February 10, 2019
by Carla Hay
Kacey Musgraves’ critically acclaimed “Golden Hour” won Album of the Year, while Childish Gambino’s chart-topping single “This Is America” was named Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 61st Grammy Awards. CBS had the U.S. telecast of the ceremony, which took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb 10, 2019. Alicia Keys hosted the show. In total, Musgraves and Childish Gambino (the musical stage name of actor Donald Glover) won the most Grammys: four each. In addition to Record of the Year and Song of the Year, Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” also won Grammys for Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Music Video. “This Is America” is the first hip-hop song to win the Grammys for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Glover/Childish Gambino did not attend the ceremony. Ludwig Göransson, who co-wrote and co-produced the song with Glover, gave the acceptance speech instead for Record of the Year. (Göransson also won a Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, for “Black Panther,” which was an award that was not televised.)
Recordings eligible for the 2019 Grammy Awards were those released between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018. The awards are voted for by the Recording Academy.
This was the first year that the Grammys had the new expansions of the General Field categories—Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist—which have increased the number of nominees per category from five to eight. The policy change came after the 2018 Grammy Awards received a lot of criticism for having an overwhelming majority of male nominees and winners. It led to the social-media hashtag #GrammysSoMale, and the Recording Academy subsequently created a diversity and inclusion task force. All the other Grammy categories will continue to have five nominees per category, except in cases where there is a voting tie.
After the #GrammysSoMale backlash of 2018, the Grammys had several female winners in 2019. In addition to winning Album of the Year, Musgraves won all three of the country-music Grammys for which she was nominated. Cardi B made Grammy history has the first solo female artist to win Best Rap Album, for her debut album, “Invasion of Privacy.”
Lady Gaga won three Grammys: Her “Shallow” duet with her “A Star Is Born” co-star/director Bradley Cooper won for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Song Written for Visual Media, while Lady Gaga’s “Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’)?” was named Best Pop Solo Performance. (Lady Gaga and Cooper’s soundtrack to “A Star Is Born” was released on October 5, 2018, so it will be eligible for the 2020 Grammy Awards.) Cooper did not attend the Grammys because he was at the BAFTA Awards in London, where “A Star Is Born” won the prize for Best Original Music.
Brandi Carlile also won three Grammys: She dominated the American roots music category by winning all three Grammys that she was nominated for in that field this year. Other female Grammy winners were Dua Lipa, who won Best New Artist, as well as Best Dance Recording (for “Electricity” with Silk City’s Mark Ronson and Diplo). Tori Kelly took the top Grammy prizes for song and album in the gospel category, while Lauren Daigle did the same in the contemporary Christian category. Meanwhile, H.E.R. won the prizes for Best R&B Performance (for “Best Part” featuring Daniel Caesar) and Best R&B Album, for her self-titled EP.
One female Grammy winner who didn’t attend the show was Ariana Grande, who canceled her appearance at the Grammys this year because of reported dispute over which songs she could perform: Her “Sweetnener” album won Best Pop Vocal Album, which is Grande’s first Grammy Award.
After a brief, cheerful introduction by Keys, the show opened with Keys joined on stage by Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Michelle Obama and Jennifer Lopez, with each of the women giving short speeches about what music means to them.
Kendrick Lamar, who had the most nominations (eight) heading into the ceremony, was nominated for his work on the “Black Panther” soundtrack, but he ended up with one Grammy win: “King’s Dead” won the prize for Best Rap Performance for Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake. The award had a rare voting tie this year: Anderson .Paak’s “Bubblin” also won the Grammy in this category.
Drake had seven nominations and ended up with one Grammy: Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan.” Drake and Lamar reportedly declined invitations to perform at the Grammys this year. Drake attended the ceremony, but Lamar did not.
Performers at the 2019 Grammys included Lady Gaga, Keys, Janelle Monáe, Dan + Shay, H.E.R., Musgraves, Cardi B, Shawn Mendes and Carlile. Diana Ross celebrated her 75th birthday with a “Diamond Diana” performance medley of some of her hit songs.
The Grammys are known for having unique tributes and collaborations. This year the on-stage team-ups included Camila Cabello with Ricky Martin, Youg Thug and J Balvin; Miley Cyrus with Mendes; Dua Lipa with St. Vincent; Travis Scott with members of Earth, Wind & Fire; and Post Malone with Red Hot Chili Peppers.
A tribute to the late Aretha Franklin featured Yolanda Adams, Andra Day and Fantasia doing a medley of Franklin’s hits.
Dolly Parton (MusiCares’ 2019 Person of the Year) participated in a tribute to her that included Musgraves, Katy Perry, Maren Morris, Cyrus and Little Big Town performing a medley of Parton hits.
A tribute to Motown’s 60th anniversary featured Jennifer Lopez, Smokey Robinson, Ne-Yo and Keys performing a medley of Motown hits.
Chloe x Halle performed a tribute to the late Donny Hathaway, one of this year’s recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.
The Grammy ceremony had some time-management problems. The show ran about 10 minutes over its scheduled time (it had been scheduled to run from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. ET), and several winners’ speeches were cut off by music playing over them. In Dua Lipa’s case, her microphone was completely shut off as the telecast quickly switched to a commercial.
