Jay Z leads Grammy Nominees

buzzz worthy. . .

                     

JAY Z LEADS NOMINATIONS WITH NINE;

KENDRICK LAMAR, MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, AND PHARRELL WILLIAMS EACH EARN SEVEN;

DRAKE AND BOB LUDWIG EACH GARNER FIVE   

SARA BAREILLES, DAFT PUNK, KENDRICK LAMAR, MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS, AND TAYLOR SWIFT VIE FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR AT THE 56TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS®

JAN. 26, 2014, LIVE ON CBS

Hip Hop's Jay Z  leads Grammy Award nominations with nine, but Album of the Year is not one of them.  That category includes entertainers from a cross polarization of genres: two new hip-hop stars (Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis), a "poptry" sweetheart (Taylor Swift), a returning female pop purist (Sarah Barielles) and a French electronica band (Daft Punk).  

Barielles laned her place in  eh coveted category without the chart rankings of other contenders, leaving Kanye's "Yeezus" and Timberlake's "20/20" searching for a place in other categories.

Small town girl, Tasha Cobbs from Jesup, GA is the only woman among the men vying for the Best Gospel album title. 

Macklemore and Lewis, Lamar, Pharrell William and Justin Timberlake were nominated for seven Grammys.

Jay Z and Timberlake  premiered Suit & Tie from Justin's comeback CD on last year's Grammys.   He and Jay Z were mainly nominated in genre specific categories.  Jay Z  get a nod for Best Rap Album of the Year.

Winners will be announced live form the Staple Center in Los Angeles, CA on January 26, 2014, two weeks earlier than it has aired in previous years.

"The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night," hosted by two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J featured the announcement of nominations in several categories as well as performances by Lorde; Macklemore & Ryan Lewis; Miguel and Keith        Urban; Katy Perry; Taylor Swift; and Robin Thicke with T.I and members of Earth, Wind, & Fire. Presenters included Melissa Etheridge, Arsenio Hall, Enrique Iglesias, Pauley Perrette, Kelly Rowland, and Ed Sheeran.

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 06, 2013) — Nominations for the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards® were announced tonight by The Recording Academy® and reflected one of the most diverse years with the Album Of The Year category alone representing the rap, pop, country and dance/electronica genres, as determined by the voting members of The Academy. Once again, nominations in select categories for the annual GRAMMY Awards were announced on primetime television as part of "The GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night®," a one-hour CBS entertainment special broadcast live from Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE. The 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on "GRAMMY Sunday," Jan. 26, 2014, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook. For a complete nominations list, please visit www.grammy.com.    

Jay Z tops the nominations with nine; Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Justin Timberlake, and Pharrell Williams each garner seven nods; Drake and mastering engineer Bob Ludwig are up for five awards.

"This year's nominations reflect the talented community of music makers who represent some of the highest levels of excellence and artistry of the year in their respective fields," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "Once again, The Academy's awards process and its voting membership have produced an impressive list of nominations across various genres promising music fans a spectacular show filled with stellar performances and unique 'GRAMMY Moments.' We are off to a great start and look forward to GRAMMY Sunday as Music's Biggest Night takes the stage."

Following is a sampling of nominations in 82 categories from the GRAMMY Awards' 30 Fields:

GENERAL FIELD

Album Of The Year:

The Blessed Unrest — Sara Bareilles

Random Access Memories — Daft Punk

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar

The Heist — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Red — Taylor Swift

Record Of The Year:

"Get Lucky" — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams

"Radioactive" — Imagine Dragons

"Royals" — Lorde

"Locked Out Of Heaven" — Bruno Mars

"Blurred Lines" — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams

Song Of The Year:

"Just Give Me A Reason" — Jeff Bhasker, Pink & Nate Ruess, songwriters (Pink Featuring Nate Ruess)

"Locked Out Of Heaven" — Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

"Roar" — Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry & Henry Walter, songwriters (Katy Perry)

