Entertainment

The Full 2018 Grammys Nominations List Is Finally Here

by Shannon Carlin
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

It wasn't the year that Lemonade was released or anything, but 2018 was still a pretty landmark year in music. Nowhere is that more obvious than when it comes to the list of 2018 Grammys nominations, where the likes of JAY-Z and Kendrick Lamar are leading the pack. Of course, they're far from the only two artists who have the potential to win big at the ceremony this year. We have Lorde, we have Childish Gambino, and we have Justin Bieber all competing for the top prize at music's biggest award.

And it's really going to be a tough race. Kendrick Lamar and JAY-Z released some of the best albums of their career — though some fans may argue — during the Grammy nominations period, and it's going to be difficult to choose whose album is more relevant to our life and times. But even if neither (or, hey, maybe both) of them take home some awards in the big categories, it's gratifying to see that so many of nominees are diverse and singing about such a diverse range of things. Like many award shows, the Grammys have struggled with being inclusive in the past, to the point where Frank Ocean and, reportedly, Kanye West boycotted for various reasons.

Perhaps 2018 will be the year that begins to change all of that. But until we find out for sure, here's who's in the race.

Record Of The Year

  • "Redbone," Childish Gambino
  • "Despacito (feat. Justin Bieber)," Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee
  • "The Story of O.J.," JAY-Z
  • "HUMBLE.," Kendrick Lamar
  • "24K Magic," Bruno Mars

Album Of The Year

  • Awaken, My Love! — Childish Gambino
  • 4:44 — Jay-Z
  • Damn. — Kendrick Lamar
  • Melodrama — Lorde
  • 24K Magic — Bruno Mars

Song Of The Year

  • "Despacito" — Ramón Ayala, Justin Bieber, Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd, Erika Ender, Luis Fonsi & Marty James Garton, songwriters (Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber)
  • "4:44" — Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z)
  • "Issues" — Benny Blanco, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Julia Michaels & Justin Drew Tranter, songwriters (Julia Michaels)
  • "1-800-273-8255" — Alessia Caracciolo, Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Arjun Ivatury & Khalid Robinson, songwriters (Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid)
  • "That's What I Like" — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

Best New Artist

  • Alessia Cara
  • Khalid
  • Lil Uzi Vert
  • Julia Michaels
  • SZA

Best Pop Solo Performance

  • "Love So Soft" — Kelly Clarkson
  • "Praying" — Kesha
  • "Million Reasons" — Lady Gaga
  • "What About Us" — P!nk
  • "Shape of You" — Ed Sheeran

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

  • "Something Just Like This" — The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
  • "Despacito" — Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
  • "Thunder" — Imagine Dragons
  • "Feel It Still" — Portugal. The Man
  • "Stay" — Zedd & Alessia Cara

Best Pop Vocal Album

  • Kaleidoscope EP — Coldplay
  • Lust for Life — Lana Del Rey
  • Evolve — Imagine Dragons
  • Rainbow — Kesha
  • Joanne — Lady Gaga
  • ÷ (Divide) — Ed Sheeran

Best Rap album

  • 4:44 — Jay-Z
  • Damn. — Kendrick Lamar
  • Culture — Migos
  • Laila's Wisdom — Rapsody
  • Flower Boy — Tyler, the Creator

Best Rap Performance

  • "Bounce Back" — Big Sean
  • "Bodak Yellow" — Cardi B
  • "4:44" — Jay-Z
  • "Humble." — Kendrick Lamar
  • "Bad and Boujee" — Migos featuring Lil Uzi Vert

Best Rap/Sung Performance

  • "Prblms" — 6lack
  • "Crew" — Goldlink featuring Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy
  • "Family Feud" — Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé
  • "Loyalty." — Kendrick Lamar featuring Rihanna
  • "Love Galore" — SZA featuring Travis Scott

Best Rap Song

  • "Bodak Yellow" — Dieuson Octave, Klenord Raphael, Shaftizm, Jordan Thorpe, Washpoppin & J White, songwriters (Cardi B)
  • "Chase Me" — Judah Bauer, Brian Burton, Hector Delgado, Jaime Meline, Antwan Patton, Michael Render, Russell Simins & Jon Spencer, songwriters (Danger Mouse featuring Run the Jewels & Big Boi)
  • "Humble." — K. Duckworth, Asheton Hogan & M. Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
  • "Sassy" — E. Gabouer & M. Evans, songwriters (Rapsody)
  • "The Story of O.J." — Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z)

