Hello my friends, I am here to offer up the full rundown of nominees for the 2020 Grammy Awards which were just officially announced a short time ago. This was done by the their president/CEO Deborah Dugan and Academy Chair of the Board of Trustees Harvey Mason Jr. along with host Alicia Keys and Bebe Rexha. I didn’t see these announcements myself and instead culled assorted entertainment sites along with the Grammy Official Site for the information. Let’s take a look at the list and see if your favorites are nominated for the coveted Grammy Award.
Album of the Year:
Bon Iver – i,i
Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
H.E.R. – I Used to Know Her
Lil Nas X – 7
Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
Record of the Year:
Bon Iver – Hey, Ma
Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
Ariana Grande – 7 rings
H.E.R. – Hard Place
Khalid – Talk
Lil Nas X – Old Town Road
Lizzo – Truth Hurts
Post Malone – Sunflower
Song of the Year:
Lady Gaga – Always Remember Us This Way
Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
Brandi Carlile – Bring My Flowers Now
H.E.R. – Hard Place
Taylor Swift – Lover
Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell
Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
Lizzo – Truth Hurts
Best New Artist:
Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalía
Tank and the Bangas
Yola
** POP MUSIC **
Best Pop Solo Performance:
Beyoncé – Spirit
Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
Ariana Grande – 7 rings
Lizzo – Truth Hurts
Taylor Swift – You Need to Calm Down
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
Ariana Grande & the Social House – Boyfriend
The Jonas Brothers – Sucker
Lil Nas X – Old Town Road [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus]
Post Malone – Sunflower [ft. Swae Lee]
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – Señorita
Best Pop Vocal Album:
Beyoncé – The Lion King: The Gift
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Ariana Grande – thank u, next
Ed Sheeran – No.6 Collaborations Project
Taylor Swift – Lover
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
Andrea Bocelli – Sì
Michael Bublé – Love (Deluxe Edition)
Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Look Now
John Legend – A Legendary Christmas
Barbra Streisand – Walls
** RAP MUSIC **
Best Rap Album:
Dreamville – Revenge of the Dreamers III
Meek Mill – Championships
21 Savage – I Am > I Was
Tyler, the Creator – IGOR
YBN Cordae – The Lost Boy
Best Rap Song:
YBN Cordae – Bad Idea [ft. Chance the Rapper]
Rick Ross – Gold Roses [ft. Drake]
21 Savage – A Lot [ft. J. Cole]
Nipsey Hussle – Racks in the Middle [ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy]
DaBaby – Suge
Best Rap Performance:
J. Cole – Middle Child
DaBaby – Suge
Dreamville – Down Bad [ft. J.I.D., Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG, Young Nudy]
Nipsey Hussle – Racks in the Middle [ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy]
Offset – Clout [ft. Cardi B]
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:
DJ Khaled – Higher [ft. Nipsey Hussle and John Legend]
Lil Baby and Gunna – Drip Too Hard
Lil Nas X – Panini
Mustard – Ballin [ft. Roddy Ricch]
Young Thug – The London [ft. J. Cole and Travis Scott]
** ROCK MUSIC **
Best Rock Performance:
Bones UK – Pretty Waste
Gary Clark Jr. – This Land
Brittany Howard – History Repeats
Karen O & Danger Mouse – Woman
Rival Sons – Too Bad
Best Metal Performance:
Candlemass – Astorolus – The Great Octopus [ft. Tony Iommi]
Death Angel – Humanicide
I Prevail – Bow Down
Killswitch Engage – Unleashed
Tool – 7empest
Best Rock Song:
Tool – Fear Inoculum
The 1975 – Give Yourself a Try
Vampire Weekend – Harmony Hall
Brittany Howard – History Repeats
Gary Clark Jr. – This Land
Best Rock Album:
Bring Me the Horizon – amo
Cage the Elephant – Social Cues
The Cranberries – In the End
I Prevail – Trauma
Rival Sons – Feral Roots
Best Alternative Music Album:
Big Thief – U.F.O.F.
