BMI Writers Receive Multiple GRAMMY Nominations
2015 proved to be another explosive year for BMI songwriters. In advance of the 58th Annual GRAMMY awards, BMI is very proud to congratulate all of our many affiliates who have earned impressive nominations for their musical contributions across a wide range of genres, including Taylor Swift and Maroon 5 for pop, Alabama Shakes and Foo Fighters for rock, J. Cole and Nicki Minaj for rap, and Little Big Town, Ashley Monroe and Kacey Musgraves for country.
Multiple nominee Taylor Swift’s ascendance as a pop titan was reinforced by her efforts this year, as she’s up for an incredible seven awards, including Best Pop Solo Performance, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Blank Space,” Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Bad Blood,” and both Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year for 1989.
Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” is also in the running for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, alongside his nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album for Uptown Special. British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, meanwhile, returns as a GRAMMY contender for his single “Thinking Out Loud,” which is nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.
Soulful roots rockers Alabama Shakes are also making a strong showing for their work in 2015, having garnered nominations for both Album of the Year and Best Alternative Music Album for Sound & Color and Best Rock Performance for “Don’t Wanna Fight. Also representing rock, Foo Fighters are nominated for Best Rock Performance for “Something for Nothing,” as well as Best Music Film for Sonic Highways.
The partnership of John Legend and Common proved to be a formidable one this year, as their teamwork on “Glory,” from the major motion picture, Selma, earned each of the BMI writers their own nominations for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Rap Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media. Legend also snagged a second Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for his work on “One Man Can Change the World” by Big Sean.*
Winners will be announced in a live broadcast on CBS, Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Congratulations to all of the BMI writers nominated! Here is a complete list.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
“Uptown Funk”
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars*
Jeff Bhasker & Mark Ronson, producers;
Boo Mitchell & Mark Ronson, engineers/mixers
“Thinking Out Loud”
Ed Sheeran
“Blank Space”
Taylor Swift
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Sound & Color
Alabama Shakes
Alabama Shakes & Blake Mills, producers
To Pimp a Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar*
Bilal, Snoop Dogg, Larrance Dopson, Tae Beast, producers
Traveller
Chris Stapleton*
Dave Cobb, producer
1989
Taylor Swift
Jack Antonoff, Nathan Chapman, Taylor Swift & Noel Zancanella, producers; Jack Antonoff & Nathan Chapman, engineers/mixers
Beauty Behind the Madness
The Weeknd*
Ed Sheeran, featured artist; Stephan Moccio, Carlo Montagnese & Kanye West, producers; Carlo Montagnese, engineer/mixer
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Blank Space”
Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
“Girl Crush”
Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)
“See You Again”
Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)
“Thinking Out Loud”
Ed Sheeran, songwriter (Ed Sheeran)
BEST NEW ARTIST
James Bay
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
“Love Me Like You Do”
Ellie Goulding
“Thinking Out Loud”
Ed Sheeran
“Blank Space”
Taylor Swift
BEST POP DUP/GROUP PERFORMANCE
“Sugar”
Maroon 5
“Uptown Funk”
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars*
“Bad Blood”
Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar*
“See You Again”
Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth
BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
Stages
Josh Groban
My Dream Duets
Barry Manilow & Various Artists
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
Uptown Special
Mark Ronson
1989
Taylor Swift
BEST DANCE RECORDING
“We’re All We Need”
Above & Beyond Featuring Zoë Johnston
“Runaway (U & I)”
Galantis
BEST CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Guitar in the Space Age!
