Month: November 2020

The Grammys have long taken plenty of guff from rap fans disappointed in the committee’s weird relationship with the genre over snubs, undeserved album wins, and even what gets categorized as rap, but in today’s nominee announcement broadcast, someone in the graphics department made a mistake that may end up costing the show its last shred of hip-hop credibility for a while.

When announcing the nominees for the Best Rap Performance category, the title card on the screen honored Big Sean and Nipsey Hussle for “Deep Reverence,” DaBaby for “Bop,” Lil Baby for “The Bigger Picture,” Megan Thee Stallion and Beyonce for the “Savage” remix, and Pop Smoke for “Dior,” but the final artist in the category didn’t even get credit for his own song, even though it was a massive hit that reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Instead of seeing his name listed under “What’s Poppin,” Jack Harlow saw R&B singer Luke James credited for the rapid-fire hit, despite the fact that James had nothing at all to do with the song.

Naturally, hip-hop heads caught the faux pas immediately and promptly set about roasting the Grammys’ art department for such an obvious whiff.

https://twitter.com/raptalkSK/status/1331291123260723203

Of course, later posts from the Grammys’ official accounts correct the mistake but by then, it was too late. Screenshots are forever. On the bright side, there are probably a lot of fans looking into Luke James now, as they should — he’s also nominated for Best R&B Album for To Feel Love/d, an overlooked gem from January of this year. See the full list of nominees here.

Seth Meyers went to town on Donald Trump’s legal team’s latest blunder, which now involves working with a lawyer who turned out to be too crazy for even Rudy Giuliani. That’s not easy to do! The attorney in question is Sidney Powell, who made her legal team debut during the disastrous press conference where Giuliani dripped hair dye down his face. Powell spouted conspiracy theories that were too insane for Fox News, and her unwillingness to provide evidence of her wild accusations earned her a surprise takedown by Tucker Carlson.

By Sunday, the situation with Powell had become so increasingly untenable that Trump’s legal team disavowed her after she began accusing Republicans of conspiring against the president. Powell claimed that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp secretly coordinated with the CIA and Venezuelan director Hugo Chavez, who’s been dead for seven years, to make Joe Biden the winner of Georgia’s electoral votes. Enter Meyers who roasted Giuliani’s “Elite Strike Force” over the Powell situation while calling her “crazier than a cereal mascot”:

“It’s both insane that they’re trying to pretend that she was never part of the legal team when she was literally standing at an official Trump press conference, and also believable that someone could wander into a Trump press conference and say they’re his lawyer.”

You can watch the full Late Night segment above or jump ahead to the 9:14 mark to watch Meyers make a meal out of the Sidney Powell fiasco.

In his new song “The Parables,” Cordae (no YBN, thank you) reels off a series of stories about his rough upbringing and negative choices he’s made, so it’s only right that the video also plays these scenes out as he jots his memories in a drunken, confessional songwriting session. As Cordae takes sips straight out of a bottle of cognac, he stumbles through the streets getting into trouble, ultimately reaping the consequences of his foul behavior.

“The Parables” is the second single Cordae’s released since officially changing his name and apparently beginning a new phase of his career after bursting into the mainstream with last year’s The Lost Boy. His first single, “Gifted,” features Roddy Ricch and finds the duo celebrating their respective successes since their collective 2019 breakouts. And while Cordae has been relatively quiet since wrapping up the album cycle, he’s kept his name buzzing with a handful of features sharing his quick-witted bars and precocious perspective.

There’s “Freeze Tag” with jazz quartet Dinner Party, “Can’t Put It In The Hands Of Fate” with soul legend Stevie Wonder, rap icons Busta Rhymes and Rapsody, and fellow newcomer Chika, and “Soda” with Cordae’s fellow Rolling Loud favorites DJ Scheme and Ski Mask The Slump God. However, the most important work the young MC has been doing is in the social justice world, where he’s used his voice to speak out against police brutality both musically and in the form of protest.

Watch Cordae’s “The Parables” video above.

Cordae is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The holiday season is in full swing, but gathering isn’t exactly a wise move this year. Fortunately, Netflix not only has a sleigh full of festive movies ready for the taking, but there’s so much more to look forward to in December from the streamer, which is keen to keep you bingewatching while avoiding doing the full-on family thing this year (and yes, avoiding those inevitable arguments, always a highlight).

Plenty of original offerings are on the way, including Chadwick Boseman’s final film that promises to win some awards. George Clooney’s also starring in and directing his own Netflix movie, and David Fincher’s sending out a love letter to moviegoing. On the TV front, the hormone monsters of Big Mouth will return, along with a final chapter from the chilling Sabrina Spellman and a Shondaland series that should get Twitter talking.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) Netflix in December.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix film streaming 12/18)

Chadwick Boseman left this world far too soon, but before he departed, he left us a lasting performance alongside Oscar winner Viola Davis. She portrays the legendary “Mother of the Blues,” and he’s her ambitious trumpeteer, Levee. Together with his fellow musicians, they will conquer a blazing hot 1920s Chicago recording session, and Levee will help inspire his colleagues to unleash truth-revealing stories that will alter their lives and, possibly, history itself. It’s a testament to the blues’ transformative power and adapted from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson’s play of the same name with Denzel Washington onboard as producer.

Mank (Netflix film streaming 12/4)

All the iconic directors are crafting Netflix movies these days, and David Fincher is now joining them. Even more notably for cinephiles, he’s doing so with a 1930s Hollywood throwback to the days of Orson Welles, and when social critic/alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. “Mank” Mankiewicz scrambled to put the finishing touches (and his name) on the Citizen Kane screenplay. If Fincher’s prowess and Gary Oldman in the title role weren’t enough to get you onboard for Mank, then perhaps hearing that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are doing the musical honors will be the final enticement you need. As if we weren’t already hungry enough for the filmgoing experience, right? Between the sounds and the sights (sumptuously rendered through flawless black-and-white visuals), those who love movies are in for a treat.

Bridgerton (Netflix series streaming 12/25)

Shondaland brings us a series that I’m predicting will appeal to the Emily In Paris crowd but in a far less problematic way. Essentially, the show follows the debut of a daughter from a powerful family, who must navigate high society with the help of the rebellious Duke of Hastings, as they hatch a plan to reach their mutual goals. The romantic aspect of this series might be predictable, but the lessons learned and the lightly nibbling social commentary should strike a chord out there on Twitter.

Big Mouth: Season 4 (Netflix series streaming 12/4)

One of TV’s funniest shows is back to drum up anxiety, courtesy of Tito the Mosquito (who will be voiced by Maria Bamford), in addition to all the hormone monsters that you dearly love. Newcomer voices on the series include Ayo Edebiri replacing Jenny Slate as Missy, along with Zach Galifianakis, Seth Rogen, Josie Totah, Lena Waithe, Quinta Brunson, John Oliver, Sterling K. Brown, Paul Giamatti, Maya Erskine, and Anna Konkle.

The Midnight Sky (Netflix film streaming 12/23)

George Clooney’s got a Netflix movie coming, y’all. He’s also got a David Letterman beard while playing a cancer-afflicted, lonely scientist in the Arctic who’s also struggling to survive on post-apocalyptic Earth while attempting to help save some astronauts. The screenplay hails from The Revenant‘s Mark L. Smith, so The Revenant + Gravity? That sounds epic, Oscar-y, and like a different kind of late-December movie than we’re used to from Netflix (Bright, Bird Box, 6 Underground). Let’s hope we don’t see any angry (polar) bears entering the equation.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Part 4 (Netflix series streaming 12/31)

The Riverdale spinoff will come to a (planned) end with this fourth installment starring Kiernan Shipka. This time around, the Devil-afflicted Nick’s attempting to win Sabrina back after surrendering to his darker urges, but The Eldritch Terrors have descended upon Greendale, and The Void could truly be the End of All Things. Can the Fright Club save the day? I’m (strangely) pulling for Harvey over here.

Here’s the full list of titles coming to Netflix in December:

Avail. 12/1
Angela’s Christmas Wish
The Holiday Movies That Made Us
Natalie Palamides: Nate – A One Man Show
3 Days to Kill
50 First Dates
A Thin Line Between Love & Hate
Angels & Demons
Are You The One: Seasons 1-2
Chef
The Da Vinci Code
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Effie Gray
Gormiti: Season 1
The Happytime Murders
Ink Master: Seasons 1-2
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park III
Kung Fu Panda 2
Little Nicky
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Monster House
Peppermint
Quigley Down Under
Runaway Bride
Super Wings: Season 3
Stargate SG-1: Seasons 1-10
Transformers Rescue Bots Academy: Season 2
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family
Why Did I Get Married?

