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68th GRAMMYs Recap: Kendrick Lamar wins most awards, Bad Bunny wins Album of the Year

Bad Bunny won album of the year at the 68th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. During the evening, Bad Bunny, aka Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was among the artists that took stands against the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) presence in many American cities.  “Before I say thanks […]

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Bad Bunny won album of the year at the 68th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. During the evening, Bad Bunny, aka Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was among the artists that took stands against the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) presence in many American cities. 

“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out,” Bad Bunny said to great applause while accepting the award for best música urbana album. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”

More Political Statements

Political messaging took center stage at the Grammys, as multiple high-profile artists used the platform to express unity and protest. Billie Eilish, her brother Finneas, and music legend Carole King were seen wearing white pins stamped with the bold message “ICE OUT” during their appearances onstage. The statement extended beyond the usual activists, as Justin and Hailey Bieber—who generally steer clear of overt political expression in U.S. affairs—also chose to wear the pins.

The message was further amplified when Eilish addressed the audience during her Song of the Year acceptance speech, opening with the pointed remark, “no one is illegal on stolen land,” underscoring the broader sentiment behind the symbolic display.

King Kendrick Reigns

Kendrick Lamar made history at the 2026 Grammy Awards, surpassing Jay-Z’s record to become the rapper with the most career Grammy wins. Lamar secured a total of five awards on Sunday night.

His wins included Record of the Year for “Luther” (featuring SZA) and Best Rap Album for GNX. The pre-telecast saw him claim three initial awards: Best Rap Song for “TV Off,” Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Luther” (with SZA), and Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips” (where he was a featured performer).

Lamar’s historic fourth win, for Best Rap Album, officially broke Jay-Z’s long-standing record. He solidified his new position with his fifth win of the night for Record of the Year. Among those who picked up two awards each during the pre-telecast: Kehlani, the Cure, Turnstile, Leon Thomas, Mavis Staples, I’m With Her, Gustavo Dudamel, Amy Allen and Ludwig Göransson (for his work on the “Sinners” soundtrack and score).

Lauryn Hill led powerful tributes

Lauryn Hill closed out the night by spearheading two powerful tribute segments dedicated to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack. The homage to D’Angelo unfolded as an expansive musical celebration, featuring performances of his iconic tracks such as “Nothing Even Matters,” “Brown Sugar,” “Lady,” “Devil’s Pie,” “Another Life,” “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” and “Africa.” The segment brought together an impressive lineup of artists, including Lucky Daye, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, Leon Thomas, Bilal, and Jon Batiste. D’Angelo, a four-time Grammy Award recipient whose influence reshaped modern R&B and neo-soul, passed away from pancreatic cancer in October at just 51 years old.

The tribute to Roberta Flack was presented as a sweeping medley honoring her timeless legacy. It included emotionally rich renditions of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” performed alongside Jon Batiste, and “Compared to What,” featuring Leon Bridges and Alexia Jayy. Additional highlights included “The Closer I Get to You” with Lalah Hathaway and October London, as well as “Where Is the Love,” joined by John Legend and Chaka Khan. The tribute culminated in a show-stopping Fugees reunion, as Hill reunited with Wyclef Jean for a stirring performance of “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” the track that helped define their career through its iconic sample. Flack, a revered singer-pianist and five-time Grammy winner, passed away on February 24, 2025, at the age of 88, leaving behind a legacy that was formally recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

Topping the list of nominees for the 68th GRAMMY Awards® were Kendrick Lamar (9), Cirkut (7), Jack Antonoff (7), Lady Gaga (7), Bad Bunny (6), Leon Thomas (6), Sabrina Carpenter (6), Serban Ghenea (6), Andrew Watt (5), Clipse (5), Doechii (5), Sounwave (5), SZA (5), Turnstile (5), and Tyler, The Creator (5). 

A full list of this year’s Grammy winners follows. The winners are in bold. 

Record of The Year

“DtMF” – Bad Bunny
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Anxiety” – Doechii
“WILDFLOWER” – Billie Eilish
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
“luther” – Kendrick Lamar With SZA (WINNER)
“The Subway” – Chappell Roan
“APT.” – ROSÉ, Bruno Mars

Album of The Year

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS — Bad Bunny (WINNER)
SWAG — Justin Bieber
Man’s Best Friend — Sabrina Carpenter
Let God Sort Em Out — Clipse, Pusha T & Malice
MAYHEM — Lady Gaga
GNX — Kendrick Lamar
MUTT — Leon Thomas
CHROMAKOPIA — Tyler, The Creator

Song of the Year

“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga, Henry Walter & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
“Anxiety” – Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)
“APT.” – Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars,
Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas & Henry Walter, songwriters (ROSÉ, Bruno Mars)
“DtMF” – Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Hugo René Sención Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry & Roberto José Rosado Torres, songwriters (Bad Bunny)
“Golden [From “KPop Demon Hunters”]” – EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
“luther” – Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solána Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar With SZA)
“Manchild” – Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)
“WILDFLOWER” – Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish) (WINNER)

Best New Artist

Olivia Dean (WINNER)
KATSEYE
The Marias
Addison Rae
sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Dan Auerbach
Cirkut (WINNER)
Dijon
Blake Mills
Sounwave

Songwriter of The Year, Non-Classical

Amy Allen (WINNER)
Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Tobias Jesso Jr
Laura Veltz

Best Pop Solo Performance

“DAISIES” — Justin Bieber
“Manchild” — Sabrina Carpenter
“Disease” — Lady Gaga
“The Subway” — Chappell Roan
“Messy” — Lola Young (WINNER)

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Defying Gravity” — Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande (WINNER)
“Golden” (from KPop Demon Hunters) — HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI
“Gabriela” — KATSEYE
“APT” — ROSÉ, Bruno Mars
“30 For 30” — SZA Featuring Kendrick Lamar

Best Pop Vocal Album

SWAG — Justin Bieber
Man’s Best Friend — Sabrina Carpenter
Something Beautiful — Miley Cyrus
MAYHEM — Lady Gaga (WINNERS)
I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy — Part 2 — Teddy Swims

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

“No Cap” — Disclosure & Anderson .Paak
“Victory Lap” — Fred again.., Skepta, & PlaqueBoyMax
“SPACE INVADER” — KAYTRANADA
“VOLTAGE” — Skrillex
“End Of Summer” — Tame Impala (WINNER)

Best Dance Pop Recording

“Bluest Flame” — Selena Gomez & benny blanco
“Abracadabra” — Lady Gaga (WINNER)
“Midnight Sun” — Zara Larsson
“Just Keep Watching” (from F1 The Movie) — Tate McRae
“Illegal” — PinkPantheress

Best Dance/Electronic Album

EUSEXUA — FKA twigs (WINNER)
Ten Days — Fred again..
Fancy That — PinkPantheress
Inhale / Exhale — RÜFÜS DU SOL
F— U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3> — Skrillex

Best Remixed Recording

“Abracadabra – Gesaffelstein Remix” — Gesaffelstein, remixer (Lady Gaga, Gesaffelstein) (WINNER)
“Don’t Forget About Us” — KAYTRANADA, remixer (Mariah Carey & KAYTRANADA)
“A Dreams A Dream – Ron Trent Remix” — Ron Trent, remixer (Soul II Soul)
“Galvanize” — Chris Lake, remixer (The Chemical Brothers & Chris Lake)
“Golden – David Guetta REM/X” — David Guetta, remixer (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)

