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    Grammy Nominees 2022: The Full List

    Artists, albums and songs competing for trophies at the 64th annual ceremony were announced on Tuesday. The show will take place Jan. 31 in Los Angeles.Nominees for the 64th annual Grammy Awards were announced on Tuesday. Jon Batiste leads all artists with 11 nominations; Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. follow with eight; Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo have seven each.The ceremony will be the first since the awards made a major change to its nominating process: In late April, the board of the Recording Academy, the governing body of the Grammys, voted to eliminate the use of anonymous expert committees to whittle down the final ballot in dozens of categories, a practice that had been in place since 1989. The Grammys have been criticized in recent years by prominent artists including Jay-Z, Drake, Kanye West and Frank Ocean, who amplified concerns that Black artists have been routinely passed over in the top all-genre categories. In March, the Weeknd announced a boycott of the Grammys, citing the committees.The ceremony will be held on Jan. 31, 2022, at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center) in Los Angeles.Here is the full list of nominees.Record of the Year“I Still Have Faith in You,” Abba“Freedom,” Jon Batiste“I Get a Kick Out of You,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga“Peaches,” Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon“Right on Time,” Brandi Carlile“Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat featuring SZA“Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish“Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” Lil Nas X“Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo“Leave the Door Open,” Silk SonicAlbum of the Year“We Are,” Jon Batiste“Love for Sale,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga“Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe),” Justin Bieber“Planet Her (Deluxe),” Doja Cat“Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish“Back of My Mind,” H.E.R.“Montero,” Lil Nas X“Sour,” Olivia Rodrigo“Evermore,” Taylor Swift“Donda,” Kanye WestSong of the Year“Bad Habits,” Fred Gibson, Johnny McDaid and Ed Sheeran, songwriters (Ed Sheeran)“A Beautiful Noise,” Ruby Amanfu, Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Alicia Keys, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Linda Perry and Hailey Whitters, songwriters (Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile)“Drivers License,” Daniel Nigro and Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Olivia Rodrigo)“Fight for You,” Dernst Emile Ii, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)“Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)“Kiss Me More,” Rogét Chahayed, Amala Zandile Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Carter Lang, Gerard A. Powell Ii, Solána Rowe and David Sprecher, songwriters (Doja Cat featuring Sza)“Leave the Door Open,” Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile Ii and Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)“Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, Omer Fedi, Montero Hill and Roy Lenzo, songwriters (Lil Nas X)“Peaches,” Louis Bell, Justin Bieber, Giveon Dezmann Evans, Bernard Harvey, Felisha “Fury” King, Matthew Sean Leon, Luis Manuel Martinez Jr., Aaron Simmonds, Ashton Simmonds, Andrew Wotman Aand Keavan Yazdani, songwriters (Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon)“Right on Time,” Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)Best New ArtistArooj AftabJimmie AllenBaby KeemFinneasGlass AnimalsJapanese BreakfastThe Kid LaroiArlo ParksOlivia RodrigoSaweetieBest Pop Solo Performance“Anyone,” Justin Bieber“Right on Time,” Brandi Carlile“Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish“Positions,” Ariana Grande“Drivers License,” Olivia RodrigoBest Pop Duo/Group Performance“I Get a Kick Out of You,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga“Lonely,” Justin Bieber and Benny Blanco“Butter,” BTS“Higher Power,” Coldplay“Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat featuring SZABest Traditional Pop Vocal Album“Love for Sale,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga“’Til We Meet Again (Live),” Norah Jones“A Tori Kelly Christmas,” Tori Kelly“Ledisi Sings Nina,” Ledisi“That’s Life,” Willie Nelson“A Holly Dolly Christmas,” Dolly PartonBest Pop Vocal Album“Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe),” Justin Bieber“Planet Her (Deluxe),” Doja Cat“Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish“Positions,” Ariana Grande“Sour,” Olivia RodrigoBest Dance/Electronic Recording“Hero,” Afrojack and David Guetta“Loom,” Ólafur Arnalds featuring Bonobo“Before,” James Blake“Heartbreak,” Bonobo and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs“You Can Do It,” Caribou“Alive,” Rüfüs Du Sol“The Business,” TiëstoBest Dance/Electronic Music Album“Subconsciously,” Black Coffee“Fallen Embers,” Illenium“Music Is the Weapon (Reloaded),” Major Lazer“Shockwave,” Marshmello“Free Love,” Sylvan Esso“Judgement,” Ten CityBest Alternative Music Album“Shore,” Fleet Foxes“If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power,” Halsey“Jubilee,” Japanese Breakfast“Collapsed in Sunbeams,” Arlo Parks“Daddy’s Home,” St. VincentBest Contemporary Instrumental Album“Double Dealin’,” Randy Brecker and Eric Marienthal“The Garden,” Rachel Eckroth“Tree Falls,” Taylor Eigsti“At Blue Note Tokyo,” Steve Gadd Band“Deep: The Baritone Sessions, Vol. 2,” Mark LettieriBest Rock Performance“Shot in the Dark,” AC/DC“Know You Better (Live From Capitol Studio A),” Black Pumas“Nothing Compares 2 U,” Chris Cornell“Ohms,” Deftones“Making a Fire,” Foo FightersBest Metal Performance“Genesis,” Deftones“The Alien,” Dream Theater“Amazonia,” Gojira“Pushing the Tides,” Mastodon“The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition),” Rob ZombieBest Rock Song“All My Favorite Songs,” Rivers Cuomo, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson and Ilsey Juber, songwriters (Weezer)“The Bandit,” Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill and Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings of Leon)“Distance,” Wolfgang Van Halen, songwriter (Mammoth Wvh)“Find My Way,” Paul McCartney, songwriter (Paul McCartney)“Waiting on a War,” Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Rami Jaffee, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, songwriters (Foo Fighters)Best Rock Album“Power Up,” AC/DC“Capitol Cuts – Live From Studio A,” Black Pumas“No One Sings Like You Anymore Vol. 1,” Chris Cornell“Medicine at Midnight,” Foo Fighters“McCartney III,” Paul McCartneyBest R&B Performance“Lost You,” Snoh Aalegra“Peaches,” Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon“Damage,” H.E.R.“Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic“Pick Up Your Feelings,” Jazmine SullivanBest Traditional R&B Performance“I Need You,” Jon Batiste“Bring It on Home to Me,” BJ The Chicago Kid, PJ Morton and Kenyon Dixon featuring Charlie Bereal“Born Again,” Leon Bridges featuring Robert Glasper“Fight for You,” H.E.R.“How Much Can a Heart Take,” Lucky Daye featuring YebbaBest R&B Song“Damage,” Anthony Clemons Jr., Jeff Gitelman, H.E.R., Carl McCormick and Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)“Good Days,” Jacob Collier, Carter Lang, Carlos Munoz, Solána Rowe and Christopher Ruelas, songwriters (SZA)“Heartbreak Anniversary,” Giveon Evans, Maneesh, Sevn Thomas and Varren Wade, songwriters (Giveon)“Leave the Door Open,” Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II and Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)“Pick Up Your Feelings,” Denisia “Blue June” Andrews, Audra Mae Butts, Kyle Coleman, Brittany “Chi” Coney, Michael Holmes and Jazmine Sullivan, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan).css-1xzcza9{list-style-type:disc;padding-inline-start:1em;}.css-3btd0c{font-family:nyt-franklin,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:1rem;line-height:1.375rem;color:#333;margin-bottom:0.78125rem;}@media (min-width:740px){.css-3btd0c{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.5rem;margin-bottom:0.9375rem;}}.css-3btd0c 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a{color:#326891;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-color:#326891;text-decoration-color:#326891;}.css-qjk116 a:visited{color:#326891;-webkit-text-decoration-color:#326891;text-decoration-color:#326891;}.css-qjk116 a:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Best Progressive R&B Album“New Light,” Eric Bellinger“Something to Say,” Cory Henry“Mood Valiant,” Hiatus Kaiyote“Table for Two,” Lucky Daye“Dinner Party: Dessert,” Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder and Kamasi Washington“Studying Abroad: Extended Stay,” MasegoBest R&B Album“Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies,” Snoh Aalegra“We Are,” Jon Batiste“Gold-Diggers Sound,” Leon Bridges“Back of My Mind,” H.E.R.