No Rock And Roll Fun

GRAMMY GRUMPS: Well, once again, it's been proven: if you want to win a Grammy, the best thing you can do is die. Ray Charles - undoubtably one of the greatest of them all - would have been carrying home eight of those little record players. If, erm, he wasn't dead, of course. You wonder if the Grammy committee sit around saying "right, well, if nobody dies this year we can give the award to someone alive for a change... hang on... what's that? Vincent Balladaro is dead? Bollocks..."

Here, then, are all the winners, and may god have mercy on your scroll button:

Record Of The Year
(Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s), if other than the artist.)

* Here We Go Again
Ray Charles & Norah Jones
John Burk, producer; Terry Howard & Al Schmitt, engineers/mixers
Track from: Genius Loves Company
[Concord Records/Hear Music]

Album Of The Year
(Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s)/Mixer(s) & Mastering Engineer(s), if other than the artist.)

* Genius Loves Company
Ray Charles & Various Artists
John Burk, Terry Howard, Don Mizell, Phil Ramone & Herbert Waltl, producers; Robert Fernandez, John Harris, Terry Howard, Pete Karam, Joel Moss, Seth Presant, Al Schmitt & Ed Thacker, engineers/mixers; Robert Hadley & Doug Sax, mastering engineers
[Concord Records/Hear Music]

And, to be honest, this really isn't Charles' best work - it's his version of the Duets rubbish that Frank Sinatra knocked out when he was starting to lose his ability to hold a tune for the whole length of a single. Tom Jones, of course, did something similar, but then he never really had that much to lose. Doubtless, though, if he'd died in a chip pan fire that year, he'd have been garlanded with Grammys, too. Sentiment is fine, but...

Song Of The Year
(A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parenthesis.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* Daughters
John Mayer, songwriter (John Mayer)
Track from: Heavier Things
[Aware Records/Columbia; Publishers: Sony/ATV Tunes/Specific Harm Music.]

We would have hoped the Grammys people refused him to get on stage to pick this up, in case it caused some sort of mini-riot...

Best New Artist
(For a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that artist.)

* Maroon5

Oh, Jesus Christ. Them again? But how have Maroon 5 "established a public identity?" They're so anonymous they did that big bank raid in Belfast at Christmas, and yet none of the witnesses picked them out of a line-up. Even although they were wearing stripey jumpers and masks and carrying crowbars and bags marked "swag".

Field 1 — Pop
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Sunrise
Norah Jones
Track from: Feels Like Home
[Blue Note Records]

Norah Jones is pop? Not until I {heart} Pop magazine puts her on the bloody cover she isn't.

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Daughters
John Mayer
Track from: Heavier Things
[Aware Records/Columbia]

See the comments for Norah Jones, but with extra swearing.

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
(For established duos or groups, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Heaven
Los Lonely Boys
Track from: Los Lonely Boys
[Or Music/Epic Records]

Who? I kind of think that the chances of most people having heard of many of the artists winning this year (the living ones) are going to be on a par with the chances of picking up a milk carton and saying "Hey, isn't this the kid we saw with that strange drifter at the store just now?"

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
(For a collaborative performance, with vocals, by artists who do not normally perform together. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Here We Go Again
Ray Charles & Norah Jones
Track from: Genius Loves Company
[Concord Records/Hear Music]

Involving two artists, neither of whom are pop. Genius indeed.

Best Pop Instrumental Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* 11th Commandment
Ben Harper
Track from: There Will Be A Light
[Virgin Records]

Best Pop Instrumental Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

* Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar
Various Artists
James Jensen, producer
[Solid Air Records]

Fairly basic, stolid Grammy material here...

Best Pop Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Genius Loves Company
Ray Charles & Various Artists
[Concord Records/Hear Music]

We wonder if everyone who guested on that album will be claiming they won the Grammy...

Field 2 — Dance

Category 12

Best Dance Recording
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.)

* Toxic
Britney Spears
Avant & Bloodshy, producers; Niklas Flyckt, mixer
Track from: In The Zone
[Jive/Zomba Label Group]

Category 13

Best Electronic/Dance Album
(For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.)

* Kish Kash
Basement Jaxx
[XL Recordings/Astralwerks]

We know, we'd have thought Britney was firmly pop, but doubtless the Grammys have a special measuring device. Still, there doesn't seem to be any prize for Christina, so that's a victory there... and lovely news for the Jaxx boys.

Field 3 — Traditional Pop

Every year, we say we don't know what this is. Probably the pop songs Alan Lomax used to record.