The 61st Grammy Awards were produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures for the Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich was executive producer, Ben Winston was executive producer, Louis J. Horvitz was director, Chantel Sausedo was the producer, and David Wild and Ehrlich were the writers.
Here is the complete list of winners and nominations for the 61st Grammy Awards:
*=winner
GENERAL FIELD
Album of the Year:
“Invasion of Privacy” — Cardi B
“By the Way, I Forgive You” — Brandi Carlile
“Scorpion” — Drake
“H.E.R.” — H.E.R.
“Beerbongs & Bentleys” — Post Malone
“Dirty Computer” — Janelle Monáe
“Golden Hour” — Kacey Musgraves*
“Black Panther: The Album, Music From And Inspired By” (Various Artists)
Record of the Year:
“I Like It” — Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile
“This Is America” — Childish Gambino*
“God’s Plan” — Drake
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
“All the Stars” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“Rockstar” — Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage
“The Middle” — Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Song of the Year:
“All the Stars” — Kendrick Duckworth, Solána Rowe, Al Shuckburgh, Mark Spears & Anthony Tiffith, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar & SZA)
“Boo’d Up” — Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai & Dijon McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)
“God’s Plan” — Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)
“In My Blood” — Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes & Geoffrey Warburton, songwriters (Shawn Mendes)
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
“The Middle” — Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha & Anton Zaslavski, songwriters (Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey)
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)
“This Is America” — Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)*
Best New Artist:
Chloe x Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa*
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith
POP FIELD
Best Pop Solo Performance:
“Colors” — Beck
“Havana (Live)” — Camila Cabello
“God Is A Woman” — Ariana Grande
“Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’)?” — Lady Gaga*
“Better Now” — Post Malone
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Fall In Line” — Christina Aguilera Featuring Demi Lovato
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” — Backstreet Boys
“‘S Wonderful” — Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper*
“Girls I Like You” — Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B
“Say Something” — Justin Timberlake Featuring Chris Stapleton
“The Middle” — Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
“Love Is Here To Stay” —Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
“My Way” — Willie Nelson*
“Nat “King” Cole & Me” — Gregory Porter
“Standards (Deluxe)” — Seal
“The Music…The Mem’ries…The Magic!” — Barbra Streisand
Best Pop Vocal Album:
“Camila” — Camila Cabello
“Meaning Of Life” — Kelly Clarkson
“Sweetener” — Ariana Grande*
“Shawn Mendes” — Shawn Mendes
“Beautiful Trauma” — P!nk
“Reputation” — Taylor Swift
DANCE/ELECTRONIC FIELD
Best Dance Recording:
“Northern Soul” — Above & Beyond Featuring Richard Bedford
“Ultimatum” — Disclosure (Featuring Fatoumata Diawara)
“Losing It” — Fisher
“Electricity” — Silk City & Dua Lipa Featuring Diplo & Mark Ronson*
“Ghost Voices” — Virtual Self
Best Dance/Electronic Album:
“Singularity” —Jon Hopkins
“Woman Worldwide” — Justice*
“Treehouse” — Sofi Tukker
“Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides” — SOPHIE
“Lune Rouge” — TOKiMONSTA
CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL FIELD
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album:
“The Emancipation Procrastination” — Christian Scott and Tunde Adjuah
“Steve Gadd Band” — Steve Gadd Band*
“Modern Lore” — Julian Lage
“Laid Black” — Marcus Miller
“Protocol 4” — Simon Phillips
ROCK FIELD
Best Rock Performance:
“Four Out Of Five” — Arctic Monkeys
“When Bad Does Good” — Chris Cornell*
“Made An America” — The Fever 333
“Highway Tune” — Greta Van Fleet
“Uncomfortable” — Halestorm
Best Metal Performance:
“Condemned to the Gallows “— Between the Buried and Me
“Honeycomb” — Deafheaven
“Electric Messiah” — High on Fire*
“Betrayer” — Trivium
“On My Teeth — Underoath
Best Rock Song:
“Black Smoke Rising” — Jacob Thomas Kiszka, Joshua Michael Kiszka, Samuel Francis Kiszka & Daniel Robert Wagner, songwriters (Greta Van Fleet)
“Jumpsuit” — Tyler Joseph, songwriter (Twenty One Pilots)
“MANTRA” — Jordan Fish, Matthew Kean, Lee Malia, Matthew Nicholls & Oliver Sykes, songwriters (Bring Me
The Horizon)
“Masseduction” — Jack Antonoff & Annie Clark, songwriters (St. Vincent)*
“Rats” — Tom Dalgety & A Ghoul Writer, songwriters (Ghost)
Best Rock Album:
“Rainier Fog” — Alice in Chains
“M A N I A” — Fall Out Boy
“Prequelle — Ghost
“From the Fires” — Greta Van Fleet*
“Pacific Daydream” — Weezer
ALTERNATIVE FIELD
Best Alternative Music Album:
“Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino” — Arctic Monkeys
“Colors” — Beck*
“Utopia” — Björk
“American Utopia” — David Byrne
“Masseduction” — St. Vincent
R&B FIELD
Best R&B Performance:
“Long As I Live” — Toni Braxton
“Summer” — The Carters
“Y O Y” — Lalah Hathaway
“Best Part” — H.E.R. Featuring Daniel Caesar*
“First Began” — PJ Morton
Best Traditional R&B Performance:
“Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand” — Leon Bridges* (tie)
“Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight” — Bettye LaVette
“Honest” — MAJOR.
