. Utilizing the same location and black & white cinematography, Adele now is moving out of the house and drives off in a truck, with sheet music papers flying out of its windows.

And with "Easy On Me", Adele has broken the Spotify and Amazon Music single day streaming records. This is the first taste of Adele's fourth studio album which will be titled, "30", a continuation of naming her albums after the age when she begins the recording. The album, due out on November 19th, will examine the changes in the thirty-three year old singer's life; the divorce from her husband, Simon Konecki, motherhood, the challenges of fame, moving in to adulthood and perhaps the dramatic change in her physical appearance. In addition to Kurstin, previous collaborators from "25", Max Martin and Shellback will provide production assistance on the forthcoming album along with some new partners, award-winning, Swedish composer, Ludwig Göransson, Inflo of the British music collective, Sault and Tobias Jesso Jr. There will also be a concert special airing on CBS on November 14th called, "Adele: One Night Only" which will feature an interview of the singer by Oprah Winfrey.

32 ANTICIPATED ALBUMS IN 2020

Now that we are into the new year, it's time to look at some of the upcoming new music that is expected in 2020. In the first few weeks, we had new albums from Halsey, Selena Gomez and a posthumous release from Mac Miller. And Vulture has done a rundown of other artists who are supposed to release some long-awaited new music throughout the year. This includes some big names who have been promising something for awhile yet nothing has materialized to date. This includes Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, The Dixie Chicks, SZA, Adele and Rihanna to name just a few.

Please click below to read the article:

32 Anticipated New Albums in 2020

THE 59TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

I knew there was no way we were going to get through over three hours during one of music's biggest nights without politics somehow making it's way on to the stage of the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. And of course it did, subtlety with an image of the Constitution being projected at the end of Katy Perry's performance of her new song, "Chained To The Rhythm" and quite aggressively during A Tribe Called Quest's number where they, along with Anderson Paak, Busta Rhymes and Consequence, referred to "President Agent Orange" and urged the audience to continue resisting his outrageously divisive policies. There were also inspiring messages of tolerance and moving words on the importance of the arts in speeches from Beyoncé during her acceptance of the Best Urban Contemporary Album award and from the Recording Academy President, Neil Portnow.

James Cordon, the host of CBS' "The Late Late Show", took over the hosting duties of the Grammys this year and brought a much-needed new energy to the show. No offense to LL Cool J but the comedian kept the show light and breezy (and just in time considering the political climate) with his infectious enthusiasm and cheerful good humor. But he could still be cheeky with a funny bit involving his parents and their "cheat dates". Cordon is a true music lover which is evident from his very popular "Carpool Karaoke" segment (which he couldn't resist squeezing in to the show by doing an all-star version of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" but it would really seem unavoidable with so many of the top music people in the audience)  and appeared to be just as thrilled to be hosting as he was watching the performers.

And music was the real focus of the evening and there were plenty of outstanding performances to witness. Adele kicked off the show with a flawless rendition of "Hello" but ran in to some trouble during a tribute to George Michael with a reworking of "Fast Love" (an odd choice out of all of his songs). She was so unhappy with her performance that she insisted on stopping in the middle and starting over. Adele triumphed in the end but was still quite visibly upset despite the enthusiastic response. Other highlights include Bruno Mars who also did double duty with a slick, old-school funk performance of his own song "That's What I Like" before showing off impressive guitar skills on a cover of "Let's Go Crazy" during the tribute to Prince. Ed Sheeran astonished as a one-man band as he did his new single, "Shape of You", Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood brought some fiery soul to country with "The Fighter" and the duet of John Legend and "Color Purple" star, Cynthia Erivo performing the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" during the in-memoriam segment was absolutely breathtaking. Get them to a recording studio ASAP!

I wasn't particularly impressed with the teaming of Metallica and Lady Gaga which was just loud and inaudible with the technical difficulties not helping and while I was thrilled with the celebration of the Bee Gees and the fortieth anniversary of their "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, the performers involved (which included Demi Lovato, Tori Kelly and Little Big Town) underwhelmed.