“Heaux Tales,” Jazmine SullivanBest Rap Performance“Family Ties” Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar“Up,” Cardi B“My Life,” J. Cole featuring 21 Savage and Morray“Way 2 Sexy,” Drake featuring Future and Young Thug“Thot ___,” Megan Thee StallionBest Melodic Rap Performance“Pride Is the Devil,” J. Cole featuring Lil Baby“Need to Know,” Doja Cat“Industry Baby,” Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow“Wusyaname,” Tyler, The Creator featuring Youngboy Never Broke Again and Ty Dolla Sign“Hurricane,” Kanye West featuring the Weeknd and Lil BabyBest Rap Song“Bath Salts,” Shawn Carter, Kasseem Dean, Michael Forno, Nasir Jones and Earl Simmons, songwriters (DMX featuring Jay-Z and Nas)“Best Friend,” Amala Zandile Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Randall Avery Hammers, Diamonté Harper, Asia Smith, Theron Thomas and Rocco Valdes, songwriters (Saweetie featuring Doja Cat)“Family Ties,” Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Hykeem Carter, Tobias Dekker, Colin Franken, Jasper Harris, Kendrick Lamar, Ronald Latour and Dominik Patrzek, songwriters (Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar)“Jail,” Dwayne Abernathy, Jr., Shawn Carter, Raul Cubina, Michael Dean, Charles M. Njapa, Sean Solymar, Brian Hugh Warner, Kanye West and Mark Williams, songwriters (Kanye West featuring Jay-Z)“My Life,” Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph & Jermaine Cole, songwriters (J. Cole featuring 21 Savage and Morray)Best Rap Album“The Off-Season,” J. Cole“Certified Lover Boy,” Drake“King’s Disease II,” Nas“Call Me If You Get Lost,” Tyler, the Creator“Donda,” Kanye WestBest Country Solo Performance“Forever After All,” Luke Combs“Remember Her Name,” Mickey Guyton“All I Do Is Drive,” Jason Isbell“Camera Roll,” Kacey Musgraves“You Should Probably Leave,” Chris StapletonBest Country Duo/Group Performance“If I Didn’t Love You,” Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood“Younger Me,” Brothers Osborne“Glad You Exist,” Dan + Shay“Chasing After You,” Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris“Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” Elle King and Miranda LambertBest Country Song“Better Than We Found It,” Jessie Jo Dillon, Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins and Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)“Camera Roll,” Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves and Daniel Tashian, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)“Cold,” Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon and Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)“Country Again,” Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley and Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Thomas Rhett)“Fancy Like,” Cameron Bartolini, Walker Hayes, Josh Jenkins and Shane Stevens, songwriters (Walker Hayes)“Remember Her Name,” Mickey Guyton, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram and Parker Welling, songwriters (Mickey Guyton)Best Country Album“Skeletons,” Brothers Osborne“Remember Her Name,” Mickey Guyton“The Marfa Tapes,” Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall and Jack Ingram“The Ballad of Dood & Juanita,” Sturgill Simpson“Starting Over,” Chris StapletonBest New Age Album“Brothers,” Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster and Tom Eaton“Divine Tides,” Stewart Copeland and Ricky Kej“Pangaea,” Wouter Kellerman and David Arkenstone“Night + Day,” Opium Moon“Pieces of Forever,” Laura SullivanBest Improvised Jazz Solo“Sackodougou,” Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, soloist“Kick Those Feet,” Kenny Barron, soloist“Bigger Than Us,” Jon Batiste, soloist“Absence,” Terence Blanchard, soloist“Humpty Dumpty (Set 2),” Chick Corea, soloistBest Jazz Vocal Album“Generations,” The Baylor Project“Superblue,” Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter“Time Traveler,” Nnenna Freelon“Flor,” Gretchen Parlato“Songwrights Apothecary Lab,” Esperanza SpaldingBest Jazz Instrumental Album“Jazz Selections: Music From and Inspired by Soul,” Jon Batiste“Absence,” Terence Blanchard featuring the E Collective and the Turtle Island Quartet“Skyline,” Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette and Gonzalo Rubalcaba“Akoustic Band Live,” Chick Corea, John Patitucci and Dave Weckl“Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV),” Pat MethenyBest Large Jazz Ensemble Album“Live at Birdland!,” The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart“Dear Love,” Jazzmeia Horn and her Noble Force“For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver,” Christian McBride Big Band“Swirling,” Sun Ra Arkestra“Jackets XL,” Yellowjackets + WDR Big BandBest Latin Jazz Album“Mirror Mirror,” Eliane Elias With Chick Corea and Chucho Valdés“The South Bronx Story,” Carlos Henriquez“Virtual Birdland,” Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra“Transparency,” Dafnis Prieto Sextet“El Arte Del Bolero,” Miguel Zenón and Luis PerdomoBest Gospel Performance/Song“Voice of God,” Dante Bowe featuring Steffany Gretzinger and Chandler Moore; Dante Bowe, Tywan Mack, Jeff Schneeweis and Mitch Wong, songwriters“Joyful,” Dante Bowe; Dante Bowe and Ben Schofield, songwriters“Help,” Anthony Brown & Group Therapy; Anthony Brown and Darryl Woodson, songwriters“Never Lost,” CeCe Winans“Wait on You,” Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music; Dante Bowe, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Tiffany Hudson, Brandon Lake and Chandler Moore, songwritersBest Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song“We Win,” Kirk Franklin and Lil Baby; Kirk Franklin, Dominique Jones, Cynthia Nunn and Justin Smith, songwriters“Hold Us Together (Hope Mix),” H.E.R. and Tauren Wells; Josiah Bassey, Dernst Emile and H.E.R., songwriters“Man of Your Word,” Chandler Moore and KJ Scriven; Jonathan Jay, Nathan Jess and Chandler Moore, songwriters“Believe for It,” CeCe Winans; Dwan Hill, Kyle Lee, CeCe Winans and Mitch Wong, songwriters“Jireh,” Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music featuring Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine; Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine, songwritersBest Gospel Album“Changing Your Story,” Jekalyn Carr“Royalty: Live at the Ryman,” Tasha Cobbs Leonard“Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition,” Maverick City Music“Jonny X Mali: Live in LA,” Jonathan McReynolds and Mali Music“Believe for It,” CeCe WinansBest Contemporary Christian Music Album“No Stranger,” Natalie Grant“Feels Like Home Vol. 2,” Israel and New Breed“The Blessing (Live),” Kari Jobe“Citizen of Heaven (Live),” Tauren Wells“Old Church Basement,” Elevation Worship and Maverick City MusicBest Roots Gospel Album“Alone With My Faith,” Harry Connick, Jr.“That’s Gospel, Brother,” Gaither Vocal Band“Keeping On,” Ernie Haase and Signature Sound“Songs For the Times,” The Isaacs“My Savior,” Carrie UnderwoodBest Latin Pop Album“Vértigo,” Pablo Alborán“Mis Amores,” Paula Arenas“Hecho a la Antigua,” Ricardo Arjona“Mis Manos,” Camilo“Mendó,” Alex Cuba“Revelación,” Selena GomezBest Música Urbana Album“Afrodisíaco,” Rauw Alejandro“El Último Tour Del Mundo,” Bad Bunny“Jose,” J Balvin“KG0516,” KAROL G“Sin Miedo (Del Amor y Otros Demonios),” Kali UchisBest Latin Rock or Alternative Album“Deja,” Bomba Estéreo“Mira Lo Que Me Hiciste Hacer (Deluxe Edition),” Diamante Eléctrico“Origen,” Juanes“Calambre,” Nathy Peluso“El Madrileño,” C. Tangana“Sonidos de Karmática Resonancia,” ZoéBest Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)“Antología de la Musica Ranchera, Vol. 2,” Aida Cuevas“A Mis 80’s,” Vicente Fernández“Seis,” Mon Laferte“Un Canto por México, Vol. II,” Natalia Lafourcade“Ayayay! (Súper Deluxe),” Christian NodalBest Tropical Latin Album“Salswing!,” Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta“En Cuarentena,” El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico“Sin Salsa No Hay Paraíso,” Aymée Nuviola“Colegas,” Gilberto Santa Rosa“Live in Peru,” Tony SuccarBest American Roots Performance“Cry,” Jon Batiste“Love and Regret,” Billy Strings“I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free,” The Blind Boys of Alabama and Béla Fleck“Same Devil,” Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile“Nightflyer,” Allison RussellBest American Roots Song“Avalon,” Rhiannon Giddens, Justin Robinson and Francesco Turrisi, songwriters (Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi)“Call Me a Fool,” Valerie June, songwriter (Valerie June featuring Carla Thomas)“Cry,” Jon Batiste and Steve McEwan, songwriters (Jon Batiste)“Diamond Studded Shoes,” Dan Auerbach, Natalie Hemby, Aaron Lee Tasjan and Yola, songwriters (Yola)“Nightflyer,” Jeremy Lindsay and Allison Russell, songwriters (Allison Russell)Best Americana Album“Downhill From Everywhere,” Jackson Browne“Leftover Feelings,” John Hiatt with the Jerry Douglas Band“Native Sons,” Los Lobos“Outside Child,” Allison Russell“Stand for Myself,” YolaBest Bluegrass Album“Renewal,” Billy Strings“My Bluegrass Heart,” Béla Fleck“A Tribute To Bill Monroe,” The Infamous Stringdusters“Cuttin’ Grass – Vol. 1 (Butcher Shoppe Sessions),” Sturgill Simpson“Music Is What I See,” Rhonda VincentBest Traditional Blues Album“100 Years of Blues,” Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite“Traveler’s Blues,” Blues Traveler“I Be Trying,” Cedric Burnside“Be Ready When I Call You,” Guy Davis“Take Me Back,” Kim WilsonBest Contemporary Blues Album“Delta Kream,” The Black Keys featuring Eric Deaton and Kenny Brown“Royal Tea,” Joe Bonamassa“Uncivil War,” Shemekia Copeland“Fire It Up,” Steve Cropper“662,” Christone “Kingfish” IngramBest Folk Album“One Night Lonely [Live],” Mary Chapin Carpenter“Long Violent History,” Tyler Childers“Wednesday (Extended Edition),” Madison Cunningham“They’re Calling Me Home,” Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi“Blue Heron Suite,” Sarah JaroszBest Regional Roots Music Album“Live in New Orleans!,” Sean Ardoin and Kreole Rock and Soul“Bloodstains & Teardrops,” Big Chief Monk Boudreaux“My People,” Cha Wa“Corey Ledet Zydeco,” Corey Ledet Zydeco“Kau Ka Pe’a,” Kalani Pe’aBest Reggae Album“Pamoja,” Etana“Positive Vibration,” Gramps Morgan“Live N