Category 14

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Stardust...The Great American Songbook Volume III
Rod Stewart
[J Records]

... or maybe "traditional" is one of those words that means something different to Americans. Like our shite, perhaps.

Field 4 — Rock

Category 15

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Code Of Silence
Bruce Springsteen
Track from: The Essential Bruce Springsteen
[Columbia Records]


Category 16

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
(For duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Vertigo
U2
[Interscope Records]

Category 17

Best Hard Rock Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Slither
Velvet Revolver
[RCA]

Category 18

Best Metal Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Whiplash
Motörhead
[Big Deal Records]

Category 19

Best Rock Instrumental Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
Brian Wilson
Track from: Brian Wilson Presents Smile
[Nonesuch Records]

Category 20

Best Rock Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock & Metal songs. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parenthesis.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* Vertigo
Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge & Larry Mullen, songwriters (U2)
[Interscope Records; Publisher: Universal Polygram International Publishing.]

Category 21

Best Rock Album
(Vocal or Instrumental. Includes Hard Rock and Metal.)

* American Idiot
Green Day
[Reprise Records]

So, apart from the "what the hell is Brian Wilson doing wedged in with Springstein and Motorhead" puzzlement, the sort of thing you'd expect. U2 picking up their regular prizes off the back of a very mundane performance - who knew that the Brits would have more guts than the Grammys? And interesting to see two of the most anti-Bush albums of the year get a prize (Bruce and Green Day). Pity neither of them were actually that good.

Field 5 — Alternative

Category 22

Best Alternative Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* A Ghost Is Born
Wilco
[Nonesuch Records]

Blimey. That's actually a pretty good selection. But then it's the category that's probably hardest to go wrong with...

Field 6 — R&B
Category 23

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* If I Ain't Got You
Alicia Keys
Track from: The Diary Of Alicia Keys
[J Records]

Category 24

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Call My Name
Prince
Track from: Musicology
[Columbia Records/NPG Records]

Category 25

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
(For duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* My Boo
Usher & Alicia Keys
Track from: Confessions Special Edition
[Arista/La Face/Zomba Label Group]

Category 26

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Musicology
Prince
Track from: Musicology
[Columbia Records/NPG Records]

Category 27

Best Urban/Alternative Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Cross My Mind
Jill Scott
Track from: Beautifully Human: Words & Sounds Vol. 2
[Hidden Beach]

Category 28

Best R&B Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parenthesis.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* You Don't Know My Name
Alicia Keys, Harold Lilly & Kanye West, songwriters (Alicia Keys)
Track from: The Diary Of Alicia Keys
[J Records; Publishers: Lellow Productions/EMI Music Publishing, Ye World Music/EMI April Music, Uncle Bobby Music/EMI Blackwood Music & A Dish-A-Tunes Ltd.]

Category 29

Best R&B Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* The Diary Of Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
[J Records]

Category 30

Best Contemporary R&B Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* Confessions
Usher
[Arista/LaFace/Zomba Label Group]

It would, of course, be unfair to suggest that the process of giving out these awards is, in any way, a bid to try and keep everyone happy, but the bowing of the knee to the urban gentry - here, Mr. Prince; the Target-friendly face of urban in the form of Alicia Keys and even a small sop or two to the pouty, liable-to-sulk-and-not-come-next-year-if-he-doesn't-get-something Usher does seem to imply these prizes haven't been so much voted on but negotiated at Camp David.

Field 7 — Rap
Category 31

Best Rap Solo Performance
(For a solo Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* 99 Problems
Jay-Z
Track from: The Black Album
[Roc-A-Fella Records]

Category 32

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group
(For duo, group or collaborative performances of Rap only. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Let's Get It Started
The Black Eyed Peas
Track from: Elephunk
[A&M Records]

Category 33

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
(For a Rap/Sung collaborative performance by artists who do not normally perform together. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Yeah!
Usher Featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris
Track from: Confessions
[Arista/LaFace/Zomba Label Group]

Category 34

Best Rap Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parenthesis.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* Jesus Walks
Miri Ben Ari, C. Smith & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West)
Track from: The College Drop-Out
[Rocafella Records; Publishers: Konman Entertainment/Gimme My Publishing Co./Hip Hop Since 1978 & Mapleshade Productions.]

Category 35

Best Rap Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

* The College Dropout
Kanye West
[Roc-A-Fella Records]

Again, there's a couple of awards to Usher; something for the spectacularly over-rated Black Eyed Peas (real prize title: For services making rap palatable to Clear Channel) and, of course, the mysterious Kanye West. Nothing - pointedly - for Eminem; perhaps it's okay to attack the President so long as nobody really notices.

