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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 […]
Published
9 months agoon
By
Oakland Post
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>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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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal
The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]
Published
1 month agoon
October 4, 2026By
Oakland Post
The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.
The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.
Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?
A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.
The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.
A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.
It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.
Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.
Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts
Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.
You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.
Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.
Can You Bring Something You Already Own?
Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.
The following can all work if they still look presentable:
- A duplicate kitchen gadget
- An untouched game
- A decorative item
- A sealed gift set
- An unopened candle
- A new travel accessory
The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.
Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.
Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts
Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.
Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.
Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.
You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?
Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.
That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.
Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.
The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.
How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?
For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.
Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.
Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.
Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?
A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.
Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.
Choose a Perfect White Elephant Gift in a Snap
Look for a white elephant gift that fits some of these criteria, and everyone will be trying to grab it at your next celebration.
Do you need more gift-giving tips and tricks? Make sure you read some of our other posts.
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