THE 68TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Last year, the focus was on the fires that devastated Los Angeles and this year during the ceremony of the 68th annual Grammy Awards, was the current administration’s immigration crackdown that has recently turned tragically deadly. "ICE OUT" pins were worn by many in attendance and several artists made subtle yet passionate comments during their acceptance speeches including Billie Eilish who accurately proclaimed that "No one is illegal on stolen land".

For his sixth and final time as host, Trevor Noah largely continued to focus on playfully teasing the starry audience, rattling off Grammy statistics and rousing the crowd to give a performer or winner another round of applause. One notable change is that Noah, no longer feeling constrained with concern about his future on the show, delivered more pointed political jokes with one reference to Trump and the Epstein files which has sent the President into a litigious tizzy.

As always, the Grammys ceremony is less about handing out awards and more about the performances that you won't see anywhere else. And this show did not disappoint. Bruno Mars kicked off the show with a guitar-driven version of "APT", his duet with K-pop star, Rosé before returning later his band, the Hooligans to perform his new single, "I Just Might". Justin Bieber delivered a literally stripped down performance of "Yukon" from his nominated album, "Swag" in just his underwear and socks. Sabrina Carpenter reliably brought her campy style to the show with an airport setting for her performance of "Manchild" while Lady Gaga went darker for a manic version of "Abracadabra". And just like last year, all of the eight nominees for Best New Artist were given a spotlight to perform on the telecast with some (Lola Young, Leon Thomas and the eventual winner, Olivia Dean) faring better than others (Addison Rae, Katseye and Sombr).

But the highlight of the evening turned out to be a lengthy, "In Memoriam" musical tribute. It began with a lovely rendition of "Trailblazer" by country music legend, Reba McEntire, accompanied by Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson, shockingly making her very first appearance on the Grammy stage. Then an all-star rock line-up that included Post Malone, Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns N' Roses, paid tribute to the late heavy metal artist, Ozzy Osbourne by blasting through with a rousing version of Black Sabbath's, "War Pigs". The set concluded with Ms. Lauryn Hill, who had not appeared on the show since 1999, leading a memorable tribute to D'Angelo and Roberta Flack that was incredibly packed with an impressive group of performers that featured Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, Leon Thomas, Jon Batiste, Lalah Hathaway, John Legend, Chaka Khan and Wyclef Jean, who reunited with his former Fugees bandmate on stage to close with Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song".

While he was unable to perform due to his contractual commitment for his upcoming half-time show on the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny still made a major impact on the show with him winning Album of the Year for "Debí Tirar Más Fotos", becoming the first winner with a Spanish-language recording. The thirty-one performer also won two more awards for Best Música Urbana Album and Best Global Performance. Kendrick Lamar also scored big by winning five of his nine nominations which included Record of the Year for his musical tribute to the late Luther Vandross that featured SZA. Cher, a recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award this year, made an appearance to present Record of the Year. While it ended up being a bit of a mess with missed cues and the winners unable to decide who would speak, this iconic legend looked incredible and contributed to an unforgettable night. And Billie Eilish along with her brother, Finneas made history by becoming the first artists to win Song of the Year three times.

This is the final year the Grammys will air on CBS after fifty-four years of broadcasting the ceremony. The show will begin a ten-year deal on ABC, Hulu and Disney+ starting next year and taking it through to 2036. Time will tell if this will just be a continuation of the show's traditions or begin an exciting new chapter for the Grammys.

Here is a partial list of winners of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" - Bad Bunny
Record of the Year: "Luther" - Kendrick Lamar with SZA
Song of the Year: "Wildflower" - Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Best New Artist: Olivia Dean
Best Pop Vocal Album: "Mayhem" - Lady Gaga
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "A Matter of Time" - Laufey
Best Pop Solo Performance: "Messy" - Lola Young
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Defying Gravity" - Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Best Dance/Electronic Album: "Eusexua" - FKA twigs
Best Dance/Electronic Recording: "End of Summer" - Tame Impala
Best Dance Pop Recording: "Abracadabra" - Lady Gaga
Best Remixed Recording: "Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix)" - Gesaffelstein, remixer (Lady Gaga, Gesaffelstein)
Best Rock Album: "Never Enough" - Turnstile
Best Rock Performance: "Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back to the Beginning" - Yungblud featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman and II
Best Rock Song: "As Alive as You Need Me to Be" - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)
Best Alternative Music Album: "Songs of a Lost World" - The Cure
Best Alternative Music Performance: "Alone" - The Cure
Best R&B Album: "Mutt" - Leon Thomas
Best Progressive R&B Album: "Bloom" - Durand Bernarr
Best R&B Performance: "Folded" - Kehlani
Best Traditional R&B Performance: "Vibes Don’t Lie" - Leon Thomas
Best R&B Song:"Folded" - Darius Dixson, Andre Harris, Kehlani Parrish, Donovan Knight, Don Mills, Khris Riddick-Tynes and Dawit Kamal Wilson, songwriters (Kehlani)
Best Rap Album: "GNX" - Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap Performance: "Chains & Whips" - Clipse, Pusha T and Malice featuring Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams
Best Rap Song: "TV Off" - Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears and Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay)
Best Traditional Country Album: "Ain’t in It for My Health" - Zach Top
Best Contemporary Country Album: "Beautifully Broken" - Jelly Roll
Best Country Solo Performance: "Bad as I Used to Be (from "F1: The Movie")" - Chris Stapleton
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "Amen" - Shaboozey and Jelly Roll
Best Country Song: "Bitin’ List" - Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers)
Best Americana Album: "Big Money" - Jon Batiste
Best American Roots Performance: "Beautiful Strangers" - Mavis Staples
Best Americana Performance: "Godspeed" - Mavis Staples
Best Folk Album: "Wild and Clear and Blue" - I’m With Her
Best Jazz Vocal Album: "Portrait" - Samara Joy
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: "Southern Nights" - Sullivan Fortner featuring Peter Washington and Marcus Gilmore
Best Alternative Jazz Album: "Live-Action" - Nate Smith
Best Jazz Performance: "Windows — Live" - Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Brian Blade
Best Traditional Blues Album: "Ain’t Done With the Blues" - Buddy Guy
Best Contemporary Blues Album: "Preacher Kids" - Robert Randolph
Best Gospel Album: "Heart of Mine" - Darrel Walls and PJ Morton
Best Latin Pop Album: "Cancionera" - Natalia Lafourcade
Best Tropical Latin Album: "Raíces" - Gloria Estefan
Best Reggae Album: "Blxxd & Fyah" - Keznamdi
Best African Music Performance: "Push 2 Start" - Tyla
Best Musical Theater Album: "Buena Vista Social Club" - Marco Paguia, Dean Sharenow and David Yazbek, producers (Original Broadway Cast)
Best Comedy Album: "Your Friend, Nate Bargatze" - Nate Bargatze
Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording: "Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama" - Dalai Lama
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: "Sinners" (Various Artists); Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson and Serena Göransson, compilation producers; Niki Sherrod, music supervisor
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film and Television): "Sinners" - Ludwig Göransson, composer
Best Song Written for Visual Media: "Golden" from "KPop Demon Hunters" - Ejae, Park Hong Jun, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (Huntr/x: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami)
Best Music Video: "Anxiety" - Doechii
Best Music Film: "Music by John Williams" - John Williams
Best Album Cover: "Chromakopia" - Shaun Llewellyn and Luis “Panch” Perez, art directors (Tyler, the Creator)
Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical): Amy Allen
Producer of the Year (Non-Classical): Cirkut