Best R&B Performance

  • "Get You" — Daniel Caesar featuring Kali Uchis
  • "Distraction" — Kehlani
  • "High" — Ledisi
  • "That's What I Like" — Bruno Mars
  • "The Weekend" — SZA

Best Traditional R&B Performance

  • "Laugh and Move On" — the Baylor Project
  • "Redbone" — Childish Gambino
  • "What I'm Feelin'" — Anthony Hamilton teaturing the Hamiltones
  • "All the Way" — Ledisi
  • "Still" — Mali Music

Best R&B Song

  • "First Began" — PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton)
  • "Location" — Alfredo Gonzalez, Olatunji Ige, Samuel David Jiminez, Christopher McClenney, Khalid Robinson & Joshua Scruggs, songwriters (Khalid)
  • "Redbone" — Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
  • "Supermodel" — Tyran Donaldson, Terrence Henderson, Greg Landfair Jr., Solana Rowe & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (SZA)
  • "That's What I Like" — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

Best R&B Album

  • Freudian — Daniel Caesar
  • Let Love Rule — Ledisi
  • 24K Magic — Bruno Mars
  • Gumbo — PJ Morton
  • Feel the Real — Musiq Soulchild

Best Urban Contemporary Album

  • Free 6lack — 6lack
  • Awaken, My Love! — Childish Gambino
  • American Teen — Khalid
  • Ctrl — SZA
  • Starboy — the Weeknd

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

  • Nobody But Me (Deluxe Version) — Michael Bublé
  • Triplicate — Bob Dylan
  • In Full Swing — Seth MacFarlane
  • Wonderland — Sarah McLachlan
  • Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 — Various Artists

Best Rock Album

  • Emperor of Sand — Mastodon
  • Hardwired...to Self-Destruct — Metallica
  • The Stories We Tell Ourselves — Nothing More
  • Villains — Queens of the Stone Age
  • A Deeper Understanding — the War on Drugs

Best Rock Song

  • "Atlas, Rise!" — James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters (Metallica)
  • "Blood in the Cut" — JT Daly & Kristine Flaherty, songwriters (K.Flay)
  • "Go to War" — Ben Anderson, Jonny Hawkins, Will Hoffman, Daniel Oliver, David Pramik & Mark Vollelunga, songwriters (Nothing More)
  • "Run" — Foo Fighters, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
  • "The Stage" — Zachary Baker, Brian Haner, Matthew Sanders, Jonathan Seward & Brooks Wackerman, songwriters (Avenged Sevenfold)

Best Rock Performance

  • "You Want It Darker" — Leonard Cohen
  • "The Promise" — Chris Cornell
  • "Run" — Foo Fighters
  • "No Good" — Kaleo
  • "Go to War" — Nothing More

Best Dance Recording

  • "Bambro Koyo Ganda" — Bonobo featuring Innov Gnawa
  • "Cola" — Camelphat & Elderbrook
  • "Andromeda" — Gorillaz featuring Dram
  • "Tonite" — LCD Soundsystem
  • "Line of Sight" — Odesza featuring Wynne & Mansionair

Best Dance/Electronic Album

  • Migration — Bonobo
  • 3-D the Catalogue — Kraftwerk
  • Mura Masa — Mura Masa
  • A Moment Apart — Odesza
  • What Now — Sylvan Esso

Best Alternative Music Album

  • Everything Now — Arcade Fire
  • Humanz — Gorillaz
  • American Dream — LCD Soundsystem
  • Pure Comedy — Father John Misty
  • Sleep Well Beast — The National

Best Country Album

  • Cosmic Hallelujah — Kenny Chesney
  • Heart Break — Lady Antebellum
  • The Breaker — Little Big Town
  • Life Changes — Thomas Rhett
  • From a Room: Volume 1 — Chris Stapleton

Best Country Solo Performance

  • "Body Like a Back Road" — Sam Hunt
  • "Losing You" — Alison Krauss
  • "Tin Man" — Miranda Lambert
  • "I Could Use a Love Song" — Maren Morris
  • "Either Way" — Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

  • "It Ain't My Fault" — Brothers Osborne
  • "My Old Man" — Zac Brown Band
  • "You Look Good" — Lady Antebellum
  • "Better Man" — Little Big Town
  • "Drinkin' Problem" — Midland

Best Country Song

  • "Better Man" — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Little Big Town)
  • "Body Like a Back Road" — Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Sam Hunt)
  • "Broken Halos" — Mike Henderson & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
  • "Drinkin’ Problem" — Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne & Mark Wystrach, songwriters (Midland)
  • "Tin Man" — Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

