‘Tis the season for music debates.
The nominations for next year’s Grammy Awards were announced Friday morning. Kylie Minogue, Victoria Monét and Kirk Franklin were among the artists to introduce the highly-anticipated list. Beyoncé, who dropped her masterful LP “Cowboy Carter” in March, leads the pack with 11 nominations. Her honors span country, Americana, pop and rap categories, including the top award for album of the year.
Also nominated for album of year is Atlanta’s André 3000. The rapper and flutist leads all Georgia Grammy nominees with three nods for his jazz album “New Blue Sun.” He’ll also compete for best alternative jazz album and best instrumental composition.
André 3000′s jazz foray garnering a major Grammy nomination is a surprising twist, given this year’s blockbuster releases from pop stars like Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Beyoncé. But it’s a delightful nod to his storied Grammy history: Outkast is the last rap act to win album of the year (which they won in 2004 for “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below”). Last year, he won the award best rap song as a featured act on Killer Mike’s “Scientists & Engineers.” His latest round of accolades mark his first notable Grammy nominations as a soloist.
Courtesy photo/Dexter Navy
Courtesy photo/Dexter Navy
He’ll compete with Swift, Carpenter, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Chappell Roan and Jacob Collier for the top honor.
“New Blue Sun,” the Atlanta native’s debut solo album (and his first in nearly two decades), dropped in November. The 17-track instrumental album features a string of collaborators like keyboardist Surya Botofasina, multi-instrumentalist Nate Mercereau and percussionist Carlos Niño. They’ll return to Atlanta for a show on Nov. 14 at the Fox Theatre.
Other nominees at next year’s awards are Teddy Swims, whose 2023 single “Lose Control” continues to top the charts. The Conyers native is recognized for best new artist. For rap categories, Atlanta artists Future and Metro Boomin dominated the field with four nominations: best rap song, best rap performance, best rap album and best melodic rap performance. The duo dropped two joint albums this year, “We Don’t Trust You,” and “We Still Don’t Trust You.” Clayton County rapper Latto is also nominated for best melodic rap performance for her hit “Big Mama.”
Ryan Fleisher
Ryan Fleisher
Usher also got a piece of the Grammy magic on Friday. His ninth studio LP “Coming Home” is nominated for best R&B album. Elsewhere in the R&B categories is Donald Glover and Avery Sunshine. “Bando Stone in the New World,” Glover’s final album as Childish Gambino, will compete for best progressive R&B album against Sunshine’s “So Glad to Know You.” The Black Crowes secured a best rock album for “Happiness Bastards,” their first album in 15 years.
Former president Jimmy Carter, at age 100, is also nominated. His “Last Sunday in Plains: a Centennial Celebration” will compete with George Clinton, Dolly Parton and Barbra Streisand for best audio book, narration and storytelling recording.
Atlanta-born Afrobeats superstar Davido grabbed a nomination as a featured artist on Chris Brown’s “Sensational,” which is up for best African music performance.
The 67th annual Grammy Awards will air Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+.
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