Arts & Entertainment
Grammy Awards return live from Las Vegas
After a delay of three months caused by the Omicron surge, the 64th Grammy Awards was held on the stage of the MGM Grand Garden Arena
After a delay of three months caused by the Omicron surge of the coronavirus, the 64th Grammy Awards was held on the stage the MGM Grand Garden Arena instead of its usual home in Los Angeles.
The show was hosted by comedian, actor, political commentator and anchor of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah who had presented the 63rd annual Grammy Awards last year. The awards kicked this year off with 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony hosted by LeVar Burton prior to Sunday’s broadcast.
The Premiere Ceremony, featured 6 special performances and more than 70 GRAMMYs awarded across music genres ranging from classical and jazz to R&B, Global music and more. Tune-in to celebrate nominees, winners, and outstanding creators working behind the scenes.
In the category of Best Country Duo/Group Performance the winner was the Brothers Osbourne for the hit song ‘Younger Me’ which singer-songwriter T.J. Osborne credited the inspiration for by the reaction to publicly sharing for the first time in February, 2021 that he is gay.
CBS who broadcast the show noted that Jon Batiste scored the most nominations with 11, winning four Grammy Awards before the televised portion of the ceremony even began. Batiste is up for both Record of the Year and Album of the Year along with multiple nominations for his work on the animated film “Soul.” Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. all scored eight nominations of their own, with H.E.R. winning the Best Traditional R&B Performance award earlier in the evening.
Editor’s note the following full list of nominees and winners is below and will be updated after the ceremony ends:
Record of the Year
- “I Still Have Faith In You” – ABBA
- “Freedom” – Jon Batiste
- “I Get a Kick Out of You” – Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
- “Peaches – Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar and Giveon
- “Right On Time” – Brandi Carlile
- “Kiss Me More” – Doja Cat featuring SZA
- “Happier Than Ever” – Billie Eilish
- “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Lil Nas X
- “drivers license” – Olivia Rodrigo
- “Leave the Door Open” – Silk Sonic – Winner
Album of the Year
- “We Are” – Jon Batiste – Winner
- “Love For Sale” -Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
- “Justice” – Justin Bieber
- “Planet Her”- Doja Cat
- “Happier Than Ever” – Billie Eilish
- “Montero” – Lil Nas X
- “Back of my Mind” – H.E.R.
- “sour” – Olivia Rodrigo
- “Evermore” – Taylor Swift
- “Donda” – Kanye
Song of the Year
- “Leave The Door Open” – Silk Sonic — Winner
- “Bad Habits” – Ed Sheeran
- “A Beautiful Noise” – Alicia Keys & Brandi Carlile
- “drivers license” – Olivia Rodrigo
- “Fight For You” – H.E.R.
- “Happier Than Ever” – Billie Eilish
- “Kiss Me More” – Doja Cat featuring SZA
- “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Lil Nas X
- “Peaches” – Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon
- “Right On Time” – Brandi Carlile
Best New Artist
- Olivia Rodrigo – Winner
- Arooj Aftab
- Jimmy Allen
- Baby Keem
- FINNEAS
- Glass Animals
- Japanese Breakfast
- The Kid LAROI
- Arlo Parks
- Saweetie
Best Pop Solo Performance
- “drivers license” – Olivia Rodrigo — Winner
- “Anyone” – Justin Bieber
- “Right On Time” – Brandi Carlile
- “Happier Than Ever” – Billie Eilish
- “Positions” – Ariana Grande
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
- “I Get A Kick Out Of You” – Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
- “Lonely” – Justin Bieber and Benny Blanco
- “Butter” – BTS
- “Higher Power” – Coldplay
- “Kiss Me More” – Doja Cat featuring SZA – Winner
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
- “Love For Sale” – Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga — Winner