Field 8 — Country

Category 36
Best Female Country Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)
* Redneck Woman
Gretchen Wilson
Track from: Here For The Party
[Epic Records]

Category 37
Best Male Country Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)
* Live Like You Were Dying
Tim McGraw
Track from: Live Like You Were Dying
[Curb Records]

Category 38
Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
(For established duos or groups with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)
* Top Of The World
Dixie Chicks
Track from: Top Of The World Tour - Live
[Columbia]

Category 39
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
(For a collaborative performance, with vocals, by artists who do not normally perform together. Singles or Tracks only.)
* Portland Oregon
Loretta Lynn & Jack White
Track from: Van Lear Rose
[Interscope Records]

Category 40
Best Country Instrumental Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Earl's Breakdown
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Featuring Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements & Jerry Douglas
Track from: Will The Circle Be Unbroken "The Trilogy"
[Capitol Records - Nashville]

Category 41
Best Country Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parenthesis.) Singles or Tracks only.)
* Live Like You Were Dying
Tim Nichols & Craig Wiseman, songwriters (Tim McGraw)
Track from: Live Like You Were Dying
[Curb Records; Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing/Big Loud Shirt.]

Category 42
Best Country Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Van Lear Rose
Loretta Lynn
[Interscope Records]

Category 43
Best Bluegrass Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Brand New Strings
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
[Skaggs Family Records]

So, great news for Jack White, who sees not only his young protégé Loretta Lynn pick up an award for best album, but also gets to share the love with a best collaboration for the work he did with her. That's recording together, smutbuckets.

We're starting to get into the segment now where we have very little to offer but a floundering "Heh! Funny name!"

Field 9 — New Age
Category 44: Best New Age Album
* Returning Will Ackerman [Decca]
Field 10 — Jazz
Category 45: Best Contemporary Jazz Album
* Unspeakable - Bill Frisell [Nonesuch Records]

Category 46: Best Jazz Vocal Album
* R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) - Nancy Wilson [MCG Jazz]

Category 47: Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
* Speak Like A Child - Herbie Hancock, soloist
Track from: With All My Heart (Harvey Mason) [Bluebird]
Category 48: Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
* Illuminations - McCoy Tyner With Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride & Lewis Nash [Telarc Jazz]

Category 49: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
* Concert In The Garden - Maria Schneider Orchestra [ArtistShare]

Category 50: Best Latin Jazz Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Land Of The Sun - Charlie Haden [Verve International]

Field 11 — Gospel
Category 51: Best Gospel Performance
* Heaven Help Us All - Ray Charles & Gladys Knight Track from: Genius Loves Company [Concord Records/Hear Music]

...hey, it had the word Heaven in it, didn't it? Godfearin' folks like Ray, too...

Category 52: Best Rock Gospel Album
* Wire -Third Day [Essential Records]

Category 53: Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
* All Things New - Steven Curtis Chapman [Sparrow Records]

Category 54: Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album
* Worship & Faith - Randy Travis
[Word Records]

Category 55: Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album
* There Will Be A Light - Ben Harper & The Blind Boys Of Alabama [Virgin]

Category 56: Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
* Nothing Without You - Smokie Norful [EMI Gospel]

Category 57: Best Gospel Choir Or Chorus Album
* Live...This is Your House - Carol Cymbala, choir director; The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir [INO Records]

Without wanting to sound too cynical, we'd suggest that if you want to double your chances of Grammy success, it seems wise to include a line or two about the big guy upstairs - that way, if you bomb out in the categories done while everyone's still awake, you might pick up a spiritual award.

By the way, does anyone know if an Islamic album would qualify for these categories?

Field 12 — Latin
Category 58: Best Latin Pop Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Amar Sin Mentiras - Marc Anthony [Sony Discos]

Category 59: Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album(Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Street Signs - Ozomatli [Concord Records]

Category 60: Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album: (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* ¡Ahora Sí! Israel López "Cachao" [Univision Records]

Category 61: Best Salsa/Merengue Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Across 110th Street Spanish Harlem Orchestra Featuring Ruben Blades [Libertad Records]

Category 62: Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Intimamente Intocable [EMI Latin]

Category 63: Best Tejano Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Polkas, Gritos y Acordeónes David Lee Garza, Joel Guzman & Sunny Sauceda [Guzman Fox Records]

So, with a nice Grammy heading to Mr. Lopez, it's starting to look like Jenny might not be the talented one in the family.

