SHATTA WALE, MANIFEST, MR EAZI, BURNA BOY, ANGELIQUE KIDJO OTHERS IN GRAMMY 2019 NOMINATION

Burna Boy has earned his first-ever nomination in the (albeit dubious) ‘Best World Music’ category for his celebrated album African Giant which features Ghanaian Rapper Manifest among others. Speaking with Grammy.com about the vision for the album back in August, the artist said: My vision is just to…shine a light on a place and on people and a situation and everything that there hasn’t been a light on for a long time.”

In that same category is three-time Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo for her album Celia, which pays homage to the late Afro-Cuban legend Celia Cruz. Burna and Kidjo worked together on the track “Different” from African Giant.

Also nominated for Best World Music category are Nathalie Joachim With Spektral Quartet for their release Fanm D’ayiti (Women of Haiti), Bokanté & Metropole Orkest (conducted by Jules Buckley) and Turkish rock band Altin Gün.

Also nominated for his work on J Balvin and Bad Bunny’s Oasis is Mr Eazi. Several artists including Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade and Shatta Wale are nominated alongside Beyoncé for their work on her The Lion King: The Gift album, which was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album amongst others.

Funnyman Trevor Noah, who recently became the first African artist to sell-out Madison Square Garden, also earned a nomination in the Best Comedy Album category for “Sticks and Stones.”

Rapper, singer and flautist Lizzo is the most nominated artist with nine to her name. While the Grammy’s are often criticised for nominating the same African artists (and lumping them into one eye roll-worthy category known as the “Best World Music”) the inclusion of African Giant and other works from African does reflect an acknowledgement of the cultural influence of contemporary African pop music.

The 2020 Grammys are scheduled to air on January 26. See the full list of nominees below:

Album of the Year

Bon Iver – i,i
Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep,, Where Do We Go?
H.E.R. – I Used to Know Her
Lil Nas X – 7
Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride

Record of the Year

Bon Iver – Hey Ma
Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
Ariana Grande – 7 rings
H.E.R. – Hard Place
Khalid – Talk
Lil Nas X – Old Town Road
Lizzo – Truth Hurts
Post Malone – Sunflower

Song of the Year

Lady Gaga – Always Remember Us This Way
Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
Brandi Carlile – Bring My Flowers Now
H.E.R. – Hard Place
Taylor Swift – Lover
Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell
Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
Lizzo – Truth Hurts

Best New Artist

Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalía
Tank and the Bangas
Yola

Pop

Best Pop Solo Performance
Beyoncé – Spirit
Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
Ariana Grande – 7 rings
Lizzo – Truth Hurts
Taylor Swift – You Need to Calm Down

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Ariana Grande & the Social House – Boyfriend
The Jonas Brothers – Sucker
Lil Nas X – Old Town Road [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus] Post Malone – Sunflower [ft. Swae Lee] Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – Señorita

Best Pop Vocal Album
Beyoncé – The Lion King: The Gift
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Ariana Grande – thank u, next
Ed Sheeran – No.6 Collaborations Project
Taylor Swift – Lover

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Andrea Bocelli – Sì
Michael Bublé – Love (Deluxe Edition)
Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Look Now
John Legend – A Legendary Christmas
Barbra Streisand – Walls

Rap

Best Rap Album
Dreamville – Revenge of the Dreamers III
Meek Mill – Championships
21 Savage – I Am > I Was
Tyler, the Creator – IGOR
YBN Cordae – The Lost Boy

Best Rap Song
YBN Cordae – Bad Idea [ft. Chance the Rapper] Rick Ross – Gold Roses [ft. Drake] 21 Savage – A Lot [ft. J. Cole] Nipsey Hussle – Racks in the Middle [ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy] DaBaby – Suge

Best Rap Performance
J. Cole – Middle Child DaBaby – Suge Dreamville – Down Bad [ft. J.I.D., Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG, Young Nudy] Nipsey Hussle – Racks in the Middle [ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy] Offset – Clout [ft. Cardi B]

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
DJ Khaled – Higher [ft. Nipsey Hussle and John Legend] Lil Baby and Gunna – Drip Too Hard
Lil Nas X – Panini
Mustard – Ballin [ft. Roddy Ricch] Young Thug – The London [ft. J. Cole and Travis Scott]

Rock

Best Rock Performance
Bones UK – Pretty Waste
Gary Clark Jr. – This Land
Brittany Howard – History Repeats
Karen O & Danger Mouse – Woman
Rival Sons – Too Bad

Best Metal Performance
Candlemass – Astorolus – The Great Octopus [ft. Tony Iommi] Death Angel – Humanicide
I Prevail – Bow Down
Killswitch Engage – Unleashed
Tool – 7empest