James Blake – Assume Form
Bon Iver – i,i
Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
Thom Yorke – ANIMA
** R&B MUSIC **
Best R&B Performance:
Daniel Caesar – Love Again [ft. Brandy]
H.E.R. – Could’ve Been [ft. Bryson Tiller]
Lizzo – Exactly How I Feel [ft. Gucci Mane]
Lucky Daye – Roll Some Mo
Anderson .Paak – Come Home [ft. Andre 3000]
Best Traditional R&B Performance:
Bj the Chicago Kid – Time Today
India.Arie- Steady Love
Lizzo – Jerome
Lucky Daye – Real Games
PJ Morton – Built for Love [ft. Jazmine Sullivan]
Best R&B Song:
H.E.R. – Could’ve Been [ft. Bryson Tiller]
Emily King – Look At Me Now
Chris Brown – No Guidance [ft. Drake]
Lucky Daye – Roll Some Mo
PJ Morton – Say So [ft. JoJo]
Best Urban Contemporary Album:
Steve Lacy – Apollo XXI
Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
Georgia Anne Muldrow – Overload
Nao – Saturn
Jessie Reyez – Being Human in Public
Best R&B Album:
BJ the Chicago Kid – 1123
Lucy Daye – Painted
Ella Mai – Ella Mai
PJ Morton – Paul
Anderson .Paak – Ventura
** COUNTRY MUSIC **
Best Country Solo Performance:
“Ride Me Back Home” – Willie Nelson
“All Your’n” – Tyler Childers
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” – Ashley McBryde
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
“Bring My Flowers Now” – Tanya Tucker
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
“Speechless” – Dan + Shay
“Brand New Man” – Brooks & Dunn with Luke Combs
“I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” – Brothers Osborne
“The Daughters” – Little Big Town
“Common” – Maren Morris featuring Brandi Carlile
Best Country Song:
“Bring My Flowers Now”
Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere”
Jeremy Bussey & Ashley McBryde, songwriters (Ashley McBryde)
“It All Comes Out in the Wash”
Miranda Lambert, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“Some of It”
Eric Church, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde & Bobby Pinson, songwriters (Eric Church)
“Speechless”
Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Dan + Shay)
Best Country Album:
While I’m Livin’ – Tanya Tucker
Desperate Man – Eric Church
Stronger Than the Truth – Reba McEntire
Interstate Gospel – Pistol Annies
Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
** NEW AGE MUSIC **
Best New Age Album:
Wings – Peter Kater
Fairy Dreams – David Arkenstone
Homage to Kindness – David Darling
Verve – Sebastian Plano
Deva – Deva Premal
** JAZZ **
Best Improvised Jazz Solo:
“Sozinho” – Randy Brecker, soloist
“Elsewhere” – Melissa Aldana, soloist
“Tomorrow Is the Question” – Julian Lage, soloist
“The Windup” – Branford Marsalis, soloist
“Sightseeing” – Christian McBride, soloist
Best Jazz Vocal Album:
12 Little Spells – Esperanza Spalding
Thirsty Ghost – Sara Gazarek
Love & Liberation – Jazzmeia Horn
Alone Together – Catherine Russell
ScreenPlay – The Tierney Sutton Band
Best Jazz Instrumental Album:
Finding Gabriel – Brad Mehldau
In the Key of the Universe – Joey DeFrancesco
The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul – Branford Marsalis Quartet
Christian McBride’s New Jawn – Christian McBride
Come What May – Joshua Redman Quartet
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album:
The Omni-American Book Club – Brian Lynch Big Band
Triple Helix – Anat Cohen Tentet
Dancer in Nowhere – Miho Hazama [ja]
Hiding Out – Mike Holober & The Gotham Jazz Orchestra
One Day Wonder – Terraza Big Band
Best Latin Jazz Album:
Antidote – Chick Corea & The Spanish Heart Band
Sorte!: Music By John Finbury – Thalma de Freitas with Vitor Gonçalves, John Patitucci, Chico Pinheiro, Rogerio Boccato & Duduka Da Fonseca
Una Noche con Rubén Blades – Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis & Rubén Blades
Carib – David Sánchez
Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera – Miguel Zenón
Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music:
Best Gospel Performance/Song
“Love Theory”
Kirk Franklin, songwriter (Kirk Franklin)
“Talkin’ ‘Bout Jesus”