Livin,” Sean Paul“Royal,” Jesse Royal“Beauty in the Silence,” Soja“10,” SpiceBest Engineered Album, Non-Classical“Cinema,” Josh Conway, Marvin Figueroa, Josh Gudwin, Neal H Pogue and Ethan Shumaker, engineers; Joe LaPorta, mastering engineer (The Marías)“Dawn,” Thomas Brenneck, Zach Brown, Elton “L10MixedIt” Chueng, Riccardo Damian, Tom Elmhirst, Jens Jungkurth, Todd Monfalcone, John Rooney and Smino, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Yebba)“Hey What,” BJ Burton, engineer; BJ Burton, mastering engineer (Low)“Love for Sale,” Dae Bennett, Josh Coleman and Billy Cumella, engineers; Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone, mastering engineers (Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga)Producer of the Year, Non-ClassicalJack AntonoffRogét ChahayedMike ElizondoHit-BoyRicky ReedBest Remixed Recording“Back to Life” (Booker T Kings of Soul Satta Dub); Booker T, remixer (Soul II Soul)“Born for Greatness” (Cymek Remix); Spencer Bastin, remixer (Papa Roach); track from: “Greatest Hits Vol. 2 The Better Noise Years”“Constant Craving” (Fashionably Late Remix); Tracy Young, remixer (K.D. Lang)“Inside Out” (3scape DRM Remix); 3scape DRM, remixer (Zedd and Griff)“Met Him Last Night (Dave Audé Remix); Dave Audé, remixer (Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande)“Passenger” (Mike Shinoda Remix); Mike Shinoda, remixer (Deftones); track from: “White Pony” (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)“Talks” (Mura Masa Remix); Alexander Crossan, remixer (PVA)Best Global Music Performance“Mohabbat,” Arooj Aftab“Do Yourself,” Angelique Kidjo and Burna Boy“Pà Pá Pà,” Femi Kuti“Blewu,” Yo-Yo Ma and Angelique Kidjo“Essence,” Wizkid featuring TemsBest Global Music Album“Voice of Bunbon, Vol. 1,” Rocky Dawuni“East West Players Presents: Daniel Ho and Friends Live in Concert,” Daniel Ho and Friends“Mother Nature,” Angelique Kidjo“Legacy +,” Femi Kuti and Made Kuti“Made In Lagos: Deluxe Edition,” WizkidBest Children’s Music Album“Actívate,” 123 Andrés“All One Tribe,” 1 Tribe Collective“Black to the Future,” Pierce Freelon“A Colorful World,” Falu“Crayon Kids,” Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam BandBest Spoken Word Album“Aftermath,” Levar Burton“Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation From John Lewis,” Don Cheadle“Catching Dreams: Live at Fort Knox Chicago,” J. Ivy“8:46,” Dave Chappelle and Amir Sulaiman“A Promised Land,” Barack ObamaBest Comedy Album“The Comedy Vaccine,” Lavell Crawford“Evolution,” Chelsea Handler“Sincerely Louis C.K.,” Louis C.K.“Thanks for Risking Your Life,” Lewis Black“The Greatest Average American,” Nate Bargatze“Zero ___ Given,” Kevin HartBest Musical Theater Album“Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella,” Andrew Lloyd Webber, Nick Lloyd Webber and Greg Wells, producers; Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel, composers/lyricists (Original Album Cast)“Burt Bacharach and Steven Sater’s Some Lovers,” Burt Bacharach, Michael Croiter, Ben Hartman and Steven Sater, Producers; Burt Bacharach, composer; Steven Sater, lyricist (World Premiere Cast)“Girl From the North Country,” Simon Hale, Conor Mcpherson and Dean Sharenow, Producers (Bob Dylan, composer and lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)“Les Misérables: The Staged Concert (The Sensational 2020 Live Recording),” Cameron Mackintosh, Lee Mccutcheon and Stephenmetcalfe, producers (Claude-Michel Schönberg, composer; Alain Boublil, John Caird, Herbert Kretzmer, Jean-Marc Natel and Trevor Nunn, lyricists) (The 2020 Les Misérables Staged Concert Company)“Stephen Schwartz’s Snapshots,” Daniel C. Levine, Michael J Moritz Jr, Bryan Perri and Stephen Schwartz, producers (Stephen Schwartz, composer and lyricist) (World Premiere Cast)“The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical,” Emily Bear, producer; Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, composers/lyricists (Barlow & Bear)Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media“Cruella,” (Various Artists)“Dear Evan Hansen,” (Various Artists)“In The Heights,” (Various Artists)“One Night In Miami…,” (Various Artists)“Respect,” Jennifer Hudson“Schmigadoon! Episode 1,” (Various Artists)“The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” Andra DayBest Score Soundtrack for Visual Media“Bridgerton,” Kris Bowers, composer“Dune,” Hans Zimmer, composer“The Mandalorian: Season 2 – Vol. 2 (Chapters 13-16),” Ludwig Göransson, composer“The Queen’s Gambit,” Carlos Rafael Rivera, composer“Soul,” Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, composersBest Song Written For Visual Media“Agatha All Along [From Wandavision: Episode 7],” Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, songwriters (Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez featuring Kathryn Hahn, Eric Bradley, Greg Whipple, Jasper Randall and Gerald White)“All Eyes On Me [From Inside],” Bo Burnham, songwriter (Bo Burnham)“All I Know So Far [From Pink: All I Know So Far],” Alecia Moore, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, songwriters (Pink)“Fight for You [From Judas and the Black Messiah],” Dernst Emile Ii, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home) [From Respect],” Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson and Carole King, songwriters (Jennifer Hudson)“Speak Now [From One Night in Miami…],” Sam Ashworth and Leslie Odom, Jr., Songwriters (Leslie Odom, Jr.)Best Immersive Audio Album“Alicia,” George Massenburg and Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineers; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Ann Mincieli, immersive producer (Alicia Keys)“Clique,” Jim Anderson and Ulrike Schwarz, immersive mix engineers; Bob Ludwig, immersive mastering engineer; Jim Anderson, immersive producer (Patricia Barber)“Fine Line,” Greg Penny, immersive mix engineer; Greg Penny, immersive mastering engineer; Greg Penny, immersive producer (Harry Styles)“The Future Bites,” Jake Fields and Steven Wilson, immersive mix engineers; Bob Ludwig, immersive mastering engineer; Steven Wilson, immersive producer (Steven Wilson)“Stille Grender,” Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive producer (Anne Karin Sundal-Ask and Det Norske Jentekor)Best Immersive Audio Album (for 63rd Grammy Awards)“Bolstad: Tomba Sonora,” Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive producer (Stemmeklang)“Dear Future Self (Dolby Atmos Mixes),” Fritz Hilpert, immersive mix engineer; Jason Banks, Fritz Hilpert and David Ziegler, immersive mastering engineers; Tom Ammerman, Arno Kammermeier and Walter Merziger, immersive producers (Booka Shade)“Fryd,” Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive producer (Tove Ramlo-Ystad and Cantus)“Mutt Slang Ii – A Wake of Sorrows Engulfed in Rage,” Elliot Scheiner, immersive mix engineer; Darcy Proper, immersive mastering engineer; Alain Mallet and Elliot Scheiner, immersive producers (Alain Mallet)“Soundtrack of the American Soldier,” Leslie Ann Jones, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Dan Merceruio, immersive producer (Jim R. Keene and the United States Army Field Band)Best Engineered Album, Classical“Archetypes,” Jonathan Lackey, Bill Maylone and Dan Nichols, engineers; Bill Maylone, mastering engineer (Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad and Third Coast Percussion)“Beethoven: Cello Sonatas – Hope Amid Tears,” Richard King, engineer (Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax)“Beethoven: Symphony No. 9,” Mark Donahue, engineer; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Manfred Honeck, Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)“Chanticleer Sings Christmas,” Leslie Ann Jones, engineer (Chanticleer)“Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony Of A Thousand,’” Alexander Lipay and Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay and Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Luke McEndarfer, Robert Istad, Grant Gershon, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children’s Chorus, Pacific Chorale and Los Angeles Philharmonic)Producer of the Year, ClassicalBlanton AlspaughSteven EpsteinDavid FrostElaine MartoneJudith ShermanBest Orchestral Performance“Adams: My Father Knew Charles Ives; Harmonielehre,” Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Nashville Symphony Orchestra)“Beethoven: Symphony No. 9,” Manfred Honeck, conductor (Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)“Muhly: Throughline,” Nico Muhly, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)“Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3,” Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra)“Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra; Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy,” Thomas Dausgaard, conductor (Seattle Symphony Orchestra)Best Opera Recording“Bartók: Bluebeard’s Castle,” Susanna Mälkki, conductor; Mika Kares and Szilvia Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Nashville Symphony Orchestra)“Glass: Akhnaten,” Karen Kamensek, conductor; J’Nai Bridges, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Zachary James and Dísella Lárusdóttir; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)“Janáček: Cunning Little Vixen,”” Simon Rattle, conductor; Sophia Burgos, Lucy Crowe, Gerald Finley, Peter Hoare, Anna Lapkovskaja, Paulina Malefane, Jan Martinik and Hanno Müller-Brachmann; Andrew Cornall, producer (London Symphony Orchestra; London Symphony Chorus and LSO Discovery Voices)“Little: Soldier Songs,” Corrado Rovaris, conductor; Johnathan McCullough; James Darrah and John Toia, producers (The Opera Philadelphia