Bill Frisell
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
“Don’t Wanna Fight”
Alabama Shakes
“Something From Nothing”
Foo Fighters
“Ex’s & Oh’s”
Elle King
BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
“512”
Lamb Of God
“Thank You”
Sevendust
BEST ROCK SONG
“Don’t Wanna Fight”
Alabama Shakes, songwriters (Alabama Shakes)
“Ex’s & Oh’s”
Elle King, songwriter (Elle King)
“Hold Back the River”
James Bay, songwriter (James Bay)
“Lydia”
Richard Meyer, Ryan Meyer & Johnny Stevens, songwriters (Highly Suspect)
BEST ROCK ALBUM
Chaos and the Calm
James Bay
Kintsugi
Death Cab For Cutie
Mister Asylum
Highly Suspect
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
Sound & Color
Alabama Shakes
The Waterfall
My Morning Jacket
Star Wars
Wilco
BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
“If I Don’t Have You”
Tamar Braxton
“Planes”
Jeremih* Featuring J. Cole
BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
“He Is”
Faith Evans
“My Favorite Part of You”
Charlie Wilson
BEST R&B SONG
“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
Stephan Moccio, songwriter (The Weeknd*)
“Let It Burn”
Kenny B. Edmonds & Dwane M.Weir II, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan*)
“Really Love”
Kendra Foster, songwriter (D’Angelo* and The Vanguard*)
BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Ego Death
The Internet
You Should Be Here
Kehlani
BEST R&B ALBUM
Forever Charlie
Charlie Wilson
BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
“Apparently”
J. Cole
“Truffle Butter”
Nicki Minaj Featuring & Lil Wayne
“All Day”
Kanye West
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
“One Man Can Change the World”
Big Sean* Featuring Kanye West & John Legend
“Glory”
Common & John Legend
“Classic Man”
Jidenna Featuring Roman GianArthur*
“These Walls”
Kendrick Lamar* Featuring Bilal
“Only”
Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake*, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown
BEST RAP SONG
“All Day”
Kanye West, songwriter (Kanye West)
“Energy”
M. O’Brien, songwriter (Drake*)
“Glory”
Lonnie Lynn & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)
BEST RAP ALBUM
2014 Forest Hills Drive
J. Cole
The Pinkprint
Nicki Minaj
BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
“Burning House”
Cam
“Little Toy Guns”
Carrie Underwood
“John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16”
Keith Urban
BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
“If I Needed You”
Joey+Rory
“Girl Crush”
Little Big Town
“Lonely Tonight”
Blake Shelton Featuring Ashley Monroe
BEST COUNTRY SONG
“Diamond Rings and Old Barstools”
Barry Dean & Luke Laird, songwriters (Tim McGraw)
“Girl Crush”
Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)
“Hold My Hand”
Mark Stephen Jones, songwriter (Brandy Clark*)
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Pain Killer
Little Big Town
The Blade
Ashley Monroe
Pageant Material
Kacey Musgraves
BEST NEW AGE ALBUM
Voyager
Catherine Duc
Love
Peter Kater
Asia Beauty
Ron Korb
BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO
“Cherokee”
Christian McBride, soloist
“Arbiters of Evolution”
Donny McCaslin, soloist
“Friend or Foe”
Joshua Redman, soloist
“Past Present”
John Scofield, soloist
BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM
Find a Heart
Denise Donatelli
Jamison
Jamison Ross
For One to Love
Cécile McLorin Salvant
BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Breathless
Terence Blanchard Featuring The E-Collective
Beautiful Life
Jimmy Greene
Past Present
John Scofield
BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM
Lines of Color
Gil Evans Project
Cuba: The Conversation Continues
Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Home Suite Home
Patrick Williams
BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM
Made in Brazil
Eliane Elias
Intercambio
Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet
Identities are Changeable
Miguel Zenón
BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE/SONG
“Wanna Be Happy?”
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin, songwriter
“How Awesome is Our God” [Live]
Israel & Newbreed Featuring Yolanda Adams
Israel Houghton & Meleasa Houghton, songwriters
“Worth Fighting For” [Live]
Brian Courtney Wilson*
Aaron Lindsey, songwriter
BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE/SONG
“Life Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)”
Crowder*
Ed Cash & Seth Philpott, songwriters
“Because He Lives (Amen)”
Matt Maher
“Soul on Fire”
Third Day Featuring All Sons & Daughters*
Matt Maher, songwriter
“Feel It”
Tobymac Featuring Mr. Talkbox*
Toby McKeehan
BEST GOSPEL ALBUM
Destined to Win [Live]
Karen Clark Sheard
Living It
Dorinda Clark-Cole
Covered: Alive in Asia [Live] (Deluxe)
Israel & Newbreed
BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM
Whatever the Road
Jason Crabb
Saints and Sinners
Matt Maher
This is Not a Test
Tobymac
Love Ran Red
Chris Tomlin
BEST GOSPEL ROOTS ALBUM
Pray Now
Karen Peck & New River
BEST LATIN POP ALBUM
Healer
Alex Cuba
A Quien Quiera Escuchar (Deluxe Edition)
Ricky Martin
BEST LATIN ROCK, URBAN OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
Caja de Música
Monsieur Periné
Dale
Pitbull
BEST REGIONAL MEXICAN MUSIC ALBUM (INCLUDING TEJANO)
Realidades (Deluxe Edition)
Los Tigres Del Norte
BEST TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM
Tributo a Los Compadres: No Quiero Llanto
José Alberto “El Canario” & Septeto Santiaguero
Todo Tiene Su Hora
Juan Luis Guerra 4.40
BEST AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE
“And Am I Born to Die”
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn*
“Born to Play Guitar”
Buddy Guy
“Julep”
Punch Brothers
“See That My Grave is Kept Clean”
Mavis Staples
BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG
“All Night Long”
Raul Malo, songwriter (The Mavericks)
“Julep”
Noam Pikelny , songwriter (Punch Brothers)
“The Traveling Kind”
Cory Chisel, songwriter (Emmylou Harris* & Rodney Crowell*)
“24 Frames”
Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell)
BEST AMERICANA ALBUM
Something More Than Free
Jason Isbell
Mono
The Mavericks
The Phosphorescent Blues
Punch Brothers
BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM
Pocket Full of Keys
Dale Ann Bradley
Before the Sun Goes Down
Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley
In Session
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Man of Constant Sorrow
Ralph Stanley & Friends
The Muscle Shoals Recordings
The Steeldrivers
BEST BLUES ALBUM
Outskirts of Love
Shemekia Copeland
Born to Play Guitar
Buddy Guy
Muddy Waters 100
John Primer & Various Artists
BEST FOLK ALBUM
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn*
Tomorrow is My Turn
Rhiannon Giddens
BEST REGIONAL ROOTS MUSIC ALBUM
Go Go Juice
Jon Cleary
Kawaiokalena
Keali’i Reichel
Get Ready
The Revelers
BEST REGGAE ALBUM
Branches of the Same Tree
Rocky Dawuni
The Cure
Jah Cure
Acousticalevy
Barrington Levy
BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM
Gilbertos Samba Ao Vivo
Gilberto Gil
BEST CHILDREN’S ALBUM
¡Come Bien! Eat Right!
José-Luis Orozco
Dark Pie Concerns
Gustafer Yellowgold
Trees
Molly Ledford & Billy Kelly*
BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM (INCLUDES POETRY, AUDIO BOOKS AND STORYTELLING)
Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks
Dick Cavett
Patience and Sarah (Isabel Miller)
Janis Ian & Jean Smart*
BEST COMEDY ALBUM
Back to the Drawing Board
Lisa Lampanelli
Brooklyn
Wyatt Cenac
BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM
An American in Paris
Scott Lehrer, producer (Original Broadway Cast)
Fun Home
Michael Cerveris, principal soloist (Original Broadway Cast)
Hamilton
Daveed Diggs, Christopher Jackson, principal soloists; Alex Lacamoire, producers (Original Broadway Cast)
Something Rotten
Kate Reinders, principal soloist; Wayne Kirkpatrick, producer (Original Broadway Cast)
BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Empire: Season 1
Jim Beanz, compilation producer
Selma
Ava DuVernay, compilation producer
BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Birdman
Antonio Sanchez, composer
The Imitation Game
Alexandre Desplat, composer
Whiplash
Justin Hurwitz, composer
BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA
“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
Stephan Moccio, songwriters (The Weeknd*)
“Glory”
Lonnie Lynn & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)
“See You Again”
Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)
“Til It Happens to You”
Lady Gaga
BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION
“The Afro Latin Jazz Suite”
Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa)
“Confetti Man”
David Balakrishnan, composer (Turtle Island Quartet)
“Neil”
Rich DeRosa, composer (University Of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band)
BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTAL OR A CAPPELLA
“Bruno Mars”
Paul Allen, Troy Hayes, Evin Martin, arrangers (Vocally Challenged)
“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”
Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstin Maldonado & Kevin Olusola, arrangers (Pentatonix)
BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTS AND VOCALS
“52nd & Broadway”
Patrick Williams, arranger (Patrick Williams Featuring Patti Austin*)
“When I Come Home”
Jimmy Greene, arranger (Jimmy Greene with Javier Colon*)
BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM
The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11
Steve Berkowitz, compilation producer; (Bob Dylan* And The Band*)
BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL
Wallflower
Steve Price, Jochem van der Saag, engineers (Diana Krall*)
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL
Jeff Bhasker
Dave Cobb
Blake Mills
BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL
Ask Your Mama
Leslie Ann Jones & Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer
BEST CHAMBER MUSIC/SMALL ENSEMBLE PEFORMANCE
“Shostakovich: Piano Quinten & String Quartet No. 2”
Takács Quartet* & Marc-André Hamelin
BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION
“Stroke”
Joan Tower, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero, Cho-Liang Lin & Nashville Symphony)
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
“LSD”
ASAP Rocky
“I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)”
The Dead Weather
“Bad Blood”
Taylor Swift
BEST MUSIC FILM
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
James Brown
Sonic Highways
Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl, video director
The Wall Live
Roger Waters
AMY
Amy Winehouse
*Not affiliated with BMI
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