Avail. 12/2
Alien Worlds
Ari Eldjárn: Pardon My Icelandic
Fierce
Hazel Brugger: Tropical

Avail. 12/3
Break
Chico Bon Bon and the Very Berry Holiday
Just Another Christmas (Tudo Bem No Natal Que Vem)

Avail. 12/4
Bhaag Beanie Bhaag
Big Mouth: Season 4
Bombay Rose
Captain Underpants Mega Blissmas
Christmas Crossfire (Wir Können Nicht Anders)
The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 3
Kings of Joburg: Season 1
Leyla Everlasting
MANK
Pokémon Journeys: The Series: Part 3
Selena: The Series

Avail. 12/5
Detention
Mighty Express: A Mighty Christmas

Avail. 12/7
Ava
Manhunt: Deadly Games

Avail. 12/8
Bobbleheads The Movie
Lovestruck in the City
Mr. Iglesias: Part 3
Spirit Riding Free: Ride Along Adventure
Triple 9

Avail. 12/9
Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love: Christmas
The Big Show Show: Christmas
Rose Island (L’Incredibile storia dell’Isola Delle Rose)
The Surgeon’s Cut

Avail. 12/10
Alice in Borderland

Avail. 12/11
A Trash Truck Christmas
Canvas
Giving Voice
The Mess You Leave Behind (El desorden que dejas)
The Prom

Avail. 12/14
A California Christmas
Hilda: Season 2
Tiny Pretty Things

Avail. 12/15
Black Ink Crew New York: Seasons 1-2
The Challenge: Seasons 10 and 13
Grizzlies
The Professor and the Madman
Pup Academy: Season 2
Song Exploder: Volume 2
Teen Mom 2: Seasons 1-2

Avail. 12/16
Anitta: Made In Honorio
BREAK IT ALL: The History of Rock in Latin America
How To Ruin Christmas: The Wedding.
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Nocturnal Animals
The Ripper
Run On
Vir Das: Outside In – The Lockdown Special

Avail. 12/17
Braven

Avail. 12/18
Guest House
Home for Christmas: Season 2
Jeopardy! Champion Run V
Jeopardy! Champion Run VI
Jeopardy! Teacher’s Tournament
Jeopardy! College Championship
Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Sweet Home

Avail. 12/20
Rhys Nicholson Live At The Athenaeum

Avail. 12/21
The Con Is On

Avail. 12/22
After We Collided
London Hughes: To Catch a D*ck
Rhyme Time Town Singalongs
Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas
Timmy Time: Season 2

Avail. 12/23
The Midnight Sky
Your Name Engraved Herein

Avail. 12/25
Bridgerton

Avail. 12/26
Asphalt Burning
DNA
Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Season 3: Sahara
Go! Go! Cory Carson: Season 3
The Magic School Bus Rides Again In the Zone

Avail. 12/27
Sakho & Mangane: Season 1

Avail. 12/28
Cops and Robbers
Rango

Avail. 12/29
Dare Me: Season 1

Avail. 12/30
Best Leftovers Ever!
Equinox
Transformers: War For Cybertron Trilogy: Chapter 2: Earthrise

Avail. 12/31
Best of Stand-Up 2020
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Part 4

Here’s the full list of titles leaving Netflix in December:

Leaving 12/1
Heartbreakers
The Lobster

Leaving 12/4
Cabin Fever
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch

Leaving 12/5
The Rum Diary

Leaving 12/6
The Secret

Leaving 12/7
Berlin, I Love You
The Art of the Steal

Leaving 12/8
Sin senos sí hay paraíso: Seasons 1-3

Leaving 12/10
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2

Leaving 12/14
Hart of Dixie: Seasons 1-4

Leaving 12/17
Ip Man 3

Leaving 12/22
The Little Hours

Leaving 12/24
The West Wing: Seasons 1-7

Leaving 12/25
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Leaving 12/27
Fifty

Leaving 12/28
Lawless

Leaving 12/29
The Autopsy of Jane Doe

Leaving 12/30
Dexter: Seasons 1-8
Hell on Wheels: Seasons 1-5
Ip Man
Ip Man 2
Nurse Jackie: Seasons 1-7

Leaving 12/31
Airplane!
An Education
Anna Karenina
Baby Mama
Back to the Future
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part III
Bad Teacher
Barbershop
Being John Malkovich
Cape Fear
Casper
Charlie St. Cloud
Coneheads
Definitely, Maybe
Dennis the Menace
Drugs, Inc.: Season 6
The Dukes of Hazzard
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fargo
For Love or Money
Frida
Gossip Girl: Seasons 1-6
Grand Hotel: Seasons 1-3
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Inbetweeners: Seasons 1-3
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The Interview
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
Nacho Libre
Not Another Teen Movie
The Notebook
Octonauts: Seasons 1-3
The Office : Seasons 1-9
Poltergeist
Pride & Prejudice
Session 9
Splice
Starsky & Hutch
Superman Returns
The Town
Troy
WarGames
The Witches

The music industry may have looked vastly different this year, but that didn’t stop musicians from releasing some of their strongest work to date. The Recording Academy began announcing their nominations for the 2021 Grammys Tuesday and one category in particular saw woman musicians being recognized for their contributions in a historically male-dominated genre.

Every single artist nominated for Best Rock Performance this year was a woman musician. The six artists nominated for a Grammy in the category include Phoebe Bridgers for her Punisher song “Kyoto,” Fiona Apple for her Fetch The Bolt Cutters song “Shameika,” Big Thief for their Two Hands track “Not,” Haim for “The Steps” off of Women In Music Pt. III, Brittany Howard for her debut solo album’s “Stay High,” and Grace Potter for her 2019’s title track “Daylight.”

The list of nominees for 2021 marks a decisive shift from last year’s category. While this year marks the second consecutive year that Brittany Howard was nominated for the Best Rock Performance category, last year’s list included Gary Clark Jr, Rival Sons, Bones UK, and Karen O and Danger Mouse, with Gary Clark Jr taking home the trophy.

See who was Grammy-nominated for Best Rock Performance above and find the full list of 2021 nominees here.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got the first live album from The War On Drugs, a collaboration between Fiona Apple and her longtime inspiration, and a very New Jersey focused, Bruce Springsteen-featuring track from Bleachers. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.

The War On Drugs – Live Drugs

On their first career-spanning live album, The War On Drugs’ songs are longer, the guitar solos are more virtuosic, and the roar of the crowd is enough to make anyone well up. According to Steven Hyden for Uproxx, the “lushness and flat-out bigness of Live Drugs culminates the atmospheric and insistently anthemic heartland rock of the last two studio records… Whatever the band does after this will feel like the start of a new era, The War On Drugs 2.0.”

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Idiot Prayer

Back in July, Nick Cave got in on the livestreaming craze with a solo piano set, streamed in full from London’s Alexandra Palace. Now, the official recording of that performance is out in the world, an evolution from Cave’s recent speaking and music “Conversations With…” tour that finds him performing stripped-back and alternate versions of tracks from throughout his discography. “I felt I was rediscovering the songs all over again,” Cave said in a statement.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – KG

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard can’t be stopped. KG marks their second full-length studio LP in the span of a little more than a year, a year that was filled with new EPs and live albums, one of which was released on the same day as KG. While not as thrashing as the band’s 2019 album Infest The Rat’s Nest, the new effort is another impressive entry in the band’s constantly growing and evolving discography.

ManDancing – The Good Sweat

On their sophomore LP, New Jersey’s ManDancing dial up the intricate instrumentation to build each track toward a feeling of controlled chaos. There’s a reason this band is often compared to Manchester Orchestra, with swelling choruses and introspective lyrics delivered by Stephen G Kelly’s quivering vocal.

Mamalarky – Mamalarky

Mamalarky‘s self-titled debut is a cacophony of noisy production and garage rock aesthetics. The album was cobbled together with the help of a string of producers, combining home recording and studio sensibilities into something raw, intriguing, and truly original. All told, Mamalarky indicates a lot more to come from the Los Angeles quartet.

Phoebe Bridgers – Copycat Killer EP

As if one Phoebe Bridgers studio album wasn’t enough for 2020, now the songwriter has enlisted Grammy Award-winning composer Rob Moose to help reimagine songs from her sophomore album Punisher for the Copycat Killer EP. Moose contributes an array of strings, samples, and atmospheric soundscapes to create a sonic world for Bridgers’ ethereal voice to occupy and suck you in.