“How Deep Is Your Love” — PJ Morton Featuring Yebba* (tie)
“Made For Love” — Charlie Wilson Featuring Lalah Hathaway
Best R&B Song:
“Boo’d Up” — Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai & Dijon
McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)*
“Come Through And Chill” — Jermaine Cole, Miguel Pimentel & Salaam Remi, songwriters (Miguel Featuring J. Cole & Salaam Remi)
“Feels Like Summer” — Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
“Focus” — Darhyl Camper Jr, H.E.R. & Justin Love, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“Long As I Live” — Paul Boutin, Toni Braxton & Antonio Dixon, songwriters (Toni Braxton)
Best Urban Contemporary Album:
“Everything Is Love” — The Carters*
“The Kids Are Alright “— Chloe x Halle
“Chris Dave and the Drumhedz” — Chris Dave and the Drumhedz
“War & Leisure” — Miguel
“Ventriloquism” — Meshell Ndegeocello
Best R&B Album:
“Sex & Cigarettes” — Toni Braxton
“Good Thing” — Leon Bridges
“Honestly” — Lalah Hathaway
“H.E.R.” — H.E.R.*
“Gumbo Unplugged (Live)” — PJ Morton
RAP FIELD
Best Rap Performance:
“Be Careful” — Cardi B
“Nice For What” — Drake
“King’s Dead” — Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future & James Blake* (tie)
“Bubblin” — Anderson .Paak* (tie)
“Sicko Mode” — Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk & Swae Lee
Best Rap/Sung Performance:
“Like I Do” — Christina Aguilera Featuring Goldlink
“Pretty Little Fears” — 6LACK Featuring J. Cole
“This Is America” — Childish Gambino*
“All The Stars” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“Rockstar” — Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage
Best Rap Song:
“God’s Plan” — Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron
LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)*
“King’s Dead” — Kendrick Duckworth, Samuel Gloade, James Litherland, Johnny McKinzie, Mark Spears, Travis Walton, Nayvadius Wilburn & Michael Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future &
James Blake)
“Lucky You” — R. Fraser, G. Lucas, M. Mathers, M. Samuels & J.
Sweet, songwriters (Eminem Featuring Joyner Lucas)
“Sicko Mode” — Khalif Brown, Rogét Chahayed, BryTavious Chambers, Mike Dean, Mirsad Dervic, Kevin Gomringer, Tim Gomringer, Aubrey Graham, John Edward Hawkins, Chauncey Hollis, Jacques Webster, Ozan Yildirim & Cydel Young, songwriters (Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk & Swae Lee)
“Win” — K. Duckworth, A. Hernandez, J. McKinzie, M. Samuels
& C. Thompson, songwriters (Jay Rock)
Best Rap Album:
“Invasion of Privacy” — Cardi B*
“Swimming” — Mac Miller
“Victory Lap” — Nipsey Hussle
“Daytona” — Pusha T
“Astroworld” — Travis Scott
COUNTRY FIELD
Best Country Solo Performance:
“Wouldn’t It Be Great?” — Loretta Lynn
“Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters” — Maren Morris
“Butterflies” — Kacey Musgraves*
“Millionaire” — Chris Stapleton
“Parallel Line” — Keith Urban
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
“Shoot Me Straight” — Brothers Osborne
“Tequila” — Dan + Shay*
” When Someone Stops Loving You” — Little Big Town
“Dear Hate” — Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill
“Meant To Be” — Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
Best Country Song:
“Break Up In The End” — Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill & Jon Nite, songwriters (Cole Swindell)
“Dear Hate” — Tom Douglas, David Hodges & Maren Morris,
Songwriters (Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill)
“I Lived It” — Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley & Ben
Hayslip, songwriters (Blake Shelton)
“Space Cowboy” — Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves,
songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)*
“Tequila” — Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds & Dan Smyers, songwriters (Dan + Shay)
“When Someone Stops Loving You” — Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Little Big Town)
Best Country Album:
“Unapologetically” — Kelsea Ballerini
“Port Saint Joe” — Brothers Osborne
“Girl Going Nowhere” — Ashley McBryde
“Golden Hour” — Kacey Musgraves*
“From a Room: Volume 2” — Chris Stapleton
NEW AGE FIELD
Best New Age Album:
“Hiraeth” — Lisa Gerrard & David Kuckhemann
“Beloved” — Snatam Kaur
“Opium Moon” — Opium Moon*
“Molecules Of Motion” — Steve Roach
“Moku Maluhia – Peaceful Island” — Jim Kimo West
JAZZ FIELD
Best Improvised Jazz Solo:
“Some of That Sunshine” — Regina Carter, soloist
“Don’t Fence Me In” — John Daversa, soloist*
“We See” — Fred Hersch, soloists
“De-dah” — Brad Mehldau, soloist
“Cadenas” — Miguel Zenón, soloist
Best Jazz Vocal Album:
“My Mood Is You” — Freddy Cole
“The Questions” — Kurt Elling
“The Subject Tonight Is Love” — Kate McGarry With Keith Ganz & Gary Versace
“If You Really Want” — Raul Midón With The Metropole Orkest Conducted By Vince Mendoza
“The Window” — Cécile McLorin Salvant*
Best Jazz Instrumental Album:
“Diamond Cut” — Tia Fuller
“Live in Europe” — Fred Hersch Trio
“Seymour Reads the Constitution!” — Brad Mehldau Trio
“Still Dreaming” — Joshua Redman, Ron Miles, Scott Colley & Brian Blade
“Emanon” — The Wayne Shorter Quartet*
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album:
“All About That Basie” — The Count Basie Orchestra Directed By Scotty
Barnhart
“American Dreamers: Voices Of Hope, Music Of Freedom” — John Daversa Big Band Featuring DACA Artists*
“Presence” — Orrin Evans And The Captain Black Big Band
“All Can Work” — John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble
“Barefoot Dances and Other Visions” — Jim McNeely & The Frankfurt Radio Big Band
Best Latin Jazz Album:
“Heart of Brazil”— Eddie Daniels
“Back to the Sunset”— Dafnis Prieto Big Band*
“West Side Story Reimagined”— Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band
“Cinque”— Elio Villafranca
“Yo Soy La Tradición” — Miguel Zenón Featuring Spektral Quartet
GOSPEL/ CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC FIELD
Best Gospel Performance/Song:
“You Will Win” — Jekalyn Carr; Allen Carr & Jekalyn Carr, Songwriters
“Won’t He Do It” — Koryn Hawthorne
“Never Alone” — Tori Kelly Featuring Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin & Victoria Kelly, Songwriters*
“Cycles” Jonathan Mcreynolds Featuring Doe; Jonathan McReynolds, Songwriter
“A Great Work” — Brian Courtney Wilson; Aaron W. Lindsey, Alvin Richardson & Brian Courtney Wilson, Songwriters
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song:
“Reckless Love” — Cory Asbury; Cory Asbury, Caleb Culver & Ran Jackson, songwriters
“You Say” — Lauren Daigle; Lauren Daigle, Jason Ingram & Paul Mabury, songwriters*
“Joy” — for King & Country; Ben Glover, Matt Hales, Stephen Blake Kanicka, Seth Moslely, Joel Smallbone, Luke Smallbone & Tedd Tjornhom, songwriters
“Grace Got You” — MercyMe Featuring John Reuben; David Garcia, Ben Glover, MercyMe, Solomon Olds & John Reuben, songwriters
“Known”— Tauren Wells; Ethan Hulse, Jordan Sapp & Tauren
Wells, songwriters
Best Gospel Album:
“One Nation Under God” — Jekalyn Carr
“Hiding Place” — Tori Kelly*
“Make Room” — Jonathan McReynolds
“The Other Side” — The Walls Group
“A Great Work” — Brian Courtney Wilson
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album:
“Look Up Child” — Lauren Daigle*
“Hallelujah Here Below” — Elevation Worship
“Living With a Fire” — Jesus Culture
“Surrounded” — Michael W. Smith
“Survivor: Live From Harding Prison” — Zach Williams
Best Roots Gospel Album:
“Unexpected” — Jason Crabb*
“Clear Skies” — Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
“Favorites: Revisited By Request” — The Isaacs
“Still Standing” — The Martins
“Love Love Love” — Gordon Mote
LATIN FIELD
Best Latin Pop Album:
“Prometo” — Pablo Alboran
“Sincera” — Claudia Brant*
“Musas (Un Homenaje Al Folclore Latinoamericano En Manos De Los Macorinos), Vol. 2” — Natalia Lafourcade
“2:00 AM” — Raquel Sofía
“Vives” — Carlos Vives
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album:
“Clairoscura” — Aterciopelados
“Coastcity” — Coastcity
“Encanto Tropical” — Monsieur Periné
“Gourmet” — Orishas
“Aztlán” — Zoé*
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano):
“Primero Soy Mexicana” — Angela Aguilar
“Mitad y Mitad” — Calibre 50
“Totalmente Juan Gabriel Vol. II” — Aida Cuevas
“Cruzando Borders” — Los Texmaniacs
“Leyendas De Mi Pueblo” — Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez
“¡México Por Siempre!” — Luis Miguel*
Best Tropical Latin Album:
“Pa’ Mi Gente” — Charlie Aponte
“Legado” — Formell Y Los Van Van
“Orquesta Akokán” — Orquesta Akokán
“Ponle Actitud” — Felipe Peláez
“Anniversary” — Spanish Harlem Orchestra*
AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC FIELD
Best American Roots Performance:
“Kick Rocks” — Sean Ardoin
“Saint James Infirmary Blues” — Jon Batiste
“The Joke” Brandi Carlile*
“All On My Mind” — Anderson East
“Last Man Standing” — Willie Nelson
Best American Roots Song:
“All the Trouble” — Waylon Payne, Lee Ann Womack & Adam Wright, songwriters (Lee Ann Womack)
“Build a Bridge” — Jeff Tweedy, songwriter (Mavis Staples)
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)*
“Knockin’ On Your Screen Door” — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
“Summer’s End” — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
Best Americana Album:
“By the Way, I Forgive You” — Brandi Carlile*
“Things Have Changed” — Bettye LaVette
“The Tree Of Forgiveness” — John Prine
“The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone” — Lee Ann Womack
“One Drop Of Truth” — The Wood Brothers
Best Bluegrass Album:
“Portraits in Fiddles” — Mike Barnett
“Sister Sadie II” — Sister Sadie
“Rivers and Roads” — Special Consensus
“The Travelin’ McCourys” — The Travelin’ McCourys*
“North of Despair” — Wood & Wire
Best Traditional Blues Album:
“Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here” — Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio
“Benton County Relic” — Cedric Burnside
“The Blues Is Alive and Well” — Buddy Guy*
“No Mercy in This Land” — Ben Harper And Charlie Musselwhite
“Don’t You Feel My Leg (The Naughty Bawdy Blues of Blue Lu Barker) — Maria Muldaur
Best Contemporary Blues Album:
“Please Don’t Be Dead” — Fantastic Negrito*
“Here In Babylon” — Teresa James And The Rhythm Tramps
“Cry No More” — Danielle Nicole
“Out of The Blues” — Boz Scaggs
“Victor Wainwright and The Train” — Victor Wainwright And The Train
Best Folk Album:
“Whistle Down the Wind” — Joan Baez
“Black Cowboys” — Dom Flemons
“Rifles & Rosary Beads” — Mary Gauthier
“Weed Garden” — Iron & Wine
“All Ashore” — Punch Brothers*
Best Regional Roots Music Album:
“Kreole Rock and Soul” — Sean Ardoin
“Spyboy” — Cha Wa
“Aloha From Na Hoa” — Na Hoa
“No ‘Ane’i” — Kalani Pe’a*
“Mewasinsational – Cree Round Dance Songs” — Young Spirit
REGGAE FIELD
Best Reggae Album:
“As the World Turns” — Black Uhuru
“Reggae Forever” — Etana
“Rebellion Rises” — Ziggy Marley
“A Matter of Time” — Protoje
“44/876” — Sting & Shaggy*
WORLD MUSIC FIELD
Best World Music Album:
“Deran” — Bombino
“Fenfo” — Fatoumata Diawara
“Black Times” — Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
“Freedom” — Soweto Gospel Choir*
“The Lost Songs of World War II” — Yiddish Glory
CHILDREN’S FIELD
Best Children’s Album:
“All the Sounds” — Lucy Kalantari & The Jazz Cats*
“Building Blocks” — Tim Kubart
“Falu’s Bazaar” — Falu
“Giants of Science” — The Pop Ups
“The Nation of Imagine” — Frank & Deane
SPOKEN WORD FIELD
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling):
“Accessory to War (Neil Degrasse Tyson & Avis Lang)” — Courtney B. Vance
“Calypso” — David Sedaris
“Creative Quest” — Questlove
“Faith – A Journey For All” — Jimmy Carter*
“The Last Black Unicorn” — Tiffany Haddish
COMEDY FIELD
Best Comedy Album:
“Annihilation” — Patton Oswalt
“Equanimity & The Bird Revelation” — Dave Chappelle*
“Noble Ape” — Jim Gaffigan
“Standup For Drummers” — Fred Armisen
“Tamborine” — Chris Rock
MUSICAL THEATER FIELD
Best Musical Theater Album:
“The Band’s Visit” — Etai Benson, Adam Kantor, Katrina Lenk & Ari’el
Stachel, principal soloists; Dean Sharenow & David
Yazbek, producers; David Yazbek, composer & lyricist
(Original Broadway Cast)*
“Carousel” — Renee Fleming, Alexander Gemignani, Joshua Henry,
Lindsay Mendez & Jessie Mueller, principal soloists;
Steven Epstein, producer (Richard Rodgers, composer;
Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist) (2018 Broadway Cast)
“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” — Sara Bareilles, Alice Cooper, Ben Daniels, Brandon
Victor Dixon, Erik Grönwall, Jin Ha, John Legend,
Norm Lewis & Jason Tam, principal soloists; Harvey
Mason, Jr., producer (Andrew Lloyd-Webber,
composer; Tim Rice, lyricist) (Original Television Cast)
“My Fair Lady” — Lauren Ambrose, Norbert Leo Butz & Harry
Hadden-Paton, principal soloists; Andre Bishop, Van
Dean, Hattie K. Jutagir, David Lai, Adam Siegel & Ted
Sperling, producers (Frederick Loewe, composer; Alan
Jay Lerner, lyricist) (2018 Broadway Cast)
“Once on This Island” — Phillip Boykin, Merle Dandridge, Quentin Earl
Darrington, Hailey Kilgore, Kenita R. Miller, Alex
Newell, Isaac Powell & Lea Salonga, principal soloists;
Lynn Ahrens, Hunter Arnold, Ken Davenport, Stephen
Flaherty & Elliot Scheiner, producers (Stephen
Flaherty, composer; Lynn Ahrens, lyricist) (New
Broadway Cast)
MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA FIELD
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:
“Call Me By Your Name” — (Various Artists)
“Deadpool 2” — (Various Artists)
“The Greatest Showman” — (Various Artists)*
“Lady Bird” — (Various Artists)
“Stranger Things” — (Various Artists)
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media:
“Black Panther” — Ludwig Göransson, composer*
“Blade Runner 2049” — Benjamin Wallfisch & Hans Zimmer, composers
“Coco” — Michael Giacchino, composer
“The Shape of Water” — Alexandre Desplat, composer
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” — John Williams, composer
Best Song Written For Visual Media:
“All the Stars” — Kendrick Duckworth, Solána Rowe, Alexander William Shuckburgh, Mark Anthony Spears & Anthony Tiffith, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar & SZA)
“Mystery of Love” — Sufjan Stevens, songwriter (Sufjan Stevens)
“Remember Me” — Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Miguel Featuring Natalia Lafourcade)
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)*
“This Is Me” — Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, songwriters (Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble)
COMPOSING/ ARRANGING FIELD
Best Instrumental Composition:
“Blut und Boden (Blood and Soil)” — Terence Blanchard, composer (Terence Blanchard)*
“Chrysalis” — Jeremy Kittel, composer (Kittel & Co.)