Field 13 — Blues
Category 64: Best Traditional Blues Album: (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Blues To The Bone Etta James [RCA Victor]

Category 65: Best Contemporary Blues Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Keep It Simple Keb' Mo' [Epic/Okeh]

Field 14 — Folk
Category 66: Best Traditional Folk Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Beautiful Dreamer - The Songs Of Stephen Foster Various Artists
Steve Fishell, David Macias & Tamara Saviano, producers [American Roots Publishing]

Category 67: Best Contemporary Folk Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* The Revolution Starts...Now Steve Earle [Artemis Records/E-Squared]

Category 68: Best Native American Music Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Cedar Dream Songs - Bill Miller [Paras Recordings]

Category 69: Best Hawaiian Music Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Slack Key Guitar Volume 2 Various Artists Charles Michael Brotman, producer [Palm Records]

Field 15 — Reggae
Category 70: Best Reggae Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* True Love Toots & The Maytals [V2 Records]

Field 16 — World Music
Category 71: Best Traditional World Music Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Raise Your Spirit Higher Ladysmith Black Mambazo [Heads Up International]

Category 72: Best Contemporary World Music Album: (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Egypt Youssou N'Dour [Nonesuch]

Field 17 — Polka
Category 73: Best Polka Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)
* Let's Kiss: 25th Anniversary Album Brave Combo [DenTone]

Field 18 — Children's
Category 74: Best Musical Album For Children
* cELLAbration! A Tribute To Ella Jenkins Various Artists Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, producers [Smithsonian Folkways Recordings]

Category 75: Best Spoken Word Album For Children
* The Train They Call The City Of New Orleans Tom Chapin [Live Oak Media]

Field 19 — Spoken Word
Category 76: Best Spoken Word Album
* My Life Bill Clinton [Random House Audio]

Field 20 — Comedy
Category 77: Best Comedy Album
* The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents...America: A Citizen's Guide To Democracy Inaction Jon Stewart And The Cast Of The Daily Show [Time Warner Audiobooks]

Field 21 — Musical Show
Category 78: Best Musical Show Album
* Wicked Stephen Schwartz, producer; Stephen Schwartz, composer/lyricist (Original Broadway Cast Recording With Kristin Chenoweth & Idina Menzel) [Decca Broadway]

Field 22 — Film/TV/Visual Media
Category 79: Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
* Garden State Various Artists - Zach Braff, compilation producer [Epic/Sony Music Soundtrax/Fox Music]

Category 80: Best Score Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
* The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King
Howard Shore, composer (Howard Shore)
[Reprise/WMG Soundtracks]

Good god, is the Lord of the Freakin' Rings still winning prizes? Even the Oscars is over them by now, you know.

Category 81: Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
* Into The West (From The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King)
Annie Lennox, Howard Shore & Fran Walsh, songwriters (Annie Lennox)
Track from: The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King
[Reprise/WMG Soundtracks; Publishers: New Line Tunes/BMG Music Publishing.]

Field 23 — Composing/Arranging
Category 82: Best Instrumental Composition
* Merengue Paquito D'Rivera, composer (Yo-Yo Ma) Track from: Obrigado Brazil - Live In Concert [Sony Classical]

Category 83: Best Instrumental Arrangement
* Past Present & Future Slide Hampton, arranger (The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra) Track from: The Way - Music Of Slide Hampton [Planet Arts Recordings]

Category 84: Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
* Over The Rainbow Victor Vanacore, arranger (Ray Charles & Johnny Mathis)
Track from: Genius Loves Company [Concord Records/Hear Music]

Field 24 — Package
Category 85: Best Recording Package
* A Ghost Is Born Peter Buchanan-Smith & Dan Nadel, art directors (Wilco) [Nonesuch]

Category 86: Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
* Once In A Lifetime Stefan Sagmeister, art director (Talking Heads) [Sire/Warner Bros./Rhino Records]

Field 25 — Album Notes
Category 87: Best Album Notes
* The Complete Columbia Recordings Of Woody Herman And His Orchestra & Woodchoppers (1945-1947) Loren Schoenberg, album notes writer (Woody Herman & His Orchestra) [Mosaic Records]

Field 26 — Historical
Category 88: Best Historical Album
* Night Train To Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945-1970 Daniel Cooper & Michael Gray, compilation producers; Joseph M. Palmaccio & Alan Stoker, mastering engineers (Various Artists) [CMF/Lost Highway Records]