Shameika — “Shameika Said” (Feat. Fiona Apple)

On Fetch The Bolt Cutters, Fiona Apple’s epic comeback album released earlier this year, she remembers being bullied in school and being encouraged by a classmate named Shameika. Turns out that Shameika is still out there and making music herself. Now, Shameika has delivered her recollection of the events, using Apple’s vocal sample. “A much groovier and beat-driven take on the song, it skates toward hip-hop as Shameika raps her bars, and trade most of Apple’s piano for horns and bass,” writes Caitlin White for Uproxx.

Eddie Vedder – “Matter Of Time”

After performing at a charity livestream, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder shared two new solo singles, one studio recording and one live recording. “Matter Of Time” was “written for everyone worldwide afflicted with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB),” according to a statement, and features Vedder’s iconic vocal accompanied by just a haunting grand piano.

Bleachers – “Chinatown” (Feat. Bruce Springsteen)

Jack Antonoff went full New Jersey on the first offering from Bleachers since 2017’s Gone Now, a shimmering and soaring ode to his home state that raises the stakes with a guest spot from none other than Bruce Springsteen. Of the collaboration, Antonoff said in a statement that “its the honor of a lifetime to be joined by him. he is the artist who showed me that the sound of the place i am from has value and that there is a spirit here that needs to be taken all over the world.”

Andy Shauf – “You Slipped Away”

Andy Shauf penned nearly 50 songs for his latest album The Neon Skyline, which was released earlier this year, and has been steadily rolling out some of the tracks that didn’t make the original tracklist. “You Slipped Away” is one of those outtakes, crafting what Carolyn Droke calls for Uproxx “a sense of lovelorn nostalgia with rolling guitar chords and eloquent piano scales.”

The Sonder Bombs – “The One About You”

The Sonder Bombs’ sophomore album Clothbound is right around the corner, and “The One About You” shows the full range of what we can expect from the effort. The band’s songwriting is more focused and concise than ever, and the latest single is an impressive entry to the catalogue, what I recently called “a short and sweet number that evokes a classic old-fashioned doo-wop act.”

Wild Pink – “You Can Have It Back”

Although Wild Pink’s forthcoming album A Billion Little Lights is still a few months away, John Ross has already been teasing the album with a handful of singles. In a statement, Ross said that “You Can Have It Back” was inspired by Fleetwood Mac and Townes Van Zandt and features vocals from Ratboys’ Julia Steiner. The breezy and warm track boasts one of the most infectious refrains in the Wild Pink discography and sets the stage nicely for what to expect from A Billion Lights.

Pærish – “Violet”

French four-piece Pærish paired up with producer Will Yip for their new album Fixed It All, and “Violet” is an excellent preview of what’s to come from the band. Opening with steady distorted guitars, the clouds part for a soaring chorus that sounds reminiscent of early Weezer.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Earlier this morning, the Recording Academy revealed that The Daily Show‘s Trevor Noah will host the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, which will take place on January 31, 2021 and air on CBS. That’s not the biggest Grammy news of the day, though (with all due respect to Noah), as the full list of 2021 nominees was revealed this morning.

A lot of favorites found their way onto this year’s list, so check it out below.

Record Of The Year
“Black Parade” — Beyonce
“Colors” — Black Pumas
“Rockstar” — DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch
“Say So” — Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa
“Circles” — Post Malone
“Savage” — “Megan Thee Stallion

Album Of The Year
Chilombo — Jhené Aiko
Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition) — Black Pumas
Everyday Life — Coldplay
Djesse Vol.3 — Jacob Collier
Women In Music Pt. III — Haim
Future Nostalgia — Dua Lipa
Hollywood’s Bleeding — Post Malone
Folklore — Taylor Swift

Song Of The Year
“Black Parade” — Beyonce
“The Box” — Roddy Ricch
“Cardigan” — Taylor Swift
“Circles” — Post Malone
“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish
“I Can’t Breathe” — HER
“If The World Was Ending” — JP Saxe Featuring Julia Michaels

Best New Artist
Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion

5. Best Pop Solo Performance
For new vocal or instrumental pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.

YUMMY
Justin Bieber

SAY SO
Doja Cat

EVERYTHING I WANTED
Billie Eilish

DON’T START NOW
Dua Lipa

WATERMELON SUGAR
Harry Styles

CARDIGAN
Taylor Swift

6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.

UN DIA (ONE DAY)
J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy

INTENTIONS
Justin Bieber Featuring Quavo

DYNAMITE
BTS

RAIN ON ME
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande

EXILE
Taylor Swift Featuring Bon Iver

7. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new traditional pop recordings.

BLUE UMBRELLA
(Burt Bacharach &) Daniel Tashian

TRUE LOVE: A CELEBRATION OF COLE PORTER
Harry Connick, Jr.

AMERICAN STANDARD
James Taylor

UNFOLLOW THE RULES
Rufus Wainwright

JUDY
Renée Zellweger

8. Best Pop Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new pop vocal recordings.

CHANGES
Justin Bieber

CHROMATICA
Lady Gaga

FUTURE NOSTALGIA
Dua Lipa

FINE LINE
Harry Styles

FOLKLORE
Taylor Swift

Dance/Electronic Music

9. Best Dance Recording
For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.

ON MY MIND
Diplo & SIDEPIECE
Diplo & SIDEPIECE, producers; Luca Pretolesi, mixer

MY HIGH
Disclosure Featuring Aminé & Slowthai
Guy Lawrence & Howard Lawrence, producers; Guy Lawrence, mixer

THE DIFFERENCE
Flume Featuring Toro y Moi
Flume, producer; Eric J Dubowsky, mixer

BOTH OF US
Jayda G
Fred Again.. & Jayda G, producers; Fred Again.. & Jayda G, mixers

10%
Kaytranada Featuring Kali Uchis
Kaytranada, producer; Neal H. Pogue, mixer

10. Best Dance/Electronic Album
For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.

KICK I
Arca

PLANET’S MAD
Baauer

ENERGY
Disclosure

BUBBA
Kaytranada

GOOD FAITH
Madeon

Contemporary Instrumental Music

11. Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
For albums containing approximately 51% or more playing time of instrumental material. For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings.

AXIOM
Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah

CHRONOLOGY OF A DREAM: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD
Jon Batiste

TAKE THE STAIRS
Black Violin

AMERICANA
Grégoire Maret, Romain Collin & Bill Frisell

LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
Snarky Puppy

Rock

12. Best Rock Performance
For new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative rock recordings.

SHAMEIKA
Fiona Apple

NOT
Big Thief

KYOTO
Phoebe Bridgers

THE STEPS
HAIM

STAY HIGH
Brittany Howard

DAYLIGHT
Grace Potter

13. Best Metal Performance
For new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative metal recordings.

BUM-RUSH
Body Count

UNDERNEATH
Code Orange

THE IN-BETWEEN
In This Moment

BLOODMONEY
Poppy

EXECUTIONER’S TAX (SWING OF THE AXE) – LIVE
Power Trip

14. Best Rock Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

KYOTO
Phoebe Bridgers, Morgan Nagler & Marshall Vore, songwriters (Phoebe Bridgers)

LOST IN YESTERDAY
Kevin Parker, songwriter (Tame Impala)

NOT
Adrianne Lenker, songwriter (Big Thief)

SHAMEIKA
Fiona Apple, songwriter (Fiona Apple)

STAY HIGH
Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)

15. Best Rock Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rock, hard rock or metal recordings.

A HERO’S DEATH
Fontaines D.C.

KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka

DAYLIGHT
Grace Potter

SOUND & FURY
Sturgill Simpson

THE NEW ABNORMAL
The Strokes

Alternative

16. Best Alternative Music Album
Vocal or Instrumental.

FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS
Fiona Apple

HYPERSPACE
Beck

PUNISHER
Phoebe Bridgers

JAIME
Brittany Howard

THE SLOW RUSH
Tame Impala

R&B

17. Best R&B Performance
For new vocal or instrumental R&B recordings.

LIGHTNING & THUNDER
Jhené Aiko Featuring John Legend

BLACK PARADE
Beyonce

ALL I NEED
Jacob Collier Featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign

GOAT HEAD
Brittany Howard

SEE ME
Emily King

18. Best Traditional R&B Performance
For new vocal or instrumental traditional R&B recordings.

SIT ON DOWN
The Baylor Project Featuring Jean Baylor & Marcus Baylor

WONDER WHAT SHE THINKS OF ME
Chloe X Halle

LET ME GO
Mykal Kilgore

ANYTHING FOR YOU
Ledisi

DISTANCE
Yebba

19. Best R&B Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

BETTER THAN I IMAGINE
Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello)

BLACK PARADE
Denisia Andrews, Beyonce, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyonce)

COLLIDE
Sam Barsh, Stacey Barthe, Sonyae Elise, Olu Fann, Akil King, Josh Lopez, Kaveh Rastegar & Benedetto Rotondi, songwriters (Tiana Major9 & EARTHGANG)

DO IT
Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Anton Kuhl, Victoria Monét, Scott Storch & Vincent Van Den Ende, songwriters (Chloe X Halle)

SLOW DOWN
Nasri Atweh, Badriia Bourelly, Skip Marley, Ryan Williamson & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Skip Marley & H.E.R.)