- “Til We Meet Again (Live)” – Norah Jones
- “A Tori Kelly Christmas” – Tori Kelly
- “Ledisi Sings Nina” – Ledisi
- “That’s Life” – Willie Nelson
- “A Holly Dolly Christmas” -Dolly Parton
Best Dance/Electronic Recording
- “Alive” – Rüfüs Du Sol, Jason Evigan & Rüfüs Du Sol, producers; Cassian Stewart-Kasimba, mixer — Winner
- “Hero” – Afrojack & David Guetta, Kuk Harrell & Stargate, producers; Elio Debets, mixer
- “Loom” – Ólafur Arnalds Featuring Bonobo, Simon Green, producers; Ólafur Arnalds, mixer
- “Before” – James Blake, Dom Maker, producers; James Blake, mixer
- “Heartbreak” – Bonobo & Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Simon Green & Orlando Higginbottom, producers; Simon Green & Orlando Higginbottom, mixers
- “You Can Do It” – Caribou Dan Snaith, producer; David Wrench, mixer
- “The Business” – Tiësto, Hightower, Julia Karlsson & Tiësto, producers; Tiësto, mixer
Best Dance/Electronic Music Album
- “Subconsciously” – Black Coffee — Winner
- “Fallen Embers” – ILLENIUM
- “Music Is The Weapon (Reloaded)” – Major Lazer
- “Shockwave” – Marshmello
- “Free Love” – Sylvan Esso
- “Judgement” – Ten City
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
- “Tree Falls” – Taylor Eigsti — Winner
- “Double Dealin'” – Randy Brecker & Eric Marienthal
- “The Garden” – Rachel Eckroth
- “At Blue Note Tokyo” – Steve Gadd Band
- “Deep: The Baritone Sessions, Vol. 2” – Mark Lettieri
Best Rock Performance
- “Shot In The Dark” – AC/DC
- “Know You Better (Live From Capitol Studio A)” – Black Pumas
- “Nothing Compares 2 U” – Chris Cornell
- “Ohms” – Deftones
- “Making A Fire” – Foo Fighters – Winner
Best Rock Song
- “Waiting On A War” Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Rami Jaffee, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett & Pat Smear, songwriters (Foo Fighters) — Winner
- “All My Favorite Songs” – Rivers Cuomo, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson & Ilsey Juber, songwriters (Weezer)
- “The Bandit” – Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)
- “Distance” – Wolfgang Van Halen, songwriter (Mammoth WVH)
- “Find My Way” – Paul McCartney
Best Metal Performance
- “The Alien” – Dream Theater — Winner
- “Genesis” – Deftones
- “Amazonia” – Gojira
- “Pushing The Tides” – Mastodon
- “The Triumph Of King Freak (A Crypt Of Preservation And Superstition)” – Rob Zombie
Best Rock Album
- “Medicine At Midnight” – Foo Fighters — Winner
- “Power Up” – AC/DC
- “Capitol Cuts – Live From Studio A” – Black Pumas
- “No One Sings Like You Anymore Vol. 1” – Chris Cornell
- “McCartney III” – Paul McCartney
Best Alternative Music Album
- “Daddy’s Home” – St. Vincent — Winner
- “Shore” – Fleet Foxes
- “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power” – Halsey
- “Jubilee” – Japanese Breakfast
- “Collapsed In Sunbeams” – Arlo Parks
Best R&B Performance
- “Pick Up Your Feelings” – Jazmine Sullivan — Winner (tie)
- “Leave The Door Open” – Silk Sonic — Winner (tie)
- “Lost You” – Snoh Aalegra
- “Peaches” – Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
- “Damage” – H.E.R.
Best R&B Song
- “Leave The Door Open” – Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II and Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic) — Winner
- “Damage” – Anthony Clemons Jr., Jeff Gitelman, H.E.R., Carl McCormick and Tiara Thomas
- “Good Days” – Jacob Collier, Carter Lang, Carlos Munoz, Solána Rowe & Christopher Ruelas, songwriters (SZA)
- “Heartbreak Anniversary” – Giveon Evans, Maneesh, Sevn Thomas and Varren Wade
- “Pick Up Your Feelings” – Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Audra Mae Butts, Kyle Coleman, Brittany “Chi” Coney, Michael Holmes and Jazmine Sullivan
Best R&B Album
- “Heaux Tales” – Jazmine Sullivan — Winner
- “Temporary Highs In The Violet Skies” – Snoh Aalegra
- “We Are” – Jon Batiste
- “Gold-Diggers Sound” – Leon Bridges
- “Back Of My Mind” – H.E.R.