Best Rock Performance

“U Should Not Be Doing That” — Amyl and The Sniffers
“The Emptiness Machine” — Linkin Park
“NEVER ENOUGH” — Turnstile
“Mirtazapine” — Hayley Williams
“Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back To The Beginning” — YUNGBLUD Featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II (WINNER)

Best Metal Performance

“Night Terror” — Dream Theater
“Lachryma” — Ghost
“Emergence” — Sleep Token
“Soft Spine” — Spiritbox
“BIRDS” — Turnstile (WINNER)

Best Rock Song

“As Alive As You Need Me To Be” — Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails) (WINNERS)
“Caramel” — Vessel & II, songwriters (Sleep Token)
“Glum” — Daniel James & Hayley Williams, songwriters (Hayley Williams)
“NEVER ENOUGH” — Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory, Meg Mills & Brendan Yates, songwriters (Turnstile)
“Zombie” — Dominic Harrison & Matt Schwartz, songwriters (YUNGBLUD)

Best Rock Album

private music — Deftones
I quit — HAIM
From Zero — Linkin Park
NEVER ENOUGH — Turnstile (WINNER)
Idols — YUNGBLUD

Best Alternative Music Performance

“Everything Is Peaceful Love” — Bon Iver
“Alone” — The Cure (WINNER)
“SEEIN’ STARS” — Turnstile
“mangetout” — Wet Leg
“Parachute” — Hayley Williams

Best Alternative Music Album

SABLE, fABLE — Bon Iver
Songs Of A Lost World — The Cure (WINNER)
DON’T TAP THE GLASS — Tyler, The Creator
moisturizer — Wet Leg
Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party — Hayley Williams

Best R&B Performance

“YUKON” — Justin Bieber
“It Depends” — Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller
“Folded” — Kehlani (WINNER)
“MUTT — Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk” — Leon Thomas
“Heart Of A Woman” — Summer Walker

Best Traditional R&B Performance

“Here We Are” — Durand Bernarr
“UPTOWN” — Lalah Hathaway
“LOVE YOU TOO” — Ledisi
“Crybaby” — SZA
“VIBES DON’T LIE” — Leon Thomas (WINNER)

Best R&B Song

“Folded” — Darius Dixson, Andre Harris, Donovan Knight, Don Mills, Kehlani Parrish, Khris Riddick-Tynes & Dawit Kamal Wilson, songwriters (Kehlani) (WINNER)

“Heart Of A Woman” — David Bishop & Summer Walker, songwriters (Summer Walker)

“It Depends” — Nico Baran, Chris Brown, Ant Clemons, Ephrem Lopez Jr., Ryan Press, Bryson Tiller, Elliott Trent & Dewain Whitmore Jr., songwriters (Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller)

“Overqualified” — James John Abrahart Jr, Durand Bernarr, John Derisme, Egberto “Budda” Foster, Amaire Johnson, Frank Moka, Cary Singer & Chase Worrell songwriters (Durand Bernarr)

“YES IT IS” — Jariuce Banks, Lazaro Andres Camejo, Mike Hector, Peter Lee Johnson, Rodney Jones Jr., Ali Prawl & Leon Thomas, songwriters (Leon Thomas)

Best Progressive R&B Album

BLOOM — Durand Bernarr (WINNER)
Adjust Brightness — Bilal
LOVE ON DIGITAL — Destin Conrad
Access All Areas — FLO
Come As You Are — Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon

Best R&B Album

BELOVED — GIVĒON
Why Not More — Coco Jones
The Crown — Ledisi
Escape Room — Teyana Taylor
MUTT — Leon Thomas (WINNER)

Best Rap Performance

“Outside” — Cardi B
“Chains & Whips” — Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams (WINNER)
“Anxiety” — Doechii
“tv off” — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay
“Darling, I” — Tyler, The Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown

Best Melodic Rap Performance

“Proud Of Me” — Fridayy Featuring Meek Mill
“Wholeheartedly” — JID Featuring Ty Dolla $ign & 6Lack
“luther” — Kendrick Lamar With SZA (WINNER)
“WeMaj” — Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon Featuring Rapsody
“SOMEBODY LOVES ME” — PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake

Best Rap Song

“Anxiety” — Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)

“The Birds Don’t Sing” — Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton, Pharrell Williams & Stevie Wonder, songwriters (Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring John Legend & Voices Of Fire)

“Sticky” — Aaron Bolton, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Dudley Alexander Duverne, Tyler Okonma, Janae Wherry, Gloria Woods & Rex Zamor, songwriters (Tyler, The Creator Featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne)

“TGIF” — Lucas Alegria, Dillon Brophy, Yakki Davis, Jess Jackson, Ronnie Jackson, Mario Mims, Jorge M. Taveras & Gloria Woods, songwriters (GloRilla)

“tv off” — Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay) (WINNER)

Best Rap Album

Let God Sort Em Out — Clipse, Pusha T & Malice
GLORIOUS — GloRilla
God Does Like Ugly — JID
GNX — Kendrick Lamar (WINNER)
CHROMAKOPIA — Tyler, The Creator

Best Spoken Word Poetry Album

A Hurricane in Heels: healed people don’t act like that — partially recorded live @City Winery & other places — Queen Sheba
Black Shaman — Marc Marcel
Pages — Omari Hardwick & Anthony Hamilton
Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends At Treepeople — Saul Williams, Carlos Niño & Friends
Words For Days Vol. 1 — Mad Skillz (WINNER)

Best Jazz Performance

“Noble Rise” — Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Immanuel Wilkins & Mark Whitfield
“Windows – Live” — Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade (WINNER)
“Peace Of Mind / Dreams Come True” — Samara Joy
“Four” — Michael Mayo
“All Stars Lead To You – Live” — Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold, Rachel Eckroth & Sam Weber

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Elemental — Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap

We Insist 2025 — Terri Lyne Carrington and Christie Dashiell Featuring Weedie Braimah, Milena Casado, Morgan Guerin, Simon Moullier and Matthew Stevens

Portrait — Samara Joy (WINNER)

Fly — Michael Mayo

Live at Vic’s Las Vegas — Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold, Rachel Eckroth and Sam Weber

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Trilogy 3 — Live — Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade
Southern Nights — Sullivan Fortner Featuring Peter Washington & Marcus Gilmore (WINNER)
Belonging — Branford Marsalis Quartet
Spirit Fall — John Patitucci Featuring Chris Potter & Brian Blade
Fasten Up — Yellowjackets

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Orchestrator Emulator — The 8-Bit Big Band
Without Further Ado, Vol 1 — Christian McBride Big Band (WINNER)
Lumen — Danilo Pérez and Bohuslän Big Band
Basie Rocks — Deborah Silver and The Count Basie Orchestra
Lights on a Satellite — Sun Ra Arkestra
Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores — Kenny Wheeler Legacy Featuring The Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra and Frost Jazz Orchestra

Best Latin Jazz Album

La Fleur de Cayenne — Paquito D’Rivera and Madrid-New York Connection Band

The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra — Featuring Pedrito Martinez, Daymé Arocena, Jon Faddis, Donald Harrison & Melvis Santa

Mundoagua – Celebrating Carla Bley — Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole — Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yainer Horta & Joey Calveiro (WINNER)

Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard — Miguel Zenón Quartet

Best Alternative Jazz Album

honey from a winter stone — Ambrose Akinmusire
Keys To The City Volume One — Robert Glasper
Ride into the Sun — Brad Mehldau
LIVE-ACTION — Nate Smith (WINNER)
Blues Blood — Immanuel Wilkins

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Wintersongs — Laila Biali
The Gift Of Love — Jennifer Hudson
Who Believes In Angels — Elton John & Brandi Carlile
Harlequin — Lady Gaga
A Matter Of Time — Laufey (WINNER)
The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2 — Barbra Streisand

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

Brightside — ARKAI (WINNER)
Ones & Twos — Gerald Clayton
BEATrio — Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez
Just Us — Bob James & Dave Koz
Shayan — Charu Suri

Best Musical Theater Album

Buena Vista Social Club (WINNER)
Marco Paguia, Dean Sharenow & David Yazbek, producers (Original Broadway Cast)

Death Becomes Her
Taurean Everett, Megan Hilty, Josh Lamon, Christopher Sieber, Jennifer Simard & Michelle Williams, principal vocalists; Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Noel Carey, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Julia Mattison & Scott M. Riesett, producers; Noel Carey & Julia Mattison, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)

Gypsy
Danny Burstein, Kevin Csolak, Audra McDonald, Jordan Tyson & Joy Woods, principal vocalists; David Caddick, Andy Einhorn, David Lai & George C. Wolfe, producers (Jule Styne, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (2024 Broadway Cast)

Just In Time
Emily Bergl, Jonathan Groff, Erika Henningsen, Gracie Lawrence & Michele Pawk, principal vocalists; Tom Kirdahy, Derik Lee, Andrew Resnick, Bill Sherman & Alex Timbers, producers (Bobby Darin, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

Maybe Happy Ending
Marcus Choi, Darren Criss, Dez Duron & Helen J Shen, principal vocalists; Deborah Abramson, Will Aronson, Ian Kagey & Hue Park, producers; Hue Park, lyricist; Will Aronson, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

Best Country Solo Performance

“Nose On The Grindstone” — Tyler Childers
“Good News” — Shaboozey
“Bad As I Used To Be” (from F1 The Movie) — Chris Stapleton (WINNER)
“I Never Lie” — Zach Top
“Somewhere Over Laredo” — Lainey Wilson

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

“A Song To Sing” — Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton
“Trailblazer” — Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson
“Love Me Like You Used To Do” — Margo Price & Tyler Childers
“Amen” — Shaboozey & Jelly Roll (WINNER)
“Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” — George Strait, Chris Stapleton

Best Country Song

“Bitin’ List” — Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers) (WINNER)

“Good News” — Sean Cook, Collins Obinna Chibueze, Michael Ross Pollack, Sam Elliot Roman, Nevin Sastry & Jacob Torrey, songwriters (Shaboozey)

“I Never Lie” — Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols & Zach Top, songwriters (Zach Top)

“Somewhere Over Laredo” — Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson & Lainey Wilson, songwriters (Lainey Wilson)

“A Song To Sing” — Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton)

Best Traditional Country Album

Dollar A Day — Charley Crockett
American Romance — Lukas Nelson
Oh What A Beautiful World — Willie Nelson
Hard Headed Woman — Margo Price
Ain’t In It For My Health — Zach Top (WINNER)

Best Contemporary Country Album

Patterns — Kelsea Ballerini
Snipe Hunter — Tyler Childers
Evangeline Vs. The Machine — Eric Church
Beautifully Broken — Jelly Roll (WINNER)
Postcards From Texas — Miranda Lambert

Best American Roots Performance

“LONELY AVENUE” — Jon Batiste Featuring Randy Newman
“Ancient Light” — I’m With Her
“Crimson And Clay” — Jason Isbell
“Richmond On The James” — Alison Krauss & Union Station
“Beautiful Strangers” — Mavis Staples (WINNER)

Best Americana Performance

“Boom” — Sierra Hull
“Poison In My Well” — Maggie Rose & Grace Potter
“Godspeed” — Mavis Staples (WINNER)
“That’s Gonna Leave A Mark” — Molly Tuttle
“Horses” — Jesse Welles

Best American Roots Song

“Ancient Light” — Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I’m With Her) (WINNER)
“BIG MONEY” — Jon Batiste, Mike Elizondo & Steve McEwan, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
“Foxes In The Snow” — Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell)
“Middle” — Jesse Welles, songwriter (Jesse Welles)
“Spitfire” — Sierra Hull, songwriter (Sierra Hull)

Best Americana Album

BIG MONEY — Jon Batiste (WINNER)
Bloom — Larkin Poe
Last Leaf On The Tree — Willie Nelson
So Long Little Miss Sunshine — Molly Tuttle
Middle — Jesse Welles

Best Bluegrass Album

Carter & Cleveland — Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter
A Tip Toe High Wire — Sierra Hull
Arcadia — Alison Krauss & Union Station
Outrun — The Steeldrivers
Highway Prayers — Billy Strings (WINNER)

Best Traditional Blues Album

Ain’t Done With The Blues — Buddy Guy (WINNER)
Room On The Porch — Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
One Hour Mama: The Blues Of Victoria Spivey — Maria Muldaur
Look Out Highway — Charlie Musselwhite
Young Fashioned Ways — Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Breakthrough — Joe Bonamassa
Paper Doll — Samantha Fish
A Tribute To LJK — Eric Gales
Preacher Kids — Robert Randolph (WINNER)
Family — Southern Avenue

Best Folk Album

What Did The Blackbird Say To The Crow — Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson
Crown Of Roses — Patty Griffin
Wild And Clear And Blue — I’m With Her (WINNER)
Foxes In The Snow — Jason Isbell
Under The Powerlines April 24 – September 24 — Jesse Welles

Best Regional Roots Music Album

Live At Vaughan’s — Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet
For Fat Man — Preservation Brass
Church Of New Orleans — Kyle Roussel
Second Line Sunday — Trombone Shorty And New Breed Brass Band
A Tribute To The King Of Zydeco — (Various Artists) (WINNER)

Best Gospel Performance/Song

“Do It Again” — Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter

“Church” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard, John Legend; Anthony S. Brown, Brunes Charles, Annatoria Chitapa, Kenneth Leonard, Jr., Tasha Cobbs Leonard & Jonas Myrin, songwriters

“Still — Live” — Jonathan McReynolds & Jamal Roberts; Britney Delagraentiss, Jonathan McReynolds, David Lamar Outing II, Orlando Joel Palmer & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters

“Amen” — Pastor Mike Jr.; Adia Andrews, Michael McClure Jr., David Lamar Outing II & Terrell Anthony Pettus, songwriters

“Come Jesus Come” — CeCe Winans Featuring Shirley Caesar (WINNER)

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

“I Know A Name” — Elevation Worship, Chris Brown, Brandon Lake; Hank Bentley, Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake & Jacob Sooter, songwriters

“YOUR WAY’S BETTER” — Forrest Frank; Forrest Frank & Pera, songwriters

“Hard Fought Hallelujah” — Brandon Lake With Jelly Roll; Chris Brown, Jason Bradley Deford, Steven Furtick, Benjamin William Hastings & Brandon Lake, songwriters (WINNER)

“Headphones” — Lecrae, Killer Mike, T.I.; Tyshane Thompson, Bongo ByTheWay, Michael Render, Lecrae Moore & Clifford Harris, songwriters