20. Best Progressive R&B Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded progressive vocal tracks derivative of R&B.

CHILOMBO
Jhené Aiko

UNGODLY HOUR
Chloe X Halle

FREE NATIONALS
Free Nationals

F*** YO FEELINGS
Robert Glasper

IT IS WHAT IT IS
Thundercat

21. Best R&B Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new R&B recordings.

HAPPY 2 BE HERE
Ant Clemons

TAKE TIME
Giveon

TO FEEL LOVE/D
Luke James

BIGGER LOVE
John Legend

ALL RISE
Gregory Porter

Rap

22. Best Rap Performance
For a Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.

DEEP REVERENCE
Big Sean Featuring Nipsey Hussle

BOP
DaBaby

WHAT’S POPPIN
Jack Harlow

THE BIGGER PICTURE
Lil Baby

SAVAGE
Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyonce

DIOR
Pop Smoke

23. Best Melodic Rap Performance
For a solo or collaborative performance containing both elements of R&B melodies and Rap.

ROCKSTAR
DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch

LAUGH NOW, CRY LATER
Drake Featuring Lil Durk

LOCKDOWN
Anderson .Paak

THE BOX
Roddy Ricch

HIGHEST IN THE ROOM
Travis Scott

24. Best Rap Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only..

THE BIGGER PICTURE
Dominique Jones, Noah Pettigrew & Rai’shaun Williams, songwriters (Lil Baby)

THE BOX
Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)

LAUGH NOW, CRY LATER
Durk Banks, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Ron LaTour & Ryan Martinez, songwriters (Drake Featuring Lil Durk)

ROCKSTAR
Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro IV & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch)

SAVAGE
Beyonce, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyonce)

25. Best Rap Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rap recordings.

BLACK HABITS
D SMOKE

ALFREDO
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist

A WRITTEN TESTIMONY
Jay Electronica

KING’S DISEASE
Nas

THE ALLEGORY
Royce Da 5’9″

Country

26. Best Country Solo Performance
For new vocal or instrumental solo country recordings.

Stick That In Your Country Song
Eric Church

WHO YOU THOUGHT I WAS
Brandy Clark

WHEN MY AMY PRAYS
Vince Gill

BLACK LIKE ME
Mickey Guyton

BLUEBIRD
Miranda Lambert

27. Best Country Duo/Group Performance
For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative country recordings.

ALL NIGHT
Brothers Osborne

10,000 HOURS
Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber

OCEAN
Lady A

SUGAR COAT
Little Big Town

SOME PEOPLE DO
Old Dominion

28. Best Country Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

BLUEBIRD
Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

THE BONES
Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)

CROWDED TABLE
Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)

MORE HEARTS THAN MINE
Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis & Derrick Southerland, songwriters (Ingrid Andress)

SOME PEOPLE DO
Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Old Dominion)

29. Best Country Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new country recordings.

LADY LIKE
Ingrid Andress

YOUR LIFE IS A RECORD
Brandy Clark

WILDCARD
Miranda Lambert

NIGHTFALL
Little Big Town

NEVER WILL
Ashley McBryde

New Age

30. Best New Age Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental new age recordings.

SONGS FROM THE BARDO
Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal & Jesse Paris Smith

PERIPHERY
Priya Darshini

FORM//LESS
Superposition

MORE GUITAR STORIES
Jim “Kimo” West

MEDITATIONS
Cory Wong & Jon Batiste

Jazz

31. Best Improvised Jazz Solo
For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter’s name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.

GUINEVERE
Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, soloist
Track from: Axiom

PACHAMAMA
Regina Carter, soloist
Track from: Ona (Thana Alexa)

TOMORROW IS THE QUESTION
Julian Lage, soloist

CELIA
Gerald Clayton, soloist

ALL BLUES
Chick Corea, soloist
Track from: Trilogy 2 (Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade)

MOE HONK
Joshua Redman, soloist
Track from: RoundAgain (Redman Mehldau McBride Blade)

32. Best Jazz Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal jazz recordings.

ONA
Thana Alexa

SECRETS ARE THE BEST STORIES
Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez

MODERN ANCESTORS
Carmen Lundy

HOLY ROOM: LIVE AT ALTE OPER
Somi With Frankfurt Radio Big Band

WHAT’S THE HURRY
Kenny Washington

33. Best Jazz Instrumental Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new instrumental jazz recordings.

ON THE TENDER SPOT OF EVERY CALLOUSED MOMENT
Ambrose Akinmusire

WAITING GAME
Terri Lyne Carrington And Social Science

HAPPENING: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD
Gerald Clayton

TRILOGY 2
Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade

ROUNDAGAIN
Redman Mehldau McBride Blade

34. Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new ensemble jazz recordings.

DIALOGUES ON RACE
Gregg August

MONK’ESTRA PLAYS JOHN BEASLEY
John Beasley

THE INTANGIBLE BETWEEN
Orrin Evans And The Captain Black Big Band

SONGS YOU LIKE A LOT
John Hollenbeck With Theo Bleckmann, Kate McGarry, Gary Versace And The Frankfurt Radio Big Band

DATA LORDS
Maria Schneider Orchestra

35. Best Latin Jazz Album
For vocal or instrumental albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded material. The intent of this category is to recognize recordings that represent the blending of jazz with Latin, Iberian-American, Brazilian, and Argentinian tango music.

TRADICIONES
Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra

FOUR QUESTIONS
Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

CITY OF DREAMS
Chico Pinheiro

VIENTO Y TIEMPO – LIVE AT BLUE NOTE TOKYO
Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola

TRANE’S DELIGHT
Poncho Sanchez

Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music

36. Best Gospel Performance/Song
This award is given to the artist(s) and songwriter(s) (for new compositions) for the best traditional Christian, roots gospel or contemporary gospel single or track.

WONDERFUL IS YOUR NAME
Melvin Crispell III

RELEASE (LIVE)
Ricky Dillard Featuring Tiff Joy; David Frazier, songwriter

COME TOGETHER
Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins Presents: The Good News; Lashawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Lecrae Moore & Jazz Nixon, songwriters

WON’T LET GO
Travis Greene; Travis Greene, songwriter

MOVIN’ ON
Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music; Darryl L. Howell, Jonathan Caleb McReynolds, Kortney Jamaal Pollard & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters

37. Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
This award is given to the artist(s) and songwriter(s) (for new compositions) for the best contemporary Christian music single or track, (including pop, rap/hip-hop, Latin, or rock.

THE BLESSING (LIVE)
Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes & Elevation Worship; Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe Carnes & Steven Furtick, songwriters

SUNDAY MORNING
Lecrae Featuring Kirk Franklin; Denisia Andrews, Jones Terrence Antonio, Saint Bodhi, Brittany Coney, Kirk Franklin, Lasanna Harris, Shama Joseph, Stuart Lowery, Lecrae Moore & Nathanael Saint-Fleur, songwriters

HOLY WATER
We The Kingdom; Andrew Bergthold, Ed Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash & Scott Cash, songwriters

FAMOUS FOR (I BELIEVE)
Tauren Wells Featuring Jenn Johnson; Chuck Butler, Krissy Nordhoff, Jordan Sapp, Alexis Slifer & Tauren Wells, songwriters

THERE WAS JESUS
Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters

38. Best Gospel Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, traditional or contemporary/R&B gospel music recordings.

2ECOND WIND: READY
Anthony Brown & group therAPy

MY TRIBUTE
Myron Butler

CHOIRMASTER
Ricky Dillard

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PJ
PJ Morton

KIERRA
Kierra Sheard

39. Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, contemporary Christian music, including pop, rap/hip hop, Latin, or rock recordings.

RUN TO THE FATHER
Cody Carnes

ALL OF MY BEST FRIENDS
Hillsong Young & Free

HOLY WATER
We The Kingdom

CITIZEN OF HEAVEN
Tauren Wells

JESUS IS KING
Kanye West

40. Best Roots Gospel Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, traditional/roots gospel music, including country, Southern gospel, bluegrass, and Americana recordings.