Bryan Fowler, Gloria Gaynor & Chris Stevens, songwriters (Gloria Gaynor featuring Yolanda Adams)
“See the Light”
Travis Greene & Jekalyn Carr, songwriters (Travis Greene featuring Jekalyn Carr)
“Speak the Name”
Koryn Hawthorne & Natalie Grant, songwriters (Koryn Hawthorne featuring Natalie Grant)
“This Is a Move (Live)”
Tony Brown, Brandon Lake, Tasha Cobbs Leonard & Nate Moore, songwriters (Tasha Cobbs Leonard)
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song:
“God Only Knows” Josh Kerr, Jordan Reynolds, Joel Smallbone, Luke Smallbone & Tedd Tjornhom, songwriters (for KING & COUNTRY & Dolly Parton)
“Only Jesus” Mark Hall, Bernie Herms & Matthew West, songwriters (Casting Crowns)
“Haven’t Seen It Yet” Danny Gokey, Ethan Hulse & Colby Wedgeworth, songwriters (Danny Gokey)
“God’s Not Done with You (Single Version)” Tauren Wells, songwriter (Tauren Wells)
“Rescue Story” Ethan Hulse, Andrew Ripp, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters (Zach Williams)
Best Gospel Album:
Long Live Love – Kirk Franklin
Goshen Donald Lawrence Presents the Tri – City Singers
Tunnel Vision – Gene Moore
Settle Here – William Murphy
Something’s Happening! A Christmas Album – CeCe Winans
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album:
Burn the Ships – for KING & COUNTRY
I Know a Ghost – Crowder
Haven’t Seen It Yet – Danny Gokey
The Elements – TobyMac
Holy Roar – Chris Tomlin
Best Roots Gospel Album:
Testimony – Gloria Gaynor
Deeper Roots: Where the Bluegrass Grows – Steven Curtis Chapman
Deeper Oceans – Joseph Habedank
His Name Is Jesus – Tim Menzies
Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout – Various artists; Jerry Salley, producer
Best Latin Pop Album:
El Disco – Alejandro Sanz
Vida – Luis Fonsi
11:11 – Maluma
Montaner – Ricardo Montaner
Fantasía – Sebastian Yatra
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album:
El Mal Querer – Rosalía
X 100Pre – Bad Bunny
Oasis – J Balvin & Bad Bunny
Indestructible – Flor de Toloache
Almadura – iLe
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano):
De Ayer Para siempre – Mariachi los Camperos
Caminado – Joss Favela
Percepcion – Intocable
Poco a Poco – La Energía Norteña
20 aniversario – Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea
Best Tropical Latin Album:
Opus – Marc Anthony (TIE)
A Journey Through Cuban Music – Aymée Nuviola (TIE)
Tiempo al Tiempo – Luis Enrique + C4 Trio
Candela – Vicente García
Literal – Juan Luis Guerra 4.40
** AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC **
Best American Roots Performance:
“Saint Honesty” – Sara Bareilles
“Father Mountain” – Calexico and Iron & Wine
“I’m on My Way” – Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi
“Call My Name” – I’m with Her
“Faraway Look” – Yola
Best American Roots Song:
“Call My Name” Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I’m with Her)
“Black Myself” Amythyst Kiah, songwriter (Our Native Daughters)
“Crossing to Jerusalem” Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal, songwriters (Rosanne Cash)
“Faraway Look” Dan Auerbach, Yola Carter & Pat McLaughlin, songwriters (Yola)
“I Don’t Wanna Ride the Rails No More” Vince Gill, songwriter (Vince Gill)
Best Americana Album:
Oklahoma – Keb’ Mo’
Years to Burn – Calexico and Iron & Wine
Who Are You Now – Madison Cunningham
Tales of America – J.S. Ondara
Walk Through Fire – Yola
Best Bluegrass Album:
Tall Fiddler – Michael Cleveland
Live in Prague, Czech Republic – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Toil, Tears & Trouble – The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Royal Traveller – Missy Raines
If You Can’t Stand the Heat – Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Best Traditional Blues Album:
Tall, Dark, and Handsome – Delbert McClinton & Self-Made Men
Kingfish – Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Sitting on Top of the Blues – Bobby Rush
Baby, Please Come Home – Jimmie Vaughan
Spectacular Class – Jontavious Willis
Best Contemporary Blues Album:
This Land – Gary Clark Jr.