But it was Beyoncé, hardly surprising, who left a spectacularly memorable impression. Merging bold religious imagery with a hallucinogenic flower-child vibe, the singer, resplendent in a revealing, golden gown and the glow of impending motherhood, took over the show for nine minutes with a amazing production of two songs from "Lemonade", "Love Drought" and "Sandcastles" that featured video projection, the usual army of female dancers and dazzling visual effects that made a statement in more ways than one.

There was much made of the Adele vs Beyoncé showdown but it was the British singer who ultimately was the big winner taking all five of the Grammys she was nominated for including Album of The Year while the expectant mother received only two from her nine nominations. Now while I think "25" is a good, solid album but I completely agree with Adele 100% that "Lemonade" should have taken that top prize for it's innovation and craftsmanship. It was a slight to an album that will long endure as a groundbreaking work. But I couldn't help being moved just as much as Beyoncé by Adele's graciousness, honesty and genuine affection for the singer. Adele proved to me she was a winner just by being endearing, humble and a class act.

Here is the complete list of winners from the 2017 Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: “25”, Adele
Record of the Year: “Hello”, Adele
Song of the Year: “Hello”, Written by Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin (Adele, artist)
Best New Artist: Chance the Rapper
Best Pop Vocal Album: “25”, Adele
Best Pop Solo Performance: “Hello”, Adele
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Stressed Out”, Twenty One Pilots
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin”, Willie Nelson
Best Urban Contemporary Album: “Lemonade”, Beyoncé
Best R&B Album: “Lalah Hathaway Live”, Lalah Hathaway
Best R&B Performance: “Cranes in the Sky”, Solange

Best Traditional R&B Performance: “Angel", Lalah Hathaway
Best R&B Song: “Lake By the Ocean”, Written by Hod David & Musze, (Maxwell, Artist)
 

Best Rap Album: “Coloring Book”, Chance the Rapper
Best Rap Performance: “No Problem”, Chance the Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz
Best Rap/Sung Performance: “Hotline Bling”, Drake
Best Rap Song: “Hotline Bling”, Written by Aubrey Graham & Paul Jefferies, (Drake, artist)
Best Country Album: "A Sailor’s Guide to Earth", Sturgill Simpson
Best Country Solo Performance: “My Church”, Maren Morris
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “Jolene", Pentatonix featuring Dolly Parton
Best Country Song: “Humble and Kind”, Written by Lori McKenna (Tim McGraw, artist)
Best Rock Album: “Tell Me I’m Pretty”, Cage the Elephant
Best Rock Performance: “Blackstar”, David Bowie
Best Rock Song: “Blackstar”, David Bowie
Best Alternative Music Album: “Blackstar,” David Bowie
Best Metal Performance: “Dystopia”, Megadeth
Best Dance/Electronic Album: “Skin”, Flume
Best Dance Recording: “Don’t Let Me Down”, The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: “Culcha Vulcha”, Snarky Puppy
Best New Age Album: "White Sun II", White Sun
Best Gospel Album: "Losing My Religion", Kirk Franklin
Best Roots Gospel Album: "Hymns", Joey + Rory
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: "Love Remains", Hillary Scott & The Scott Family
Best Gospel Performance/Song: “God Provides”, Tamela Mann
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: “Thy Will”, Hillary Scott & The Scott Family
Best Latin Pop Album: "Un Besito Mas", Jesse & Joy
Best World Music Album: "Sing Me Home", Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble
Best Children’s Album: "Infinity Plus One", Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Best Spoken Word Album: "In Such Good Company: Eleven Years Of Laughter, Mayhem and Fun in the Sandbox", Carol Burnett
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: "Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom", Ted Nash Big Band
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: "Country for Old Men", John Scofield
Best Jazz Vocal Album: "Take Me to the Alley", Gregory Porter
Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, John Scofield
Best Musical Theater Album: "The Color Purple"
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: "Miles Ahead"
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", John Williams
Best Song Written for Visual Media: “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”, Justin Timberlake
Best Instrumental Composition: “Spoken at Midnight”, Ted Nash
Best Arrangement, (Instrumental or A Cappella): “You and I”, Jacob Collier
Best Arrangement, (Instruments and Vocals): “Flintstones”, Jacob Collier
Best Recording Package: "Blackstar", David Bowie
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: "Edith Piaf 1915-2015", Edith Piaf
Best Album Notes: "Sissle and Blake Sing Shuffle Along", Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle
Best Historical Album: "The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series, Vol.12 (Collector’s Edition)", Bob Dylan

