On January 28, 2018 the 60th annual Grammy Awards will be handed out from Madison Square Garden. Artists the likes of Jay-Z, Kendrick Lemar and Bruno Mars lead the pack when it comes to sheer numbers of nominations this year.
A Grammy Award (originally called Gramophone Award), is an award presented by The Recording Academy to recognize achievement in the music industry. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and the presentation of those awards that have a more popular interest. It shares recognition of the music industry as that of the other performance awards such as the Academy Awards (film), the Emmy Awards (television), and the Tony Awards (theatre).
The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959, to honor and respect the musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958. The event’s origin is part of the 1950’s Hollywood Walk of Fame project. As the recording executives chosen for the Walk of Fame committee worked at compiling a list of important recording industry people who might qualify for a Walk of Fame star, they realized there were many more people who were leaders in their business who would never earn a star on Hollywood Boulevard. The music executives decided to rectify this by creating an award given by their industry similar to the Oscars and the Emmys. This was the beginning of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. After it was decided to create such an award, there was still a question of what to call it; one working title was the Eddie, to honor the inventor of the phonograph, Thomas Edison. They finally settled on using the name of the invention by Emile Berliner, the gramophone, for the awards, which were first given for the year 1958.
And the nominees are:
Record of the Year
Redbone — Childish Gambino
Despacito — Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber
The Story of O.J. — Jay-Z (video below)
HUMBLE. — Kendrick Lamar (video below)
24K Magic — Bruno Mars (video below)
Album of the Year
Awaken, My Love! — Childish Gambino
4:44 — Jay-Z
DAMN. — Kendrick Lamar
Melodrama — Lorde
24K Magic — Bruno Mars
Song of the Year
“Despacito” — Ramón Ayala, Justin Bieber, Jason Poo Bear Boyd, Erika Ender, Luis Fonsi and Marty James Garton (Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber)
“4:44” — Shawn Carter and Dion Wilson (Jay-Z)
“Issues” — Benny Blanco, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Julia Michaels and Justin Drew Tranter (Julia Michaels)
“1-800-273-8255” — Alessia Caracciolo, Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Arjun Ivatury and Khalid Robinson (Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid)
“That’s What I Like” — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus and Jonathan Yip (Bruno Mars)
Best New Artist
Alessia Cara
Khalid
Lil Uzi Vert
Julia Michaels
SZA
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Love So Soft” — Kelly Clarkson
“Praying” — Kesha
“Million Reasons” — Lady Gaga
“What About Us” — Pink
“Shape of You” — Ed Sheeran
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Something Just Like This” — The Chainsmokers and Coldplay
“Despacito” — Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber
“Thunder” — Imagine Dragons
“Feel It Still” — Portugal. The Man
“Stay” — Zedd and Alessia Cara
Best Pop Vocal Album
Kaleidoscope EP — Coldplay
Lust for Life — Lana Del Rey
Evolve — Imagine Dragons
Rainbow — Kesha
Joanne — Lady Gaga
÷ — Ed Sheeran
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Migration — Bonobo
3-D the Catalogue — Kraftwerk
Mura Masa — Mura Masa
A Moment Apart — Odesza
What Now — Sylvan Esso
Best Rock Performance
“You Want It Darker” — Leonard Cohen
“The Promise” — Chris Cornell
“Run” — Foo Fighters
“No Good” — Kaleo
“Go to War” — Nothing More
Best Alternative Music Album
Everything Now — Arcade Fire
Humanz — Gorillaz
American Dream — LCD Soundsystem
Pure Comedy — Father John Misty
Sleep Well Beast — The National
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Free 6lack — 6lack
Awaken, My Love! — Childish Gambino
American Teen — Khalid
CTRL — SZA
Starboy — The Weeknd
Best Rap Performance
“Bounce Back” — Big Sean
“Bodak Yellow” — Cardi B
“4:44” — Jay-Z
“HUMBLE.” — Kendrick Lamar
“Bad and Boujee” — Migos featuring Lil Uzi Vert
Best Rap Album
4:44 — Jay-Z
DAMN. — Kendrick Lamar
Culture — Migos
Laila’s Wisdom — Rapsody
Flower Boy — Tyler, the Creator
Best Country Solo Performance
“Body Like a Back Road” — Sam Hunt
“Losing You” — Alison Krauss
“Tin Man” — Miranda Lambert
“I Could Use a Love Song” — Maren Morris
“Either Way” — Chris Stapleton
Best Country Song
“Better Man” — Taylor Swift (Little Big Town)
“Body Like a Back Road” — Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne (Sam Hunt)
“Broken Halos” — Mike Henderson and Chris Stapleton (Chris Stapleton)
“Drinkin’ Problem” — Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Mark “Wystrach” (Midland)
“Tin Man” — Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall (Miranda Lambert)
Best Jazz Vocal Album
The Journey — The Baylor Project
A Social Call — Jazzmeia Horn
Bad Ass and Blind — Raul Midón
Porter Plays Porter — Randy Porter Trio with Nancy King
Dreams and Daggers — Cécile McLorin Salvant
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Uptown, Downtown — Bill Charlap Trio
Rebirth — Billy Childs
Project Freedom — Joey DeFrancesco and the People
Open Book — Fred Hersch
The Dreamer Is the Dream — Chris Potter
Best Latin Pop Album
Lo Único Constante — Alex Cuba
Mis Planes Son Amarte — Juanes
Amar y Vivir en Vivo Desde la Ciudad de México, 2017 — La Santa Cecilia
Musas (Un Homenaje al Folclore Latinoamericano en Manos de los Macorinos) — Natalia Lafourcade
El Dorado — Shakira
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
Ayo — Bomba Estéreo
Pa’ Fuera — C4 Trío and Desorden Público
Salvavidas de Hielo — Jorge Drexler
El Paradise — Los Amigos Invisibles
Residente — Residente
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Calvin Harris
Greg Kurstin
Blake Mills
No I.D.
The Stereotypes