BEAUTIFUL DAY
Mark Bishop

20/20
The Crabb Family

WHAT CHRISTMAS REALLY MEANS
The Erwins

CELEBRATING FISK! (THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM)
Fisk Jubilee Singers

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

Latin

41. Best Latin Pop or Urban Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new Latin pop or urban recordings.

YHLQMDLG
Bad Bunny

POR PRIMERA VEZ
Camilo

MESA PARA DOS
Kany García

PAUSA
Ricky Martin

3:33
Debi Nova

42. Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new Latin rock or alternative recordings.

AURA
Bajofondo

MONSTRUO
Cami

SOBREVOLANDO
Cultura Profética

LA CONQUISTA DEL ESPACIO
Fito Paez

MISS COLOMBIA
Lido Pimienta

43. Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new regional Mexican (banda, norteño, corridos, gruperos, mariachi, ranchera and Tejano) recordings.

HECHO EN MÉXICO
Alejandro Fernández

LA SERENATA
Lupita Infante

UN CANTO POR MÉXICO, VOL. 1
Natalia Lafourcade

BAILANDO SONES Y HUAPANGOS CON MARIACHI SOL DE MEXICO DE JOSE HERNANDEZ
Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez

AYAYAY!
Christian Nodal

44. Best Tropical Latin Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new tropical Latin recordings.

MI TUMBAO
José Alberto “El Ruiseñor”

INFINITO
Edwin Bonilla

SIGO CANTANDO AL AMOR (DELUXE)
Jorge Celedon & Sergio Luis

40
Grupo Niche

MEMORIAS DE NAVIDAD
Víctor Manuelle

American Roots Music

45. Best American Roots Performance
For new vocal or instrumental American Roots recordings. This is for performances in the style of any of the subgenres encompassed in the American Roots Music field including Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk or regional roots. Award to the artist(s).

COLORS
Black Pumas

DEEP IN LOVE
Bonny Light Horseman

SHORT AND SWEET
Brittany Howard

I’LL BE GONE
Norah Jones & Mavis Staples

I REMEMBER EVERYTHING
John Prine

46. Best American Roots Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Americana, bluegrass, traditional blues, contemporary blues, folk or regional roots songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

CABIN
Laura Rogers & Lydia Rogers, songwriters (The Secret Sisters)

CEILING TO THE FLOOR
Sierra Hull & Kai Welch, songwriters (Sierra Hull)

HOMETOWN
Sarah Jarosz, songwriter (Sarah Jarosz)

I REMEMBER EVERYTHING
Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)

MAN WITHOUT A SOUL
Tom Overby & Lucinda Williams, songwriters (Lucinda Williams)

47. Best Americana Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Americana recordings.

OLD FLOWERS
Courtney Marie Andrews

TERMS OF SURRENDER
Hiss Golden Messenger

WORLD ON THE GROUND
Sarah Jarosz

EL DORADO
Marcus King

GOOD SOULS BETTER ANGELS
Lucinda Williams

48. Best Bluegrass Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental bluegrass recordings.

MAN ON FIRE
Danny Barnes

TO LIVE IN TWO WORLDS, VOL. 1
Thomm Jutz

NORTH CAROLINA SONGBOOK
Steep Canyon Rangers

HOME
Billy Strings

THE JOHN HARTFORD FIDDLE TUNE PROJECT, VOL. 1
Various Artists

49. Best Traditional Blues Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental traditional blues recordings.

ALL MY DUES ARE PAID
Frank Bey

YOU MAKE ME FEEL
Don Bryant

THAT’S WHAT I HEARD
Robert Cray Band

CYPRESS GROVE
Jimmy “Duck” Holmes

RAWER THAN RAW
Bobby Rush

50. Best Contemporary Blues Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental contemporary blues recordings.

HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET?
Fantastic Negrito

LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT
Ruthie Foster Big Band

THE JUICE
G. Love

BLACKBIRDS
Bettye LaVette

UP AND ROLLING
North Mississippi Allstars

51. Best Folk Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental folk recordings.

BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN
Bonny Light Horseman

THANKS FOR THE DANCE
Leonard Cohen

SONG FOR OUR DAUGHTER
Laura Marling

SATURN RETURN
The Secret Sisters

ALL THE GOOD TIMES
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

52. Best Regional Roots Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental regional roots music recordings.

MY RELATIVES “NIKSO KOWAIKS”
Black Lodge Singers

CAMERON DUPUY AND THE CAJUN TROUBADOURS
Cameron Dupuy And The Cajun Troubadours

LOVELY SUNRISE
Nā Wai ʽEhā

ATMOSPHERE
New Orleans Nightcrawlers

A TRIBUTE TO AL BERARD
Sweet Cecilia

Reggae

53. Best Reggae Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new reggae recordings.

UPSIDE DOWN 2020
Buju Banton

HIGHER PLACE
Skip Marley

IT ALL COMES BACK TO LOVE
Maxi Priest

GOT TO BE TOUGH
Toots & The Maytals

ONE WORLD
The Wailers

Global Music

54. Best Global Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Global Music recordings.

FU CHRONICLES
Antibalas

TWICE AS TALL
Burna Boy

AGORA
Bebel Gilberto

LOVE LETTERS
Anoushka Shankar

AMADJAR
Tinariwen

Children’s

55. Best Children’s Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new musical or spoken word recordings that are created and intended specifically for children.

ALL THE LADIES
Joanie Leeds

BE A PAIN: AN ALBUM FOR YOUNG (AND OLD) LEADERS
Alastair Moock And Friends

I’M AN OPTIMIST
Dog On Fleas

SONGS FOR SINGIN’
The Okee Dokee Brothers

WILD LIFE
Justin Roberts

Spoken Word

56. Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)

ACID FOR THE CHILDREN: A MEMOIR
Flea

ALEX TREBEK – THE ANSWER IS…
Ken Jennings

BLOWOUT: CORRUPTED DEMOCRACY, ROGUE STATE RUSSIA, AND THE RICHEST, MOST DESTRUCTIVE INDUSTRY ON EARTH
Rachel Maddow

CATCH AND KILL
Ronan Farrow

CHARLOTTE’S WEB (E.B. WHITE)
Meryl Streep (& Full cast)

Comedy

57. Best Comedy Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings.

BLACK MITZVAH
Tiffany Haddish

I LOVE EVERYTHING
Patton Oswalt

THE PALE TOURIST
Jim Gaffigan

PAPER TIGER
Bill Burr

23 HOURS TO KILL
Jerry Seinfeld

Musical Theater

58. Best Musical Theater Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings. Award to the principle vocalist(s) and the album producer(s) of 51% or more playing time of the album. The lyricist(s) and composer(s) of a new score are eligible for an Award if they have written and/or composed a new score which comprises 51% or more playing time of the album.

AMÉLIE
Audrey Brisson, Chris Jared, Caolan McCarthy & Jez Unwin, principal soloists; Michael Fentiman, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Barnaby Race & Nathan Tysen, producers; Nathan Tysen, lyricist; Daniel Messe, composer & lyricist (Original London Cast)

AMERICAN UTOPIA ON BROADWAY
David Byrne, principal soloist; David Byrne, producer (David Byrne, composer & lyricist) (Original Cast)

JAGGED LITTLE PILL
Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen & Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard & Alanis Morissette, lyricists) (Original Broadway Cast)

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Tammy Blanchard, Jonathan Groff & Tom Alan Robbins, principal soloists; Will Van Dyke, Michael Mayer, Alan Menken & Frank Wolf, producers (Alan Menken, composer; Howard Ashman, lyricist) (The New Off-Broadway Cast)

THE PRINCE OF EGYPT
Christine Allado, Luke Brady, Alexia Khadime & Liam Tamne, principal soloists; Dominick Amendum & Stephen Schwartz, producers; Stephen Schwartz, composer & lyricist (Original Cast)

SOFT POWER
Francis Jue, Austin Ku, Alyse Alan Louis & Conrad Ricamora, principal soloists; Matt Stine, producer; David Henry Hwang, lyricist; Jeanine Tesori, composer & lyricist (Original Cast)

Music for Visual Media

59. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
Award to the artist(s) and/or ‘in studio’ producer(s) of a majority of the tracks on the album. In the absence of both, award to the one or two individuals proactively responsible for the concept and musical direction of the album and for the selection of artists, songs and producers, as applicable. Award also goes to appropriately credited music supervisor(s).

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
(Various Artists)

BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC
(Various Artists)

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA
(Various Artists)

FROZEN 2
(Various Artists)

JOJO RABBIT
(Various Artists)

60. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current legitimate motion picture, television show or series, video games or other visual media.