Orchestra)“Poulenc: Dialogues Des Carmélites,” Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Karen Cargill, Isabel Leonard, Karita Mattila, Erin Morley and Adrianne Pieczonka; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)Best Choral Performance“It’s a Long Way,” Matthew Guard, conductor (Jonas Budris, Carrie Cheron, Fiona Gillespie, Nathan Hodgson, Helen Karloski, Enrico Lagasca, Megan Roth, Alissa Ruth Suver and Dana Whiteside; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)“Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony of a Thousand,’” Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, Robert Istad, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz and Luke McEndarfer, chorus masters (Leah Crocetto, Mihoko Fujimura, Ryan McKinny, Erin Morley, Tamara Mumford, Simon O’Neill, Morris Robinson and Tamara Wilson; Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children’s Chorus and Pacific Chorale)“Rising w/ the Crossing,” Donald Nally, conductor (International Contemporary Ensemble and Quicksilver; The Crossing)“Schnittke: Choir Concerto; Three Sacred Hymns; Pärt: Seven Magnificat-Antiphons,” Kaspars Putnins, conductor; Heli Jürgenson, chorus master (Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir)“Sheehan: Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom,” Benedict Sheehan, conductor (Michael Hawes, Timothy Parsons and Jason Thoms; The Saint Tikhon Choir)“The Singing Guitar,” Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Estelí Gomez; Austin Guitar Quartet, Douglas Harvey, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and Texas Guitar Quartet; Conspirare)Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance“Adams, John Luther: Lines Made By Walking,” JACK Quartet“Akiho: Seven Pillars,” Sandbox Percussion“Archetypes,” Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad and Third Coast Percussion“Beethoven: Cello Sonatas – Hope Amid Tears,” Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax“Bruits,” Imani WindsBest Classical Instrumental Solo“Alone Together,” Jennifer Koh“An American Mosaic,” Simone Dinnerstein“Bach: Sonatas and Partitas,” Augustin Hadelich“Beethoven and Brahms: Violin Concertos,” Gil Shaham; Eric Jacobsen, conductor (The Knights)“Mak Bach,” Mak Grgić“Of Power,” Curtis StewartBest Classical Solo Vocal Album“Confessions,” Laura Strickling; Joy Schreier, pianist“Dreams of a New Day – Songs by Black Composers,” Will Liverman; Paul Sánchez, pianist“Mythologies,” Sangeeta Kaur and Hila Plitmann (Virginie D’Avezac De Castera, Lili Haydn, Wouter Kellerman, Nadeem Majdalany, Eru Matsumoto and Emilio D. Miler)“Schubert: Winterreise,” Joyce DiDonato; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, pianist“Unexpected Shadows,” Jamie Barton; Jake Heggie, pianist (Matt Haimovitz)Best Classical Compendium“American Originals – A New World, A New Canon,” Agave and Reginald L. Mobley. Geoffrey Silver, producer.“Berg: Violin Concerto; Seven Early Songs and Three Pieces for Orchestra,” Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer.“Cerrone: The Arching Path,” Timo Andres and Ian Rosenbaum. Mike Tierney, producer.“Plays,” Chick Corea. Chick Corea and Birnie Kirsh, producers.“Women Warriors – The Voices of Change,” Amy Andersson, conductor; Amy Andersson, Mark Mattson and Lolita Ritmanis, producers.Best Contemporary Classical Composition“Akiho: Seven Pillars,” Andy Akiho, composer. (Sandbox Percussion)“Andriessen: The Only One,” Louis Andriessen, composer. (Esa-Pekka Salonen, Nora Fischer & Los Angeles Philharmonic)“Assad, Clarice and Sérgio, Connors, Dillon, Martin and Skidmore: Archetypes,” Clarice Assad, Sérgio Assad, Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin and David Skidmore, composers. (Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad and Third Coast Percussion)“Batiste: Movement 11,” Jon Batiste, composer (Jon Batiste)“Shaw: Narrow Sea,” Caroline Shaw, composer (Dawn Upshaw, Gilbert Kalish and Sō Percussion)Best Instrumental Composition“Beautiful is Black,” Brandee Younger, composer (Brandee Younger)“Cat and Mouse,” Tom Nazziola, composer (Tom Nazziola)“Concerto for Orchestra: Finale,” Vince Mendoza, composer (Vince Mendoza and Czech National Symphony Orchestra featuring Antonio Sánchez and Derrick Hodge)“Dreaming In Lions: Dreaming In Lions,” Arturo O’farrill, composer (Arturo O’farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble)“Eberhard,” Lyle Mays, composer (Lyle Mays)Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella“Chopsticks,” Bill O’Connell, arranger (Richard Baratta)“For The Love Of A Princess (From ‘Braveheart’),” Robin Smith, Arranger (Hauser, London Symphony Orchestra and Robin Smith)“Infinite Love,” Emile Mosseri, Arranger (Emile Mosseri)“Meta Knight’s Revenge (From ‘Kirby Superstar’),” Charlie Rosen and Jake Silverman, arrangers (The 8-Bit Big Band featuring Button Masher)“The Struggle Within,” Gabriela Quintero and Rodrigo Sanchez, arrangers (Rodrigo Y Gabriela)Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals“The Bottom Line,” Ólafur Arnalds, Arranger (Ólafur Arnalds and Josin)“A Change is Gonna Come,” Tehillah Alphonso, Arranger (Tonality and Alexander Lloyd Blake)“The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” Jacob Collier, Arranger (Jacob Collier)“Eleanor Rigby,” Cody Fry, Arranger (Cody Fry)“To The Edge Of Longing (Edit Version),” Vince Mendoza, Arranger (Vince Mendoza, Czech National Symphony Orchestra and Julia Bullock)Best Recording Package“American Jackpot / American Girls,” Sarah Dodds and Shauna Dodds, Art Directors (Reckless Kelly)“Carnage,” Nick Cave and Tom Hingston, Art Directors (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis)“Pakelang,” Li Jheng Han and Yu, Wei, Art Directors (2nd Generation Falangao Singing Group and the Chairman Crossover Big Band)“Serpentine Prison,” Dayle Doyle, Art Director (Matt Berninger)“Zeta,” Xiao Qing Yang, Art Director (Soul Of Ears)Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package“All Things Must Pass: 50th Anniversary Edition,” Darren Evans, Dhani Harrison and Olivia Harrison, art directors (George Harrison)“Color Theory,” Lordess Foudre and Christopher Leckie, art directors (Soccer Mommy)“The Future Bites (Limited Edition Box Set),” Simon Moore, art director (Steven Wilson)“77-81,” Dan Calderwood and Jon King, art directors (Gang of Four)“Swimming in Circles,” Ramón Coronado and Marshall Rake, art directors (Mac Miller)Best Album Notes“Beethoven: The Last Three Sonatas,” Ann-Katrin Zimmermann, album notes writer (Sunwook Kim)“The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-1966,” Ricky Riccardi, album notes writer (Louis Armstrong)“Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology,” Kevin Howes, album notes writer (Willie Dunn)“Etching the Voice: Emile Berliner and the First Commercial Gramophone Discs, 1889-1895,” David Giovannoni, Richard Martin and Stephan Puille, album notes writers (Various Artists)“The King of Gospel Music: The Life and Music of Reverend James Cleveland,” Robert Marovich, album notes writer (Various Artists)Best Historical Album“Beyond the Music: Her Complete RCA Victor Recordings,” Robert Russ, compilation producer; Nancy Conforti, Andreas K. Meyer and Jennifer Nulsen, mastering engineers (Marian Anderson)“Etching the Voice: Emile Berliner and the First Commercial Gramophone Discs, 1889-1895,” Meagan Hennessey and Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer (Various Artists)“Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History of the World’s Music,” April Ledbetter, Steven Lance Ledbetter and Jonathan Ward, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)“Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967),” Patrick Milligan and Joni Mitchell, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Joni Mitchell)“Sign O’ the Times (Super Deluxe Edition),” Trevor Guy, Michael Howe and Kirk Johnson, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Prince)Best Music Video“Shot in the Dark,” (AC/DC); David Mallet, video director; Dione Orrom, video producer.“Freedom,” (Jon Batiste); Alan Ferguson, video director; Alex P. Willson, video producer.“I Get a Kick Out of You,” (Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga); Jennifer Lebeau, video director; Danny Bennett, Bobby Campbell and Jennifer Lebeau, video producers.“Peaches,” (Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon); Collin Tilley, video director.“Happier Than Ever,” (Billie Eilish); Billie Eilish, video director; Michelle An, Chelsea Dodson and David Moore, video producers.“Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” (Lil Nas X); Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino, video directors; Frank Borin, Ivanna Borin, Marco De Molina and Saul Levitz, video producers.“Good 4 U,” (Olivia Rodrigo); Petra Collins, video director; Christiana Divona, Marissa Ramirez and Tiffany Suh, video producers.Best Music Film“Inside,” (Bo Burnham); Bo Burnham, video director; Josh Senior, video producer.“David Byrne’s American Utopia,” (David Byrne); Spike Lee, video director; David Byrne and Spike Lee, video producers.“Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles,” (Billie Eilish); Patrick Osborne and Robert Rodriguez, video directors.“Music, Money, Madness … Jimi Hendrix in Maui,” (Jimi Hendrix); John McDermott, video director; Janie Hendrix, John McDermott and George Scott, video producers.“Summer of Soul,” (Various Artists); Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, video director; David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent and Joseph Patel, video producers. More