Best Rap Performance
- “Family Ties” – Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar — Winner
- “Up” – Cardi B
- “M Y . L I F E” – J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray
- “Way 2 Sexy” – Drake featuring Future & Young Thug
- “Thot S***” – Megan Thee Stallion
Best Rap Song
- “Jail” – Dwayne Abernathy, Jr., Shawn Carter, Raul Cubina, Michael Dean, Charles M. Njapa, Sean Solymar, Brian Hugh Warner, Kanye West & Mark Williams, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Jay-Z) — Winner
- “Bath Salts” – Shawn Carter, Kasseem Dean, Michael Forno, Nasir Jones & Earl Simmons, songwriters (DMX Featuring Jay-Z & Nas)
- “Best Friend” – Amala Zandelie Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Randall Avery Hammers, Diamonté Harper, Asia Smith, Theron Thomas & Rocco Valdes, songwriters (Saweetie Featuring Doja Cat)
- “Family Ties” – Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Hykeem Carter, Tobias Dekker, Colin Franken, Jasper Harris, Kendrick Lamar, Ronald Latour & Dominik Patrzek, songwriters (Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar)
- “m y . l i f e” – Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph & Jermaine Cole, songwriters (J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray)
Best Rap Album
- “Call Me If You Get Lost” – Tyler, The Creator — Winner
- “The Off-Season” – J. Cole
- “Certified Lover Boy” – Drake
- “King’s Disease II” – Nas
- “Donda” – Kanye West
Best Melodic Rap Performance
- “Hurricane” – Kanye West featuring the Weeknd and Lil Baby) – Winner
- “Pride Is the Devil” – J. Cole featuring Lil Baby
- “Need to Know” – Doja Cat
- “Industry Baby” – Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow
- “WusYaName” – Tyler, the Creator featuring Youngboy Never Broke Again and Ty Dolla Sign
Best Country Album
- “Starting Over” – Chris Stapleton – Winner
- “Skeletons” – Brothers Osborne
- “Remember Her Name” – Mickey Guyton
- “The Marfa Tapes” – Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall and Jack Ingram
- “The Ballad of Dood and Juanita” – Sturgill Simpson
Best Country Solo Performance
- “You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton – Winner
- “Forever After All” – Luke Combs
- “Remember Her Name” – Mickey Guyton
- “All I Do Is Drive” – Jason Isbell
- “camera roll” – Kacey Musgraves
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
- “Younger Me” – Brothers Osborne — Winner
- “If I Didn’t Love You” – Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood
- “Glad You Exist” – Dan + Shay
- “Chasing After You” – Ryan Hurd & Maren Morris
- “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” – Elle King & Miranda Lambert
Best Country Song
- “Cold” – Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton) — Winner
- “Better Than We Found It” – Jessie Jo Dillon, Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
- “camera roll” – Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
- “Country Again” – Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Thomas Rhett)
- “Fancy Like” – Cameron Bartolini, Walker Hayes, Josh Jenkins & Shane Stevens, songwriters (Walker Hayes)
- “Remember Her Name” – Mickey Guyton, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram & Parker Welling
Best Progressive R&B Album
- “Table For Two” – Lucky Daye — Winner
- “New Light” – Eric Bellinger
- “Something To Say” – Cory Henry
- “Mood Valiant” – Hiatus Kaiyote
- “Dinner Party: Dessert” – Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Kamasi Washington
- “Studying Abroad: Extended Stay” – Masego
Best Traditional R&B Performance
- “Fight For You” – H.E.R. – Winner
- “I Need You” – Jon Batiste
- “Bring It On Home To Me” – BJ The Chicago Kid, PJ Morton & Kenyon Dixon featuring Charlie Bereal
- “Born Again” – Leon Bridges Featuring Robert Glasper
- “How Much Can A Heart Take” – Lucky Daye Featuring Yebba
Best New Age Album
- “Divine Tides” – Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej – Winner
- “Brothers” – Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster & Tom Eaton
- “Pangaea” – Wouter Kellerman & David Arkenstone
- “Night + Day” – Opium Moon
- “Pieces Of Forever” – Laura Sullivan
Best Improvised Jazz Solo
- “Humpty Dumpty (Set 2)” – Chick Corea – Winner
- “Sackodougou” – Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
- “Kick Those Feet” – Kenny Barron
- “Bigger Than Us” – Jon Batiste
- “Absence” – Terence Blanchard
Best Jazz Vocal Album
- “Songwrights Apothecary Lab” – Esperanza Spalding – Winner
- “Generations” – The Baylor Project
- “SuperBlue” – Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter
- “Time Traveler” – Nnenna Freelon
- “Flor” – Gretchen Parlato
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
- “Skyline” – Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette and Gonzalo Rubalcaba – Winner
- “Jazz Selections: Music from and Inspired by Soul” – Jon Batiste
- “Absence” – Terence Blanchard featuring the E Collective and the Turtle Island Quartet
- “Akoustic Band Live” – Chick Corea, John Patitucci and Dave Weckl
- “Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV)” – Pat Metheny
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
- “For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver” – Christian McBride Big Band – Winner
- “Live at Birdland!” – The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart
- “Dear Love” – Jazzmeia Horn and her Noble Force
- “Swirling” – Sun Ra Arkestra
- “Jackets XL” – Yellowjackets + WDR Big Band
Best Latin Jazz Album
- “Mirror Mirror” – Eliane Elias with Chick Corea and Chucho Valdés – Winner
- “The South Bronx Story” – Carlos Henriquez
- “Virtual Birdland” – Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
- “Transparency” – Dafnis Prieto Sextet
- “El Arte del Bolero” – Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo
Best Gospel Performance/Song
- “Never Lost” – CeCe Winans – Winner
- “Voice of God” – Dante Bowe featuring Steffany Gretzinger and Chandler Moore
- “Joyful” – Dante Bowe
- “Help” – Anthony Brown & Group Therapy
- “Wait on You” – Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
- “Believe for It” – CeCe Winans – Winner
- “We Win” – Kirk Franklin and Lil Baby
- “Hold Us Together” (Hope Mix) – H.E.R. and Tauren Wells
- “Man of Your Word” – Chandler Moore and KJ Scriven
- “Jireh” – Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music featuring Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
- “Old Church Basement “– Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music – Winner
- “No Stranger” – Natalie Grant
- “Feels Like Home Vol. 2” – Israel and New Breed
- “The Blessing (Live)” – Kari Jobe
- “Citizen of Heaven (Live)” – Tauren Wells
Best Roots Gospel Album
- “My Savior” – Carrie Underwood – Winner
- “Alone with My Faith” – Harry Connick Jr.