“Amazing” — Darrel Walls, PJ Morton; PJ Morton & Darrel Walls,songwriters

Best Gospel Album

Sunny Days — Yolanda Adams
Tasha — Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Live Breathe Fight — Tamela Mann
Only On The Road Live — Tye Tribbett
Heart Of Mine — Darrel Walls, PJ Morton (WINNER)

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

CHILD OF GOD II — Forrest Frank
Coritos Vol. 1 — Israel & New Breed (WINNER)
King Of Hearts — Brandon Lake
Reconstruction — Lecrae
Let The Church Sing — Tauren Wells

Best Roots Gospel Album

I Will Not Be Moved — Live — The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir (WINNER)
Then Came The Morning — Gaither Vocal Band
Praise & Worship: More Than A Hollow Hallelujah — The Isaacs
Good Answers — Karen Peck & New River
Back To My Roots — Candi Staton

Best Latin Pop Album

Cosa Nuestra — Rauw Alejandro
BOGOTÁ DELUXE — Andrés Cepeda
Tropicoqueta — KAROL G
Cancionera — Natalia Lafourcade (WINNER)
Y ahora qué — Alejandro Sanz

Best Música Urbana Album

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS — Bad Bunny (WINNER)
Mixteip — J Balvin
FERXXO VOL X: Sagrado — Feid
NAIKI — Nicki Nicole
EUB DELUXE — Trueno
SINFÓNICO — En Vivo — Yandel

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

Genes Rebeldes — Aterciopelados
ASTROPICAL — Bomba Estéreo, Rawayana, ASTROPICAL
PAPOTA — CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso (WINNER)
ALGORHYTHM — Los Wizzards
Novela — Fito Paez

Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)

MALA MÍA — Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera
Y Lo Que Viene — Grupo Frontera
Sin Rodeos — Paola Jara
Palabra De To’s – Seca — Carín León (WINNER)
Bobby Pulido & Friends Una Tuya Y Una Mía – Por La Puerta Grande – En Vivo — Bobby Pulido

Best Tropical Latin Album

Fotografías — Rubén Blades, Roberto Delgado & Orquesta
Raíces — Gloria Estefan (WINNER)
Clásicos 1.0 — Grupo Niche
Bingo — Alain Pérez
Debut y Segunda Tanda, Vol. 2 — Gilberto Santa Rosa

Best Global Music Performance

“EoO” — Bad Bunny (WINNER)
“Cantando en el Camino” — Ciro Hurtado
“JERUSALEMA” — Angélique Kidjo
“Inmigrante Y Que” — Yeisy Rojas
“Shrini’s Dream” – Live — Shakti
“Daybreak” — Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar

Best African Music Performance

“Love” — Burna Boy
“With You” — Davido Featuring Omah Lay
“Hope & Love” — Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin
“Gimme Dat” — Ayra Starr Featuring Wizkid
“PUSH 2 START” — Tyla (WINNER)

Best Global Music Album

Sounds Of Kumbha — Siddhant Bhatia
No Sign of Weakness — Burna Boy
Eclairer le monde – Light the World — Youssou N’Dour
Mind Explosion – 50th Anniversary Tour Live — Shakti
Chapter III: We Return To Light — Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo — Caetano Veloso And Maria Bethânia (WINNER)

Best Reggae Album

Treasure Self Love — Lila Iké
Heart & Soul — Vybz Kartel
BLXXD & FYAH — Keznamdi (WINNER)
From Within — Mortimer
No Place Like Home — Jesse Royal

Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album

Kuruvinda — Kirsten Agresta-Copely
According To The Moon — Cheryl B. Engelhardt, GEM, Dallas String Quartet
Into The Forest — Jahnavi Harrison
NOMADICA — Carla Patullo Featuring The Scorchio Quartet & Tonality (WINNER)
The Colors In My Mind — Chris Redding

Best Children’s Music Album

Ageless: 100 Years Young — Joanie Leeds & Joya
Buddy’s Magic Tree House — Mega Ran
Harmony — FYÜTCH & Aura V (WINNER)
Herstory — Flor Bromley
The Music Of Tori And The Muses —Tori Amos

Best Comedy Album

Drop Dead Years — Bill Burr
PostMortem — Sarah Silverman
Single Lady — Ali Wong
What Had Happened Was… — Jamie Foxx
Your Friend, Nate Bargatze — Nate Bargatze (WINNER)

Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording

Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story — Kathy Garver
Into The Uncut Grass — Trevor Noah
Lovely One: A Memoir — Ketanji Brown Jackson
Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama — Dalai Lama (WINNER)
You Know It’s True: The Real Story Of Milli Vanilli — Fab Morvan

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

A Complete Unknown
Timothée Chalamet
Nick Baxter, Steven Gizicki & James Mangold, compilation producers; Steven Gizicki, music supervisor

F1 The Album
(Various Artists)
Brandon Davis, Joe Khoury, Kevin Weaver, compilation producers; David Taylor & Jake Voulgarides, music supervisors

KPop Demon Hunters
(Various Artists)
Spring Aspers & Dana Sano, compilation producers; Ian Eisendrath, music supervisor

Sinners (WINNER)
(Various Artists)
Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson & Serena Göransson, compilation producers; Niki Sherrod, music supervisor

Wicked
Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande (& Wicked Movie Cast)
Stephen Oremus, Stephen Schwartz & Greg Wells, compilation producers; Maggie Rodford, music supervisor

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television)

How To Train Your Dragon
John Powell, composer

Severance: Season 2
Theodore Shapiro, composer

Sinners (WINNER)
Ludwig Göransson, composer

Wicked
John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers

The Wild Robot
Kris Bowers, composer

Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Secrets of the Spires — Pinar Toprak, composer
Helldivers 2 — Wilbert Roget, II, composer
Indiana Jones And The Great Circle — Gordy Haab, composer
Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate’s Fortune — Cody Matthew Johnson & Wilbert Roget, II, composers
Sword of the Sea — Austin Wintory, composer (WINNER)

Best Song Written For Visual Media

“As Alive As You Need Me To Be” — From TRON: Ares
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)

“Golden” — From KPop Demon Hunters (WINNER)
EJAE, Park Hong Jun, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)

“I Lied to You” — From Sinners
Ludwig Göransson & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Miles Caton)

“Never Too Late” — From Elton John: Never Too Late
Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Elton John, Brandi Carlile)

“Pale, Pale Moon” — From Sinners
Ludwig Göransson & Brittany Howard, songwriters (Jayme Lawson)

“Sinners” — From Sinners
Leonard Denisenko, Rodarius Green, Travis Harrington, Tarkan Kozluklu, Kyris Mingo & Darius Poviliunas, songwriters (Rod Wave)

Best Music Video

“Manchild” — Sabrina Carpenter
Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia, video directors; Aiden Magarian, Nathan Scherrer & Natan Schottenfels, video producers

“So Be It” — Clipse
Hannan Hussain, video director; Theresa Kusumadjaja, video producer

“Anxiety” — Doechii (WINNER)
James Mackel, video director; Pablo Feldman, Jolene Mendes & Sophia Sabella, video producers

“Love” — OK Go
Aaron Duffy, Miguel Espada & Damian Kulash Jr., video directors; Petra Ahmann & Andrew Geller, video producer

“Young Lion” — Sade
Sophie Muller, video director; Aaron Taylor Dean & Sade, video producers