2025 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

The nominees have been announced for the 2025 Grammy Awards with Kendrick Lamar leading the nominations with nine, including Record, Song and Album of the Year, for his album, "GNX". The rest of the Album of the Year nominees include Lady Gaga, also one of the most nominated artists for Grammys with seven for her recent studio album "Mayhem"; the Latin music superstar, Bad Bunny is up for three awards in the top categories for his latest album, "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" and a total of six nominations; Sabrina Carpenter also received six nominations for her album, "Man"s Best Friend" as well as fellow actor/musician Leon Thomas for his second studio album, "Mutt"; Justin Bieber has been recognized for his recent pop-soul collection, "Swag"; "Chromakopia", the album from alt-hip-hop artist, Tyler, The Creator, has a total of five nominations and the hip-hop duo, Clispe has been recognized for their fourth recording collaboration, "Let God Sort Em Out".

This year sees the introduction by The Recording Academy of two new categories: Best Album Cover and Best Traditional Country Album. While honoring album cover art seems long overdue, the splitting of the country music album category from "traditional" and "contemporary" seems to be as a direct result of Beyoncé's win in this category last year for her alt-country work, "Cowboy Carter", clearly disturbing some members of the Academy. However from the look of the nominees in these categories it appears to be very arbitrary on the selections with no obvious reasoning on the distinction of what makes an artist modern or traditional country.

The 68th annual Grammy Awards will be revealed on Sunday, February 1, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. CBS will air the award show and stream it live on Paramount+.

Here is a partial list of the nominations for the 2025 Grammy Awards:

Album Of The Year:

"Debí Tirar Más Fotos" – Bad Bunny
"Swag" – Justin Bieber
"Man’s Best Friend" – Sabrina Carpenter
"Let God Sort Em Out" – Clipse
"Mayhem" – Lady Gaga
"GNX" – Kendrick Lamar
"Mutt" – Leon Thomas
"Chromakopia" – Tyler, The Creator

Record Of The Year:

"Debí Tirar Más Fotos" – Bad Bunny
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Anxiety” – Doechii
“Wild Flower” – Billie Eilish
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
“Luther” – Kendrick Lamar with SZA
“The Subway” – Chappell Roan
“Apt” – Rosé and Bruno Mars

Song Of The Year:

“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga (Songwriters: Lady Gaga, Henry Walter and Andrew Watt)
“Anxiety” – Doechii (Songwriter: Jaylah Hickmon)
“Apt” – Rosé and Bruno Mars (Songwriters: Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas and Henry Walter)
“Debí Tirar Más Fotos” – Bad Bunny (Songwriters: Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Hugo René Sención Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry and Roberto José Rosado Torres)
“Golden” – Huntr/x:  (Songwriters: Ejae and Mark Sonnenblick)
“Luther” – Kendrick Lamar with SZA (Songwriters: Jack Antonof, Roswita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solána Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears and Kamasi Washington)
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter (Songwriters: Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff and Sabrina Carpenter)
“Wildflower” – Billie Eilish (Songwriters: Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell)

Best New Artist:

Olivia Dean
Katseye
The Marias
Addison Rae
Sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"Swag" – Justin Bieber
"Man’s Best Friend" – Sabrina Carpenter
"Something Beautiful" – Miley Cyrus
"Mayhem" – Lady Gaga
"I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy" (Part 2) – Teddy Swims

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

"Wintersongs" - Laila Biali
"The Gift Of Love" - Jennifer Hudson
"Who Believes In Angels?" - Elton John & Brandi Carlile
"Harlequin" - Lady Gaga
"A Matter Of Time" - Laufey
"The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2" - Barbra Streisand

Best Pop Solo Performance:

“Daisies” – Justin Bieber
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Disease” – Lady Gaga
“The Subway” – Chappell Roan
“Messy” – Lola Young

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

“Defying Gravity” – Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
“Golden” – HUNTR/X 
“Gabriela” – KATSEYE
“APT.” – ROSÉ, Bruno Mars
“30 For 30” – SZA With Kendrick Lamar

Best Dance Pop Recording:

“Bluest Flame” – Selena Gomez & benny blanco
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
“Midnight Sun” – Zara Larsson
“Just Keep Watching” – Tate McRae
“Illegal” – PinkPantheress

Best Dance/Electronic Album:

"EUSEXUA" - FKA twigs
"Ten Days" - Fred again..
"Fancy That" - PinkPantheress
"Inhale/Exhale" - RÜFÜS DU SOL
"F— U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!!" - Skrillex

Best R&B Album:

"BELOVED" - GIVĒON
"Why Not More?" - Coco Jones 

"The Crown" - Ledisi
"Escape Room" - Teyana Taylor
"MUTT" - Leon Thomas

Best Progressive R&B Album:

"BLOOM" - Durand Bernarr
"Adjust Brightness" - Bilal
"LOVE ON DIGITAL" - Destin Conrad
"Access All Areas" - FLO
"Come As You Are" - Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon

Best R&B Performance:

“YUKON” – Justin Bieber
“It Depends” – Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller
“Folded” – Kehlani
“MUTT (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk)” – Leon Thomas
“Heart Of A Woman” – Summer Walker

Best Rap Album:

"Let God Sort Em Out" – Clipse
"GLORIOUS" – GloRilla
"God Does Like Ugly" – JID
"GNX" – Kendrick Lamar
"Chromakopia" – Tyler, The Creator

Best Rap Performance:

"Outside" - Cardi B
"Chains & Whips" - Clipse Featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams
"Anxiety" - Doechii
"tv off" - Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay
"Darling, I" - Tyler, The Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown

Best Alternative Music Album:

"SABLE, fABLE" – Bon Iver
"Songs Of A Lost World" – The Cure
"DON’T TAP THE GLASS" – Tyler, The Creator
"moisturizer" – Wet Leg
"Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party" – Hayley Williams

Best Traditional Country Album:

"Dollar A Day" – Charley Crockket
"American Romance" – Lukas Nelson
"Oh What a Beautiful World" – Willie Nelson
"Hard Headed Woman" – Margo Price
"Ain’t In It for My Health" – Zach Top

Best Contemporary Country Album:

"Patterns" – Kelsea Ballerini
"Snipe Hunter" – Tyler Childers
"Evangeline vs. The Machine" – Eric Church
"Beautifully Broken" – Jelly Roll
"Postcards from Texas" – Miranda Lambert

Best Country Solo Performance:

“Nose On The Grindstone” – Tyler Childers
“Good News” – Shaboozey
“Bad As I Used To Be” – Chris Stapleton
“I Never Lie” – Zach Top
“Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:

"A Song To Sing" - Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton
"Trailblazer" - Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson
"Love Me Like You Used To Do" - Margo Price & Tyler Childers
"Amen" - Shaboozey & Jelly Roll
"Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame" - George Strait & Chris Stapleton

Best Americana Album:

"Big Money" – Jon Batiste
"Bloom" – Larkin Poe
"Last Leaf On The Tree" – Willie Nelson
"So Long Little Miss Sunshine" – Molly Tuttle
"Middle" – Jesse Welles

Best Latin Pop Album:

"Cosa Nuestra" – Rauw Alejandro
"BOGOTÁ" (Deluxe) – Andrés Cepeda
"Tropicoqueta" – KAROL G
"Cancionera" – Natalia Lafourcade
"¿Y ahora qué?" – Alejandro Sanz

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television):

"How To Train Your Dragon" – John Powell, composer
"Severance: Season 2" – Theodore Shapiro, composer
"Sinners" – Ludwig Göransson, composer
"Wicked" – John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers
"The Wild Robot" – Kris Bowers, composer

Best Album Cover:

"Chromakopia" - Shaun Llewellyn & Luis “Panch” Perez, art directors (Tyler, The Creator) 

"The Crux" - William Wesley II, art director (Djo)
"Debí Tirar Más Fotos" - Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, art director (Bad Bunny)
"Glory" - Cody Critcheloe & Andrew J.S., art directors (Perfume Genius)
"moisturizer" - Hester Chambers, Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes, Matt de Jong, Jamie-James Medina, Joshua Mobaraki & Rhian Teasdale, art directors (Wet Leg)

Songwriter Of The Year (Non-Classical):

Amy Allen
Jessie Jo Dillon
Edgar Barrera
Tobias Jesso Jr.

Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical):

Dan Auerbach
Cirkut
Dijon
Blake Mills
Sounwave

ROBERTA FLACK (1937 - 2025)

Roberta Flack, one of the premiere vocal stylists to perform in popular music, has sadly passed away on February 24th. She had been in poor health over the last few years, suffering from a stroke and later diagnosed with ALS. Flack was eighty-eight. 

With a voice that was subtle yet resonant and powerfully emotional, Flack seemed to capture attention immediately after deciding to make music her career. After first becoming a school teacher in Washington D.C., the Howard University graduate began venturing out to perform at small clubs around town. This eventually lead to a meeting with executives at Atlantic Records and after a three-hour audition, Flack was signed to the label and her 1969 debut release, "First Take" quickly followed. The album did receive critical acclaim yet not much commercial attention. Her next two releases over the next couple of years, "Chapter Two" and "Quiet Fire" didn't fare much better. 

However Flack earned a fan with actor Clint Eastwood. He was in the process of making his directorial film debut in 1971, "Play Misty For Me" and not only did he use her sensual version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" from her debut (originally a folk song written by British political singer/songwriter, Ewan MacColl in 1957) but he devoted the entire recording to a memorable sequence in the film. And because of the popularity of "Play Misty For Me", "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was promptly released as a single, becoming a smash hit in the US, reaching number one for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Flack would go on to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for this song.

Flack had befriended fellow label mate, singer Donny Hathaway, recording several songs he had written on her previous albums, and it was suggested that they should record an album together. "Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway" was released in 1972 and the single, "Where Is the Love" became a popular top-five pop hit and earning the duo a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

She went to work on her next solo album and Flack hit number one again the following year with the title track, "Killing Me Softly With His Song". This single would go on to win the singer another Grammy for Record of The Year, making her the only artist at the time to have won this honor consecutively (U2 would later also achieve this feat). The song would find new life again in 1996 when The Fugees gave it a hip-hop beat and took it back to the top of the charts in the U.S. and Britain.

Flack would enjoy more hits with "Feel Like Makin' Love" (another number one pop hit); reteaming with Hathaway on "The Closer I Get to You", "You Are My Heaven" and "Back Together Again"; "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love", a duet with Peabo Bryson and "Set the Night to Music" with Maxi Priest.

Roberta Flack achieved a great amount of success throughout her lengthy career yet she had little interest in fame. Her focus remained always on the music. Never flashy nor ever felt the need to flaunt, what Flack brought with her singular gifts were considerable songs that are intuitive and heartfelt. She was a true original whose musical contributions will continue to endure for many generations to come.

THE 67TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

While music was the main focus of the 67th annual Grammy Awards, the wildfires that recently devastated the Los Angeles area was a top priority for the ceremony. Throughout the show, fundraising was being done for the California Fire Relief Fund, asking for donations to help. The evening began with the band, Dawes, an LA based, folk rock duo who lost their homes and recording studio in the fires, performing a version of Randy Newman's "I Love LA" with an all-star backing band that included John Legend, St. Vincent, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley and Brittany Howard. Later in the show, Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga paid tribute to Los Angeles with their take on the Mamas and the Papas' "California Dreaming". Comedian, Trevor Noah returned for the fifth consecutive time to serve as host and continued to deliver a feel-good mood and light humor to the show.

As it has been stated before on previous Grammys, some of the highlights on the show were moments you would not see anywhere else. Surprisingly for the very first time, all the nominees for Best New Artist performed live on the show with the psychedelic rock trio, Khruangbin, pop vocalists, Benson Boone, Raye and Teddy Swims, hip-hop country artist, Shaboozey and rising rapper, Doechii (who put on an amazing set and won Best Rap Album, for her mixtape, "Alligator Bites Never Heal" earlier), with each displaying exactly why they were nominated. Fellow nominees in this category, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan had their own big production showcases as they were two of the biggest acts from last year. And Charli XCX brought the rave scene to the Grammys with a kinetic performance of "Von Dutch" and "Guess".

A starry tribute to the late Quincy Jones, who passed away last year at ninety-one, with Will Smith providing commentary of the legendary producer who began in jazz and expanded to pop music with Cynthia Erivo along with Herbie Hancock doing a sensational version of "Fly Me To the Moon"; country singer, Lainey Wilson and jazz musician, Jacob Collier teamed up to perform the jump blues number, "Let the Good Times Roll"; Stevie Wonder played harmonica accompanied by Hancock on "Bluesette" and leads a version of "We Are The World" with backing by Los Angeles students who lost their school in the fires and Janelle Monáe throwing down with a thrilling version of Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".

The Recording Academy President, Harvey Mason Jr. came out to speak on the changes the Grammys have done to diversify and expand the group after The Weeknd had publicly criticized the awards for the lack of transparency in the award selection process and stated he would boycott the ceremony. And to prove that he accepted the efforts made to improve the Grammys, The Weeknd came out to perform his new song, "Cry For Me", followed by "Timeless" along with rapper Playboi Carti.