Best Engineered Album, (Non-Classical): "Blackstar", David Bowie
Best Remixed Recording: “Tearing Me Up (RAC Remix)", Bob Moses
Producer of the Year, (Non-Classical): Greg Kurstin
Best Surround Sound Album: "Dutilleux: Sur Le Même Accord; Les Citations; Mystère De L’instant & Timbres, Espace, Mouvement", Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony
Best Engineered Album, (Classical): "Corigliano: The Ghosts of Versailles", Mark Donahue and Fred Vogler
Producer of the Year, (Classical): David Frost
Best Orchestral Performance: “Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow - Symphonies Nos. 5, 8 & 9”, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Best Music Video: “Formation”, Beyoncé
Best Music Film: "The Beatles: Eight Days a Week the Touring Years"

2016 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

Beyoncé's alt-r&b record, "Lemonade" leads the way with nine nominations at this year's Grammy Awards including Album of the Year. She faces some stiff competition for that prize from pop superstar, Justin Bieber's "Purpose", country singer, Sturgill Simpson and his "A Sailor's Guide to Earth", Canadian hip-hop artist, Drake with one of the most popular albums of the year, "Views" and the now eligible "25", the 2015 pop release from the British singer, Adele. Kanye West, Rihanna and Drake each received eight nominations while Chance the Rapper earned seven for his debut, "Coloring Book" which he only managed to receive due to a Grammy rule change as it was issued only as a music stream rather than on a CD or digital download. David Bowie, who we lost in January, earned four posthumous nominations for his final album, "Blackstar" and recent Nobel prize winner, Bob Dylan earned a nod for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

With a total of twenty previous wins, Beyoncé could possibly make history by surpassing Alison Krauss, who is the female artist with the most Grammy wins at twenty-seven. And with sixty-two career nominations, she now has become the most nominated female artist ever.

It's sad to say goodbye to LL Cool J, who has hosted the show for the last five years, but a new host has been named. James Corden of the "Late Late Show" fame will host this year's ceremony. The 59th Annual Grammy Awards will air Sunday, February 12th on CBS.

Here is a partial list of the 2016 Grammy nominations:

Album of the Year:

“25” — Adele
“Lemonade” — Beyoncé
“Purpose” — Justin Bieber
“Views” — Drake
“A Sailor's Guide to Earth” — Sturgill Simpson

Record of the Year:

"Hello" — Adele
"Formation" — Beyoncé
"7 Years" — Lukas Graham
"Work" — Rihanna featuring Drake
"Stressed Out" — Twenty One Pilots

Song of the Year:

"Formation" — Written by Khalif Brown, Asheton Hogan, Beyoncé Knowles & Michael L. Williams II (Beyoncé)
"Hello" — Written by Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin (Adele)
"I Took a Pill In Ibiza" — Written by Mike Posner (Mike Posner)
"Love Yourself" — Written by Justin Bieber, Benjamin Levin & Ed Sheeran (Justin Bieber)
"7 Years" — Written by Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest, Morten Pilegaard & Morten Ristorp (Lukas Graham)

Best New Artist:

Kelsea Ballerini
The Chainsmokers
Chance the Rapper
Maren Morris
Anderson .Paak

Best Pop Vocal Album:

“25” — Adele
“Purpose” — Justin Bieber
“Dangerous Woman” — Ariana Grande
“Confident” — Demi Lovato
“This Is Acting” — Sia