Best Rock Song
Tool – Fear Inoculum
The 1975 – Give Yourself a Try
Vampire Weekend – Harmony Hall
Brittany Howard – History Repeats
Gary Clark Jr. – This Land

Best Rock Album
Bring Me the Horizon – amo
Cage the Elephant – Social Cues
The Cranberries – In the End
I Prevail – Trauma
Rival Sons – Feral Roots

Best Alternative Music Album
Big Thief – U.F.O.F.
James Blake – Assume Form
Bon Iver – i,i
Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
Thom Yorke – Anima

R&B

Best R&B Performance
Daniel Caesar – Love Again [ft. Brandy] H.E.R. – Could’ve Been [ft. Bryson Tiller] Lizzo – Exactly How I Feel [ft. Gucci Mane] Lucky Daye – Roll Some Mo
Anderson .Paak – Come Home [ft. Andre 3000]

Best Traditional R&B Performance
Bj the Chicago Kid – Time Today
India.Arie- Steady Love
Lizzo – Jerome
Lucky Daye – Real Games
PJ Morton – Built for Love [ft. Jazmine Sullivan]

Best R&B Song
H.E.R. – Could’ve Been [ft. Bryson Tiller] Emily King – Look At Me Now
Chris Brown – No Guidance [ft. Drake] Lucky Daye – Roll Some Mo
PJ Morton – Say So [ft. JoJo]

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Steve Lacy – Apollo XXI
Liz – Cuz I Love You
Georgia Anne Muldrow – Overload
Nao – Saturn
Jessie Reyez – Being Human in Public

Best R&B Album
BJ the Chicago Kid – 1123
Lucy Daye – Painted
Ella Mai – Ella Mai
PJ Morton – Paul
Anderson .Paak – Ventura

Dance

Best Dance Recording
Bonobo – Linked
The Chemical Brothers – Got to Keep On
Medusa – Piece of Your Heart [ft. Goodboys] RÜFÜS DU SOL – Underwater
Skrillex and Boys Noize – Midnight Hour [ft. Ty Dolla $ign]

Best Dance/Electronic Album
Apparat – LP5
The Chemical Brothers – No Geography
Flume – Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Solace
Tyco – Weather

Comedy

Best Comedy Album
Jim Gaffigan – Quality Time
Ellen DeGeneres – Relatable
Aziz Ansari – Right Now
Trevor Noah – Son of Patricia
Dave Chapelle – Sticks and Stones

Remix

Best Remixed Recording
Madonna – I Rise (Tracy Young’s Pride Intro Radio Remix)
Miley Cyrus – Mother’s Daughter (Wuki Remix)
Jorja Smith – The One (High Contrast Remix)
Mild Minds – Swim (Ford. Remix)
Maria Davidson – Work It (Soulwax Remix)

Music for Visual Media

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Various Artists – The Lion King: The Songs
Various Artists – Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Taron Egerton – Rocketman
Various Artists – Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Alan Silvestri – Avengers: Endgame
Hildur Guðnadóttir – Chernobyl
Ramin Djawadi – Game of Thrones: Season 8
Hans Zimmer – The Lion King
Marc Shaiman – Mary Poppins Returns

Best Song Written for Visual Media
Chris Stapleton – The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy
Dolly Parton and Linda Perry – Girl in the Movies
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version)
Beyoncé – Spirit
Thom Yorke – Suspirium

Packaging

Best Recording Package
Voces Del Bullerengue – Anónimas & Resilientes
Chris Cornell – Chris Cornell
The Muddy Basin Ramblers – Hold That Tiger
Bon Iver – i,i
Intellexual – Intellexual

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
Thom Yorke – Anima
David Gray – Gold in Brass Age
John Coltrane – 1963: New Directions
Wilhelm Furtwängler & Berliner Philharmoniker – The Radio Recordings 1939-1945
Various Artists – Woodstock: Back to the Garden – The Definitive 50th Anniversary

Best Album Notes
The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions – Judy Cantor-Navas
The Gospel According to Malaco – Robert Maravich
Pedal Steel + Four Corners – Brendan Greaves
Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection – Jeff Place
Stay ’68: A Memphis Story – Steve Greenberg

Producer

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
John Hill
Finneas
Ricky Reed

Music Video/Film

Best Music Video
The Chemical Brothers – We’ve Got to Try
Gary Clark Jr. – This Land
FKA Twigs – Cellophane
Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Official Movie)
Tove Lo – Glad He’s Gone

Best Music Film
Beyoncé – Homecoming
David Crosby – Remember My Name
Miles Davis – Birth of the Cool
Various Artists – Shangri-La
Thom Yorke – Anima