  • What If — the Jerry Douglas Band
  • Spirit — Alex Han
  • Mount Royal — Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge
  • Prototype — Jeff Lorber Fusion
  • Bad Hombre — Antonio Sanchez

Best Metal Performance

  • "Invisible Enemy" — August Burns Red
  • "Black Hoodie" — Body Count
  • "Forever" — Code Orange
  • "Sultan’s Curse" — Mastodon
  • "Clockworks" — Meshuggah

Best New Age Album

  • Reflection — Brian Eno
  • SongVersation: Medicine — India.Arie
  • Dancing on Water — Peter Kater
  • Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 5 — Kitaro
  • Spiral Revelation — Steve Roach

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

  • "Can't Remember Why" — Sara Caswell, soloist
  • "Dance of Shiva" — Billy Childs, soloist
  • "Whisper Not" — Fred Hersch, soloist
  • "Miles Beyond" — John McLaughlin, soloist
  • "Ilimba" — Chris Potter, soloist

Best Jazz Vocal Album

  • The Journey — The Baylor Project
  • A Social Call — Jazzmeia Horn
  • Bad Ass and Blind — Raul Midón
  • Porter Plays Porter — Randy Porter Trio With Nancy King
  • Dreams and Daggers — Cécile McLorin Salvant

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

  • Uptown, Downtown — Bill Charlap Trio
  • Rebirth — Billy Childs
  • Project Freedom — Joey DeFrancesco & the People
  • Open Book — Fred Hersch
  • The Dreamer Is the Dream — Chris Potter

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

  • MONK'estra Vol. 2 — John Beasley
  • Jigsaw — Alan Ferber Big Band
  • Bringin' It — Christian McBride Big Band
  • Homecoming — Vince Mendoza & WDR Big Band Cologne
  • Whispers on the Wind — Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge

Best Latin Jazz Album

  • Hybrido — From Rio to Wayne Shorter — Antonio Adolfo
  • Oddara — Jane Bunnett & Maqueque
  • Outra Coisa — The Music of Moacir Santos — Anat Cohen & Marcello Gonçalves
  • Típico — Miguel Zenón
  • Jazz Tango — Pablo Ziegler Trio

Best Gospel Performance/Song

  • "Too Hard Not To" — Tina Campbell
  • "You Deserve It" — JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise featuring Bishop Cortez Vaughn
  • "Better Days" — Le'Andria
  • "My Life" — the Walls Group
  • "Never Have to Be Alone" — CeCe Winans

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

  • "Oh My Soul" — Casting Crowns
  • "Clean" — Natalie Grant
  • "What a Beautiful Name" — Hillsong Worship
  • "Even If" — MercyMe
  • "Hills and Valleys" — Tauren Wells

Best Gospel Album

  • Crossover: Live From Music City — Travis Greene
  • Bigger Than Me — Le'Andria
  • Close — Marvin Sapp
  • Sunday Song — Anita Wilson
  • Let Them Fall in Love — CeCe Winans

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

  • Rise — Danny Gokey
  • Echoes (Deluxe Edition) — Matt Maher
  • Lifer — MercyMe
  • Hills and Valleys — Tauren Wells
  • Chain Breaker — Zach Williams

Best Roots Gospel Album

  • The Best of the Collingsworth Family — Volume 1 — the Collingsworth Family
  • Give Me Jesus — Larry Cordle
  • Resurrection — Joseph Habedank
  • Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope — Reba McEntire
  • Hope for All Nations — Karen Peck & New River

Best Latin Pop Album

  • Lo Único Constante — Alex Cuba
  • Mis Planes Son Amarte — Juanes
  • Amar y Vivir en Vivo Desde la Ciudad de México, 2017 — La Santa Cecilia
  • Musas (Un Homenaje al Folclore Latinoamericano en Manos de los Macorinos) — Natalia Lafourcade
  • El Dorado — Shakira

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album

  • Ayo — Bomba Estéreo
  • Pa' Fuera — C4 Trío & Desorden Público
  • Salvavidas de Hielo — Jorge Drexler
  • El Paradise — Los Amigos Invisibles
  • Residente — Residente

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)

  • Ni Diablo Ni Santo — Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda
  • Ayer y Hoy — Banda el Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga
  • Momentos — Alex Campos
  • Arriero Somos Versiones Acústicas — Aida Cuevas
  • Zapateando en el Norte — Humberto Novoa, producer (Various Artists)