Venom & Faith – Larkin Poe
Brighter Days – Robert Randolph and the Family Band
Somebody Save Me – Sugaray Rayford
Keep On – Southern Avenue
Best Folk Album:
Patty Griffin – Patty Griffin
My Finest Work Yet – Andrew Bird
Rearrange My Heart – Che Apalache
Evening Machines – Gregory Alan Isakov
Front Porch – Joy Williams
Best Regional Roots Music Album:
Good Time – Ranky Tanky
Kalawai‘anui – Amy H?naiali?i
When It’s Cold – Cree Round Dance Songs – Northern Cree
Recorded Live at the 2019 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival – Rebirth Brass Band
Hawaiian Lullaby – Various artists; Imua Garza & Kimié Miner, producers
** REGGAE **
Best Reggae Album:
Rapture – Koffee
As I Am – Julian Marley
The Final Battle: Sly & Robbie vs. Roots Radics – Sly and Robbie & Roots Radics
Mass Manipulation – Steel Pulse
More Work to Be Done – Third World
** WORLD MUSIC **
Best World Music Album:
Celia – Angélique Kidjo
Gece – Alt?n Gün
What Heat – Bokanté & Metropole Orkest Conducted By Jules Buckley
African Giant – Burna Boy
Fanm d’Ayiti – Nathalie Joachim with Spektral Quartet
** CHILDREN’S **
Best Children’s Album:
Ageless: Songs for the Child Archetype – Jon Samson
Flying High! – Caspar Babypants
I Love Rainy Days – Daniel Tashian
The Love – Alphabet Rockers
Winterland – The Okee Dokee Brothers
** DANCE MUSIC **
Best Dance Recording:
Bonobo – Linked
The Chemical Brothers – Got to Keep On
Medusa – Piece of Your Heart [ft. Goodboys]
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Underwater
Skrillex and Boys Noize – Midnight Hour [ft. Ty Dolla $ign]
Best Dance/Electronic Album:
Apparat – LP5
The Chemical Brothers – No Geography
Flume – Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Solace
Tyco – Weather
** COMEDY **
Best Comedy Album:
Jim Gaffigan – Quality Time
Ellen DeGeneres – Relatable
Aziz Ansari – Right Now
Trevor Noah – Son of Patricia
Dave Chapelle – Sticks and Stones
** SPOKEN WORD **
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling):
Various Artists – Beastie Boys Book
Michelle Obama – Becoming
Eric Alexandrakis – I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor
John Waters – Mr. Know-It-All
Sekou Andrews & The String Theory – Sekou Andrews & The String Theory
** REMIX **
Best Remixed Recording:
Madonna – I Rise (Tracy Young’s Pride Intro Radio Remix)
Miley Cyrus – Mother’s Daughter (Wuki Remix)
Jorja Smith – The One (High Contrast Remix)
Mild Minds – Swim (Ford. Remix)
Maria Davidson – Work It (Soulwax Remix)
** MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA **
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media:
Various Artists – The Lion King: The Songs
Various Artists – Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Taron Egerton – Rocketman
Various Artists – Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media:
Alan Silvestri – Avengers: Endgame
Hildur Guðnadóttir – Chernobyl
Ramin Djawadi – Game of Thrones: Season 8
Hans Zimmer – The Lion King
Marc Shaiman – Mary Poppins Returns
Best Song Written for Visual Media:
Chris Stapleton – The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy
Dolly Parton and Linda Perry – Girl in the Movies
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version)
Beyoncé – Spirit
Thom Yorke – Suspirium
** COMPOSING/ARRANGING **
Best Instrumental Composition:
Star Wars: “Galaxy’s Edge (Symphonic Suite)” – John Williams, composer (John Williams)
“Begin Again” – Fred Hersch, composer (Fred Hersch & The WDR Big Band Conducted by Vince Mendoza)