Best Music Film

Devo — Devo
Chris Smith, video director; Danny Gabai, Anita Greenspan, Chris Holmes & Chris Smith, video producers

Live At The Royal Albert Hall — Raye
Paul Dugdale, video director; Stefan Demetriou & Amy James, video producers

Relentless — Diane Warren
Bess Kargman, video director; Peggy Drexler, Michele Farinola, Bess Kargman & Kat Nguyen, video producers

Music By John Williams — John Williams (WINNER)
Laurent Bouzereau, video director; Sara Bernstein, Laurent Bouzereau, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Meredith Kaulfers, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg & Justin Wilkes, video producers

Piece By Piece — Pharrell Williams
Morgan Neville, video director; Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, Mimi Valdes & Pharrell Williams, video producers

Best Recording Package

And The Adjacent Possible
Hà Trịnh Quốc Bảo, Damian Kulash, Jr., Claudio Ripol, Wombi Rose & Yuri Suzuki, art directors (OK Go)

Balloonerism
Bráulio Amado & Alim Smith, art directors (Mac Miller)

Danse Macabre: De Luxe
Rory McCartney, art director (Duran Duran)

Loud Is As
Farbod Kokabi & Emily Sneddon, art directors (Tsunami)

Sequoia
Tim Breen & Ken Shipley, art directors (Various Artists)

The Spins — Picture Disc Vinyl
Darby Kaighin-Shields & Miller McCormick, art directors (Mac Miller)

Tracks II: The Lost Albums (WINNER)
Meghan Foley & Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)

Best Album Cover

CHROMAKOPIA (WINNER)
Tyler Okonma, art director (Tyler, The Creator)

The Crux
Jake Hirshland, Joe Keery, Neil Krug, Taylor Vandergrift & William Wesley II, art directors (Djo)

Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, art director (Bad Bunny)

Glory
Cody Critcheloe, Mike Hadreas & Andrew J.S., art directors (Perfume Genius)

moisturizer
Iris Luz, Lava La Rue & Rhian Teasdale, art directors (Wet Leg)

Best Album Notes

Adios, Farewell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964-1974
Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Buck Owens And His Buckaroos)

After The Last Sky
Adam Shatz, album notes writer (Anouar Brahem, Anja Lechner, Django Bates, Dave Holland)

Árabe
Amanda Ekery, album notes writer (Amanda Ekery)

The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Alec Palao, album notes writer (Sly & The Family Stone)

A Ghost Is Born — 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Bob Mehr, album notes writer (Wilco)

Miles ’55: The Prestige Recordings (WINNER)
Ashley Kahn, album notes writer (Miles Davis)

Best Historical Album

Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years — 1976-1980 (WINNER)
Patrick Milligan & Joni Mitchell, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Joni Mitchell)

The Making Of Five Leaves Left
Joe Black, Cally Callomon & Johnny Chandler, compilation producers; Simon Heyworth & John Wood, mastering engineers; Richard Whittaker & John Wood, restoration engineers (Nick Drake)

Roots Rocking Zimbabwe – The Modern Sound Of Harare’ Townships 1975-1980 — Analog Africa No.41
Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Michael Graves & Jordan McLeod, restoration engineers (Various Artists)

Super Disco Pirata – De Tepito Para El Mundo 1965-1980 — Analog Africa No. 39
Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Jordan McLeod, restoration engineer (Various Artists)

You Can’t Hip A Square: The Doc Pomus Songwriting Demos
Will Bratton, Sharyn Felder & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Michael Graves & Jordan McLeod, restoration engineers (Doc Pomus)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

All Things Light
Jesse Brock, Jon Castelli, Matt Chamberlain, Tyler Johnson, Nick Lobel, Simon Maartensson, Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, Rob Moose, Anders Mouridsen, Ryan Nasci, Ernesto Olvera-LaPier, Ethan Schneiderman, Rahm Silverglade & Owen Stoutt, engineers; Dale Becker, mastering engineer (Cam)

Arcadia
Neal Cappellino & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)

For Melancholy Brunettes & sad women
Joseph Lorge, Blake Mills & Sebastian Reunert, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Japanese Breakfast)

That Wasn’t A Dream (WINNER)
Joseph Lorge & Blake Mills, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Pino Palladino, Blake Mills)

Best Engineered Album, Classical

Cerrone: Don’t Look Down (WINNER)
Mike Tierney, engineer; Alan Silverman, mastering engineer (Sandbox Percussion)

Eastman: Symphony No. 2; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2
Gintas Norvila, engineer; Jennifer Nulsen, mastering engineer (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra)

Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth Of The Mtsensk District
Shawn Murphy & Nick Squire, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Andris Nelsons, Kristine Opolais, Günther Groissböck, Peter Hoare, Brenden Gunnell & Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Standard Stoppages
Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, Bill Maylone, Judith Sherman & David Skidmore, engineers; Joe Lambert, mastering engineer (Third Coast Percussion)

Yule
Morten Lindberg, engineer; Morten Lindberg, mastering engineer (Trio Mediæval)

Producer Of The Year, Classical

Blanton Alspaugh
All Is Miracle – The Choral Music Of Kyle Pederson (Timothy J. Campbell & Transept) (A)
Heggie: Intelligence (Kwame Ryan, Janai Brugger, Jamie Barton, J’Nai Bridges & Houston Grand Opera) (A)
Marsalis: Blues Symphony (Jader Bignamini & Detroit Symphony Orchestra) (A)
Massenet: Werther (Robert Spano, Matthew Polenzani, sabel Leonard & Houston Grand Opera) (A)
The Mirage Calls (Charles Bruffy & Kansas City Chorale) (A)
Sheehan: Ukrainian War Requiem (Michael Zaugg, Axios Men’s Ensemble & Pro Coro Canada) (A)
Sun, Moon, Stars, Rain (Christopher Gabbitas & Phoenix Chorale) (A)

Sergei Kvitko
Biedenbender: Enigma; River Of Time (Kevin L. Sedatole & Michigan State University Wind Symphony) (A)
Chiaroscuro (Vedrana Subotic) (A)
Dancing In A Still Life (Tasha Warren) (A)
Excursions (Vuorovesi Trio) (A)
Four Hands. Two Hearts. One Hope. Ukrainian And American Music For Piano Duo (Mykhailo Diordiiev & Anastasiia Larchikova) (A)
Here And Now – Trumpet Music By Virginia Composers (Jason Crafton, Richard Masters, Annie Stevens & Paul Langosch) (A)
Lansky: Touch And Go (Gwendolyn Dease) (A)
Orbiting Garden (William Hobbs) (A)
Would That Loving Were Enough (Haven Trio) (A)

Morten Lindberg
Fred Over Jorden (Peace To The World) (Elisabeth Holte, Kjetil Bjerkestrand & Uranienborg Vokalensemble) (A)
Stjernebru (Anne Karin Sundal-Ask & Det Norske Jentekor) (A)
Yule (Trio Mediæval) (A)

Dmitriy Lipay
Heggie: Before It All Goes Dark (Joseph Mechavich, Megan Marino, Ryan McKinny & Music Of Remembrance Ensemble) (A)
Odyssey (Jorge Glem, Gustavo Dudamel & Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela) (A)
Ortiz: Yanga (Gustavo Dudamel, Alisa Weilerstein & Los Angeles Philharmonic) (A)

