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
~
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]
~
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 58TH 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/