- “That’s Gospel, Brother” – Gaither Vocal Band
- “Keeping On” – Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
- “Songs for the Times” – The Isaacs
Best Latin Pop Album
- “Mendó” – Alex Cuba – Winner
- “Vértigo” – Pablo Alborán
- “Mis Amores” – Paula Arenas
- “Hecho a la Antigua” – Ricardo Arjona
- “Mis Manos” – Camilo
- “Revelación” – Selena Gomez
Best Música Urbana Album
- “El Último Tour Del Mundo” – Bad Bunny – Winner
- “Afrodisíaco” – Rauw Alejandro
- “Jose” – J Balvin
- “KG0516” – Karol G
- “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)” – Kali Uchis
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
- “Origen” – Juanes – Winner
- “Deja” – Bomba Estéreo
- “Mira Lo Que Me Hiciste Hacer (Deluxe Edition)” – Diamante Eléctrico
- “Calambre” – Nathy Peluso
- “El Madrileño” – C. Tangana
- “Sonidos de Karmática Resonancia” – Zoé
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
- “A Mis 80’s” – Vicente Fernández – Winner
- “Antología de la Musica Ranchera, Vol. 2” – Aida Cuevas
- “Seis” – Mon Laferte
- “Un Canto por México, Vol. 2” – Natalia Lafourcade
- “Ayayay! (Súper Deluxe)” – Christian Nodal
Best American Roots Performance
- “Cry” – Jon Batiste – Winner
- “Love and Regret” – Billy Strings
- “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” – The Blind Boys Of Alabama and Béla Fleck
- “Same Devil” – Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile
- “Nightflyer” – Allison Russell
Best American Roots Song
- “Cry” – Jon Batiste and Steve McEwan – Winner
- “Avalon” – Rhiannon Giddens, Justin Robinson and Francesco Turrisi
- “Bored” – Linda Chorney
- “Call Me a Fool” – Valerie June
- “Diamond Studded Shoes” – Dan Auerbach, Natalie Hemby, Aaron Lee Tasjan and Yola
- “Nightflyer” – Jeremy Lindsay and Allison Russell
Best Americana Album
- “Native Sons” – Los Lobos – Winner
- “Downhill from Everywhere” – Jackson Browne
- “Leftover Feelings” – John Hiatt with the Jerry Douglas Band
- “Outside Child” – Allison Russell
- “Stand for Myself” – Yola
Best Bluegrass Album
- “My Bluegrass Heart” – Béla Fleck – Winner
- “Renewal” – Billy Strings
- “A Tribute to Bill Monroe” – The Infamous Stringdusters
- “Cuttin’ Grass, Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions” – Sturgill Simpson
- “Music Is What I See” – Rhonda Vincent
Best Traditional Blues Album
- “I Be Trying” – Cedric Burnside – Winner
- “100 Years of Blues” – Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite
- “Traveler’s Blues” – Blues Traveler
- “Be Ready When I Call You” – Guy Davis
- “Take Me Back” – Kim Wilson
Best Contemporary Blues Album
- “662” – Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – Winner
- “Delta Kream” – The Black Keys featuring Eric Deaton and Kenny Brown
- “Royal Tea” – Joe Bonamassa
- “Uncivil War” – Shemekia Copeland
- “Fire It Up” – Steve Cropper
Best Folk Album
- “They’re Calling Me Home” – Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi – Winner
- “One Night Lonely (Live)” – Mary Chapin Carpenter
- “Long Violent History” – Tyler Childers
- “Wednesday (Extended Edition)” – Madison Cunningham
- “Blue Heron Suite” – Sarah Jarosz
Best Regional Roots Music Album
- “Kau Ka Pe’a” – Kalani Pe’a – Winner
- “Live in New Orleans!” – Sean Ardoin and Kreole Rock and Soul
- “Bloodstains & Teardrops” – Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
- “My People” – Cha Wa
- “Corey Ledet Zydeco” – Corey Ledet Zydeco
Best Reggae Album
- “Beauty in the Silence” − SOJA − Winner
- “Pamoja” − Etana
- “Positive Vibration” − Gramps Morgan
- “Live N Livin” − Sean Paul
- “Royal” − Jesse Royal
- “10” − Spice
Best Global Music Album
- “Mother Nature” − Angélique Kidjo − Winner
- “Voice of Bunbon (Vol. 1)” − Rocky Dawuni
- “East West Players Presents: Daniel Ho & Friends Live in Concert” − Daniel Ho & Friends
- “Legacy +” − Femi Kuti and Made Kuti
- “Made in Lagos (Deluxe Edition)” − Wizkid
Best Global Music Performance
- “Mohabbat” − Arooj Aftab − Winner
- “Do Yourself” − Angélique Kidjo and Burna Boy
- “Pà Pá Pà” − Femi Kuti
- “Blewu” − Yo-Yo Ma and Angélique Kidjo
- “Essence” − Wizkid featuring Tems
Best Children’s Album
- “A Colorful World” − Falu − Winner
- “Actívate” − 123 Andrés
- “All One Tribe” − 1 Tribe Collective
- “Black to the Future” − Pierce Freelon
- “Crayon Kids” − Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
Best Spoken Word Album
- “Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation from John Lewis” − Don Cheadle − Winner
- “Aftermath” − LeVar Burton
- “Catching Dreams: Live at Fort Knox Chicago” − J. Ivy
- “8:46” − Dave Chappelle and Amir Sulaiman
- “A Promised Land” − Barack Obama
Best Comedy Album
- “Sincerely” – Louis C.K. – Winner
- “The Comedy Vaccine” – Lavell Crawford