“Infinity War” — Alan Silverstri, composer (Alan Silvestri)
“Mine Mission” — John Powell & John Williams, composers (John Powell & John Williams)
“The Shape of Water” — Alexandre Desplat, composer (Alexandre Desplat)
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella:
“Batman Theme (TV)” — Randy Waldman & Justin Wilson, arrangers (Randy Waldman Featuring Wynton Marsalis)
“Change the World” — Mark Kibble, arranger (Take 6)
“Madrid Finale” — John Powell, arranger (John Powell)
“The Shape of Water” — Alexandre Desplat, arranger (Alexandre Desplat)
“Stars and Stripes Forever” — John Daversa, arranger (John Daversa Big Band Featuring DACA Artists)*
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals:
“It Was a Very Good Year” — Matt Rollings & Kristin Wilkinson, arrangers (Willie Nelson)
“Jolene” — Dan Pugach & Nicole Zuraitis, arrangers (Dan Pugach)
“Mona Lisa” — Vince Mendoza, arranger (Gregory Porter)
“Niña” — Gonzalo Grau, arranger (Magos Herrera & Brooklyn Rider)
“Spiderman Theme” — Randy Waldman, arranger (Randy Waldman Featuring Take 6 & Chris Potter)*
PACKAGE FIELD
Best Recording Package:
“Be The Cowboy” — Mary Banas, art director (Mitski)
“Love Yourself: Tear” — HuskyFox, art director (BTS)
“Masseducation” — Willo Perron, art director (St. Vincent)*
“The Offering” — Qing-Yang Xiao, art director (The Chairman)
“Well Kept Thing” — Adam Moore, art director (Foxhole)
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package:
“Appetite For Destruction (Locked N’ Loaded Box)” — Arian Buhler, Charles Dooher, Jeff Fura, Scott Sandler & Matt Taylor, art directors (Guns N’ Roses)
“I’ll Be Your Girl” — Carson Ellis, Jeri Heiden & Glen Nakasako, art directors (The Decemberists)
“Pacific Northwest ’73-74′: The Complete Recordings” — Lisa Glines, Doran Tyson & Roy Henry Vickers, art
directors (Grateful Dead)
“Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic” — Meghan Foley, Annie Stoll & Al Yankovic, art directors (“Weird Al” Yankovic)*
“Too Many Bad Habits” — Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Johnny Nicholas)
NOTES FIELD
Best Album Notes:
“Alpine Dreaming: The Helvetia Records Story, 1920-1924” — James P. Leary, album notes writer (Various Artists)
“4 Banjo Songs, 1891-1897: Foundational Recordings of America’s Iconic Instrument” — Richard Martin & Ted Olson, album notes writers (Charles A. Asbury)
“The 1960 Time Sessions” — Ben Ratliff, album notes writer (Sonny Clark Trio)
“The Product of Our Souls: The Sound and Sway of James Reese Europe’s Society Orchestra” — David Gilbert, album notes writer (Various Artists)
“Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981” — Amanda Petrusich, album notes writer (Bob Dylan)
“Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by WIlliam Ferris” — David Evans, album notes writer (Various Artists)*
HISTORICAL FIELD
Best Historical Album:
“Any Other Way” — Rob Bowman, Douglas Mcgowan, Rob Sevier & Ken Shipley, compilation producers; Jeff Lipton, mastering
engineer (Jackie Shane)
“At The Louisiana Hayride Tonight…” — Martin Hawkins, compilation producer; Christian Zwarg, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
“Battleground Korea: Songs and Sounds of America’s Forgotten War” — Hugo Keesing, compilation producer; Christian Zwarg,
mastering engineer (Various Artists)
“Rhapsody in Blue – The Extraordinary Life of Oscar Levant” — Robert Russ, compilation producer; Andreas K. Meyer & Rebekah Wineman, mastering engineers (Oscar Levant)
“Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by WIlliam Ferris” — William Ferris, April Ledbetter & Steven Lance
Ledbetter, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)*
PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL FIELD
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical:
“All The Things That I Did and All The Things That I Didn’t Do” — Ryan Freeland & Kenneth Pattengale, engineers; Kim Rosen, mastering engineer (The Milk Carton Kids)
“Colors” — Julian Burg, Serban Ghenea, David “Elevator” Greenbaum, John Hanes, Beck Hansen, Greg Kurstin, Florian Lagatta, Cole M.G.N., Alex Pasco, Jesse Shatkin, Darrell Thorp & Cassidy Turbin, engineers; Chris Bellman, Tom Coyne, Emily Lazar & Randy Merrill, mastering engineers (Beck)*
“Earthtones” — Robbie Lackritz, engineer; Philip Shaw Bova, mastering engineer (Bahamas)
“Head Over Heels” — Nathaniel Alford, Jason Evigan, Chris Galland, Tom Gardner, Patrick “P-Thugg” Gemayel, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Tony Hoffer, Derek Keota, Ian Kirkpatrick, David Macklovitch, Amber Mark, Manny Marroquin, Vaughn
Oliver, Chris “TEK” O’Ryan, Morgan Taylor Reid & Gian Stone, engineers; Chris Gehringer & Michelle Mancini, mastering engineers (Chromeo)