AD ASTRA
Max Richter, composer

BECOMING
Kamasi Washington, composer

JOKER
Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer

1917
Thomas Newman, composer

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
John Williams, composer

61. Best Song Written For Visual Media
A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television, video games or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

BEAUTIFUL GHOSTS [FROM CATS]
Andrew Lloyd Webber & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

CARRIED ME WITH YOU [FROM ONWARD]
Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)

INTO THE UNKNOWN [FROM FROZEN 2]
Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Idina Menzel & AURORA)

NO TIME TO DIE [FROM NO TIME TO DIE]
Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

STAND UP [FROM HARRIET]
Joshuah Brian Campbell & Cynthia Erivo, songwriters (Cynthia Erivo)

Composing/Arranging

62. Best Instrumental Composition
A Composer’s Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year. Singles or Tracks only.

BABY JACK
Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra)

BE WATER II
Christian Sands, composer (Christian Sands)

PLUMFIELD
Alexandre Desplat, composer (Alexandre Desplat)

SPUTNIK
Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider)

STRATA
Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly Of Shadows Featuring Anna Webber & Eric Miller)

63. Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

BATHROOM DANCE
Hildur Guðnadóttir, arranger (Hildur Guðnadóttir)

DONNA LEE
John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)

HONEYMOONERS
Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly Of Shadows)

LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING
Alvin Chea & Jarrett Johnson, arrangers (Jarrett Johnson Featuring Alvin Chea)

URANUS: THE MAGICIAN
Jeremy Levy, arranger (Jeremy Levy Jazz Orchestra)

64. Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

ASAS FECHADAS
John Beasley & Maria Mendes, arrangers (Maria Mendes Featuring John Beasley & Orkest Metropole)

DESERT SONG
Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (Säje)

FROM THIS PLACE
Alan Broadbent & Pat Metheny, arrangers (Pat Metheny Featuring Meshell Ndegeocello)

HE WON’T HOLD YOU
Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Rapsody)

SLOW BURN
Talia Billig, Nic Hard & Becca Stevens, arrangers (Becca Stevens Featuring Jacob Collier, Mark Lettieri, Justin Stanton, Jordan Perlson, Nic Hard, Keita Ogawa, Marcelo Woloski & Nate Werth)

Package

65. Best Recording Package

EVERYDAY LIFE
Pilar Zeta, art director (Coldplay)

FUNERAL
Kyle Goen, art director (Lil Wayne)

HEALER
Julian Gross & Hannah Hooper, art directors (Grouplove)

ON CIRCLES
Jordan Butcher, art director (Caspian)

VOLS. 11 & 12
Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, art directors (Desert Sessions)

66. Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

FLAMING PIE (COLLECTOR’S EDITION)
Linn Wie Andersen, Simon Earith, Paul McCartney & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney)

GIANTS STADIUM 1987, 1989, 1991
Lisa Glines & Doran Tyson, art directors (Grateful Dead)

MODE
Jeff Schulz, art director (Depeche Mode)

ODE TO JOY
Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco)

THE STORY OF GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL
Michael Cina & Molly Smith, art directors (Various Artists)

Notes

67. Best Album Notes

AT THE MINSTREL SHOW: MINSTREL ROUTINES FROM THE STUDIO, 1894-1926
Tim Brooks, album notes writer (Various Artists)

THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND: COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WEST, 1940-1974
Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Various Artists)

DEAD MAN’S POP
Bob Mehr, album notes writer (The Replacements)

THE MISSING LINK: HOW GUS HAENSCHEN GOT US FROM JOPLIN TO JAZZ AND SHAPED THE MUSIC BUSINESS
Colin Hancock, album notes writer (Various Artists)

OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY
David Sager, album notes writer (Nat Brusiloff)

Historical

68. Best Historical Album

CELEBRATED, 1895-1896
Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer (Unique Quartette)

HITTIN’ THE RAMP: THE EARLY YEARS (1936 – 1943)
Zev Feldman, Will Friedwald & George Klabin, compilation producers; Matthew Lutthans, mastering engineer (Nat King Cole)

IT’S SUCH A GOOD FEELING: THE BEST OF MISTER ROGERS
Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Mister Rogers)

1999 SUPER DELUXE EDITION
Michael Howe, compilation producer; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Prince)

SOUVENIR
Carolyn Agger, compilation producer; Miles Showell, mastering engineer (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark)

THROW DOWN YOUR HEART: THE COMPLETE AFRICA SESSIONS
Béla Fleck, compilation producer; Richard Dodd, mastering engineer (Béla Fleck)

Production, Non-Classical

69. Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
An Engineer’s Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses.)

BLACK HOLE RAINBOW
Shawn Everett & Ivan Wayman, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Devon Gilfillian)

EXPECTATIONS
Gary Paczosa & Mike Robinson, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Katie Pruitt)

HYPERSPACE
Drew Brown, Andrew Coleman, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, Jaycen Joshua & Mike Larson, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck)

JAIME
Shawn Everett, engineer; Shawn Everett, mastering engineer (Brittany Howard)

25 TRIPS
Shani Gandhi & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Adam Grover, mastering engineer (Sierra Hull)

70. Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical​

JACK ANTONOFF

• August (Taylor Swift) (T)
• Gaslighter (The Chicks) (A)
• Holy Terrain (FKA Twigs Featuring Future) (T)
• Mirrorball (Taylor Swift) (T)
• This Is Me Trying (Taylor Swift) (T)
• Together (Sia) (S)

DAN AUERBACH

• Cypress Grove (Jimmy “Duck” Holmes) (A)
• El Dorado (Marcus King) (A)
• Is Thomas Callaway (CeeLo Green) (A)
• Singing For My Supper (Early James) (A)
• Solid Gold Sounds (Kendell Marvel) (A)
• Years (John Anderson) (A

DAVE COBB

• Backbone (Kaleo) (S)
• The Balladeer (Lori McKenna) (A)
• Boneshaker (Airbourne) (A)
• Down Home Christmas (Oak Ridge Boys) (A)
• The Highwomen (The Highwomen) (A)
• I Remember Everything (John Prine) (S)
• Reunions (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit) (A)
• The Spark (William Prince) (S)
• You’re Still The One (Teddy Swims) (S)

FLYING LOTUS

• It Is What It Is (Thundercat) (A)

ANDREW WATT

• Break My Heart (Dua Lipa) (T)
• Me And My Guitar (A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie) (T)
• Midnight Sky (Miley Cyrus) (S)
• Old Me (5 Seconds Of Summer) (T)
• Ordinary Man (Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Elton John) (T)
• Take What You Want (Post Malone Featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott) (T)
• Under The Graveyard (Ozzy Osbourne) (T)

71. Best Remixed Recording
A Remixer’s Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses for identification.) Singles or Tracks only.

DO YOU EVER (RAC MIX)
RAC, remixer (Phil Good)

IMAGINARY FRIENDS (MORGAN PAGE REMIX)
Morgan Page, remixer (Deadmau5)

PRAYING FOR YOU (LOUIE VEGA MAIN REMIX)
Louie Vega, remixer (Jasper Street Co.)

ROSES (IMANBEK REMIX)
Imanbek Zeikenov, remixer (SAINt JHN)

YOUNG & ALIVE (BAZZI VS. HAYWYRE REMIX)
Haywyre, remixer (Bazzi)

Production, Immersive Audio

72. Best Immersive Audio Album
Due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Best Immersive Audio Album Craft Committee was unable to meet. The judging of the entries in this category has been postponed until such time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members. The nominations for the 63rd GRAMMYs will be announced next year in addition to (and separately from) the 64th GRAMMY nominations in the category
Production, Classical

73. Best Engineered Album, Classical
An Engineer’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)

DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUA
Bernd Gottinger, engineer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)

GERSHWIN: PORGY AND BESS
David Frost & John Kerswell, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (David Robertson, Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)

HYNES: FIELDS
Kyle Pyke, engineer; Jesse Lewis & Kyle Pyke, mastering engineers (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)

IVES: COMPLETE SYMPHONIES
Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

SHOSTAKOVICH: SYMPHONY NO. 13, ‘BABI YAR’
David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