Field 27 — Production, Non-Classical
Category 89: Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
* Genius Loves Company Robert Fernandez, John Harris, Terry Howard, Pete Karam, Joel Moss, Seth Presant, Al Schmitt & Ed Thacker, engineers (Ray Charles & Various Artists) [Concord Records/Hear Music]

Category 90: Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
* John Shanks
• Autobiography (Ashlee Simpson) (A)
• Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson) (T)
• The First Cut Is The Deepest (Sheryl Crow) (T)
• Fly (Hilary Duff) (T)
• Shine Your Light (Robbie Robertson) (T)
• So-Called Chaos (Alanis Morissette) (A)

Category 91

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
* It's My Life (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) Jacques Lu Cont, remixer (No Doubt) Track from: The Singles 1992-2003 [Interscope Records]

Field 28 — Surround Sound
Category 92: Best Surround Sound Album
* Genius Loves Company Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Robert Hadley & Doug Sax, surround mastering engineers; John Burk, Phil Ramone & Herbert Waltl, surround producers (Ray Charles & Various Artists) [Concord Records/Hear Music]

Field 29 — Production, Classical
Category 93: Best Engineered Album, Classical
* Higdon: City Scape; Concerto For Orchestra Jack Renner, engineer (Robert Spano) [Telarc]

Category 94: Producer Of The Year, Classical
* David Frost

Field 30 — Classical
Category 95: Best Classical Album
* Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls Lorin Maazel, conductor; John Adams & Lawrence Rock, producers (Brooklyn Youth Chorus & New York Choral Artists; New York Philharmonic) [Nonesuch Records]

Category 96: Best Orchestral Performance
* Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls Lorin Maazel, conductor (Brooklyn Youth Chorus & New York Choral Artists; New York Philharmonic) [Nonesuch Records]
Still with us? Not long now...

Category 97: Best Opera Recording
* Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro René Jacobs, conductor; Patrizia Ciofi, Véronique Gens, Simon Keenlyside, Angelika Kirchschlager & Lorenzo Regazzo; Martin Sauer, producer (Various Artists; Concerto Köln) [Harmonia Mundi]

Category 98: Best Choral Performance
* Berlioz: Requiem Robert Spano, conductor; Norman Mackenzie, choir director (Frank Lopardo, tenor; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) [Telarc]

Category 99:Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra)
* Previn: Violin Concerto "Anne-Sophie"/Bernstein: Serenade André Previn, conductor; Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin (Boston Symphony Orchestra & London Symphony Orchestra) [Deutsche Grammophon]

Category 100: Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra)
* Aire Latino (Morel, Villa-Lobos, Ponce, Etc.) David Russell, guitar [Telarc]

Category 101: Best Chamber Music Performance
* Prokofiev (Arr. Pletnev): Cinderella - Suite For Two Pianos/Ravel: Ma Mère L'Oye Martha Argerich, piano & Mikhail Pletnev, piano [Deutsche Grammophon]

Category 102: Best Small Ensemble Performance (with or without Conductor)
* Carlos Chávez - Complete Chamber Music, Vol. 2 Jeff von der Schmidt, conductor; Southwest Chamber Music [Cambria Master Recordings]

Category 103: Best Classical Vocal Performance
* Ives: Songs (The Things Our Fathers Loved; The Housatonic At Stockbridge, Etc.) Susan Graham, mezzo soprano (Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano) Track from: Ives: Concord Sonata; Songs [Warner Classics]

Category 104: Best Classical Contemporary Composition
* Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls John Adams (Lorin Maazel; Brooklyn Youth Chorus & New York Choral Artists; New York Philharmonic) [Nonesuch Records; Publisher: Hendon Music.]

Category 105: Best Classical Crossover Album
* LAGQ's Guitar Heroes Los Angeles Guitar Quartet [Telarc]

Field 31 — Music Video
Category 106: Best Short Form Music Video
* Vertigo U2
Alex & Martin, video director; Grace Bodie, video producer
[Interscope Records]

Category 107: Best Long Form Music Video
* Concert For George
Various Artists
David Leland, video director; Ray Cooper, Olivia Harrison & Jon Kamen, video producers
[Warner Strategic Marketing]



And so the awards list ends on a "well done for dying prize" to George Harrison, and thus the cycle is completed. Does anyone else wonder at the prize for Vertigo, though? Obviously you'd expect us to complain as we don't think that much of U2, but considering the stuff they've done with videos in the past, this seemed lame by their standards.

It's nice, by the way, to see that Andre Previn still gets treated with respect despite his commercials for Fergusson tellies during the 80s.

music awards grammys