GRAMMY WATCH – Musical Theater Album, Soundtrack, Composition and Arranging Categories – My Picks and Predictions

Here are my picks and predictions for the above mentioned categories for The 58th Annual Grammy Awards.

Best Musical Theater Album
• An American In Paris
      Leanne Cope, Max Von Essen, Robert Fairchild, Jill Paice and Brandon Uranowitz, principal soloists; Rob Fisher and Scott Lehrer, producers (George Gershwin, composer; Ira Gershwin, lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)
      [Masterworks Broadway]

• Fun Home
      Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn, Sydney Lucas, Beth Malone and Emily Skeggs, principal soloists; Philip Chaffin and Tommy Krasker, producers (Jeanine Tesori, composer; Lisa Kron, lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)
      [PS Classics]

• Hamilton
      Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos and Phillipa Soo, principal soloists; Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bill Sherman, Ahmir Thompson and Tarik Trotter, producers; Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer and lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
      [Atlantic]

• The King And I
      Ruthie Ann Miles, Kelli O'Hara, Ashley Park, Conrad Ricamora and Ken Watanabe, principal soloists; David Caddick, David Lai and Ted Sperling, producers (Richard Rodgers, composer; Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist) (2015 Broadway Cast)
      [Universal Music Classics]

• Something Rotten!
      Heidi Blickenstaff, Christian Borle, John Cariani, Brian d'Arcy James, Brad Oscar and Kate Reinders, principal soloists; Kurt Deutsch, Karey Kirkpatrick, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Lawrence Manchester, Kevin McCollum and Phil Reno, producers; Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick, composers/lyricists (Originial Broadway Cast)
      [Ghostlight]

My Pick: THE KING AND I

My Prediction: FUN HOME

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Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
• Empire: Season 1
      (Various Artists)
      [Columbia]

• Fifty Shades Of Grey
      (Various Artists)
      [Republic Records]

• Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
      (Various Artists)
      [Big Machine Records]

• Pitch Perfect 2
      (Various Artists)
      [Universal Music Enterprises/Republic Records]

• Selma
      (Various Artists)
      [Paramount Pictures/Pathé Productions]

My Pick and Prediction: EMPIRE: SEASON 1

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Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
• Birdman
      Antonio Sanchez, composer
      [Milan Records]

• The Imitation Game
      Alexandre Desplat, composer
      [Sony Classical]

• Interstellar
      Hans Zimmer, composer
      [WaterTower Music]

• The Theory Of Everything
      Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer
      [Back Lot Music]

• Whiplash
      Justin Hurwitz, composer
      [Varèse Sarabande]

My Pick: WHIPLASH

My Prediction: BIRDMAN

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Best Song Written For Visual Media
• Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
      Ahmad Balshe, Stephan Moccio, Jason Quenneville and Abel Tesfaye, songwriters (The Weeknd)
      Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey
      [Universal Studios/Republic Records; Publisher(s): SONGS Music Publishing, LLC, o/b/o Songs Of SMP, Songs Of Universal, Inc. and Sing Little Penguin, Universal Music Corp, CP Music Group, Inc., Universal Pictures Music and UPG Music Publishing]

• Glory
      Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith and John Stephens, songwriters (Common and John Legend)
      Track from: Selma
      [Def Jam/ARTium Records; Publisher(s): Paramount Pictures/Pathé Productions Limited]

• Love Me Like You Do
      Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Tove Nilsson, Ali Payami and Ilya Salmanzadeh, songwriters (Ellie Goulding)
      Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey
      [Republic Records; Publisher(s): MXM admin. by Kobalt, Wolf Cousin/Warner/Chappell Music SCAND, Shellbeck Industries, Universal Pictures Music]

• See You Again
      Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth and Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)
      Track from: Furious 7
      [Atlantic; Publisher(s): Artist Publishing Group West/J Franks Publishing/Andrew Cedar Publishing admin. by WB Music Corp./Wiz Khalifa Publishing admin. by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Charlie Puth Music Publishing/Artist 101 Publishing Group admin. by Warner Chappell Music, Universal Pictures Music, UPG Music Publishing]

• Til It Happens To You
      Lady Gaga and Diane Warren, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
      Track from: The Hunting Ground
      [Streamline/Interscope; Publisher(s): Diane Warren Trust d/b/a REALSONGS/Sony ATV songs LLC/House of Gaga Publishing Inc./GloJoe Music Inc.]

My Pick: SEE YOU AGAIN …and I am mad that it isn’t nominated for an Oscar, damn it!

My Prediction: GLORY …after all, it did win the Oscar and it IS an anthem, no doubt – very deserved.

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Best Instrumental Composition
• The Afro Latin Jazz Suite
      Arturo O'Farrill, composer (Arturo O'Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa)
      Track from: Cuba: The Conversation Continues
      [Motema Music]

• Civil War
      Bob Mintzer, composer (Bob Mintzer Big Band)
      Track from: Get Up!
      [MCG Jazz]

• Confetti Man
      David Balakrishnan, composer (Turtle Island Quartet)
      Track from: Confetti Man
      [Azica Records]

• Neil
      Rich DeRosa, composer (University Of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band)
      Track from: Lab 2015
      [North Texas Jazz]

• Vesper
      Marshall Gilkes, composer (Marshall Gilkes and WDR Big Band)
      Track from: Köln
      [Alternate Side Records]

My Pick and Prediction: THE AFRO LATIN JAZZ SUITE

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Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
• Bruno Mars
      Paul Allen, Troy Hayes, Evin Martin and J Moss, arrangers (Vocally Challenged)
      [PMG Records]

• Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
      Ben Bram, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstin Maldonado and Kevin Olusola, arrangers (Pentatonix)
      Track from: That's Christmas To Me
      [RCA Records]

• Do You Hear What I Hear?
      Armand Hutton, arranger (Committed)
      Track from: Home For Christmas
      [Mixed Bag Music Group, LLC.]

• Ghost Of A Chance
      Bob James, arranger (Bob James and Nathan East)
      Track from: The New Cool
      [Yamaha Entertainment Group Of America]

• You And The Night And The Music
      John Fedchock, arranger (John Fedchock New York Big Band)
      Track from: Like It Is
      [Mama Records]

My Pick and Prediction: DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY …come on, it’s Pentatonix already!

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Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
• Be My Muse
      Shelly Berg, arranger (Lorraine Feather)
      [Jazzed Media]

• 52nd & Broadway
      Patrick Williams, arranger (Patrick Williams Featuring Patti Austin)
      Track from: Home Suite Home
      [BFM Jazz]

• Garota De Ipanema
      Otmaro Ruiz, arranger (Catina DeLuna Featuring Otmaro Ruiz)
      Track from: Catina Deluna Lado B Brazilian Project Featuring Otmaro Ruiz
      [Catina DeLuna]

• Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)
      Maria Schneider, arranger (David Bowie)
      Track from: Nothing Has Changed
      [Legacy/Columbia]

• When I Come Home
      Jimmy Greene, arranger (Jimmy Greene With Javier Colon)
      Track from: Beautiful Life
      [Mack Avenue Records]

My Pick and Prediction: SUE (OR A SEASON OF CRIME) …David Bowie is a legend, as well as the elephant in the room in this category. Maria Schneider may as well clear her mantle-top to make room for it.

THE 58^TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be telecast live on CBS, Monday February 15, 2016 at 8PM/EST – PM/PST.  For everything GRAMMY, including a Full List of this year’s Nominees visit their website at http://www.grammy.com/

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