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Hello" — Adele
"Hold Up" — Beyoncé
“Love Yourself” — Justin Bieber
“Piece By Piece (Idol Version)” — Kelly Clarkson
“Dangerous Woman” — Ariana Grande

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

“Closer” — The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
“7 Years” — Lukas Graham
“Work” — Rihanna featuring Drake
“Cheap Thrills” — Sia Featuring Sean Paul
“Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots
“Culcha Vulcha” — Snarky Puppy

Best Dance/Electronic Album:

“Skin” — Flume
“Electronica 1: The Time Machine” — Jean-Michel Jarre
“Epoch” — Tycho
“Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future” — Underworld
“Louie Vega Starring. . .XXVIII” — Louie Vega

Best Rock Album:

“California” — Blink-182
“Tell Me I'm Pretty” — Cage the Elephant
“Magma" — Gojira
"Death of a Bachelor” — Panic! at the Disco
“Weezer” — Weezer

Best Rock Performance:

“Joe (Live From Austin City Limits)” — Alabama Shakes
“Don't Hurt Yourself” — Beyoncé featuring Jack White
“Blackstar” — David Bowie
“The Sound of Silence (Live On "Conan")” — Disturbed
“Heathens” — Twenty One Pilots

Best Alternative Music Album:

“22, a Million” — Bon Iver
“Blackstar” — David Bowie
“The Hope Six Demolition Project” — PJ Harvey
“Post Pop Depression” — Iggy Pop
“A Moon Shaped Pool” — Radiohead

Best Urban Contemporary Album:

“Lemonade” — Beyoncé
“Ology” — Gallant
“We Are King” — King
“Malibu” — Anderson .Paak
“Anti” — Rihanna

Best R&B Album:

“In My Mind” — BJ the Chicago Kid
“Lalah Hathaway Live” — Lalah Hathaway
“Velvet Portraits” — Terrace Martin
“Healing Season" — Mint Condition
“Smoove Jones” — Mya

Best R&B Performance:

“Turnin' Me Up” — BJ the Chicago Kid
“Permission” — Ro James
“I Do” — Musiq Soulchild
“Needed Me” — Rihanna
“Cranes In the Sky” — Solange

Best Rap Album:

“Coloring Book” — Chance the Rapper
“And the Anonymous Nobody” — De La Soul
“Major Key” — DJ Khaled
“Views” — Drake
“Blank Face LP” — Schoolboy Q
“The Life of Pablo” — Kanye West

Best Rap Performance:

"No Problem" — Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz
"Panda" — Desiigner
"Pop Style" — Drake Featuring the Throne
"All the Way Up" — Fat Joe & Remy Ma featuring French Montana & Infared
"That Part" — Schoolboy Q featuring Kanye West

Best Country Album:

“Big Day In a Small Town” — Brandy Clark
“Full Circle” — Loretta Lynn
“Hero” — Maren Morris
“A Sailor's Guide to Earth” — Sturgill Simpson
“Ripcord” — Keith Urban

Best Country Solo Performance:

"Love Can Go to Hell" — Brandy Clark
"Vice" — Miranda Lambert
"My Church" — Maren Morris
"Church Bells" — Carrie Underwood
"Blue Ain't Your Color" — Keith Urban

For the complete list of nominations, click below:

2016 Grammys

ADELE RETURNS

The wait is finally over!

After months of rumors and speculation, Adele has officially announced the release of her third studio album entitled, "25".  Due out on November 20th, the first taste was released on October 23rd with the moving ballad "Hello".  The track, co-written and produced by Greg Kurstin  (The Bird and The Bee), is classic Adele with a powerful vocal and deeply emotional lyrics.

The music video for the song was released as well and it's directed by one of my favorite film makers, the twenty-six year old, French-Canadian, Xavier Dolan. This is a sweeping cinematic clip that works perfectly with the song and features actor/musician, Tristan Wilds ("The Wire"). You must experience this right now:

UNHEARD ADELE SONGS

There is some new music leaked from Adele. These songs, "Never Gonna Leave You" and "You'll Never See Me Again" are rumored to have been recorded during the "21" sessions. Another tale from the rumor mill is that they are from her upcoming album which I seriously doubt because they would have been yanked so fast.