Female artists dominated the nominations this year so it's no surprise that they walked away with a majority of awards handed out. And it was these musicians that made some important and memorable statements about the vulnerable and marginalized during their moment in the spotlight. During her acceptance speech for winning Best New Artist, Chappell Roan took the opportunity to call out record labels to support developing artists with livable wages and health care, explaining the struggles she went through having no skills to fall back on after being dropped from her label. Lady Gaga continued her unwavering support of the trans community when she received Best Pop Duo or Group with Bruno Mars. Alicia Keys was the recipient of this year's Dr. Dre Global Impact Award,  delivering a moving speech that drove home the point of the importance of female creatives being recognized for their contributions (and name checked several) and to fight back against shutting down the diversity in music, proclaiming rightly that DEI is not a threat but a gift.

The only male artist who received a major award was Kendrick Lamar for his popular diss track targeting his former friend, Canadian rapper Drake, "Not Like Us" who took home Song of the Year and Record of the Year and winning a total of five Grammys.

And Beyoncé, presented by members of the Los Angeles Fire Department, finally received Album of the Year for her country music concept album, "Cowboy Carter".  After being snubbed by the Country Music Association, she was visibly stunned to receive the Best Country Album award earlier in the evening. So by the time of the final award of the night, Beyoncé, who became only the fourth Black female to receive this prize, appeared to be a bit overwhelmed yet managed to thank the fire fighters, acknowledge one of the first yet slighted African-American country singers, Linda Martell, slyly implying that the prize was long overdue and encouraged artists to keep pushing forward. And while I wouldn't say that "Cowboy Carter" was my favorite out of her eight solo studio albums to date, Beyoncé continues to boldly experiment, not willing to settle for the expected and unafraid to be a little weird. This alone makes "Cowboy Carter" the album of the year.

Here is a partial list of the winners from the 2025 Grammys:

Album of the Year: "Cowboy Carter" – Beyoncé
Record of the Year: "Not Like Us" — Kendrick Lamar
Song of the Year: "Not Like Us" – Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)
Best New Artist: Chappell Roan
Best Pop Vocal Album: "Short n' Sweet" — Sabrina Carpenter
Best Pop Solo Performance: "Espresso" — Sabrina Carpenter
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Die with a Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "Visions" — Norah Jones
Best Dance/Electronic Album: "Brat" — Charli XCX
Best Dance/Electronic Recording: "Neverender" — Justice & Tame Impala
Best Dance Pop Recording: "Von Dutch" — Charli XCX
Best Rap Album: "Alligator Bites Never Heal" — Doechii
Best Rap Performance: "Not Like Us" — Kendrick Lamar
Best Melodic Rap Performance: "3" — Rapsody Featuring Erykah Badu
Best Rap Song: "Not Like Us" — Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)
Best R&B Album: "11:11 (Deluxe)" — Chris Brown
Best Progressive R&B Album: "So Glad to Know You" — Avery*Sunshine and "Why Lawd?" — NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) (Tie)
Best R&B Performance: "Made For Me (Live On BET)" — Muni Long
Best Traditional R&B Performance: "That's You" — Lucky Daye
Best R&B Song: "Saturn" — Rob Bisel, Cian Ducrot, Carter Lang, Solána Rowe, Jared Solomon & Scott Zhang, songwriters (SZA)
Best Rock Album: "Hackney Diamonds" — The Rolling Stones
Best Rock Performance: "Now and Then" — The Beatles
Best Rock Song: "Broken Man" — Annie Clark, songwriter (St. Vincent)
Best Alternative Music Album: "All Born Screaming" — St. Vincent
Best Alternative Music Performance: "Flea" — St. Vincent
Best Gospel Album: "More Than This" — CeCe Winans
Best Country Album: "Cowboy Carter" — Beyoncé
Best Country Solo Performance: "It Takes A Woman" — Chris Stapleton
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "II MOST WANTED" — Beyoncé Featuring Miley Cyrus
Best Country Song: "The Architect" — Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
Best Latin Pop Album: "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran" — Shakira
Best Jazz Album: "A Joyful Holiday" — Samara Joy
Best Comedy Album: "The Dreamer" — Dave Chappelle
Best Musical Theater Album: "Hell’s Kitchen (Original Broadway Cast)" 

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording: "Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration" — Jimmy Carter
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: "Maestro: Music By Leonard Bernstein"
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television): "Dune: Part Two" — Hans Zimmer, composer
Best Song Written For Visual Media: "It Never Went Away" [From "American Symphony"] — Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
Best Music Video: "Not Like Us" — Kendrick Lamar
Best Music Film: "American Symphony" 

Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical): Amy Allen
Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical): Daniel Nigro

2024 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

The 2024 Grammy Award nominations have been announced and once again, women are dominating in this year's race which includes, for the very first time, that no men were nominated for "Best Pop Vocal Album". And with eleven nominations, Beyoncé has become the most nominated artist in the history of the Grammys (breaking the tie with her husband, Jay-Z) for her alt-country album, "Cowboy Carter". This album is just one of eight competing for Album of the Year with the other nominees are the flute driven, instrumental album, "New Blue Sun" from André 3000 who has been best known as a hip-hop performer; "Short n’ Sweet", the breakthrough album by the latest pop sensation, Sabrina Carpenter; "Brat", the British pop artist, Charli XCX's first major hit on this side of the Atlantic; fellow Brit, Jacob Collier and his breakout collection of alternative jazz, "Djesse Vol. 4"; "Hit Me Hard and Soft", the latest from the edgy pop artist, Billie Eilish; the alt-pop debut from Chappell Roan, "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" and last year's winner of this prize, Taylor Swift for her album, "The Tortured Poets Department".

The 67th annual Grammy Awards will be presented live on Sunday, February 2, 2025 from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The ceremony will also stream on Paramount+. Here is a partial list of this year's nominations:

Album of the Year:

"New Blue Sun" – André 3000
"Cowboy Carter" – Beyoncé
"Short n’ Sweet" – Sabrina Carpenter
"Brat" – Charli XCX
"Djesse Vol. 4" – Jacob Collier
"Hit Me Hard and Soft" – Billie Eilish
"The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess" – Chappell Roan
"The Tortured Poets Department" – Taylor Swift

Record Of The Year:

“Now and Then” - The Beatles
“Texas Hold ‘Em” - Beyoncé
“Espresso”- Sabrina Carpenter
“360” - Charli XCX
“Birds of a Feather” - Billie Eilish
“Not Like Us” - Kendrick Lamar
“Good Luck, Babe!” - Chappell Roan
“Fortnight” - Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone

Song of the Year:

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” - Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry & Mark Williams, songwriters (Shaboozey)
“Birds of a Feather” - Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“Die With a Smile” - Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars)
“Fortnight” - Jack Antonoff, Austin Post & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone)
“Good Luck, Babe!” - Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Daniel Nigro & Justin Tranter, songwriters (Chappell Roan)
“Not Like Us” - Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)
“Please Please Please” - Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)
“Texas Hold ‘Em” - Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé)

Best New Artist:

Benson Boone
Sabrina Carpenter
Doechii
Khruangbin
Raye
Chappell Roan
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims

Best Pop Vocal Album:

“Short n’ Sweet” - Sabrina Carpenter
“Hit Me Hard and Soft” - Billie Eilish
“Eternal Sunshine” - Ariana Grande
“The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” - Chappell Roan
“The Tortured Poets Department” - Taylor Swift