- “Evolution” – Chelsea Handler
- “Thanks for Risking Your Life” – Lewis Black
- “The Greatest Average American” – Nate Bargatze
- “Zero F***s Given” – Kevin Hart
Best Musical Theater Album
- “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical” – Emily Bear – Winner
- “Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella” – Carrie Hope Fletcher, Ivano Turco, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Helen George
- “Burt Bacharach and Steven Sater’s Some Lovers” – Burt Bacharach, Michael Croiter, Ben Hartman and Steven Sater
- “Girl from the North Country” – Simon Hale, Conor McPherson, and Dean Sharenow
- “Les Misérables: The Staged Concert” – Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Matt Lucas
- “Stephen Schwartz’s Snapshots” – Daniel C. Levine, Michael J. Moritz Jr., Bryan Perri and Stephen Schwartz
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
- “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” – Andra Day – Winner
- “Cruella” – Various artists
- “Dear Evan Hansen” – Various artists
- “In the Heights” – Various artists
- “One Night in Miami…” – Leslie Odom, Jr. and various artists
- “Respect” – Jennifer Hudson
- “Schmigadoon! Episode 1” – Various artists
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
- “Soul” – Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, composers – Winner (tie)
- “The Queen’s Gambit” – Carlos Rafael Rivera, composer – Winner (tie)
- “Bridgerton” – Kris Bowers, composer
- “Dune” – Hans Zimmer, composer
- “The Mandalorian: Season 2 – Vol. 2 (Chapters 13–16)” – Ludwig Göransson, composer
Best Song Written for Visual Media
- “All Eyes on Me” (from Bo Burnham: Inside) – Winner
- “Agatha All Along” (from WandaVision)
- “All I Know So Far” (from Pink: All I Know So Far)
- “Fight For You” (from Judas and the Black Messiah)
- “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” (from Respect)
- “Speak Now” (from One Night in Miami…)
Best Instrumental Composition
- “Eberhard” – Lyle Mays – Winner
- “Beautiful Is Black” – Brandee Younger
- “Cat and Mouse” – Tom Nazziola
- “Concerto for Orchestra: Finale” – Vince Mendoza
- “Dreaming in Lions: Dreaming in Lions” – Arturo O’Farrill
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
- “Meta Knight’s Revenge” – Charlie Rosen and Jake Silverman – Winner
- “Chopsticks” – Bill O’Connell
- “For the Love of a Princess” – Robin Smith
- “Infinite Love” – Emile Mosseri
- “The Struggle Within” – Gabriela Quintero and Rodrigo Sanchez
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
- “To The Edge of Longing (Edit Version)” – Vince Mendoza – Winner
- “The Bottom Line” – Ólafur Arnalds
- “A Change is Gonna Come” – Tehillah Alphonso
- “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” – Jacob Collier
- “Eleanor Rigby” – Cody Fry
Best Recording Package
- “Pakelang” – Winner
- “American Jackpot / American Girls”
- “Carnage”
- “Serpentine Prison”
- “Zeta”
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
- “All Things Must Pass: 50th Anniversary Edition” – Winner
- “Color Theory”
- “The Future Bites (Limited Edition Box Set)”
- “77-81”
- “Swimming in Circles”
Best Album Notes
- “The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-1966” – Winner
- “Beethoven: The Last Three Sonatas”
- “Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology”
- “Etching The Voice: Emile Berliner and the First Commercial Gramophone Discs, 1889-1895”
- “The King of Gospel Music: The Life and Music of Reverend James Cleveland”
Best Historical Album
- “Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967)” – Joni Mitchell – Winner
- “Beyond The Music: Her Complete RCA Victor Recordings” – Marian Anderson
- “Etching The Voice: Emile Berliner and the First Commercial Gramophone Discs, 1889-1895” – Various Artists
- “Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History of the World’s Music” – Various Artists
- “Sign O’ The Times (Super Deluxe Edition)” – Prince
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
- Love for Sale – Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga – Winner
- Cinema – The Marías
- Dawn – Yebba
- Hey What – Low
- Notes with Attachments – Pino Palladino and Blake Mills
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
- Jack Antonoff – Winner
- Rogét Chahayed
- Mike Elizondo
- Hit-Boy
- Ricky Reed
Best Remixed Recording
- “Passenger” (Mike Shinoda remix) – Mike Shinoda, remixer (Deftones) – Winner
- “Back to Life” (Booker T Kings of Soul satta dub) – Booker T., remixer (Soul II Soul)
- “Born for Greatness” (Cymek remix) – Spencer Bastin, remixer (Papa Roach)
- “Constant Craving” (Fashionably Late remix) – Tracy Young, remixer (k.d. lang)