I don't really like to get involved with unreleased music but these tracks are just too good not to share. This should whet your appetite and keep your satisfied before Adele's official new music is released.



"Never Gonna Leave You" - Adele

ADELE MEETS BOND

It doesn't appear that Adele, one of the biggest (and most unlikely) pop stars currently on the planet will be releasing a new CD anytime soon but there is a new song just out to help ease the wait.

"Skyfall", is title of the latest 007 movie (due out in the U.S.on November 9th) and Adele has been given the honor of performing the theme song of the same name for this movie. The tune (written by Adele and her producer, Paul Epworth) fits perfectly in the tradition of the previous James Bond theme songs yet still feels quite fresh and modern. Let's be honest - most of these songs tend to land more on the cheesy side but I think this is one of the better tracks created for this long-running series which is celebrating it's fiftieth year since the release of the first film, "Dr. No".

Have a listen:

"Skyfall" - Adele (2012)

Here are a few of some other classic Bond theme songs that I luv:

"Live and Let Die" - Paul McCartney & Wings (1973)

"Nobody Does It Better" (From "The Spy Who Loved Me") - Carly Simon (1977)

"For Your Eyes Only" - Sheena Easton (1981)

MY FAVORITE MOMENTS IN MUSIC FOR 2011

This is a collection of some of my favorite tunes from 2011. I had posted other songs that I had luved throughout the past year, so these are the best of the rest:

Nicki Minaj - "Super Bass" from "Pink Friday"

Foster The People - "Pumped Up Kicks" from "Torches"

Ledisi - "Pieces of Me" from "Pieces of Me"

Lykke Li - "Get Some" from "Wounded Rhymes"

Jay-Z & Kanye West - "Niggas In Paris" from "Watch The Throne"

Florence + The Machine - "Breaking Down" from "Ceremonials"

Cee-Lo Green featuring Melanie Fiona - "Fool For You" from "The Ladykiller"

Adele - "Rumor Has It " from "21"

Mayer Hawthorne - "Work To Do" from "Impressions - The Covers EP"

Mayer Hawthorne - "No Strings" from "How Do You Do"

Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes - "Look At Me Now" from "F.A.M.E."

El DeBarge featuring Faith Evans - "Lay With You" from "Second Chance"

Coldplay - "Hurts Like Heaven" from "Mylo Xyloto"

Lalah Hathaway - "If You Want To" from "Where It All Begins"

Little Dragon - "Nightlight"  from "Ritual Union"

ADELE . . . AT LAST

Twenty-two year old British singer/songwriter Adele released her debut album, "19" in 2008. It first became a hit in her native country and eventually throughout most of the world with the exception of the United States. It did get some buzz here and receive critical praise but not much else until Adele got a lucky break by being the musical guest on the October 18th episode of the television show, "Saturday Night Live".

Tina Fey was the host and Vice-Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, who Ms Fey famously parodied, was going to make a highly anticipated appearance. That show was watched by 17 million viewers and overnight, Adele's album went to number one on the Itunes album charts and leaped thirty-six places on the Billboard Top 200 Album charts to number eleven the following week.

"19" has sold over 2.2 million copies worldwide and Adele would go on to be nominated for four Grammy Awards and winning two, including Best New Artist.

Adele's second album, entitled, "21" is set to be released on January 24, 2011 in the UK and in the U.S. on February 22. "Rolling In The Deep" is the first single off of the record and she is already promoting it here, having made a recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The song features her soulful voice combined with a slight country back beat which makes for an interesting sound. I'm looking forward to hearing what else she will be surprising us with on the forthcoming record.

This is a music video for the song which includes footage of the recording sessions for her latest album:



Here is "Chasing Pavements", one of my favorite songs off of "19":