"Royals" — Joel Little & Ella Yelich O'Connor, songwriters (Lorde)

"Same Love" — Ben Haggerty, Mary Lambert & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert)

Best New Artist:

James Blake

Kendrick Lamar

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Kacey Musgraves

Ed Sheeran

POP FIELD

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Brave" — Sara Bareilles 

"Royals" — Lorde 

"When I Was Your Man" — Bruno Mars 

"Roar" — Katy Perry

"Mirrors" — Justin Timberlake

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Get Lucky" — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams

"Just Give Me A Reason" — Pink Featuring Nate Ruess

"Stay" — Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko

"Blurred Lines" — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams 

"Suit & Tie" — Justin Timberlake & Jay Z 

DANCE FIELD

Best Dance/Electronica Album:

Random Access Memories — Daft Punk

Settle — Disclosure

18 Months — Calvin Harris

Atmosphere — Kaskade

A Color Map Of The Sun — Pretty Lights

ROCK FIELD

Best Rock Performance:

"Always Alright" — Alabama Shakes

"The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" — David Bowie

"Radioactive" — Imagine Dragons

"Kashmir" (Live) — Led Zeppelin

"My God Is The Sun" — Queens Of The Stone Age

"I'm Shakin'" — Jack White

Best Rock Album:

13 — Black Sabbath

The Next Day — David Bowie

Mechanical Bull — Kings Of Leon

Celebration Day — Led Zeppelin

…Like Clockwork — Queens Of The Stone Age

Psychedelic Pill — Neil Young With Crazy Horse

ALTERNATIVE FIELD

Best Alternative Music Album:

The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You — Neko Case

Trouble Will Find Me — The National

Hesitation Marks — Nine Inch Nails

Lonerism — Tame Impala

Modern Vampires Of The City — Vampire Weekend

R&B FIELD

Best R&B Performance:

"Love And War" — Tamar Braxton

"Best Of Me" — Anthony Hamilton

"Nakamarra" — Hiatus Kaiyote Featuring Q-Tip

"How Many Drinks?" — Miguel Featuring Kendrick Lamar

"Something" — Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway

Best Urban Contemporary Album:

Love And War — Tamar Braxton

Side Effects Of You — Fantasia

One: In The Chamber — Salaam Remi

Unapologetic — Rihanna

New York: A Love Story — Mack Wilds

Best R&B Album:

R&B Divas — Faith Evans

Girl On Fire — Alicia Keys

Love In The Future — John Legend

Better — Chrisette Michele

Three Kings — TGT

RAP FIELD

Best Rap Performance:

"Started From The Bottom" — Drake

"Berzerk" — Eminem

"Tom Ford" —  Jay Z

"Swimming Pools (Drank)" — Kendrick Lamar

"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:

"Power Trip" — J.Cole Featuring Miguel

"Part II (On The Run)" — Jay Z Featuring Beyoncé

"Holy Grail" — Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake  

"Now Or Never" — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Mary J. Blige

"Remember You" — Wiz Khalifa Featuring The Weeknd

Best Rap Album:

Nothing Was The Same — Drake

Magna Carta…Holy Grail — Jay Z

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar

The Heist — Macklemore  & Ryan Lewis

Yeezus — Kanye West

COUNTRY FIELD

Best Country Solo Performance:

"I Drive Your Truck" — Lee Brice

"I Want Crazy" — Hunter Hayes           

"Mama's Broken Heart" — Miranda Lambert

"Wagon Wheel" — Darius Rucker

"Mine Would Be You" — Blake Shelton

Best Country Album:

Night Train — Jason Aldean

Two Lanes Of Freedom — Tim McGraw

Same Trailer Different Park — Kacey Musgraves

Based On A True Story — Blake Shelton

Red — Taylor Swift

JAZZ FIELD 

Best Jazz Instrumental Album:

Guided Tour — The New Gary Burton Quartet

Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue — Terri Lyne Carrington

Life Forum — Gerald Clayton

Pushing The World Away — Kenny Garrett

Out Here — Christian McBride Trio

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC FIELD 

Best Gospel Album:

Grace (Live) — Tasha Cobbs

Best For Last: 20 Year Celebration Vol. 1 — Donald Lawrence

Best Days Yet — Bishop Paul S. Morton

God Chaser (Live) — William Murphy

Greater Than (Live) — Tye Tribbett

LATIN FIELD

Best Tropical Latin Album:

3.0 — Marc Anthony

Como Te Voy A Olvidar — Los Angeles Azules

Pacific Mambo Orchestra — Pacific Mambo Orchestra

Sergio George Presents Salsa Giants — Various Artists

Corazón Profundo — Carlos Vives

AMERICAN ROOTS FIELD 

Best Americana Album:

Old Yellow Moon — Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell

Love Has Come For You — Steve Martin & Edie Brickell

Buddy And Jim — Buddy Miller And Jim Lauderdale

One True Vine — Mavis Staples

Songbook — Allen Toussaint

COMEDY FIELD

Best Comedy Album:

Calm Down Gurrl — Kathy Griffin

I'm Here To Help — Craig Ferguson

A Little Unprofessional — Ron White

Live — Tig Notaro

That's What I'm Talkin' About — Bob Saget

This year's Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical nominations go to Rob Cavallo, Dr. Luke, Ariel Rechtshaid, Jeff Tweedy, and Pharrell Williams.

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC 

Best Gospel Album:
Grace (Live) — Tasha Cobbs
Best For Last: 20 Year Celebration Vol. 1 — Donald Lawrence
Best Days Yet — Bishop Paul S. Morton
God Chaser (Live) — William Murphy
Greater Than (Live) — Tye Tribbett

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance
"Break Every Chain [Live]" --Tasha Cobbs
"Hurricane" -- Natalie Grant
"Lord, I Need You" -- Matt Maher
"Overcomer" -- Mandisa
"If He Did It Before... Same God [Live]" -- Tye Tribbett

Best Gospel Song
"Have Your Way" -- Calvin Frazier & Deitrick Haddon, songwriters (Deitrick Haddon)
"If He Did It Before... Same God [Live]" -- Tye Tribbett, songwriter (Tye Tribbett)
"If I Believe" -- Wirlie Morris, Michael Paran, Charlie Wilson & Mahin Wilson, songwriters (Charlie Wilson)
"A Little More Jesus" -- Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell & Warryn Campbell, songwriters (Erica Campbell)
"Still" -- Percy Bady, songwriter (Percy Bady Featuring Lowell Pye)

Best Contemporary Christian Music Song
"Hurricane" -- Matt Bronleewe, Natalie Grant & Cindy Morgan, songwriters (Natalie Grant)
"Love Take Me Over" -- Steven Curtis Chapman, songwriter (Steven Curtis Chapman)
"Overcomer" -- David Garcia, Ben Glover & Christopher Stevens, songwriters (Mandisa)
"Speak Life" -- Toby McKeehan, Jamie Moore & Ryan Stevenson, songwriters (Tobymac)
"Whom Shall I Fear (God Of Angel Armies)" -- Ed Cash, Scott Cash & Chris Tomlin, songwriters (Chris Tomlin)

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
"We Won't Be Shaken" -- Building 429
"All The People Said Amen [Live]" -- Matt Maher
"Overcomer" -- Mandisa
"Your Grace Finds Me (Live)" -- Matt Redman
"Burning Lights" Chris Tomlin

This year's GRAMMY Awards process registered more than 22,000 submissions over a 12-month eligibility period (Oct. 1, 2012 – Sept. 30, 2013). GRAMMY ballots for the final round of voting will be mailed on Dec. 11 to the voting members of The Recording Academy. They are due back to the accounting firm of Deloitte by Jan. 8, 2014, when they will be tabulated and the results kept secret until the 56th GRAMMY telecast.

The 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer, and Louis J. Horvitz is director.

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