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    Jon Batiste on His 11 Grammy Nominations: ‘I’m So Over the Moon’

    The jazz pianist and bandleader on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” received the most nominations for the 2022 awards. Music “connects us to the sacred, the divine,” he said.With his second studio album, “We Are,” the jazz pianist Jon Batiste sought to make music without genre, a mission that might not seem to align with an awards show built around firm categories.But the boundary-bending approach of Batiste’s latest work paid off in the nominations for the 64th annual Grammy Awards: He earned the most nominations with 11, covering R&B, American roots and jazz.Eight of the nominations came from “We Are,” including album and record of the year for his track “Freedom,” which also received a nomination for best music video. (He filmed it in his New Orleans hometown.) Three were for his work on the Pixar movie “Soul,” which won an Academy Award earlier this year for best score.Batiste, 35, appears nightly as the bandleader on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” and over the last year and a half, he has become a familiar face during times of crisis. When the pandemic shut down indoor performing arts venues, Batiste played in the open air. And when protesters hit the streets after the murder of George Floyd last year to rally against racism and police violence, Batiste staged a series of protest concerts, leading crowds of people in song.Batiste chatted in a phone interview shortly after the nominations were announced on Tuesday. The following are edited excerpts from the conversation.With “We Are,” you set out to make an album that didn’t fit into any one genre, and as a result, you were nominated in three genres, as well as the general categories. Did your mission for the album succeed?.css-1xzcza9{list-style-type:disc;padding-inline-start:1em;}.css-3btd0c{font-family:nyt-franklin,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:1rem;line-height:1.375rem;color:#333;margin-bottom:0.78125rem;}@media (min-width:740px){.css-3btd0c{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.5rem;margin-bottom:0.9375rem;}}.css-3btd0c strong{font-weight:600;}.css-3btd0c em{font-style:italic;}.css-1kpebx{margin:0 auto;font-family:nyt-franklin,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.3125rem;color:#121212;}#NYT_BELOW_MAIN_CONTENT_REGION .css-1kpebx{font-family:nyt-cheltenham,georgia,’times new roman’,times,serif;font-weight:700;font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.625rem;}@media (min-width:740px){#NYT_BELOW_MAIN_CONTENT_REGION .css-1kpebx{font-size:1.6875rem;line-height:1.875rem;}}@media (min-width:740px){.css-1kpebx{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.4375rem;}}.css-1gtxqqv{margin-bottom:0;}.css-1g3vlj0{font-family:nyt-franklin,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:1rem;line-height:1.375rem;color:#333;margin-bottom:0.78125rem;}@media (min-width:740px){.css-1g3vlj0{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.5rem;margin-bottom:0.9375rem;}}.css-1g3vlj0 strong{font-weight:600;}.css-1g3vlj0 em{font-style:italic;}.css-1g3vlj0{margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0.25rem;}.css-19zsuqr{display:block;margin-bottom:0.9375rem;}.css-12vbvwq{background-color:white;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;width:calc(100% – 40px);max-width:600px;margin:1.5rem auto 1.9rem;padding:15px;box-sizing:border-box;}@media (min-width:740px){.css-12vbvwq{padding:20px;width:100%;}}.css-12vbvwq:focus{outline:1px solid #e2e2e2;}#NYT_BELOW_MAIN_CONTENT_REGION .css-12vbvwq{border:none;padding:10px 0 0;border-top:2px solid #121212;}.css-12vbvwq[data-truncated] .css-rdoyk0{-webkit-transform:rotate(0deg);-ms-transform:rotate(0deg);transform:rotate(0deg);}.css-12vbvwq[data-truncated] .css-eb027h{max-height:300px;overflow:hidden;-webkit-transition:none;transition:none;}.css-12vbvwq[data-truncated] .css-5gimkt:after{content:’See more’;}.css-12vbvwq[data-truncated] .css-6mllg9{opacity:1;}.css-qjk116{margin:0 auto;overflow:hidden;}.css-qjk116 strong{font-weight:700;}.css-qjk116 em{font-style:italic;}.css-qjk116 a{color:#326891;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-color:#326891;text-decoration-color:#326891;}.css-qjk116 a:visited{color:#326891;-webkit-text-decoration-color:#326891;text-decoration-color:#326891;}.css-qjk116 a:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}It was so rewarding to be nominated in multiple categories and multiple genres. And of course, for the two big categories in the general field. I’ve always made an effort to show that the genres are all connected, just like people in all of our lineages are connected. I’ve said that many times, and it just feels so great for it to be recognized on music’s biggest stage.How does it feel to be the most nominated artist in any genre?My goodness, I’m so over the moon. We made this album throughout the pandemic and we had so many things going on. We recorded the soundtrack and the score for “Soul” during the pandemic. It was so much. You always put your blood, sweat and tears into the craft of making an album, but it was doubly so during that time.You released an early iteration of the title track, “We Are,” in June 2020 as you were in the middle of crafting the album. Why did you make that decision?“We Are” is a song that features my grandfather, who is an incredible activist. He’s somebody who grew up during the Memphis sanitation strike. He was a protester, he was somebody who basically fought for the rights for me to be able to be where I am today. And he’s on the record.The lyrics in that record reference all of the things that we were fighting to maintain during the protest for Black lives. So it was really just one of those things where I made the song, not knowing that the moment would come for the song before the album was finished.“The lyrics in that record reference all of the things that we were fighting to maintain during the protest for Black lives,” Batiste said of his title track, “We Are.”Hiroko Masuike/The New York TimesDid the experience of performing the song in the context of protests shape the final version that was nominated for the Grammy? Did it evolve any more after that?No, it actually didn’t because it was already so much of the spirit of the moment. I didn’t have to do anything to it.Over the past year and a half, you’ve spent a lot of time playing outdoors for the public, whether at protests in the summer of 2020 or roaming performances during some of the worst months of the pandemic. How did these events change how you see yourself as an artist?It made me realize that music is bigger than the entertainment structure, it’s bigger than commerce, it’s bigger than a marketing or business plan. Music is something that’s used from the beginning of time, going all the way back to the first communities, as glue within communities, as part of the fabric of everyday life. It brings people together and it’s used as something to transmit wisdom from generations, to pass on traditions and give people hope. It connects us to the sacred, the divine. I’m not against music as entertainment, but I think if we remember the origin of what music is all about and what it can be used for, it would be very useful in this time.You’ve also said that the album reflects the passage of your life thus far. What does the album say about where you were in your life when you recorded it?It’s me coming into myself. You go through this process of resurrection as an artist, you go through a birth and a rebirth and a rebirth and you’re constantly becoming. And I was at this transitional point and the album was a time stamp of that moment of being reborn. So I really believe that when I look back on this album in 15, 20, 30 years — God willing — I’ll be able to, to appreciate it in a different way, because I’ll have gone through similar rebirths, but none will be the same. More