74. Producer Of The Year, Classical
A Producer’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)

BLANTON ALSPAUGH

• Aspects Of America – Pulitzer Edition (Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony)
• Blessed Art Thou Among Women (Peter Jermihov, Katya Lukianov & PaTRAM Institute Singers)
• Dvořák: Symphony No. 9; Copland: Billy The Kid (Gianandrea Noseda & National Symphony Orchestra)
• Glass: The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Joseph Li, Nicholas Nestorak, Madison Leonard, Jonas Hacker, Ben Edquist, Matthew Adam Fleisher & Wolf Trap Opera)
• Kahane: Emergency Shelter Intake Form (Alicia Hall Moran, Gabriel Kahane, Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony)
• Kastalsky: Requiem (Leonard Slatkin, Steven Fox, Benedict Sheehan, Charles Bruffy, Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, The Saint Tikhon Choir, Kansas City Chorale & Orchestra Of St. Luke’s)
• Massenet: Thaïs (Andrew Davis, Joshua Hopkins, Andrew Staples, Erin Wall, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir & Toronto Symphony Orchestra)
• Smyth: The Prison (Sarah Brailey, Dashon Burton, James Blachly & Experiential Orchestra)
• Woolf, L.P.: Fire And Flood (Julian Wachner, Matt Haimovitz & Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)

DAVID FROST

• Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 9 (Jonathan Biss)
• Gershwin: Porgy And Bess (David Robertson, Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
• Gluck: Orphée & Eurydice (Harry Bicket, Dmitry Korchak, Andriana Chuchman, Lauren Snouffer, Lyric Opera Of Chicago Orchestra & Chorus)
• Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)
• Muhly: Marnie (Robert Spano, Isabel Leonard, Christopher Maltman, Denyce Graves, Iestyn Davies, Janis Kelly, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
• Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845, D. 894, D. 958, D. 960 (Shai Wosner)
• Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’ (Riccardo Muti, Alexey Tikhomirov, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)

JESSE LEWIS

• Gunn: The Ascendant (Roomful Of Teeth)
• Harrison, M.: Just Constellations (Roomful Of Teeth)
• Her Own Wings (Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival)
• Hynes: Fields (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)
• Lang, D.: Love Fail (Beth Willer & Lorelei Ensemble)
• Mazzoli: Proving Up (Christopher Rountree, Opera Omaha & International Contemporary Ensemble)
• Sharlat: Spare The Rod! (NOW Ensemble)
• Soul House (Hub New Music)
• Wherein Lies The Good (The Westerlies)

DMITRIY LIPAY

• Adams, J.: Must The Devil Have All The Good Tunes? (Yuja Wang, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
• Cipullo: The Parting (Alastair Willis, Laura Strickling, Catherine Cook, Michael Mayes & Music Of Remembrance)
• Ives: Complete Symphonies (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
• LA Phil 100 – The Los Angeles Philharmonic Centennial Birthday Gala (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
• Langgaard: Prelude To Antichrist; Strauss: An Alpine Symphony (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony Orchestra)
• Nielsen: Symphony No. 1 & Symphony No. 2, ‘The Four Temperaments’ (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony)

ELAINE MARTONE

• Bound For The Promised Land (Robert M. Franklin, Steven Darsey, Jessye Norman & Taylor Branch)
• Dawn (Shachar Israel)
• Gandolfi, Prior & Oliverio: Orchestral Works (Robert Spano & Atlanta Symphony Orchestra)
• Singing In The Dead Of Night (Eighth Blackbird)
• Whitacre: The Sacred Veil (Eric Whitacre, Grant Gershon & Los Angeles Master Chorale)
Classical

75. Best Orchestral Performance
Award to the Conductor and to the Orchestra.

ASPECTS OF AMERICA – PULITZER EDITION
Carlos Kalmar, conductor (Oregon Symphony)

CONCURRENCE
Daníel Bjarnason, conductor (Iceland Symphony Orchestra)

COPLAND: SYMPHONY NO. 3
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)

IVES: COMPLETE SYMPHONIES
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

LUTOSłAWSKI: SYMPHONIES NOS. 2 & 3
Hannu Lintu, conductor (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)

76. Best Opera Recording
Award to the Conductor, Album Producer(s) and Principal Soloists.

DELLO JOIO: THE TRIAL AT ROUEN
Gil Rose, conductor; Heather Buck & Stephen Powell; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Odyssey Opera Chorus)

FLOYD, C.: PRINCE OF PLAYERS
William Boggs, conductor; Keith Phares & Kate Royal; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Florentine Opera Chorus)

GERSHWIN: PORGY AND BESS
David Robertson, conductor; Angel Blue & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

HANDEL: AGRIPPINA
Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor; Joyce DiDonato; Daniel Zalay, producer (Il Pomo D’Oro)

ZEMLINSKY: DER ZWERG
Donald Runnicles, conductor; David Butt Philip & Elena Tsallagova; Peter Ghirardini & Erwin Stürzer, producers (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)

77. Best Choral Performance
Award to the Conductor, and to the Choral Director and/or Chorus Master where applicable and to the Choral Organization/Ensemble.

CARTHAGE
Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)

DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUAH
JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers)

KASTALSKY: REQUIEM
Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Charles Bruffy, Steven Fox & Benedict Sheehan, chorus masters (Joseph Charles Beutel & Anna Dennis; Orchestra Of St. Luke’s; Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, Kansas City Chorale & The Saint Tikhon Choir)

MORAVEC: SANCTUARY ROAD
Kent Tritle, conductor (Joshua Blue, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Dashon Burton, Malcolm J. Merriweather & Laquita Mitchell; Oratorio Society Of New York Orchestra; Oratorio Society Of New York Chorus)

ONCE UPON A TIME
Matthew Guard, conductor (Sarah Walker; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)

78. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
For new recordings of works with chamber or small ensemble (twenty-four or fewer members, not including the conductor). One Award to the ensemble and one Award to the conductor, if applicable.

CONTEMPORARY VOICES
Pacifica Quartet

HEALING MODES
Brooklyn Rider

HEARNE, T.: PLACE
Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra

HYNES: FIELDS
Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion

THE SCHUMANN QUARTETS
Dover Quartet

79. Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Award to the Instrumental Soloist(s) and to the Conductor when applicable.

ADÈS: CONCERTO FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA
Kirill Gerstein; Thomas Adès, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE PIANO SONATAS
Igor Levit

BOHEMIAN TALES
Augustin Hadelich; Jakub Hrůša, conductor (Charles Owen; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)

DESTINATION RACHMANINOV – ARRIVAL
Daniil Trifonov; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)

THEOFANIDIS: CONCERTO FOR VIOLA AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)

80. Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Award to: Vocalist(s), Collaborative Artist(s) (Ex: pianists, conductors, chamber groups) Producer(s), Recording Engineers/Mixers with 51% or more playing time of new material.

AMERICAN COMPOSERS AT PLAY – WILLIAM BOLCOM, RICKY IAN GORDON, LORI LAITMAN, JOHN MUSTO
Stephen Powell (Attacca Quartet, William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto, Charles Neidich & Jason Vieaux)

CLAIRIÈRES – SONGS BY LILI & NADIA BOULANGER
Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang, accompanist

FARINELLI
Cecilia Bartoli; Giovanni Antonini, conductor (Il Giardino Armonico)

A LAD’S LOVE
Brian Giebler; Steven McGhee, accompanist (Katie Hyun, Michael Katz, Jessica Meyer, Reginald Mobley & Ben Russell)

SMYTH: THE PRISON
Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)

81. Best Classical Compendium
Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s) and Engineer(s) of over 51% playing time of the album, if other than the artist.

ADÈS CONDUCTS ADÈS
Mark Stone & Christianne Stotijn; Thomas Adès, conductor; Nick Squire, producer

SAARIAHO: GRAAL THÉÂTRE; CIRCLE MAP; NEIGES; VERS TOI QUI ES SI LOIN
Clément Mao-Takacs, conductor; Hans Kipfer, producer

SEREBRIER: SYMPHONIC BACH VARIATIONS; LAMENTS AND HALLELUJAHS; FLUTE CONCERTO
José Serebrier, conductor; Jens Braun, producer

THOMAS, M.T.: FROM THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK & MEDITATIONS ON RILKE
Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer

WOOLF, L.P.: FIRE AND FLOOD
Matt Haimovitz; Julian Wachner, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer

82. Best Contemporary Classical Composition
A Composer’s Award. (For a contemporary classical composition composed within the last 25 years, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year.) Award to the librettist, if applicable.

ADÈS: CONCERTO FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA
Thomas Adès, composer (Kirill Gerstein, Thomas Adès & Boston Symphony Orchestra)

DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUA
Richard Danielpour, composer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)

FLOYD, C.: PRINCE OF PLAYERS
Carlisle Floyd, composer (William Boggs, Kate Royal, Keith Phares, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)

HEARNE, T.: PLACE
Ted Hearne, composer (Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra)

ROUSE: SYMPHONY NO. 5
Christopher Rouse, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

Music Video/Film

83. Best Music Video
Award to the artist, video director, and video producer.

BROWN SKIN GIRL
Beyonce
Beyonce Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, video directors; Lauren Baker, Astrid Edwards, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, video producers

LIFE IS GOOD
Future Featuring Drake
Julien Christian Lutz, video director; Harv Glazer, video producer

LOCKDOWN
Anderson .Paak
Dave Meyers, video director; Nathan Scherrer, video producer

ADORE YOU
Harry Styles
Dave Meyers, video director; Nathan Scherrer, video producer

GOLIATH
Woodkid
Yoann Lemoine, video director

84. Best Music Film
For concert/performance films or music documentaries. Award to the artist, video director, and video producer.