“Crucible for Crisis” – Brian Lynch, composer (Brian Lynch Big Band)
“Love, a Beautiful Force” – Vince Mendoza, composer (Vince Mendoza, Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts & Temple University Studio Orchestra)
“Walkin’ Funny” – Christian McBride, composer (Christian McBride)
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella:
“Moon River” – Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)
“Blue Skies” – Kris Bowers, arranger (Kris Bowers)
“Hedwig’s Theme” – John Williams, arranger (Anne-Sophie Mutter & John Williams)
“La Novena” – Emilio Solla, arranger (Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra)
“Love, a Beautiful Force” – Vince Mendoza, arranger (Vince Mendoza, Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts & Temple University Studio Orchestra)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals:
All Night Long – Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier featuring Jules Buckley, Take 6 & Metropole Orkest)
Jolene – Geoff Keezer, arranger (Sara Gazarek)
Marry Me a Little – Cyrille Aimee & Diego Figueiredo, arrangers (Cyrille Aimée)
Over the Rainbow – Vince Mendoza, arranger (Trisha Yearwood)
12 Little Spells (Thoracic Spine) – Esperanza Spalding, arranger (Esperanza Spalding)
** PACKAGING **
Best Recording Package:
Voces Del Bullerengue – Anónimas & Resilientes
Chris Cornell – Chris Cornell
The Muddy Basin Ramblers – Hold That Tiger
Bon Iver – i,i
Intellexual – Intellexual
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package:
Thom Yorke – Anima
David Gray – Gold in Brass Age
John Coltrane – 1963: New Directions
Wilhelm Furtwängler & Berliner Philharmoniker – The Radio Recordings 1939-1945
Various Artists – Woodstock: Back to the Garden – The Definitive 50th
** ANNIVERSARY **
Best Album Notes:
The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions – Judy Cantor-Navas
The Gospel According to Malaco – Robert Maravich
Pedal Steel + Four Corners – Brendan Greaves
Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection – Jeff Place
Stay ’68: A Memphis Story – Steve Greenberg
** PRODUCER **
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical:
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
John Hill
Finneas
Ricky Reed
** MUSIC VIDEO/FILM **
Best Music Video:
The Chemical Brothers – We’ve Got to Try
Gary Clark Jr. – This Land
FKA Twigs – Cellophane
Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Official Movie)
Tove Lo – Glad He’s Gone
Best Music Film:
Beyoncé – Homecoming
David Crosby – Remember My Name
Miles Davis – Birth of the Cool
Various Artists – Shangri-La
Thom Yorke – Anima
*** end of list ***
Piercing Ken Thoughts: So what do you think about the list of nominees? Were your favorites among the nominations for the various categories? For those interested, I excised the “Rock” and “Metal” items from the list and discussed my thoughts on those nominations over on PiercingMetal.com which you can see HERE if you are someone who is following our long-standing entertainment site. If you plan on watching the ceremony, the Grammys take place on January 26 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. I’ll be back with more on this topic as it is revealed to the media. See you next time and if you’d like to chime in about who you felt should have been nominated and didn’t get it I’d love to hear from you.
Official Website: http://www.grammy.com