The 2025 Tony Award Winners

HAMILTON - Hit Broadway Musical Rocks the Grammys

In an awesome and historical performance, the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda and company from the hit, Broadway musical Hamilton just rocked the Grammy stage from the Richard Rodgers Theater and the went on to win Best Musical Theater Album to boot.

BRAVO!

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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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

~

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

~

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

~

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.

~

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

~

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!

~

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/

Check us out on YouTube – Please Subscribe (It’s Free!)
http://www.youtube.com/cassone2007
Check out Antonio Cassone’s Author Page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003OC3MME
Thank YOU!

GRAMMY WATCH - Children's, Spoken Word & Comedy Categories - Picks & Predicitions

IF I were a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), this would be my niche field of expertise. I have to admit, as the years have gone by these categories have gotten much broader and more competitive. They certainly offer up Grammy choices to some of the finest actors and comedians...people who one would not normally consider a Grammy Award contender.

Best Musical Album For Children

The fact that 91 year old Pete Seeger is still effectively making music is worthy of an award in and of itself. I think he will win here, no problem.

My Pick & Prediction:

TOMORROW'S CHILDREN

Pete Seeger With The Rivertown Kids And Friends

[Appleseed]

Best Spoken Word Album For Children

This looks to be a showdown between two British dames. Emma Thompson is nominated for her whimsical reading of Nanny McPhee Returns, but Julie Andrews project pretty much covered her life's work and impressed me more. I think the Academy will reward her for her efforts.

My Pick & Prediction:

JULIE ANDREWS' COLLECTION OF POEMS, SONGS,

AND LULLABIES

Julie Andrews & Emma Walton Hamilton

[Hachette Audio]

Best Spoken Word Album

This is a very competitive category this year, and the material covers such a wide variety one has to think when predicting these categories who in the Academy has selected Spoken Word as one of their niches. If it is the younger voters, Sarah Silverman and Craig Ferguson have an edge. Elder Academy members may vote Carol Burnett or Woody Allen's way. Those in the middle, or with a vast taste for all things young, old and in between may give it to Jon Stewart or Michael J. Fox. Plus, Fox is always, always a sentimental favorite for his fight with Parkinson's. Just about anything he has been nominated for this past decade he has won - and I think he will win here as well. Though, part of me hopes I am wrong, because I am always lead to wonder if he is winning because the work is actually good - or because of his condition.

My Pick:

THIS TIME TOGETHER: LAUGHTER AND REFLECTION

Carol Burnett [Random House Audio]

My Prediction:

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE

FUTURE...

Michael J. Fox [Hyperion Audio]

Best Comedy Album

This category has a who's who in today's comedy. All of these albums will have you rolling on the floor in laughter in some spots and most have a companion DVD. Flight of the Conchords has an edge, being the only predominantly musical choice. The other four: Margaret Cho, Kathy Griffin, Lewis Black and Robin Williams spoken word feats showcase some amazing writing - and, most importantly, delivery skills. Kudos to all five, because this category had lost its luster for awhile. It is definitely back!

My Pick:

CHO DEPENDENT

Margaret Cho [Clownery Records]

My Prediction:

5. WEAPONS OF SELF DESTRUCTION

Robin Williams [Columbia Records]

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will be telecast live on CBS on Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 8pm, EST. To get complete coverage and see the complete list of nominees, please visit the Grammy website.