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    Singer Ed Sheeran Tests Positive for Coronavirus

    The singer Ed Sheeran announced Sunday on social media that he had tested positive for the coronavirus and would be canceling public appearances and working at home, in quarantine.It wasn’t immediately clear what appearances would be canceled or rescheduled, or whether Mr. Sheeran was sick with symptoms of Covid-19.The news came days before the Friday release of his new album, “=,” pronounced “equals.” The 14-song album includes his recently released single “Bad Habits.”And it comes just after Mr. Sheeran had been announced as the musical guest for “Saturday Night Live” on Nov. 6.The four-time Grammy winner took a break from work and social media in late 2019 after two years of touring in support of his best-selling album “÷” (or “divide”). More

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    Lee (Scratch) Perry, Bob Marley Mentor and Reggae Innovator, Dies at 85

    With a four-track tape recorder in his Jamaican home studio, he opened surreal sonic vistas and cultivated the image of a mad genius.Lee (Scratch) Perry, the innovative Jamaican producer who mentored Bob Marley and pushed reggae into the sonic avant-garde with his dub productions, died on Sunday in Lucca, Jamaica. He was 85.His death, at a hospital, was reported by Jamaican Observer and other Jamaican media; no cause was given. Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica tweeted condolences and praised Mr. Perry’s “sterling contribution to the musical fraternity.”Mr. Perry wrote songs, led the studio session band the Upsetters and produced leading Jamaican acts in the 1960s and ’70s. He went on to collaborate internationally with the Clash, Paul and Linda McCartney, the Beastie Boys and many others. George Clinton and Keith Richards were guests on his albums.Mr. Perry recorded dozens of albums under his own name and with the Upsetters; he also produced hundreds of songs for other performers. “All my records are angels,” he told Uncut magazine in 2018. “They are not flesh and blood, they are spirits.”As a singer and frontman, he reveled in the image of a mad genius. He gave himself numerous nicknames — the Upsetter, the Super-Ape, Inspector Gadget, the Firmament Computer — and spoke about blowing marijuana smoke on his master tapes to improve their sound, or dousing them with blood or whiskey. He once boasted, “I am the creator of the alien race globally.”In a 2010 interview with Rolling Stone, he said: “Being a madman is good thing! It keeps people away. When they think you are crazy, they don’t come around and take your energy.”Mr. Perry vastly expanded the possibilities of dub reggae in the 1970s, creating radical remixes that stripped songs down to their rhythm tracks and rebuilt them with samples (animal sounds, breaking glass, explosions) along with surreal echo and phasing effects to create hallucinatory aural spaces.Albums like the Upsetters’ “Blackboard Jungle Dub” (1973) and “Super Ape” (1976) were as dizzying as they were danceable. One of Mr. Perry’s most exploratory albums, “Roast Fish, Collie Weed & Corn Bread,” released in 1978, was rejected by his international distributor at the time, Island Records, leading to a lasting rift.Mr. Perry’s album “Roast Fish, Collie Weed & Corn Bread,” from 1978, was his most exploratory..Mr. Perry brought his dub techniques to the production of new songs on albums that would become reggae milestones. The recordings he concocted using minimal equipment — a four-track Teac tape recorder — would decisively influence hip-hop, post-punk, electronica and all sorts of other studio-tweaked music.“The studio must be like a living thing, a life itself,” he once explained. “The machine must be live and intelligent. Then I put my mind into the machine and the machine perform reality. Invisible thought waves — you put them into the machine by sending them through the controls.”Rainford Hugh Perry was born on March 20, 1936, in Kendal, in rural western Jamaica. His parents, Hugh Perry and Ina Davis, were laborers, and one of Lee’s early jobs was driving a tractor in the building of a road that would bring tourists to the western seaside town of Negril. He moved to Kingston, the capital, and started working for the producer and sound system owner Clement (Coxsone) Dodd in 1961, first as a gofer and record vendor and eventually as a talent scout, engineer and producer for Dodd’s Studio One, a Jamaican hit factory in the early 1960s.Feeling exploited by Mr. Dodd, Mr. Perry joined a competitor, Joe Gibbs, at Amalgamated Records. He released “I Am the Upsetter,” a complaint aimed at Mr. Dodd, and continued to produce Jamaican hits. But he broke away from Mr. Gibbs as well.Mr. Perry started his own label, Upset Records (soon renamed Upsetter), and its first release, in 1968, was a song attacking Mr. Gibbs, “People Funny Boy.” It became a hit in Jamaica and Great Britain. Presaging Mr. Perry’s later productions, it also featured the sound of a crying baby, and it was an early example of the midtempo rhythm that would soon define roots reggae.Bob Marley and the Wailers had recorded with Mr. Dodd but went to work with Upsetter Records and Mr. Perry to make the albums “Soul Rebels” (1970) and “Soul Revolution” (1971). Mr. Perry encouraged Mr. Marley to explore spiritual and political themes, and songs like “Small Axe,” “Kaya” and “Duppy Conqueror” established the direction that would make Mr. Marley an international star.But there were disputes over money. Mr. Perry sold rights to the Wailers albums to an English label, and Mr. Marley and the Wailers accused Mr. Perry of withholding royalties. “I pirated their music to expose them,” Mr. Perry claimed in a 2008 documentary, “The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry.” In 2010, the percussionist and singer-songwriter Bunny Wailer, a member of the band, told Rolling Stone: “He screwed us. We never saw a dime from those albums we did with him.”Mr. Perry in 2001 outside the studio he built in his backyard in Kingston, Jamaica. He called it the Black Ark. Echoes/Redferns, via Getty ImagesMr. Marley hired the Upsetters’ rhythm section, the brothers Aston and Carlton Barrett on bass and drums, and they became the foundation of the Wailers’ live band. Yet Mr. Marley and Mr. Perry didn’t stay estranged; in 1977, Mr. Marley enlisted him to produce the single “Punky Reggae Party.”Living in the Washington Gardens neighborhood of Kingston, Mr. Perry built his own small studio, the Black Ark, in his backyard in 1973. He named it after the Ark of the Covenant and considered it a spiritual place. There he could record at any time and in any way he chose.“Scratch dances with the board while he produces,” Vivien Goldman wrote in 1976 for the magazine Sounds. “Flicking switches with a twist of the hips, after a particularly elaborate movement he might spin round twice and clap his hands and be back in position for the next pull of a slide control. He’s aware of his studio audience, but dances in spite, not because of them.”At the Black Ark, Mr. Perry stacked up layers of sound with multiple overdubs on each track of his four-track recorder; tape hiss only added depth and mystery to his mixes.“One of his phrases was, ‘He had four tracks on the board and eight tracks in his head,’ ” Max Romeo, one of the singers Mr. Perry produced, told Mojo magazine in 2019. Among the enduring reggae albums that Mr. Perry made at the Black Ark were the Congos’ “Heart of the Congos,” Max Romeo’s “War Ina Babylon,” the Heptones’ “Party Time” and Junior Murvin’s “Police and Thieves”— albums suffused with righteousness, compassion, determination and experimentation.In the early days of English punk-rock, the Clash remade “Police and Thieves,” and when Mr. Perry visited England in 1977, he produced a Clash single, “Complete Control.” Paul and Linda McCartney built two songs on Mr. Perry’s tracks for Linda McCartney’s solo debut album.But under the strains of constant recording, his marijuana and alcohol use, gang violence and political turmoil in Jamaica as well as extortion threats and his divorce from his first wife, Pauline Morrison, in 1979, Mr. Perry’s mental state grew troubled. In 1983, the Black Ark burned down.There were various explanations, including faulty wiring. But to Mr. Perry “the studio had been polluted with unholy spirits,” as he put it in “The Upsetter” documentary.“I was mixing good and evil spirits together in the Ark,” he said, “and then I had to burn it down to get rid of what I created.”Mr. Perry in 2018. Over the years he was nominated for five Grammy Awards for best reggae album and won one for “Jamaican E.T.,” released in 2002.John Palmer, via Associated PressHe moved to London in 1984 and resumed a copious, scattershot recording and performing career. Onstage, leading assorted lineups of the Upsetters and interspersing songs with free-associative speechifying, he stepped forward as a gaudily costumed wizard-jester-sage-extraterrestrial figure, like Sun Ra or George Clinton.In the studio, he collaborated with producers who had been inspired by his 1970s dubs, making albums with Adrian Sherwood, Bill Laswell and, extensively, the British-Guyanese producer Mad Professor. On Sunday, Mad Professor posted on Facebook that they had enough material recorded for 20 more albums together and added: “What a character! Totally ageless! Extremely creative, with a memory as sharp as a tape machine! A brain as accurate as a computer!”In 1989 Mr. Perry married Mireille Rüegg, a record-store owner who became his manager, and moved with her to Switzerland, where they lived until relocating to Jamaica in 2020. In addition to her, his survivors include their two children, Gabriel and Shiva, and four children from his first marriage: Cleopatra, Marsha, Omar and Marvin (Sean) Perry.Recognition continued to grow for Mr. Perry through the decades. In 1998, the Beastie Boys featured him on their album “Hello Nasty,” employing his vocals and lyrics on “Dr. Lee, PhD.”Mr. Perry was nominated five times for a Grammy Award for best reggae album. His album “Jamaican E.T.” (2002) won the award.In 2018, he told Uncut magazine: “The reality is, all that craziness, all that madness, I made it work, because it’s nature. It’s natural grace. In nature we have the big space overhead, the big sky, the orbit. Nature is crazy! I want my records to sound as crazy as nature.” More