Best Pop Solo Performance:

“Bodyguard” - Beyoncé
“Espresso” - Sabrina Carpenter
“Apple” - Charli XCX
“Birds of a Feather” - Billie Eilish
“Good Luck, Babe!” -Chappell Roan

Best Pop Dup/Group Performance:

“Us” - Gracie Abrams Featuring Taylor Swift
“Levii’s Jeans” - Beyoncé Featuring Post Malone
“Guess” - Charli XCX & Billie Eilish
“The Boy Is Mine” - Ariana Grande, Brandy & Monica
“Die With a Smile” -Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

"À Fleur De Peau" - Cyrille Aimée
"Visions" - Norah Jones
"Good Together" - Lake Street Dive
"Impossible Dream" - Aaron Lazar
"Christmas Wish" - Gregory Porter

Best Dance/Electronic Album:

“Brat” - Charli XCX
“Three” - Four Tet
“Hyperdrama” - Justice
“Timeless” - Kaytranada
“Telos” - Zedd

Best Dance Pop Recording:

“Make You Mine” - Madison Beer
“Von Dutch” - Charli XCX
“L’Amour de Ma Vie [Over Now Extended Edit]” - Billie Eilish
“Yes, And?” - Ariana Grande
“Got Me Started” - Troye Sivan

Best Dance/Electronic Recording:

“She’s Gone, Dance On” - Disclosure
“Loved” - Four Tet
“Leavemealone” - Fred Again & Baby Keem
“Neverender” - Justice & Tame Impala
“Witchy” - Kaytranada Featuring Childish Gambino

Best R&B Album:

"11:11 (Deluxe)" — Chris Brown
"VANTABLACK" — Lalah Hathaway
"Revenge" — Muni Long
"Algorithm" — Lucky Daye
"Coming Home" — Usher

Best R&B Performance:

“Guidance” — Jhené Aiko
“Residuals” — Chris Brown
“Here We Go (Uh Oh)” — Coco Jones
“Made For Me (Live On BET)” — Muni Long
“Saturn” — SZA

Best Traditional R&B Performance:

“Wet” — Marsha Ambrosius
“Can I Have This Groove” — Kenyon Dixon
“No Lie” — Lalah Hathaway Featuring Michael McDonald
“Make Me Forget” — Muni Long
“That’s You” — Lucky Daye

Best Rap Album:

"Might Delete Later" — J. Cole
"The Auditorium, Vol. 1" — Common & Pete Rock
"Alligator Bites Never Heal" — Doechii
"The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)" — Eminem
"We Don’t Trust You" — Future & Metro Boomin

Best Rap Performance:

“Enough (Miami)” — Cardi B
“When The Sun Shines Again” — Common & Pete Rock Featuring Posdnuos
“Nissan Altima” — Doechii
“Houdini” — Eminem
“Like That” — Future & Metro Boomin Featuring Kendrick Lamar
“Yeah Glo!” — GloRilla
“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar

Best Rock Album:

“Happiness Bastards” - The Black Crowes
“Romance” - Fontaines D.C.
“Saviors” - Green Day
“TANGK” - Idles
“Dark Matter” - Pearl Jam
“Hackney Diamonds” - The Rolling Stones
“No Name” - Jack White

Best Rock Performance:

“Now and Then” — The Beatles
“Beautiful People (Stay High)” — The Black Keys
“The American Dream Is Killing Me” — Green Day
“Gift Horse” — IDLES
“Dark Matter” — Pearl Jam
“Broken Man” — St. Vincent

Best Alternative Music Album:

"Wild God" — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
"Charm" — Clairo
"The Collective" — Kim Gordon
"What Now" — Brittany Howard
"All Born Screaming" — St. Vincent

Best Alternative Music Performance:

“Neon Pill” — Cage The Elephant
“Song Of The Lake” — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
“Starburster” — Fontaines D.C.
“Bye Bye” — Kim Gordon
“Flea” — St. Vincent

Best Country Album:

"Cowboy Carter" — Beyoncé
"F-1 Trillion" — Post Malone
"Deeper Well" — Kacey Musgraves
"Higher" — Chris Stapleton
"Whirlwind" — Lainey Wilson

Best Country Solo Performance:

“16 CARRIAGES” — Beyoncé
“I Am Not Okay” — Jelly Roll
“The Architect” — Kacey Musgraves
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey
“It Takes A Woman” — Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:

“Cowboys Cry Too” — Kelsea Ballerini With Noah Kahan
“II MOST WANTED” — Beyoncé Featuring Miley Cyrus
“Break Mine” — Brothers Osborne
“Bigger Houses” — Dan + Shay
“I Had Some Help” — Post Malone Featuring Morgan Wallen

Best Americana Album:

"The Other Side" — T Bone Burnett
"$10 Cowboy" — Charley Crockett
"Trail Of Flowers" — Sierra Ferrell
"Polaroid Lovers" — Sarah Jarosz
"No One Gets Out Alive" — Maggie Rose
"Tigers Blood' — Waxahatchee

Best Folk Album:

"American Patchwork Quartet" — American Patchwork Quartet
"Weird Faith" — Madi Diaz
"Bright Future" — Adrianne Lenker
"All My Friends" — Aoife O’Donovan
"Woodland" — Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

Best Gospel Album:

"Covered Vol. 1" — Melvin Crispell III
"Choirmaster II (Live)" — Ricky Dillard
"Father’s Day" — Kirk Franklin
"Still Karen" — Karen Clark Sheard
"More Than This" — CeCe Winans

Best Jazz Vocal Album:

"Journey In Black" — Christie Dashiell
"Wildflowers Vol. 1" — Kurt Elling & Sullivan Fortner
"A Joyful Holiday" — Samara Joy
"Milton + Esperanza" — Milton Nascimento & Esperanza spalding
"My Ideal" — Catherine Russell & Sean Mason

Best Jazz Performance:

“Walk With Me, Lord (Sound/Spirit)” — The Baylor Project
“Phoenix Reimagined (Live)” — Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Randy Brecker, Jeff “Tain” Watts & John Scofield
“Juno” — Chick Corea & Béla Fleck
“Twinkle Twinkle Little Me” — Samara Joy Featuring Sullivan Fortner
“Little Fears”— Dan Pugach Big Band Featuring Nicole Zuraitis & Troy Roberts

Best Latin Pop Album:

"Funk Generation" — Anitta
"El Viaje" — Luis Fonsi
"GARCÍA" — Kany García
"Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran" — Shakira
"ORQUÍDEAS" — Kali Uchis

Best Comedy Album:

"Armageddon" — Ricky Gervais
"The Dreamer" — Dave Chappelle
"The Prisoner" — Jim Gaffigan
"Someday You’ll Die" — Nikki Glaser
"Where Was I" — Trevor Noah

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television):

"American Fiction" — Laura Karpman, composer
"Challengers" — Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, composers
"The Color Purple" — Kris Bowers, composer
"Dune: Part Two" — Hans Zimmer, composer
"Shōgun" — Nick Chuba, Atticus Ross & Leopold Ross, composers

Best Song Written For Visual Media:

"Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma [From “Twisters: The Album”]" — Jessi Alexander, Luke Combs & Jonathan Singleton, songwriters (Luke Combs)
"Better Place [From “TROLLS Band Together”]" — Amy Allen, Shellback & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (*NSYNC & Justin Timberlake)
"Can’t Catch Me Now [From “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”]" — Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Olivia Rodrigo)
"It Never Went Away [From “American Symphony”]" — Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
"Love Will Survive [From “The Tattooist of Auschwitz”]" — Walter Afanasieff, Charlie Midnight, Kara Talve & Hans Zimmer, songwriters (Barbra Streisand)

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:

"The Color Purple" — (Various Artists)
"Deadpool & Wolverine" — (Various Artists)
"Maestro: Music By Leonard Bernstein" — London Symphony Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Bradley Cooper
"Saltburn" — (Various Artists)
"Twisters: The Album" — (Various Artists)

Best Music Video:

“Tailor Swif” — A$AP Rocky
“360” — Charli xcx
“Houdini” — Eminem
“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
“Fortnight” — Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone

Songwriter Of The Year:

Jessi Alexander
Amy Allen
Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Raye

Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical):

Alissia
Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II
Ian Fitchuk
Mustard
Daniel Nigro

TURN THE LIGHTS BACK ON

Billy Joel had been trying to make it into music since his early days as a teenager living in Long Island, NY, playing in several bands and performing solo gigs in bars around town. He got signed to a local label but his debut album in 1971, while displaying his extraordinary gift for songwriting, failed to find an audience. A live recording of a song, "Captain Jack" received some local attention which led to a Columbia Records executive becoming interested in Joel. He was signed to the label, moved to Los Angeles and recorded the album, "Piano Man" in 1973. The title track, a retelling of Joel's experiences during his time as a lounge singer living in LA, reached the top-thirty on the pop chart. And while it appeared Joel was headed towards becoming a major pop artist, his next two albums were only modest sellers, yet his songwriting skills were greatly admired including Barbra Streisand recording a version of his song, "New York State of Mind" in 1977.

Joel's big breakthrough came that same year with "The Stranger". The album had four top-forty singles, winning Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Just the Way You Are" and selling over ten million copies. This began a long string of hit albums and songs for Joel, with thirty-three top-forty hits (all that he had written) in the U.S., until he released his twelfth studio album, "River of Dreams" in 1993. Feeling disappointed by the lack of successful singles despite all of the hard work he had put in to make the album, Joel became disillusioned by the grind of the pop music business and decided to walk away.

But he didn't leave the music business entirely however with Joel touring extensively over the following years, which included a long-running series of concert tours with Elton John and a residency at Madison Square Garden. And he did record one more album in 2001, "Fantasies & Delusions" but it contained only classical solo piano pieces composed by Joel.

Now Joel has just unexpectedly released a new song, "Turn the Light Back On". This is not really the first pop song he has released since '93 (he had a couple of original tracks in 2007) but this feels like a song that perfectly captures his sound back in his hit-making days. This sentimental ballad is about hoping it's not too late to save a relationship suffering from neglect. A singer's voice will diminish somewhat over time, especially for hard-working, seasoned performers, yet the seventy-four-year old's vocals here are impressively robust and polished. I really love this song and hopefully this could lead to a complete album down the road. But in the meantime, be sure to catch Joel on this year's Grammy Awards show on February 4th where he will premiere "Turn the Lights Back on" with a live performance.

2023 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

The 2023 Grammy Award nominations have been announced and women dominate all the major categories with SZA and her sophomore alt-soul release, "SOS" received the most nominations with nine including Album of the Year. Indie rocker, Phoebe Bridgers (which includes her work with boygenius) and r&b vocalist, Victoria Monét each follow with a total of seven nods while Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Miley Cyrus, all received six.

Jon Batiste is the only male artist to be recognized for Album of the Year (who won the prize two years ago for "We Are") for his concept record, "World Music Radio". The debut studio album of boygenius, "The Record", an indie-rock supergroup which consists of Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus; Janelle Monáe's latest Afrobeat inspired collection, "The Age of Pleasure"; and Lana Del Rey's psychedelic-pop record, "Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" fill out the Album of the Year category along with Swift's "Midnights", Cyrus' "Endless Summer Vacation" and Rodrigo's follow-up album, "Guts".

This is a record year for Swift, with an overall total of twelve wins and a career year-to-date of forty-six nominations, who now holds a Grammy record with her nomination for Song of the Year with "Anti-Hero", making this her seventh in the category, the most held by any songwriter. And the Recording Academy has added three new categories this year: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording.

The 66th annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 4, 2024 and can be viewed on CBS and Paramount+. Here is a partial list of the nominations of the 2023 Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year:

"The Record" - boygenius
"The Age of Pleasure" - Janelle Monáe
"World Music Radio" - Jon Batiste
"Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" - Lana Del Rey
"Endless Summer Vacation" - Miley Cyrus
"Guts" - Olivia Rodrigo
"SOS" - SZA
"Midnights" - Taylor Swift

Record of the Year:

"Worship" - Jon Batiste
"Not Strong Enough" - boygenius
"Flowers" - Miley Cyrus
“What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish
"On My Mama" - Victoria Monét
"Vampire" - Olivia Rodrigo
"Anti-Hero" - Taylor Swift

Song of the Year:

"A&W"— Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey & Sam Dew, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
"Anti-Hero" — Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
"Butterfly" — Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
"Dance the Night" (From the Motion Picture, "Barbie") — Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
"Flowers" — Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Miley Cyrus)
"Kill Bill" — Rob Bisel, Carter Lang & Solána Rowe, songwriters (SZA)
"Vampire” — Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Oliva Rodrigo)
"What Was I Made For?" (From the Motion Picture "Barbie") — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

Best New Artist:

Coco Jones
Gracie Abrams
Fred Again..
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Noah Kahan
Victoria Monét
The War and Treaty

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"Chemistry" - Kelly Clarkson
"Endless Summer Vacation" - Miley Cyrus
"Guts"- Olivia Rodrigo
"- (Subtract)" - Ed Sheeran
"Midnights" - Taylor Swift

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Flowers" - Miley Cyrus
"Paint the Town Red" - Doja Cat
"What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish
"Vampire" - Olivia Rodrigo
"Anti-Hero" - Taylor Swift

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Thousand Miles" Miley Cyrus featuring Brandi Carlile
"Candy Necklace" - Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste
"Never Felt So Alone" - Labrinth featuring Billie Eilish
"Karma" -Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice
"Ghost in the Machine" - SZA featuring Phoebe Bridgers

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

"To Steve with Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim" - Liz Callaway
"Pieces Of Treasure" - Rickie Lee Jones
"Bewitched" - Laufey
"Holidays Around the World" - Pentatonix
"Only The Strong Survive" - Bruce Springsteen
"Sondheim Unplugged (The NYC Sessions), Vol. 3" - Various Artists

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album:

"Playing Robots into Heaven" - James Blake
"For That Beautiful Feeling" - The Chemical Brothers
"Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022)" - Fred Again..
"Kx5" - Kx5
"Quest For Fire" - Skrillex