- “Inside Out” (3scape Drm remix) – 3scape Drm, remixer (Zedd and Griff)
- “Met Him Last Night” (Dave Audé remix) – Dave Audé, remixer (Demi Lovato featuring Ariana Grande)
- “Talks” (Mura Masa Remix) – Alexander Crossan, remixer (PVA)
Best Immersive Audio Album
- “Alicia” – Alicia Keys – Winner
- “Clique” – Patricia Barber
- “Fine Line” – Harry Styles
- “The Future Bites” – Steven Wilson
- “Stille Grender” – Anne Karin Sundal-Ask & Det Norske Jentekor
Best Engineered Album, Classical
- “Chanticleer Sings Christmas” – Winner
- “Archetypes”
- “Beethoven: Cello Sonatas – Hope Amid Tears”
- “Beethoven: Symphony No. 9”
- “Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony of a Thousand'”
Producer of the Year, Classical
- Judith Sherman – Winner
- Blanton Alspaugh
- Steven Epstein
- David Frost
- Elaine Martone
Best Orchestral Performance
- “Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3” – Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra) – Winner
- “Adams: My Father Knew Charles Ives; Harmonielehre” – Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Nashville Symphony Orchestra)
- “Beethoven: Symphony No. 9” – Manfred Honeck, conductor (Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
- “Muhly: Throughline” – Nico Muhly, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
- “Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra; Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy” – Thomas Dausgaard, conductor (Seattle Symphony Orchestra)
Best Opera Recording
- “Glass: Akhnaten” – Karen Kamensek – Winner
- “Bartók: Bluebeard’s Castle” – Susanna Mälkki
- “Janáček: Cunning Little Vixen” – Simon Rattle
- “Little: Soldier Songs” – Corrado Rovaris
- “Poulenc: Dialogues Des Carmélites” – Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Best Choral Performance
- “Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony Of A Thousand'” – Gustavo Dudamel, conductor – Winner
- “It’s a Long Way” – Matthew Guard, conductor
- “Rising w/The Crossing” – Donald Nally, conductor
- “Schnittke: Choir Concerto; Three Sacred Hymns; Pärt: Seven Magnificat-Antiphons” – Kaspars Putniņš, conductor
- “Sheehan: Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom” – Benedict Sheehan, conductor
- “The Singing Guitar” – Craig Hella Johnson, conductor
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
- “Beethoven: Cello Sonatas – Hope Amid Tears” – Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax – Winner
- “Adams, John Luther: Lines Made by Walking” – JACK Quartet
- “Akiho: Seven Pillars” – Sandbox Percussion
- “Archetypes” – Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad and Third Coast Percussion
- “Bruits” – Imani Winds
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
- “Alone Together” – Jennifer Koh – Winner
- “An American Mosaic” – Simone Dinnerstein
- “Bach: Sonatas & Partitas” – Augustin Hadelich
- “Beethoven & Brahms: Violin Concertos” – Gil Shaham; Eric Jacobsen, conductor (The Knights)
- “Mak Bach” – Mak Grgić
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
- “Mythologies” – Sangeeta Kaur and Hila Plitmann – Winner
- “Confessions” – Laura Strickling; Joy Schreier, pianist
- “Dreams Of A New Day – Songs By Black Composers” – Will Liverman; Paul Sánchez, pianist
- “Schubert: Winterreise” – Joyce DiDonato; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, pianist
- “Unexpected Shadows” – Jamie Barton; Jake Heggie, pianist (Matt Haimovitz)
Best Classical Compendium
- “Women Warriors – The Voices Of Change” – Winner
- “American Originals – A New World, A New Canon”
- “Berg: Violin Concerto; Seven Early Songs and Three Pieces for Orchestra”
- “Cerrone: The Arching Path”
- “Plays”
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
- “Shaw: Narrow Sea” – Caroline Shaw, composer (Dawn Upshaw, Gilbert Kalish and Sō Percussion) – Winner
- “Akiho: Seven Pillars” – Andy Akiho, composer (Sandbox Percussion)
- “Andriessen: The Only One” – Louis Andriessen, composer (Esa-Pekka Salonen, Nora Fischer and Los Angeles Philharmonic)
- “Assad, Clarice & Sérgio, Connors, Dillon, Martin & Skidmore: Archetypes” – Clarice Assad, Sérgio Assad, Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin and David Skidmore, composers (Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad and Third Coast Percussion)
- “Batiste: Movement 11′” – Jon Batiste, composer (Jon Batiste)
Best Music Video
- “Freedom” – Jon Batiste – Winner
- “Shot in the Dark” – AC/DC
- “I Get a Kick Out of You” – Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
- “Peaches” – Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon
- “Happier Than Ever” – Billie Eilish
- “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” – Lil Nas X