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    Micki Grant, Groundbreaking Broadway Composer, Dies at 92

    With “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope,” she became the first woman to write the book, music and lyrics of a Broadway musical.Micki Grant, who in the early 1970s became the first woman to write the book, music and lyrics of a Broadway musical, “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope,” a soulful, spirited exploration of Black life, died on Saturday in Manhattan. She was 92.Her death, at Mount Sinai Morningside hospital, was announced by Joan Allen, a family spokeswoman.Ms. Grant, an actress, composer, playwright and musician, had developed “Don’t Bother Me” for two years with the director Vinnette Carroll, taking it to small theaters in New York, Philadelphia and Washington before opening on Broadway in April 1972.She would also be known for her work on another Broadway musical, “Your Arms Too Short to Box With God,” and for her seven years on the NBC soap opera “Another World.”Set in New York City, “Don’t Bother Me” explored topics like ghetto life, Black power, feminism and student protests with an all-Black cast performing songs — all by Ms. Grant — that drew from rock, jazz, funk, blues calypso and other musical genres.Ms. Grant recalled in 2018 that she and Ms. Carroll had wanted audiences of the musical to recognize the similarities among races, not the differences.“And I think that’s expressed when you find out in the end that the audience is willing to reach out and take someone’s hand,” she said in an interview with The New York Amsterdam News. “Some people in the audience never held the hand of a person of a different race before, and all of the sudden, they’re holding another person’s hand.”The musical got rave reviews, including one from Clive Barnes of The New York Times, who wrote: “It is the unexpected that is the most delightful. Last night at the Playhouse Theater a new musical came clapping, stomping and stamping in. It is fresh, fun and Black.”The show received Tony nominations for best musical, best original score, best book (also by Ms. Grant) and best direction. It won a Grammy for best musical theater album, making Ms. Grant the first female composer to win in that category.“Don’t Bother Me” was revived in 2016 as a concert performance by the York Theater Company in Manhattan and two years later by the Encores! Off-Center series at New York City Center, directed by Savion Glover.Amber Barbee Pickens, foreground, in the Encores! production of “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope” at New York City Center in 2018. One critic said of the original Broadway production: “A new musical came clapping, stomping and stamping in. It is fresh, fun and Black.”Sara Krulwich/The New York TimesJames Morgan, York’s producing artistic director, said in a phone interview that Ms. Grant had “wanted a say in everything and would say, ‘No, that’s not how that goes.’ I’d tell her, ‘We want this to be your version of the show.’”He had been hoping to stage a full Off Broadway production of “Don’t Worry,” he said, but couldn’t raise the money. “I so wanted it for her, because there’s still a big audience for it,” he said.Ms. Grant was born Minnie Louise Perkins on June 30, 1929, in Chicago to Oscar and Gussie (Cobbins) Perkins. Her father was a barber and a self-taught pianist, her mother, a saleswoman for Stanley Home Products.Minnie was smitten by theater and music at a young age. At 8 she played the Spirit of Spring, touching flowers to bring them to life, in a community center production. She began taking piano and double-bass lessons at about the same age.And, she recalled in an interview with The Times in 1972: “I was busy writing poetry and walking around the house reciting it. My family always listened and said what nice poetry it was.”Ms. Grant began writing music at 14 or 15 and acting in community theater at 18. She studied at the Chicago School of Music and later attended the University of Illinois, Chicago.But one semester shy of graduating, she left to perform in Los Angeles, where, in 1961, she appeared in a musical revue, “Fly Blackbird,” a social satire about the evils of segregation. She moved with the show to its Off Broadway production in 1962.By then, she had changed her name to Micki.Ms. Grant made her Broadway debut a year later in a supporting role in “Tambourines to Glory,” a short-lived “gospel singing play” — written by the poet Langston Hughes with music by Jobe Huntley — about two female street preachers in Harlem. It also starred Robert Guillaume and Louis Gossett Jr. A year later she appeared in a revival of Marc Blitzstein’s musical play “The Cradle Will Rock,” set in 1937 during the Great Depression.She turned to television in 1965, beginning a seven-year run on “Another World” playing a secretary-turned-lawyer, Peggy Nolan. She is believed to have been the first Black contract player in soaps. She later had roles in the soap operas “Guiding Light,” “Edge of Night” and “All My Children.”Ms. Grant in the NBC soap opera “Another World” in 1968. She had a seven-year run on the show playing a secretary-turned-lawyer.Fred Hermansky/NBCCasey Childs, the founder of the Primary Stages Company in New York, recalled directing her in one soap opera episode. “She was an absolutely lovely actress, who understood the need on a soap to move quickly and make fast choices,” he said in an interview.During her long run on “Another World,” Ms. Grant was building a theatrical legacy with Ms. Carroll, who in 1967 founded the Urban Arts Corps to provide a showcase for Black and Puerto Rican performers.They put together the first production of “Don’t Bother Me” in 1970 at the company’s theater on West 20th Street in Manhattan. Ms. Grant also wrote the music and lyrics for a song and dance version of the Irwin Shaw novel “Bury the Dead” and for a children’s show called “Croesus and the Witch.”Working with Ms. Carroll, she said, was a “magical” experience.“It all came together so perfectly,” Ms. Grant told American Theater magazine in an interview this year. “It was a fortunate meeting between us: I needed somewhere to present my work, and she needed the new work to present because of who she was — having original works brought out her creativity, rather than trying to repeat something that was already done.”The two women also collaborated on “Your Arms Too Short to Box With God,” an acclaimed gospel-infused musical that opened on Broadway in 1976 and ran for 429 performances. Ms. Carroll wrote the book, and music and lyrics were by Alex Bradford, with additional songs by Ms. Grant.Two years later, Ms. Grant was one of the five songwriters behind the musical “Working,” which was based on the writer Studs Terkel’s book of interviews with everyday people about their jobs. The group was nominated for a Tony for best original score.In one of Ms. Grant’s songs in “Working,” a woman laments: “If I could’ve done what I could’ve done/I could’ve done big things./With some luck to do what I wanted to do/I would’ve done big things./Swam a few rivers/Climbed a few hills/Paid all my bills.”She returned to Broadway one last time, with a musical, “It’s So Nice to Be Civilized” (1980), which closed after eight performances.Her other credits include the English-language lyrics to songs in “Jacques Brel Blues,” which debuted in East Hampton, N.Y., in 1988, and “Don’t Underestimate a Nut,” a musical based on the life of George Washington Carver, the agricultural scientist who promoted the cultivation of peanuts. It was commissioned by a children’s theater in Omaha, Neb., in 1994.In the late 1990s, Ms. Grant spent two years with Lizan Mitchell on a tour of the United States and South Africa as they played the centenarian Delany sisters in “Having Our Say,” Emily Mann’s Tony Award-winning play.Ms. Grant had no immediate survivors. Her marriages to Milton Grant and Ray McCutcheon ended in divorce.When Encores! revived “Don’t Bother Me,” Ms. Grant, reflecting on its creation, said that her and Ms. Carroll’s goal had not been to produce an incendiary musical about the difficulties faced by Black people in America.“There was a lot of angry theater out there at the time, especially in the Black community — Bullins, Jones,” she said, referring to the playwrights Ed Bullins and LeRoi Jones, who became known as Amiri Baraka. “I wanted to come at it with a soft fist. I wanted to open eyes but not turn eyes away.” More

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    Grammys Settle With Ousted C.E.O.