Elaine Martone (WINNER)
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Chopin & Rachmaninoff: Cello Sonatas (Brian Thornton & Spencer Myer) (A)
Dear Mrs. Kennedy (Ryan Townsend Strand) (A)
Eastman: Symphony No. 2; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
LeFrak: Romántico (Sharon Isbin, Lopez-Yañez & Orchestra Of St. Luke’s) (A)
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 & Symphony No. 29 (Garrick Ohlsson, Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestrea) (A)
The Poet & The Prodigy (Debra Nagy & Mark Edwards) (A)
Shapes In Collective Space (Tallā Rouge) (A)
Songs Of Orpheus (Kelley O’Connor) (A)

Best Immersive Audio Album

All American F—boy
Andrew Law, immersive mix engineer (Duckwrth)

Immersed (WINNER)
Justin Gray, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Justin Gray, Drew Jurecka & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Justin Gray)

An Immersive Tribute To Astor Piazzolla — Live
Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive mix engineers; Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive producers (Various Artists)

Tearjerkers
Hans-Martin Buff, immersive mix engineer; Hans-Martin Buff, immersive producer (Tearjerkers)

Yule
Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Arve Henriksen & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Trio Mediæval)

Best Instrumental Composition

“First Snow” (WINNER)
Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Nordkraft Big Band, Remy Le Boeuf & Danielle Wertz)

“Live Life This Day: Movement I”
Miho Hazama, composer (Miho Hazama, Danish Radio Big Band & Danish National Symphony Orchestra)

“Lord, That’s A Long Way”
Sierra Hull, composer (Sierra Hull)

“Opening”
Zain Effendi, composer (Zain Effendi)

“Train To Emerald City”
John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers (John Powell & Stephen Schwartz)

“Why You Here / Before The Sun Went Down”
Ludwig Göransson, composer (Ludwig Göransson Featuring Miles Caton)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

“Be Okay”
Cynthia Erivo, arranger (Cynthia Erivo)

“A Child Is Born”
Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Nordkraft Big Band & Remy Le Boeuf)

“Fight On”
Andy Clausen, Addison Maye-Saxon, Riley Mulherkar & Chloe Rowlands, arrangers (The Westerlies)

“Super Mario Praise Break” (WINNER)
Bryan Carter, Charlie Rosen & Matthew Whitaker, arrangers (The 8-Bit Big Band)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

“Big Fish” (WINNER)
Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick, Nate Smith & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (Nate Smith Featuring säje)

“How Did She Look”
Nelson Riddle, arranger (Seth MacFarlane)

“Keep An Eye On Summer”
Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

“Something In The Water — Acoustic-Ish”
Clyde Lawrence, Gracie Lawrence & Linus Lawrence, arrangers (Lawrence)

“What A Wonderful World”
Cody Fry, arranger (Cody Fry)

Best Orchestral Performance

“Coleridge-Taylor: Toussaint L’Ouverture, Ballade Op. 4, Suites From 24 Negro Melodies”
Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)

“Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie”
Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra) (WINNER)

“Ravel: Boléro, M. 81”
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela)

“Still & Bonds”
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)

“Stravinsky: Symphony In Three Movements”
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)

Best Opera Recording

Heggie: Intelligence (WINNER)
Kwamé Ryan, conductor; Jamie Barton, J’Nai Bridges & Janai Brugger; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Houston Grand Opera; Gene Scheer)

Huang Ruo: An American Soldier
Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Hannah Cho, Alex DeSocio, Nina Yoshida Nelsen & Brian Vu; Adam Abeshouse, Silas Brown & Doron Schachter, producers (American Composers Orchestra; David Henry Hwang)

Kouyoumdjian: Adoration
Alan Pierson, conductor; Miriam Khalil, Marc Kudisch, David Adam Moore, Omar Najmi, Naomi Louisa O’Connell & Karim Sulayman; Mary Kouyoumdjian, producer (Silvana Quartet; The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)

O’Halloran: Trade & Mary Motorhead
Elaine Kelly, conductor; Oisín Ó Dálaigh, John Molloy & Naomi Louisa O’Connell; Alex Dowling & Emma O’Halloran, producers (Irish National Opera Orchestra; Mark O’Halloran)

Tesori: Grounded
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Ben Bliss, Emily D’Angelo, Greer Grimsley & Kyle Miller; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus; George Brant)

Best Choral Performance

Advena – Liturgies For A Broken World
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Simon Barrad, Emily Yocum Black & Michael Hawes; Conspirare)

Childs: In The Arms Of The Beloved
Grant Gershon, conductor (Billy Childs, Dan Chmielinski, Christian Euman, Larry Koonse, Lyris Quartet, Anne Akiko Meyers, Carol Robbins & Luciana Souza; Los Angeles Master Chorale)

Lang: Poor Hymnal
Donald Nally, conductor (Steven Bradshaw, Michael Hawes, Lauren Kelly, Rebecca Siler & Elisa Sutherland; The Crossing)

Ortiz: Yanga (WINNER)
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, chorus master (Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Master Chorale)

Requiem Of Light
Steven Fox, conductor; Emily Drennan & Patti Drennan, chorus masters (Brian Giebler & Sangeeta Kaur; The Clarion Choir)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

“Dennehy: Land Of Winter”
Alan Pierson & Alarm Will Sound (WINNER)

“La Mer – French Piano Trios”
Neave Trio

“Lullabies For The Brokenhearted”
Lili Haydn & Paul Cantelon

“Slavic Sessions”
Mak Grgić & Mateusz Kowalski

“Standard Stoppages”
Third Coast Percussion

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

Coleridge-Taylor: 3 Selections From 24 Negro Melodies
Curtis Stewart; Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)

Hope Orchestrated
Mary Dawood Catlin; Jesús David Medina & Raniero Palm, conductors (Venezuela Strings Recording Ensemble)

Inheritances
Adam Tendler

Price: Piano Concerto In One Movement In D Minor
Han Chen; John Jeter, conductor (Malmö Opera Orchestra)

Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos (WINNER)
Yo-Yo Ma; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos; Solo Works
Yuja Wang; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

Alike – My Mother’s Dream
Allison Charney, soloist; Benjamin Loeb, conductor (National Symphonia Orchestra)

Black Pierrot
Sidney Outlaw, soloist; Warren Jones, pianist

In This Short Life
Devony Smith, soloist; Danny Zelibor, pianist; Michael Nicolas, artist

Kurtág: Kafka Fragments
Susan Narucki, soloist; Curtis Macomber, artist

Schubert Beatles
Theo Hoffman, soloist; Steven Blier, pianist (Rupert Boyd, Julia Bullock, Alex Levine, Andrew Owens, Rubén Rengel & Sam Weber)

Telemann: Ino – Opera Arias For Soprano (WINNER)
Amanda Forsythe, soloist; Robert Mealy, Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra)

Best Classical Compendium

Cerrone: Don’t Look Down
Sandbox Percussion; Jonathan Allen, Victor Caccese, Christopher Cerrone, Ian Rosenbaum, Terry Sweeney & Mike Tierney, producers

The Dunbar/Moore Sessions, Vol. II
Will Liverman; Jonathan Estabrooks, producer

Ortiz: Yanga (WINNER)
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Dmitriy Lipay, producer

Seven Seasons
Janai Brugger, Isolde Fair, MB Gordy & Starr Parodi; Nicholas Dodd, conductor; Jeff Fair, Starr Parodi & Kitt Wakeley, producers