- “Good 4 U” – Olivia Rodrigo
Best Music Film
- “Summer of Soul” – Various Artists – Winner
- “Bo Burnham: Inside” – Bo Burnham
- “David Byrne’s American Utopia” – David Byrne
- “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” – Billie Eilish
- “Music, Money, Madness… Jimi Hendrix in Maui” – Jimi Hendrix
The annual fantasy, comics and science fiction convention Awesome Con was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on March 13-15. Featured guests included openly gay actor, author and activist, George Takei. The convention included LGBTQ panels and a “Pride Alley” with LGBTQ-specific booths in the exhibit hall.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)






















Ideally, spring is our season of renewal – personal, emotional, and social. Lucky for those in the DMV, there’s a lot of exhilarating new theater to help make it happen.
At Arena Stage, there’s still time to catch the world premiere production of “Chez Joey” (extended through March 22). Set around the 1940s Chicago jazz scene, this smart reboot of the Broadway classic “Pal Joey” effervesces with music by Rodgers and Hart and a terrific cast brimming with big talent (including Myles Frost, Awa Sal Secka, and out comedic actor Kevin Cahoon).
Also at Arena, is “Inherit the Wind” (through April 5), the extraordinarily timely work based on the real-life Scopes “Monkey” Trial. It’s a courtroom drama that pits two towering legal minds against each other in a small-town battle over science, religion, and the right to think. The large, talented cast includes Billy Eugene Jones, Dakin Matthews, and out actors Holly Twyford and Alyssa Keegan. Arenastage.org
La Pluma Theatre, a queer Latin company housed in Dupont Underground, presents “The Ladybird of Saint John” (April 6-12), a powerful story about two sisters navigating immigration, separation, and the fragile bonds of family. @laplumatheatre – Instagram
Great gay playwright Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” (April 20–May 4) is also coming to the Dupont Underground space. Directed by out actor/director Nick Westrate, the touring production of Williams’s classic work set in New Orlean’s steamy Vieux Carré is performed with neither set nor props. It focuses on the words. Lucy Owen and Brad Koed star as fragile Blanche Dubois and her brutal brother-in-law Stanley. Dupontunderground.org
Folger Theatre is serving up one of the Bard’s best comedies, “As You Like It” (through April 12). Staged by out director Timothy Douglas, Folger’s production “offers a love note to D.C., imbuing the forest of Arden with the familiar vibes, culture, and characters that mark the District as a singular, resilient, and redemptive place of belonging.” Folger.edu
As part of the country’s semi-quincentennial celebrations, Ford’s Theatre presents “1776” (through May 16), a Tony Award-winning musical about the Second Continental Congress’s struggle to adopt the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Directed by Luis Salgado, the show features a large cast including queer talent like Tom Story, Jake Loewenthal, Jimmy Mavrikes, and Wood Van Meter. Fords.org
In Falls Church, Creative Cauldron presents “Twelve Dancing Princesses” (through March 29), a Learning Theater Production targeting both kids and adults. Adapted from a Brothers Grimm tale, the eerie story features Spanish language elements and original music by husbands Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith. Creativecauldron.org
The National Theatre presents “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” (March 18–April 5). This musical “tale as old as time” is a love story involving Belle, a cursed beast, and the arrogant and famously spurned Gaston played out actor Stephen Mark Lukas, a beauty in his own right. Broadwayatthenational.com
At Mosaic Theater Company, Michael Bahsil-Cook plays the titular activist/congressman in Psalmayene 24’s “Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest.” (March 26–May 3). Staged by Mosaic’s out artistic director Reginald L. Douglas, focuses on Lewis’s formative years of ages 18-28, revealing the budding humanity and heart of this mighty historic figure. Talented out actor Vaughn Ryan Midder plays young murder victim Emmet Till and other parts. Mosaictheater.org
At Olney Theatre Center, it’s the anticipated area premiere of “Appropriate” (March 18–April 19). Penned by Tony Award-winning out playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, the darkly comic work follows a dysfunctional white family that gathers on a plantation home to liquidate their late father’s estate where they uncover a dark history of racism.