    The settlement between the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammy Awards, and Deborah Dugan, its former chief executive, came just weeks before arbitration over her dismissal was to begin.The Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammy Awards, has reached a confidential settlement with Deborah Dugan, its ousted chief executive, just weeks before arbitration hearings over her dismissal were set to begin.In a joint statement issued late Thursday, the two sides said: “The Recording Academy and Deborah Dugan have agreed to resolve their differences and to keep the terms of their agreement private.”By settling, the Recording Academy avoids what could have been a rare glimpse at its opaque internal politics. The arbitration was set to begin on July 12 in Los Angeles, and despite earlier promises to make the hearings open to the public, the academy had in recent weeks been pushing to keep the proceedings secret.The settlement closes a contentious period in Grammys history. Ms. Dugan, a former media executive who had led Red, the nonprofit co-founded by Bono of U2, was brought in to the academy in 2019 as a change agent. The academy had for years faced complaints about its voting process and its poor record of recognizing women and people of color in many of the top awards, and in 2018, Neil Portnow, Ms. Dugan’s predecessor, was criticized for suggesting that women should “step up” to be recognized at the Grammys.But Ms. Dugan spent only five months at the helm. In January 2020, just 10 days before the ceremony that year, Ms. Dugan was placed on administrative leave — and later fired — over what the academy said were “concerns raised to the Recording Academy board of trustees, including a formal allegation of misconduct by a senior female member of the Recording Academy team.”In a discrimination complaint lodged with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Ms. Dugan said her dismissal was an act of retaliation after she challenged the “boys’ club” that she said dominated the academy. It also came a few weeks after she wrote a detailed letter to the academy’s human resources department alleging voting irregularities, financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest.Perhaps most shocking to music insiders, Ms. Dugan also accused a prominent outside lawyer for the academy of making unwanted sexual advances toward her shortly after she got the job. (That lawyer, Joel Katz, disputed Ms. Dugan’s account.)The academy denied her allegations and portrayed her as a disruptive force at the organization, which sees itself as a home for the entire music community.“What we expected was change without chaos,” Christine Albert, the academy’s board emeritus at the time, said in an interview with The New York Times after Ms. Dugan was dismissed but before she filed her discrimination complaint.Lawyers for Ms. Dugan declined to comment further about the settlement. Representatives of the Recording Academy did not respond early Friday to requests for comment. More

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    Grammy Officials Oppose an Open Hearing on Reasons for Ousting C.E.O.

    The lawyer for the former chief executive, Deborah Dugan, said the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammy Awards, had already agreed to an open session to discuss her grievances.As the organization behind the Grammy Awards prepares for an arbitration hearing next month with Deborah Dugan, its ousted chief executive, lawyers for Ms. Dugan have accused the Grammys of reneging on a promise to have the proceedings be open to the public.The arbitration, over Ms. Dugan’s dismissal early last year after just five months on the job, could be a rare window into the opaque politics of the Recording Academy, after years of complaints from artists and others in the music industry that the group fails to adequately recognize women and minorities and is rife with conflicts of interest.Those criticisms boiled over when Ms. Dugan was placed on administrative leave by the academy just 10 days before the 62nd annual Grammys ceremony, in January 2020, and later fired. As the dispute played out between Ms. Dugan and the academy, Harvey Mason Jr., who was then the chairman and interim chief, declared the academy’s dedication to transparency.In a letter on Feb. 4, 2020, Mr. Mason, who has since taken over as chief executive, told Ms. Dugan that the academy had agreed to waive the confidentiality provision of the arbitration clause in Ms. Dugan’s employment contract.“The Recording Academy has absolutely nothing to hide,” Mr. Mason wrote, “and, in fact, welcomes the opportunity to tell its story so that the entire music community and the world can hear the truth — and nothing but the truth — about what you did to this proud institution during your brief tenure as president/C.E.O.“In short,” Mr. Mason continued, “we welcome a full public airing of your allegations against the Academy as well as the Academy’s many claims and defenses against you.”Harvey Mason Jr. wrote that “The Recording Academy has absolutely nothing to hide,” in a letter dated Feb. 4, 2020.Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated PressBut as the hearing, now set for July 12 in Los Angeles, approaches, the academy has requested the proceedings remain closed. In correspondence with the arbitrator, Sara Adler, and lawyers for both sides, the academy’s lawyers said that the organization “was and is willing to make public the results of this arbitration, and the reasoning for those results, and nothing more,” according to Anthony J. Oncidi of Proskauer Rose, a law firm that has long represented the academy.According to Mr. Oncidi, the confidentiality provision cited in Mr. Mason’s letter last year covered only the disclosure of “the existence, content or result of any arbitration,” and that a full public hearing would expose other confidential information and cause “further emotional distress” to witnesses.In an email to Ms. Adler last week, Michael J. Willemin, a lawyer for Ms. Dugan at the firm Wigdor LLP, said that the academy was changing its position and should be required to keep the hearing open.“The simple, undeniable fact,” Mr. Willemin wrote, “is that the parties agreed to open this proceeding to the public, and, therefore, it must be open to the public unless Ms. Dugan agrees otherwise.”According to the academy, Ms. Dugan was dismissed because she alienated the staff and exhibited bullying behavior toward an executive assistant assigned to her.Ms. Dugan cast the decision to dismiss her differently in a discrimination complaint lodged with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ms. Dugan — who had led Red, the nonprofit co-founded by Bono of U2, and was brought into the Grammys as a change agent — said her dismissal was an act of retaliation after she challenged the “boys’ club” that she said dominated the academy.Dugan’s ouster also came three weeks after she wrote a detailed letter to the academy’s human resources department alleging voting irregularities, financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest involving members of the academy’s board and its executive committee. She also accused a prominent outside lawyer for the academy of making unwanted sexual advances toward her. (That lawyer, Joel Katz, disputed Ms. Dugan’s account.)The Recording Academy has for years faced complaints about its voting process and its poor record of recognizing women and people of color in many of the top awards. In 2018, Neil Portnow, Ms. Dugan’s predecessor, was criticized for suggesting that women should “step up” to be recognized at the Grammys.This year, the academy voted to eliminate most of its anonymous nomination review committees, in which experts selected by academy executives made the final decision on who made the final ballot in 61 of the Grammys’ 84 categories.Those committees were criticized by Ms. Dugan and came under fire from top musicians like the Weeknd. The next Grammy ceremony, set for Jan. 31, 2022, will be the first in years in which the committees will play no part in making up the ballots of most awards, although they will still be used for 11 categories like production and packaging. More

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    John Davis, a Voice Behind Milli Vanilli, Dies at 66

    The singer was one of the voices behind the pop duo Milli Vanilli, fronted by Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus, who later admitted that they did not sing on their albums or in concert.This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here.John Davis, one of the real voices behind the lip-syncing duo Milli Vanilli, died in Nuremberg, Germany, on Monday. He was 66.His daughter, Jasmin Davis, who confirmed the news of his death on Facebook, said he had Covid-19.While living in Germany, Mr. Davis started unknowingly singing for Milli Vanilli in the 1980s after he met Frank Farian, a German music producer. Mr. Farian asked Mr. Davis to work on a project, but he did not disclose that his voice would be used for others to lip-sync, Mr. Davis told The Hustle podcast on an episode posted in April.Only later would he discover that his voice was being used by Fabrice Morvan, one-half of the pop duo Milli Vanilli, with Rob Pilatus.“The truth is, I signed a contract with Frank Farian before I even knew who Milli Vanilli was,” Mr. Davis said. “One evening, I was sitting at home watching my TV, and I saw Fab singing ‘Girl I’m Gonna Miss You.’”Milli Vanilli was best known for hits like “I’m Gonna Miss You” and “Girl You Know It’s True,” and won the Grammy for best new artist in 1989.By 1990, Milli Vanilli’s work had sold more than seven million copies, but after Mr. Morvan and Mr. Pilatus admitted that they did not actually sing on Milli Vanilli’s albums or in concerts, they were stripped of the award.Mr. Morvan and Mr. Pilatus then told The Los Angeles Times that they wanted to give the award to those who actually voiced their work, including Mr. Davis, Brad Howell and Charles Shaw.“I didn’t want the Grammy because it was their faces and our voices,” Mr. Davis said. “I was mad.”Mr. Pilatus died in 1998, but Mr. Davis and Mr. Morvan later had an amicable relationship and even performed together.On Friday, Mr. Morvan shared a video with pictures of him performing with Mr. Davis.“Your golden voice will continue to be heard, you best believe that those classic records will live just like you eternally,” Mr. Morvan said on Twitter.Additional details about survivors were not immediately available on Saturday.Mr. Davis, who was born on Aug. 31, 1954, in Anderson, S.C., was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army and stayed there for much of his life, he told The Hustle podcast.In Germany, Mr. Davis found many opportunities to play in Army clubs in the 1970s, he told the podcast.Mr. Davis said he learned how to play music from his father, a choir director who played piano and guitar.“My one mission I had on this earth was to become a musician and to play music,” Mr. Davis said.Those We’ve LostThe coronavirus pandemic has taken an incalculable death toll. This series is designed to put names and faces to the numbers. More