“Voicenotes” — Manny Marroquin & Charlie Puth, engineers; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer (Charlie Puth)
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical:
Boi-1da
Larry Klein
Linda Perry
Kanye West
Pharrell Williams*
Best Remixed Recording:
“Audio (CID Remix)” — CID, remixer (LSD)
“How Long (EDX’s Dubai Skyline Remix)” — Maurizio Colella, remixer (Charlie Puth)
“Only Road (Cosmic Gate Remix”) — Stefan Bossems & Claus Terhoeven, remixers (Gabriel & Dresden Featuring Sub Teal)
“Stargazing (Kaskade Remix)” — Kaskade, remixer (Kygo Featuring Justin Jesso)
“Walking Away (Mura Masa Remix)” — Alex Crossan, remixer (Haim)*
SURROUND SOUND FIELD
Best Immersive Audio Album:
“Eye in the Sky – 35th Anniversary Edition” — Alan Parsons, surround mix engineer; Dave Donnelly, PJ Olsson & Alan Parsons, surround mastering engineers; Alan Parsons, surround producer (The Alan Parsons Project)*
“Folketoner” — Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Anne Karin Sundal-Ask & Det Norske Jentekor)
“Seven Words From The Cross” — Daniel Shores, surround mix engineer; Daniel Shores,
surround mastering engineer; Dan Merceruio, surround producer (Matthew Guard & Skylark)
“Sommerro: Ujamaa & The Iceberg” — Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Ingar Heine Bergby, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Choir)
“Symbol” — Prashant Mistry & Ronald Prent, surround mix engineers; Darcy Proper, surround mastering engineer; Prashant Mistry & Ronald Prent, surround producers (Engine-Earz Experiment)
PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL FIELD
Best Engineered Album, Classical:
“Bates: The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” — Mark Donahue & Dirk Sobotka, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Michael Christie, Garrett Sorenson, Wei Wu, Sasha Cooke, Edwards Parks, Jessica E. Jones & Santa Fe Opera Orchestra)
“Beethoven: Symphony No. 3; Strauss: Horn Concerto No. 1 — Mark Donahue, engineer; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Manfred Honeck & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
“John Williams At The Movies” — Keith O. Johnson & Sean Royce Martin, engineers; Keith O. Johnson, mastering engineer (Jerry Junkin & Dallas Winds)
“Liquid Melancholy – Clarinet Music of James M. Stephenson” — Bill Maylone & Mary Mazurek, engineers; Bill Maylone, mastering engineer (John Bruce Yeh)
“Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 11” — Shawn Murphy & Nick Squire, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Andris Nelsons & Boston Symphony Orchestra)*
“Visions and Variations” — Tom Caulfield, engineer; Jesse Lewis, mastering engineer (A Far Cry)
Producer of the Year, Classical:
Blanton Alspaugh*
David Frost
Elizabeth Ostrow
Judith Sherman
Dirk Sobotka
CLASSICAL FIELD
Best Orchestral Performance:
“Beethoven: Symphony No. 3; Strauss: Horn Concerto No. 1” — Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
“Nielsen: Symphony No. 3 & Symphony No. 4” — Thomas Dausgaard, conductor (Seattle Symphony)
“Ruggles, Stucky & Harbison: Orchestral Works” — David Alan Miller, conductor (National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic)
“Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4” — Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
“Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 11” — Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)*
Best Opera Recording:
“Adams: Doctor Atomic” — John Adams, conductor; Aubrey Allicock, Julia Bullock, Gerald Finley & Brindley Sherratt; Friedemann Engelbrecht, producer (BBC Symphony Orchestra; BBC Singers)
“Bates: The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” — Michael Christie, conductor; Sasha Cooke, Jessica E. Jones, Edwards Parks, Garrett Sorenson & Wei Wu; Elizabeth Ostrow, producer (The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra)*
“Lully: Alceste” — Christophe Rousset, conductor; Edwin Crossley-Mercer, Emiliano Gonzalez Toro & Judith
Van Wanroij; Maximilien Ciup, producer (Les Talens Lyriques; Choeur De Chambre De Namur)
“Strauss, R.: Der Rosenkavalier” Sebastian Weigle, conductor; Renée Fleming, Elīna Garanča, Günther Groissböck & Erin Morley; David Frost, producer (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
“Verdi: Rigoletto” — Constantine Orbelian, conductor; Francesco Demuro, Dmitri Hvorostovsky & Nadine Sierra; Vilius Keras &
Aleksandra Keriene, producers (Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra; Men Of The Kaunas State Choir)
Best Choral Performance:
“Chesnokov: Teach Me Thy Statutes” — Vladimir Gorbik, conductor (Mikhail Davydov & Vladimir Krasov; PaTRAM Institute Male Choir)
“Kastalsky: Memory Eternal” — Steven Fox, conductor (The Clarion Choir)
“McLoskey: Zealot Canticles” — Donald Nally, conductor (Doris Hall-Gulati, Rebecca Harris, Arlen Hlusko, Lorenzo Raval & Mandy Wolman; The Crossing)*
“Rachmaninov: The Bells” — Mariss Jansons, conductor; Peter Dijkstra, chorus master (Oleg Dolgov, Alexey Markov & Tatiana
Pavlovskaya; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)
“Seven Words From The Cross” — Matthew Guard, conductor (Skylark)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance:
Anderson, Laurie: Landfall” — Laurie Anderson & Kronos Quartet*
“Beethoven, Shostakovich & Bach” — The Danish String Quartet
“Blueprinting” — Aizuri Quartet
“Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring Concerto For Two Pianos: — Leif Ove Andsnes & Marc-André Hamelin
“Visions and Variations” — A Far Cry
Best Classical Instrumental Solo:
“Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 2″ — Yuja Wang; Simon Rattle, conductor (Berliner Philharmoniker)
“Biber: The Mystery Sonatas” — Christina Day Martinson; Martin Pearlman, conductor (Boston Baroque)
“Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46; Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26” — Joshua Bell (The Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields)
“Glass: Three Pieces in The Shape of a Square” — Craig Morris
“Kernis: Violin Concerto” — James Ehnes; Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony)*
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album:
“Arc” — Anthony Roth Costanzo; Jonathan Cohen, conductor (Les Violons Du Roy)
“The Handel Album” — Philippe Jaroussky; Artaserse, ensemble
“Mirages” — Sabine Devieilhe; François-Xavier Roth, conductor (Alexandre Tharaud; Marianne Crebassa & Jodie
Devos; Les Siècles)
“Schubert: Winterreise” — Randall Scarlata; Gilbert Kalish, accompanist
“Songs of Orpheus – Monteverdi, Caccini, D’India & Landi” — Karim Sulayman; Jeannette Sorrell, conductor; Apollo’s Fire, ensembles*
Best Classical Compendium:
“Fuchs: Piano Concerto ‘Spiritualist’; Poems of Life; Glacier; Rush” — JoAnn Falletta, conductor; Tim Handley, producer*
“Gold” — The King’s Singers; Nigel Short, producer
“The John Adams Edition” — Simon Rattle, conductor; Christoph Franke, producer
“John Williams At The Movies” — Jerry Junkin, conductor; Donald J. McKinney, producer
“Vaughan Williams: Piano Concerto; Oboe Concerto; Serenade to Music; Flos Campi” — Peter Oundjian, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer
Best Contemporary Classical Composition:
“Bates: The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” — Mason Bates, composer; Mark Campbell, librettist (Michael Christie, Garrett Sorenson, Wei Wu, Sasha Cooke, Edwards Parks, Jessica E. Jones & Santa Fe Opera Orchestra)
“Du Yun: Air Glow” — Du Yun, composer (International Contemporary Ensemble)
“Heggie: Great Scott” — Jake Heggie, composer; Terrence McNally, librettist (Patrick Summers, Manuel Palazzo, Mark Hancock, Michael Mayes, Rodell Rosel, Kevin Burdette, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Nathan Gunn, Frederica von Stade,
Ailyn Pérez, Joyce DiDonato, Dallas Opera Chorus & Orchestra)
“Kernis: Violin Concerto” — Aaron Jay Kernis, composer (James Ehnes, Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony)*
“Mazzoli: Vespers For Violin” — Missy Mazzoli, composer (Olivia De Prato)
MUSIC VIDEO/FILM FIELD
Best Music Video:
“APES***” — The Carters, Ricky Saiz, video director; Mélodie Buchris, Natan Schottenfels & Erinn Williams, video producers
“This Is America” — Childish Gambino, Hiro Murai, video director; Ibra Ake, Jason Cole & Fam Rothstein, video producers*
“I’m Not Racist” Joyner Lucas & Ben Proulx, video directors; Joyner Lucas, video producer
“Pynk” — Janelle Monáe, Emma Westenberg, video director; Justin Benoliel & Whitney Jackson, video producers
“Mumbo Jumbo” — Tierra Whack Marco Prestini, video director; Sara Nassim, video producer
Best Music Film:
“Life in 12 Bars”— Eric Clapton, Lili Fini Zanuck, video director; John Battsek, Scooter Weintraub, Larry Yelen & Lili Fini Zanuck, video producers
“Whitney” — (Whitney Houston), Kevin Macdonald, video director; Jonathan Chinn, Simon Chinn & Lisa Erspamer, video producers
“Quincy” — Quincy Jones Alan Hicks & Rashida Jones, video directors; Paula DuPré Pesmen, video producer*
“Itzhak”— Itzhak Perlman, Alison Chernick, video director; Alison Chernick, video producer
“The King” — (Elvis Presley), Eugene Jarecki, video director; Christopher Frierson, Georgina Hill, David Kuhn & Christopher St. John, video producers