Tombeaux
Christina Sandsengen; Shaun Drew & Christina Sandsengen, producers

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Cerrone: Don’t Look Down
Christopher Cerrone, composer (Conor Hanick & Sandbox Percussion)

Dennehy: Land Of Winter
Donnacha Dennehy, composer (Alan Pierson & Alarm Will Sound)

León: Raíces — Origins
Tania León, composer (Edward Gardner & London Philharmonic Orchestra)

Okpebholo: Songs In Flight
Shawn E. Okpebholo, composer (Will Liverman, Paul Sánchez & Various Artists)

Ortiz: Dzonot (WINNER)
Gabriela Ortiz, composer (Alisa Weilerstein, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

 

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COMMENTARY: Women of Color Shape Our Past and Future

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — Every March, Women’s History Month invites us to pause and honor the women whose courage, intellect, and leadership have shaped our world. This year, that invitation feels especially urgent. We are living in a time when history is being rewritten, when DEI is being recast as a threat, and when the stories we choose to uplift matter more than ever. The stories of women of color must be centered, celebrated, and carried forward with intention.

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Women of Color Leadership Shapes the Legacy of Women’s History Month

By Dr. Sharon M. Holder | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

Women’s History Month offers an opportunity to recognize the enduring impact of women of color leadership across history and in the present day. From Harriet Tubman and Shirley Chisholm to today’s leaders in science, politics and culture, women of color continue to shape movements, institutions and communities through courage, collaboration and vision.

Every March, Women’s History Month invites us to pause and honor the women whose courage, intellect, and leadership have shaped our world. This year, that invitation feels especially urgent. We are living in a time when history is being rewritten, when DEI is being recast as a threat, and when the stories we choose to uplift matter more than ever. The stories of women of color must be centered, celebrated, and carried forward with intention.

For centuries, women of color have been architects of progress, even when history tried to confine them to the margins. They have led movements, built institutions, transformed culture, and expanded the boundaries of justice, leadership, and community. Their contributions are not postscripts; they are landmarks. Yet too often, their brilliance has been acknowledged only in hindsight. Women’s History Month offers a chance to correct that imbalance, not only by remembering the past, but by recognizing their leadership unfolding before us.

This legacy lives in Harriet Tubman, whose courage and strategic brilliance transformed the Underground Railroad into one of the boldest freedom operations in American history. In Barbara Jordan, whose moral clarity reshaped the nation’s understanding of justice and constitutional responsibility. In Madam C. J. Walker, expanding both the beauty industry and the economic horizons of Black women. It dances in Josephine Baker, who challenged racism and resisted fascism. In Ida B. Wells and Dolores Huerta, who wielded truth and determination in pursuit of justice. In Chien-Shiung Wu, whose experiments altered science, and Shirley Chisholm, whose political courage expanded the very definition of leadership. These women did more than break barriers; they built new worlds.

A powerful throughline in the leadership of women of color is how they lead: collaboratively, creatively, relationally, and with deep responsibility to community. Their leadership is grounded not in hierarchy but in connection, in the belief that progress is something we build together.

We see this in Kamala Harris, whose presence expands the boundaries of possibility; in Ketanji Brown Jackson; in Oprah Winfrey; and in Toni Morrison, who insisted that the interior lives of Black women are essential to the human story. It resonates in Simone Biles and Serena Williams, redefining strength through excellence and self-belief.

Today, women of color continue to drive breakthroughs in medicine, technology, the arts, politics, and environmental justice. Their leadership appears not only in boardrooms or public office, but in mentorship, advocacy, and the daily navigation of systems never designed for them. The spirit shines in Mae Jemison and Ellen Ochoa; in Michelle Obama; and in the brilliance of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Christine Darden, whose work helped launch a nation into space.

Celebration is important, but it is not enough. Honoring women of color requires intentional action rooted in equity. It means creating environments where their voices are valued, challenging the biases that shape who is recognized, and ensuring progress is shared.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, let us honor women of color not as symbols, but as leaders whose work continues to guide us. When we uplift women of color, we honor history and shape the future.

Dr. Sharon M. Holder lives in South Carolina. She holds a PhD/MPhil in Gerontology from the Center for Research on Aging at the University of Southampton, UK; a Master of Science in Gerontology from the Institute of Gerontology at King’s College London, UK; and a Master of Social Work from the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston, Texas.

Dr. Holder discovered her love of poetry at the University of Houston–Downtown, where she published in The Bayou Review and the Anthology of Poetry. Today, she writes poetry as a practice of gratitude alongside her academic research.

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Woman’s Search for Family’s Roots Leads to Ancestor John T. Ward – A Successful Entrepreneur and Conductor on the Underground Railroad

THE AFRO — For years, she wanted to know more about her ancestor John T. Ward, she said, and her curiosity eventually became an obsession, leading her to become the genealogist for her family. And so, for more than a decade, she set out to trace her family’s roots and discovered a story that would change her life and the way she viewed American history. 

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By D. Kevin McNeir | Special to The AFRO 

Shanna Ward, the owner of a publishing company and insurance agency located in Columbus, Ohio, said the elders in her family often say she inherited her entrepreneurial spirit from one of their ancestors – a formerly enslaved child from Virginia whose freedom came through manumission in 1827.

For years, she wanted to know more about her ancestor John T. Ward, she said, and her curiosity eventually became an obsession, leading her to become the genealogist for her family. And so, for more than a decade, she set out to trace her family’s roots and discovered a story that would change her life and the way she viewed American history.

John T. Ward would help others secure their freedom and justice in his roles as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, an abolitionist, and political activist. But realizing that economic freedom was essential to his and his family’s survival, he and his son founded the Ward Transfer Line in 1881 (now E.E. Ward Moving) – one of America’s oldest Black-owned businesses. While it has transferred ownership, the business remains in operation today.

Shanna Ward recently published a book about her ancestor, “The Bequest of John T. Ward,” which she hopes can be added to other unheralded tales of Black resistance that occurred during America’s antebellum period.

“Originally, I just wanted to write a 100-page story when I first began digging and was encouraged after I found a copy of a will dated 1827 which included him and was a rare example of a mass manumission,” Shanna Ward said. “Three of the slaves, including John’s grandfather, were given about 294 acres of land in the will, but all the former slaves were supposed to remain on the plantation until their 21st birthday. Some refused to remain. That’s how our family got to Ohio.”

Ward said she learned that newly freed Blacks, including her ancestors in Ohio, had to fend for themselves and often did so with amazing results given the obstacles they faced.

“In those days there were no civil rights organizations, and in local communities, Blacks formed and supported Black-owned businesses, took their own census recordings, and became involved in local politics – all without White involvement,” she said.

BOOK COVER: The cover of the book “The Bequest of John T. Ward,” written by Shanna Ward about her ancestor who, as a child, was granted his freedom in 1827 and went on to become a successful business owner in Ohio, a political activist, and a conductor on the historic Underground Railroad.

BOOK COVER: The cover of the book “The Bequest of John T. Ward,” written by Shanna Ward about her ancestor who, as a child, was granted his freedom in 1827 and went on to become a successful business owner in Ohio, a political activist, and a conductor on the historic Underground Railroad.