BEASTIE BOYS STORY
Beastie Boys
Spike Jonze, video director; Amanda Adelson, Jason Baum & Spike Jonze, video producers

BLACK IS KING
Beyonce

WE ARE FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME
Freestyle Love Supreme
Andrew Fried, video director; Andrew Fried, Jill Furman, Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sarina Roma, Jenny Steingart & Jon Steingart, video producers

LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE
Linda Ronstadt
Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola & James Keach, video producers

THAT LITTLE OL’ BAND FROM TEXAS
ZZ Top
Sam Dunn, video director; Scot McFadyen, video producer

This post is being updated.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

As the new year rolls around, The National are gearing up for a big celebration. 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut album, which stood as an early precursor to two decades of influential music. To celebrate the occasion, the band announced they will remaster a handful of their early albums.

The National unveiled plans to remaster their first three albums: 2001’s The National, 2003’s Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers, and 2004’s Cherry Tree EP. Each project will be reworked, pressed to vinyl, and released on a CD this February to give fans a chance to revisit their musical beginnings.

While the band is looking back at their early efforts, vocalist Matt Berninger has recently expanded his music with his solo career. The singer put out his 10-track debut solo album Serpentine Prison this year, which he recorded with Booker T. Jones. Speaking about the project with Uproxx upon its release, Berninger described his working relationship with Jones: “We moved really fast. We recorded everything in 14 days including almost all the overdubs. He would say, ‘Matt we got that one, let’s move on to another fish.’ He’s like, ‘We don’t need to keep catching this tuna. Let’s go find a shark.’ He moves fast.”

The National, Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers, and Cherry Tree EP remasters are out 12/26/21 via 4AD. Pre-order them here.

Inherited trauma is a powerful force, underacknowledged in the cycle of poverty. In Hillbilly Elegy, Ron Howard’s adaptation of JD Vance’s memoir new on Netflix, it also makes for repetitive viewing. Amy Adams (as JD’s mom) does drugs and throws things, shattering JD’s chill as grandma (Glenn Close) tries to intervene. Over and over it goes, and no one really learns anything. Eventually JD goes to Yale Law School. Hooray?

Visually, Ron Howard has done a hell of a job. The trailer was rightly clowned when it was first released, for being the epitome of glamorous movie actors vamping around in poverty face. Certainly, Hillbilly Elegy isn’t the first movie ever to trace its awards chances to how tacky and ugly it can make its beautiful, fashionable stars. But that’s why it’s easy to ridicule — it’s probably the thousandth. Obvious tacky-face has itself become tacky. Nonetheless, Howard kept receipts. As the credits roll, he juxtaposes shots of his actors next to the real-life Vance family they’ve been portraying (has this ever been done before??), as if to say “See?? They look just like ’em!”

And they do. Gabriel Basso as Yale-aged Vance also looks uncannily like a grown-up version of Owen Asztalos as the young Vance (whose ’80s haircuts make him look like he has an abnormally large skull). Maryse Alberti’s gorgeous cinematography makes the hollers of hill country look as idyllic as Vance remembers them.

Yet Hillbilly Elegy is an accidental master class in why a series of facts doesn’t make a story. We get the present-day(ish) Vance, trying to prepare for his clerking interviews and relate to his new milieu at Yale, while his drug-addled mom does everything she can to screw it up for him. We see the chip on JD’s shoulder when a law school colleague casually refers to his home townspeople as “rednecks” and JD throws a fit. An explanation of why he recoils at “redneck” when he has “hillbilly” in the title of his memoir would’ve been helpful here, but okay. He has to call his girlfriend Usha (Freida Pinto) to ask her what forks and knives to use during a fancy law school dinner so that he doesn’t embarrass himself in front of the law people. Gaw-lee, this is one fish WAY out of water!

In between are flashbacks to JD’s childhood, explaining how he got to be this way. Mostly they consist of his mom being an addled, flighty, unreliable nightmare while JD has to cover for her and Meemaw tisks in the background. Occasionally Meemaw tisks a little too loudly and Mom spins around on her heels to remind her that this was all! Her! Fault! I learned it by watching you!

Missing in this whole Hilldog Yale-lionaire dual storyline is what lessons JD’s childhood tried to inculcate and how and why he outgrew them. Netflix’s other hill-country release this year, The Devil All The Time (a far better movie) makes an interesting comparison. In both, there’s a scene in which a family member tries to instill in the young protagonist the lesson, “Never start a fight, but always finish one.”

It’s hard to think of a more destructive value to instill in a child than the need for petty vengeance (and ironic coming from avowed turn-the-other-cheek Christians) but it’s a useful point of comparison since both movies repeat it basically verbatim. In The Devil All The Time, the adage quickly leads to a child forced to watch his father unleash unspeakable mayhem — which is not only compelling to watch, but instructive in terms of how this worldview affects the immediate environment and future generations. In Hillbilly Elegy, young JD Vance, after some boys hold his head under the water at the local swimmin’ hole, charges against unwinnable odds, bloodying his lip before he gets bailed out by family members in a “fight” worthy of an after-school special.

Aside from the general lameness and low stakes of the Hillbilly Elegy version, the takeaway has shifted. Rather than come away thinking “Gee, endless retaliation might be destructive for myself and the people around me,” young JD learns, curiously “it’s good to be around family.”

To deepen the irony, older JD Vance later regales his dinner companions with the story of how he was descended from the guy who started the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud. Now, I’d like to believe that including the Hatfield-McCoy bit means Ron Howard and/or JD Vance)were conscious of young JD learning the wrong lesson from the swimming hole fight, but in the context of the rest of the film it doesn’t really seem like they do. And it’s hard to engage with a memoir in which the storyteller is simultaneously trying to school us on “the real world” while missing what seems like the obvious point to half their stories.

Throughout the film, the family whispers that what Bev (Amy Adam) is putting the family through now is child’s play compared to what Meemaw put Bev through during her own childhood. We get a few tantalizing glimpses of this — like Meemaw lighting her drunk husband on fire after he passes out in a stupor — but mostly we just get Bev being a nightmare over and over. I’m sure that having an addict for a mother is dull and repetitive in real life, so I suppose I can’t fault the movie for realism.

The bigger issue is that Hillbilly Elegy‘s redemptive arc can’t justify it. In a movie about PTSD and inherited trauma JD Vance breaks the cycle by… studying real hard and ditching his burnout friends. Hmm, did a vice-principal write this? But hey, who doesn’t love a good book-reading montage? It isn’t exactly blinding insight. Moreover, at a time that’s already given us a brilliant hillbilly noir (The Devil All The Time) and an enduring depiction of inherited trauma (Honey Boy), Hillbilly Elegy isn’t bringing much to the table other than big names.

‘Hillbilly Elegy’ is now streaming via Netflix . Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can access his archive of reviews here.

In wrapping up his short film cover project, 4th Qtr Medley, RMR saves one last classic cover for the finale. After gleefully vandalizing Matchbox Twenty’s ’90s hit “3 AM” with “The Wishing Hour” and Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later” with “That Was Therapeutic,” RMR closes things out with the full film, which you’ll have to sit through to get to his smirking teardown of Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” and an absolutely killer solo courtesy of his backing band’s guitarist. Watching Black people shred always gets me right in the feels.

4th Qtr Medley is one heck of a way to close out RMR’s first year of stardom, ending as he began: With a head-turning cover of a classic rock-ish hit no one ever would have expected from a ski-masked trap crooner who hangs out with the likes of Westside Gunn and Future. When “Rascal” went viral earlier this year, fans had no idea what to make of it. Was this a joke? A gimmick? A serious attempt to co-opt country music as part of trap rap’s increasingly diverse oeuvre? His next efforts, the single “Dealer” and his eventual debut EP Drug Dealing Is A Lost Art answered “all of the above.” The masked singer turned out to be capable of irreverent homage, groundbreaking originality, and a surprising authenticity. And we still don’t know who he really is or what he looks like, which might just be the key ingredient in keeping us tuned in as we try to unravel the mystery of RMR.

Watch 4th Qtr Medley above.

RMR is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.