Best Pop Dance Recording:

"Baby Don’t Hurt Me" - David Guetta, Anne-Marie and Coi Leray
"Miracle" - Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding
"Padam Padam" Kylie Minogue
"One in a Million" - Bebe Rexha & David Guetta
"Rush" - Troye Sivan

Best Dance/Electronic Recording:

"Blackbox Life Recorder 21F" - Aphex Twin
"Loading" - James Blake
"Higher Than Ever Before" - Disclosure
"Strong" - Romy & Fred Again..
"Rumble" - Skrillex, Fred Again.. & Flowdan

Best R&B Album:

"Girls Night Out" - Babyface
"What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe)" - Coco Jones
"Special Occasion" - Emily King
"Jaguar II" - Victoria Monét
"Clear 2: Soft Life EP" - Summer Walker

Best R&B Performance:

"Summer Too Hot" - Chris Brown
"Back To Love" - Robert Glasper Featuring SiR & Alex Isley
"ICU" - Coco Jones
"How Does It Make You Feel" - Victoria Monét
"Kill Bill" - SZA

Best Traditional R&B Performance:

"Simple" - Babyface Featuring Coco Jones
"Lucky" - Kenyon Dixon
"Hollywood" - Victoria Monét Featuring Earth, Wind & Fire & Hazel Monét
"Good Morning" - PJ Morton Featuring Susan Carol
"Love Language" - SZA

Best Rap Album:

"Her Loss" - Drake & 21 Savage
"Michael" - Killer Mike
"Heroes & Villains" - Metro Boomin
"King's Disease III" - Nas
"Utopia" - Travis Scott

Best Rap Performance:

"The Hillbillies" - Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar
"Love Letter" - Black Thought
"Rich Flex" - Drake & 21 Savage
"Scientists & Engineers" - "Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane
"Players" - Coi Leray

Best Melodic Rap Performance:

"Sittin' On Top of the World" - Burna Boy Featuring 21 Savage
"Attention" - Doja Cat
"Spin Bout U" - Drake & 21 Savage
"All My Life" - Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole
"Low" - SZA

Best Country Album:

"Rolling Up the Welcome Mat" - Kelsea Ballerini
"Brothers Osborne" - Brothers Osborne
"Zach Bryan" - Zach Bryan
"Rustin' In the Rain" - Tyler Childers
"Bell Bottom Country" - Lainey Wilson

Best Country Solo Performance:

"In Your Love" - Tyler Childers
"Buried" - Brandy Clark
"Fast Car" - Luke Combs
"The Last Thing on My Mind" - Dolly Parton
"White Horse" - Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:

"High Note" - Dierks Bentley Featuring Billy Strings
"Nobody's Nobody" - Brothers Osborne
"I Remember Everything" - Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves
"Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)" - Vince Gill & Paul Franklin
"Save Me" - Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson
"We Don't Fight Anymore" - Carly Pearce Featuring Chris Stapleton

Best Americana Album:

"Brandy Clark" - Brandy Clark
"The Chicago Sessions" - Rodney Crowell
"You're The One" - Rhiannon Giddens
"Weathervanes" - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
"The Returner" - Allison Russell

Best Rock Album:

"But Here We Are" - Foo Fighters
"Starcatcher" - Greta Van Fleet
"72 Seasons" - Metallica
"This Is Why" - Paramore
"In Times New Roman..." - Queens of The Stone Age

Best Rock Performance:

"Sculptures Of Anything Goes" - Arctic Monkeys
"More Than A Love Song" - Black Pumas
"Not Strong Enough" - Boygenius
"Rescued" - Foo Fighters
"Lux Æterna" - Metallica

Best Alternative Music Album:

"The Car" - Arctic Monkeys
"The Record" - boygenius
"Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" - Lana Del Rey
"Cracker Island" - Gorillaz
"I Inside The Old Year Dying" - PJ Harvey

Best Jazz Vocal Album:

"For Ella 2" - Patti Austin Featuring Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
"Alive At The Village Vanguard" - Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding
"Lean In" - Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke
"Mélusine" - Cécile McLorin Salvant
"How Love Begins" - Nicole Zuraitis

Best Jazz Instrumental Album:

"The Source" - Kenny Barron
"Phoenix" - Lakecia Benjamin
"Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn" - Adam Blackstone
"The Winds of Change" - Billy Childs
"Dream Box" - Pat Metheny

Best Latin Pop Album:

"La Cuarta Hoja" - Pablo Alborán
"Beautiful Humans, Vol. 1" - AleMor
"A Ciegas" - Paula Arenas
"La Neta" - Pedro Capó
"Don Juan" - Maluma
"X Mí (Vol. 1)" - Gaby Moreno

Best Contemporary Blues Album:

"Death Wish Blues" - Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton
"Healing Time" - Ruthie Foster
"Live In London" - Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
"Blood Harmony" - Larkin Poe
"LaVette!" - Bettye LaVette

Best Gospel Album:

"I Love You" - Erica Campbell
"Hymns (Live)" - Tasha Cobbs Leonard
"The Maverick Way" - Maverick City Music
"My Truth" - Jonathan McReynolds
"All Things New: Live in Orlando" - Tye Tribbett

Best Global Music Album:

"Epifanías" - Susana Baca
"History" - Bokanté
"I Told Them..." - Burna Boy
"Timeless" - Davido
"This Moment" - Shakti

Best Reggae Album:

"Born For Greatness" - Buju Banton
"Simma" - Beenie Man
"Cali Roots Riddim 2023" - Collie Buddz
"No Destroyer" - Burning Spear
"Colors Of Royal" - Julian Marley & Antaeus

Best Comedy Album:

"I Wish You Would" - Trevor Noah
"I'm An Entertainer" - Wanda Sykes
"Selective Outrage" - Chris Rock
"Someone You Love" - Sarah Silverman
"What's In a Name?" - Dave Chappelle

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording:

"Big Tree" - Meryl Streep
"Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder" - William Shatner
"The Creative Act: A Way of Being" - Rick Rubin
"It's Ok to Be Angry About Capitalism" - Senator Bernie Sanders
"The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times" - Michelle Obama

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (includes Film and Television):

"Barbie" - Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, composers
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" - Ludwig Göransson, composer
"The Fabelmans" - John Williams, composer
"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" - John Williams, composer
"Oppenheimer" - Ludwig Göransson, composer

Best Song Written for Visual Media:

"Barbie World" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr. and Onika Maraj, songwriters (Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice featuring Aqua)
"Dance the Night" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
"I’m Just Ken" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Ryan Gosling)
"Lift Me Up" (from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Music from and Inspired By") - Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Robyn Fenty and Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Rihanna)
"What Was I Made For?" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical):

Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Shane McAnally
Theron Thomas
Justin Tranter

Producer of the Year (Non-Classical):

Jack Antonoff
Dernst "D’Mile" Emile II
Hit Boy
Metro Boomin
Daniel Nigro

THE 65TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

After the disruptions and restrictions over the last couple of years, the Grammy Awards are back in Los Angeles with a full audience in attendance to witness the biggest night in music. Trevor Noah, back for a third time as host and first gig since leaving his post on "The Daily Show", was in understated comedic form and more about spreading positive vibes, teasing the celebrated musicians with light jokes and being an excited cheerleader for the live performances.