“There is part of Ohio where, during the days of slavery, if you successfully crossed the river you were free,” she said. “That was where Black life began – across the river in freedom. When we understand ourselves as more than property and uncover tales of survival which are the foundation of our legacy, then we can better understand who we are and what our ancestors endured. We are stronger than we are often led to believe.”

Efforts among African Americans to learn their family roots have increased over the past several decades, particularly given the success of the PBS documentary, “Finding Your Roots,” hosted and narrated by Harvard University professor Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.

On the show’s website, Gates said he developed the show in 2012 in efforts to continue his quest to “get into the DNA of American culture.”

In each episode, celebrities view ancestral histories and share their emotional experience with viewers. Gates attributes the success of the show to a significant surge in interest among Black Americans in tracing their family roots and a desire to reconnect with ancestral history that was severed by slavery.

JOHN T. WARD: John T. Ward, the historic patriarch in a family whose roots can be traced to the days of slavery in Virginia, is the subject of a new book written by a member of his proud family, Shanna Ward, called “The Bequest of John T. Ward.”

JOHN T. WARD: John T. Ward, the historic patriarch in a family whose roots can be traced to the days of slavery in Virginia, is the subject of a new book written by a member of his proud family, Shanna Ward, called “The Bequest of John T. Ward.”

“Advancements in DNA testing have increased accessibility of records and led to a cultural push to reclaim identity beyond the ‘brick wall’ of 1870,” said Gates who noted that the 1870 U.S. Census represents the first time former slaves were listed by name and, unfortunately, serves as the point where records of their lives often stop and cannot be traced any earlier.

In a recent paper published in the journal “American Anthropologist,” University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign anthropology professor LaKisha David posits that by using genetic genealogy, African Americans now have the real possibility of restoring family narratives that were disrupted, severed and destroyed by institutional slavery.

“For African Americans who have grown up with a sense of ancestral loss and disconnection, this reclamation of family history is deeply humanizing and healing,” she writes. “It replaces the genealogical unknown with tangible knowledge of ancestral histories and kinship ties.

“Identifying African ancestors and living relatives is an act of restorative justice. It is ultimately about (re)claiming the humanity, dignity, and agency of enslaved Africans and their descendants, which is an essential component of repairing the harms of slavery.”

Ward said by uncovering her family’s truth, she has established a platform for education and empowerment for herself, her children, and today’s youth.

“I realized how important it is to pass down our own stories to the next generation,” Ward said. “There’s so much our children need to know about the Underground Railroad, the quilt codes created by Black women, and other examples of unrecorded heroics and bravery exhibited by Black men and women. Their collective efforts led to the end of Jim Crow laws and the securing of equal rights in the U.S. Constitution for African Americans. If you look hard enough, I believe everyone has someone like Harriet Tubman or Frederick Douglass in their family.”

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Advocates Raise Alarm Over ICE Operation, MOU and Detention Risks in Baltimore County

THE AFRO — “This is highly problematic given many of the charges that land people in county correctional facilities to begin with are for misdemeanors of which they may not even ultimately be proven guilty and convicted,” said Cathryn Ann Paul Jackson, public policy director for We Are CASA. “It results in a subversion of the local criminal justice system as a means to further racial profiling and do ICE’s dirty work.”

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By Megan Sayles | AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com

As U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) operations intensify nationwide, community organizations have become the eyes and ears of their neighborhoods—monitoring the agency’s presence and alerting residents to protect themselves and their neighbors.

In Baltimore County, nonprofits like We Are CASA have observed a spectrum of enforcement actions.

“We have seen a range of activity, including traffic stops and ICE showing up in neighborhoods or in seeming response to tips,” said Cathryn Ann Paul Jackson, public policy director for We Are CASA. “Beyond actual ICE activity in Baltimore County, we have seen many detentions of Baltimore County residents across the DMV, as community members tend to travel across counties and cities for work.”

We Are CASA, a national nonprofit headquartered in Maryland, is dedicated to empowering and improving the quality of life for working-class Black, Latino, Afro-descendent, Indigenous and immigrant communities. Jackson’s personal connection to this mission led her to the organization. A daughter of immigrants from Guyana and Trinidad, she said she grew up witnessing firsthand how immigration policy can define families’ safety, opportunity and sense of belonging.

She said the locations and times of ICE operations in Baltimore County have varied over time.

“We have consistently seen ICE arrest people at their check-in appointments, which were ironically created as an alternative to detention and are now being abused to trap people into custody,” said Jackson. “For a period of time, we were witnessing a significant amount of arrests along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway by U.S. Park Police, who were using a previously rarely enforced law against driving commercial vehicles on this road as a pretext to profile immigrant drivers, detain them and hand them over to ICE.”

Last fall, Baltimore County entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ICE, removing the locality from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) sanctuary jurisdictions list and formalizing a policy for notifying ICE before the release of inmates with federal immigration detainers or judge-signed warrants.

The agreement codified an existing practice within the Baltimore County Department of Corrections. The MOU is not a 287(g) agreement, which is a partnership between local law enforcement and ICE to delegate immigration enforcement authority to police officers. Those agreements were banned by the state of Maryland on Feb. 17.

However, Jackson criticized the policy memorialized in the MOU, saying that although it is carefully drafted to avoid legal violations, it effectively allows detention centers to hold people past their court-ordered release so that ICE can take them into custody.

“This is highly problematic given many of the charges that land people in county correctional facilities to begin with are for misdemeanors of which they may not even ultimately be proven guilty and convicted,” said Jackson. “It results in a subversion of the local criminal justice system as a means to further racial profiling and do ICE’s dirty work.”

Baltimore County has said it entered into the MOU in an effort to preserve its access to federal funding. The locality explained its reasoning on a FAQ page about its removal from the DOJ’s sanctuary jurisdictions list.

“Inclusion on DOJ’s list could risk significant federal funding, on which the county and constituents depend,” the entry read. “Signing the MOU ensures that the county avoids risks to federal funding that is used to provide needed services.”

Baltimore County’s removal is not unique, as neither Maryland nor any of its counties appear on the DOJ’s list. Still, community members worry that the county’s MOU with ICE could lead to wrongful detentions and the misidentification of residents.

Immigration detainers are not always confirmation of a person’s immigration status—or lack thereof. They are requests by ICE that can be issued without a judicial determination and do not, on their own, establish a person’s legal status.

“We’re very concerned about errors occurring here in the county because of the amped up nature of this mass deportation push,” said Patterson. “This is a replacement theory-driven immigration policy. That means that at the same time we are importing White South African Afrikaaners—who at one time essentially colonized South Africa and oppressed Black South Africans—we are fast deporting people of color. All of us who are the minority can be mistaken for ‘unlawful immigrants.’”

The recent escalation in Minneapolis has heightened Patterson’s concern. He said the city has effectively been made a battleground.

Patterson said the Baltimore County NAACP wants the public to recognize that ICE operates as a militarized organization, unlike local police. He urged people to consider avoiding areas where ICE is active whenever possible and to exercise caution if they encounter agents. If approached, Patterson stressed that people verify warrants are properly signed and directed at them, assert their right to remain silent and contact an attorney before answering questions or consenting to searches.

He also encouraged residents to notify the Baltimore County NAACP of any encounters with ICE.

“We don’t want to wait for Minnesota in Maryland before speaking out about this,” said Patterson. “We want to equip our people to protect themselves behaviorally, consciously and conscientiously because these things are coming to pass. The imprint is among us and we need, therefore, to be aware.”

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