Excellent area actors Kimberly Gilbert and Cody Nickell play siblings battling over possessions as well as their father’s shady legacy. Performed in Olney’s black box Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, the company promises a unique staging of this important American play. Jason Loewith directs.
Also at Olney Theatre, celebrity chef and longtime queer ally Carla Hall debuts her one-woman show, “Carla Hall — Please Underestimate Me” (June 3–July 12). Olneytheatre.org
British imports are striding the boards at Shakespeare Theatre Company this spring. The first is “Hamnet” (March 17–April 12), the U.S. premiere of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2023 stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel about the life of Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, and the death of their son.
And then it’s “Eddie Izzard in the Tragedy of Hamlet” (March 27–April 11), a one-woman show in which the British comedian takes on 23 characters in a unique re-telling of the renowned work. Shakespearetheatre.org
Woolly Mammoth Theatre presents “Travesty” (March 24–April 12). Created and performed by gender fluid drag performer Sasha Velour, the one-person show is part performance art, part history, and part call to action.
Also at Woolly, out actor Justin Weaks stars in his solo piece “A Fine Madness” (June 2–21), in which the Helen Hayes Award-winning actor shares his personal experience as a Black gay man receiving a positive HIV diagnosis. Woollymammoth.net
Spring at Studio Theatre is Rachel Bonds’ “Jonah” (through April 19), an exploration of a woman’s life through relationships with three men. Directed by Taylor Reynolds, the young five-person cast includes Rohan Maletira in the title role and Ismena Mendes as Ana. Mendes is an accomplished stage and screen actor whose described as bisexual/queer in her IMBD bio. Studiotheatre.org
In Arlington, Signature Theatre’s out artistic director Matthew Gardiner stages “Pippin” (May 12–July 26), Stephen Schwartz’s musical about a young prince searching for a terrific life guided by a theatrical troupe. The original 1972 production featured stars like Ben Vereen and Irene Ryan (best known as TV’s Granny Clampett). Signature’s production’s big names have yet to be shared. Sigtheatre.org
Exciting stuff ahead.
Galleries
BMA celebrates enduring influence of Henri Matisse
Exhibit features iconic works juxtaposed with gay artist’s paintings inspired by French legend
The Baltimore Museum of Art is on a roll.
After landing the coveted Amy Sherald “American Sublime” exhibit (through April 5) when the National Portrait Gallery attempted to censor her work, the BMA is debuting a breathtaking and thought-provoking new exhibit, “To See This Light Again” featuring master works by Henri Matisse paired with new paintings by Louis Fratino, who is inspired by the French modernist legend.
Fratino, who’s gay, was born in Annapolis and studied at Baltimore’s Maryland Institute College of Art. As an art student, he found himself spending lots of time in the BMA’s Matisse galleries, the largest collection of his works in the world, encompassing more than 1,600 paintings, drawings, and illustrations. At just 33, Fratino has enjoyed a “meteoric” rise in the art world, according to BMA Director Asma Naeem, who introduced Fratino at an event previewing the exhibit last week. This is Fratino’s first major U.S. exhibition, but he was featured in the 2024 Venice Biennale and his paintings can be found at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and elsewhere.
The exhibit aims to explore Matisse’s lasting influence by juxtaposing his works with Fratino’s.
“It’s the idea that art manifests a kind of attention or a vision for your life, that it can be a beautiful life despite certain circumstances that may be happening around you,” Fratino said in a statement released by the BMA. “In Matisse’s case, he lived through the First and Second World Wars. Painting can confirm that life is beautiful and that it’s worth looking at.”
The influences are apparent, from the use of light and pattern to the choice to focus on everyday objects and subjects. And the exhibit is unabashedly queer with male couples depicted in a couple of paintings. Fratino told the Blade that as an out gay man, it was important to embrace that visibility.
He describes a “joy of looking” at the male form, just as Matisse portrayed female figures that often celebrated the tradition of painting nudes.
In “Tom,” Fratino captured his subject in casual repose that includes a bowl and spoon in the foreground. It is presented alongside Matisse’s iconic “Large Reclining Nude.” Tom’s checkered shirt echoes the blue and white grid background of the Matisse work and both figures are holding casual, relaxed poses.
“Fratino and Matisse: To See This Light Again” runs through Sept. 6 at the Baltimore Museum of Art (artbma.org.)
For Matisse lovers, the BMA has another exhibit debuting March 29 titled, “Matisse in Vence: The Stations of the Cross” featuring more than 80 drawings revealing how the artist “shaped his late‑career masterpiece, the Stations of the Cross mural, for the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence, France.”
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