A nice touch on the show was having a round-table of ten dedicated fans passionately yet respectfully debating who should win the Album of the Year. Not only were they invited to attend the ceremony but then Noah had this group come on stage to present this award with him.

Bad Bunny, who became the first artist to have a Spanish-language album, "Un Verano Sin Ti" nominated for Album of the Year, opened the show, getting the crowd on their feet with a medley of "El Apagón" and "Después de la Playa" that featured a colorful, dance-filled celebration of his Puerto-Rican heritage. Out of the many live performances that followed, some of my favorites included the Stevie Wonder lead tribute to fellow Motown artist, Smokey Robinson and the label's founder, Berry Gordy, who were both honored as MusiCares Person of the Year, with Wonder, Robinson and country star, Chris Stapleton performing together some Motown classics; Lizzo, the winner of Record of the Year, did a brief interlude of the winning song, "About Damn Time" before moving into her album's title track, "Special", a powerful anthem on self-esteem; and a touching In Memoriam section that featured Kacey Musgraves paying tribute to Loretta Lynn with a version of "Coal Miner's Daughter"; Quavo of the hip hop group, Migos honored his late musical partner and nephew, Takeoff with "Without You" and Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt and Mick Fleetwood came together to pay respect to Christine McVie with a rendition of her 1977 Fleetwood Mac hit, "Songbird".

But the biggest highlight was the impressive celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Questlove helped curate a massive, multi-generational line-up of rap artists to musically run through the history of this genre with Run DMC, LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, Ice-T, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, Nelly, Missy Elliot, Lil Baby, GloRilla, Chuck D and Flavor Flav of Public Enemy as just some of the performers appearing together on stage. Considering how many acts were involved over such a brief period of time, this was truly a dazzling, breath-taking event that I think was one of the best ever to have taken place in the history of the Grammys.

With a late arrival (no one can escape LA traffic), an ethereal Beyoncé finally emerged in time to receive four Grammys which made her become the most honored artist of all-time with a career total of thirty-two, surpassing a record previous held by conductor, Georg Solti. But her wins for "Renaissance" were not in the major categories with the loss of Album of the Year in particular setting off outrage amongst many fans and critics who felt the singer has been long overdue for this award, especially for this album which is considered by many to be one of her very best.  It was Harry Styles who won the top prize for "Harry's Place", a stylish collection that also won Best Pop Vocal Album,  a more deserving acknowledgment of the young British singer's solid pop-rock record.

And it was proven this evening that if you receive a nomination, any of the nominees truly has a real chance to win the award. One very unexpected winner was in Song of the Year with Bonnie Raitt taking the prize against some better known competition for "Just Like That", the title track from her eighteenth studio album and one of the rare songs that this veteran blues musician actually wrote. Samara Joy, the twenty-three year old jazz vocalist, was another surprise, selected as Best New Artist in a field that featured more higher profile musicians. Yet she did get her record deal by posting a performance online with it going viral and leading to Joy's debut, "Linger Awhile" which also won for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Here is a partial list of the winners from the 2023 Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: "Harry’s House" — Harry Styles
Record of the Year: "About Damn Time" — Lizzo
Song of the Year: "Just Like That" — Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt)
Best New Artist: Samara Joy
Best Pop Vocal Album: "Harry’s House" — Harry Styles
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "Higher" — Michael Bublé
Best Pop Solo Performance: "Easy On Me" — Adele
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Unholy" — Sam Smith & Kim Petras
Best Dance/Electronic Music Album: "Renaissance" — Beyoncé
Best Dance/Electronic Recording: "BREAK MY SOUL" — Beyoncé
Best R&B Album: "Black Radio III" — Robert Glasper
Best Progressive R&B Album: "Gemini Rights" — Steve Lacy
Best R&B Performance: "Hrs & Hrs" — Muni Long
Best Traditional R&B Performance: "PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA" — Beyoncé
Best R&B Song: "CUFF IT" — Denisia "Blu June" Andrews, Beyoncé, Mary Christine Brockert, Brittany "Chi" Coney, Terius "The-Dream" Gesteelde-Diamant, Morten Ristorp, Nile Rodgers & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé)
Best Rap Album: "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" — Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap Performance: "The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap Song: "The Heart Part 5" — Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar & Matt Schaeffer, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
Best Rock Album: "Patient Number 9" — Ozzy Osbourne
Best Rock Performance: "Broken Horses" — Brandi Carlile
Best Alternative Music Album: "Wet Leg" — Wet Leg
Best Música Urbana Album: "Un Verano Sin Ti" — Bad Bunny
Best Country Album: "A Beautiful Time" — Willie Nelson
Best Country Solo Performance: "Live Forever" — Willie Nelson
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "Never Wanted To Be That Girl" — Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde
Best Country Song: "‘Til You Can’t" — Matt Rogers & Ben Stennis, songwriters (Cody Johnson)
Best Bluegrass Album: "Crooked Tree" — Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Best Americana Album: "In These Silent Days" — Brandi Carlile
Best Americana Performance: "Made Up Mind" — Bonnie Raitt
Best Folk Album: "Revealer" — Madison Cunningham
Best American Roots Performance: "Stompin’ Ground" — Aaron Neville With The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Best American Roots Song: "Just Like That" — Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt)
Best Contemporary Blues Album: "Brother Johnny" — Edgar Winter
Best Traditional Blues Album: "Get On Board" — Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder
Best Jazz Vocal Album: "Linger Awhile" — Samara Joy
Best Reggae Album: "The Kalling" — Kabaka Pyramid
Best Latin Pop Album: "Pasieros" — Rubén Blades & Boca Livre
Best Latin Jazz Album: "Fandango At The Wall In New York" — Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring The Congra Patria Son Jarocho Collective
Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording: "Finding Me" — Viola Davis
Best Spoken Word Poetry Album: "The Poet Who Sat By The Door" — J. Ivy
Best Comedy Album: "The Closer" — Dave Chappelle
Best Musical Theater Album: "Into The Woods (2022 Broadway Cast Recording)" — Stephen Sondheim, composer & lyricist (Sara Bareilles, Brian d'Arcy James, Patina Miller & Phillipa Soo, principal vocalists; Rob Berman & Sean Patrick Flahaven, producers))
Best Music Film: "Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story" — (Various Artists); Frank Marshall & Ryan Suffern, video directors; Frank Marshall, Sean Stuart & Ryan Suffern, video producers
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: "Encanto" — (Various Artists)
Best Song Written for Visual Media: "We Don’t Talk About Bruno" From "Encanto" — Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Carolina Gaitán - La Gaita, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & "Encanto" Cast)
Best Music Video: "All Too Well: The Short Film" — Taylor Swift, video director; Saul Germaine, video producer (Taylor Swift)
Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical): Tobias Jesso Jr.
Producer of the Year (Non-Classical): Jack Antonoff

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