Recording Academy Announces 2024 Grammy Nominations

By DownBeat I Nov. 14, 2023

The 66th GRAMMY Awards will air live (8–11:30 p.m. ET) on Feb. 4 on CBS Television and stream on Paramount+.
(Photo: Courtesy grammy.com)

The Recording Academy has officially revealed the nominations for the 2024 Grammys, which will take place Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The 66th GRAMMY Awards, which will air live (8–11:30 p.m.) on CBS Television and stream on Paramount+, will include three new categories: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording. The additions are part of a larger set of updates and amendments that will go into effect immediately at the 2024 GRAMMYs, aimed at making the GRAMMY Awards process “more fair, transparent and accurate,” according to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.

Nominees in the category Best Jazz Performance (for new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative jazz recordings) include Movement 18’ (Heroes) by Jon Batiste; Basquiat by Lakecia Benjamin; Vulnerable (Live) by Adam Blackstone featuring The Baylor Project & Russell Ferranté; But Not For Me by Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding; and Tight by Samara Joy.

Nominees in the category Best Jazz Vocal Album include For Ella 2 by Patti Austin featuring Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band; Alive At The Village Vanguard by Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding; Lean In by Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke; Mélusine by Cécile McLorin Salvant; and How Love Begins by Nicole Zuraitis.

Best Jazz Instrumental Album nominees include The Source by Kenny Barron; Phoenix by Lakecia Benjamin; Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn by Adam Blackstone; The Winds Of Change by Billy Childs; and Dream Box by Pat Metheny.

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album nominees include The Chick Corea Symphony Tribute–RITMO by Adda Simfònica, Josep Vicent, Emilio Solla, et al.; Dynamic Maximum Tension by Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society; Basie Swings The Blues by The Count Basie Orchestra Directed By Scotty Barnhart; Olympians by Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest; and The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions  by the Mingus Big Band.

In the category Best Latin Jazz Album, nominees include Quietude by Eliane Elias; My Heart Speaks by Ivan Lins with the Tblisi Symphony Orchestra; Vox Humana by Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band; Cometa by Luciana Souza & Trio Corrente; and El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 by Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo.

In the category Best Alternative Jazz Album, nominees include Love In Exile by Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily; Quality Over Opinion by Louis Cole; SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree by Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter and SuperBlue; Live At The Piano by Cory Henry; and The Omnichord Real Book by Meshell Ndegeocello.

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album nominees include To Steve With Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim by Liz Callaway; Pieces Of Treasure by Rickie Lee Jones; Bewitched by Laufey; Holidays Around The World by Pentatonix; Only The Strong Survive by Bruce Springsteen; and Sondheim Unplugged (The NYC Sessions), Vol. 3 by various artists.

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album nominees include As We Speak by Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer, featuring Rakesh Chaurasia; On Becoming by House Of Waters; Jazz Hands by Bob James; The Layers by Julian Lage; and All One by Ben Wendel.

Best Traditional Blues Album nominees include Ridin’ by Eric Bibb; The Soul Side Of Sipp by Mr. Sipp; Life Don’t Miss Nobody by Tracy Nelson; Teardrops For Magic Slim Live At Rosa’s Lounge by John Primer; and All My Love For You by Bobby Rush.

In the Best Contemporary Blues Album category, nominees include Death Wish Blues by Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton; Healing Time by Ruthie Foster; Live In London by Christone “Kingfish” Ingram; Blood Harmony by Larkin Poe; and LaVette! by Bettye LaVette.

In the category Best American Roots Performance, nominees include Butterfly by Jon Batiste; Heaven Help Us All by The Blind Boys Of Alabama; Inventing The Wheel by Madison Cunningham; You Louisiana Man by Rhiannon Giddens; and Eve Was Black by Allison Russell.

Best Regional Roots Music Album nominees include New Beginnings by Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & the Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band; Live At The 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival by Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers; Live: Orpheum Theater Nola by Lost Bayou Ramblers and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra; Made In New Orleans by New Breed Brass Band; Too Much To Hold by New Orleans Nightcrawlers; and Live At The Maple Leaf by The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.

Best Global Music Performance nominees include Shadow Forces by Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily; Alone by Burna Boy; FEEL by Davido; Milagro Y Disastre by Silvana Estrada; Abundance In Millets by Falu & Gaurav Shah (featuring PM Narendra Modi); Pashto by Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain featuring Rakesh Chaurasia; and Todo Colores by Ibrahim Maalouf featuring Cimafunk & Tank and the Bangas.

Nominees in the category Best African Music Performance include Amapiano by ASAKE & Olamide; City Boys by Burna Boy; UNAVAILABLE  by Davido featuring Musa Keys; Rush by Ayra Starr; and Water by Tyla.

Nominees in the Best Global Music Album category include Epifanías by Susana Baca; History by Bokanté; I Told Them… by Burna Boy; Timeless by Davido; and This Moment by Shakti.

Best Instrumental Composition nominees include “Amerikkan Skin” by Lakecia Benjamin (Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Angela Davis); “Can You Hear The Music” by Ludwig Göransson (Ludwig Göransson); “Cutey And The Dragon” by Gordon Goodwin & Raymond Scott (Quartet San Francisco featuring Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band); “Helena’s Theme” by John Williams (John Williams); and “Motion” by Edgar Meyer (Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain featuring Rakesh Chaurasia).

In the category Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, nominees include “Angels We Have Heard On High” by Nkosilathi Emmanuel Sibanda (Just 6); “Can You Hear The Music” by Ludwig Göransson (Ludwig Göransson); “Folsom Prison Blues” by John Carter Cash, Tommy Emmanuel, Markus Illko, Janet Robin and Roberto Luis Rodriguez (The String Revolution Featuring Tommy Emmanuel); “I Remember Mingus” by Hilario Duran (Hilario Duran And His Latin Jazz Big Band Featuring Paquito D’Rivera); and “Paint It Black” by Esin Aydingoz, Chris Bacon and Alana Da Fonseca (Wednesday Addams).

In the category Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals, nominees include “April In Paris” by Gordon Goodwin (Patti Austin featuring Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band); “Com Que Voz (Live)” by John Beasley and Maria Mendes (Maria Mendes featuring John Beasley & Metropole Orkest); “Fenestra” by Godwin Louis (Cécile McLorin Salvant); “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning” by Erin Bentlage, Jacob Collier, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick and Amanda Taylor (säje featuring Jacob Collier); and “Lush Life” by Kendric McCallister (Samara Joy).

For more information on the 2024 Grammy Awards, click here. DB