Best Tropical Latin Album

  • Albita — Albita
  • Art of the Arrangement — Doug Beavers
  • Salsa Big Band — Rubén Blades con Roberto Delgado & Orquesta
  • Gente Valiente — Silvestre Dangond
  • Indestructible — Diego el Cigala

Best American Roots Performance

  • "Killer Diller Blues" — Alabama Shakes
  • "Let My Mother Live" — Blind Boys of Alabama
  • "Arkansas Farmboy" — Glen Campbell
  • "Steer Your Way" — Leonard Cohen
  • "I Never Cared for You" — Alison Krauss

Best American Roots Song

  • "Cumberland Gap" — David Rawlings
  • "I Wish You Well" — the Mavericks
  • "If We Were Vampires" — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
  • "It Ain't Over Yet" — Rodney Crowell featuring Rosanne Cash & John Paul White
  • "My Only True Friend" — Gregg Allman

Best Americana Album

  • Southern Blood — Gregg Allman
  • Shine on Rainy Day — Brent Cobb
  • Beast Epic — Iron & Wine
  • The Nashville Sound — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
  • Brand New Day — the Mavericks

Best Bluegrass Album

  • Fiddler's Dream — Michael Cleveland
  • Laws of Gravity — the Infamous Stringdusters
  • Original — Bobby Osborne
  • Universal Favorite — Noam Pikelny
  • All the Rage - In Concert Volume One [Live] — Rhonda Vincent and the Rage

Best Traditional Blues Album

  • Migration Blues — Eric Bibb
  • Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio — Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio
  • Roll and Tumble — R.L. Boyce
  • Sonny & Brownie's Last Train — Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi
  • Blue & Lonesome — the Rolling Stones

Best Contemporary Blues Album

  • Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm — Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm
  • Recorded Live in Lafayette — Sonny Landreth
  • TajMo — Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo'
  • Got Soul — Robert Randolph & the Family Band
  • Live From the Fox Oakland — Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best Folk Album

  • Mental Illness — Aimee Mann
  • Semper Femina — Laura Marling
  • The Queen of Hearts — Offa Rex
  • You Don't Own Me Anymore — the Secret Sisters
  • The Laughing Apple — Yusuf / Cat Stevens

Best Regional Roots Music Album

  • Top of the Mountain — Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers
  • Ho'okena 3.0 — Ho'okena
  • Kalenda — Lost Bayou Ramblers
  • Miyo Kekisepa, Make a Stand [Live] — Northern Cree
  • Pua Kiele — Josh Tatofi

Best Reggae Album

  • Chronology — Chronixx
  • Lost in Paradise — Common Kings
  • Wash House Ting — J Boog
  • Stony Hill — Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley
  • Avrakedabra — Morgan Heritage

Best World Music Album

  • Memoria de los Sentidos — Vicente Amigo
  • Para Mi — Buika
  • Rosa Dos Ventos — Anat Cohen & Trio Brasileiro
  • Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th Anniversary Celebration — Ladysmith Black Mambazo
  • Elwan — Tinariwen

Best Children's Album

  • Brighter Side — Gustafer Yellowgold
  • Feel What U Feel — Lisa Loeb
  • Lemonade — Justin Roberts
  • Rise Shine #Woke — Alphabet Rockers
  • Songs of Peace & Love for Kids & Parents Around the World — Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audiobooks & Storytelling)

  • Astrophysics for People in a Hurry — Neil deGrasse Tyson
  • Born to Run — Bruce Springsteen
  • Confessions of a Serial Songwriter — Shelly Peiken
  • Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In (Bernie Sanders) — Bernie Sanders and Mark Ruffalo
  • The Princess Diarist — Carrie Fisher

Best Comedy Album

  • The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas — Dave Chappelle
  • Cinco — Jim Gaffigan
  • Jerry Before Seinfeld — Jerry Seinfeld
  • A Speck of Dust — Sarah Silverman
  • What Now? — Kevin Hart

Best Musical Theater Album

  • Come From Away — Ian Eisendrath, August Eriksmoen, David Hein, David Lai & Irene Sankoff, producers; David Hein & Irene Sankoff, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
  • Dear Evan Hansen — Ben Platt, principal soloist; Alex Lacamoire, Stacey Mindich, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, producers; Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
  • Hello, Dolly! — Bette Midler, principal soloist; Steven Epstein, producer (Jerry Herman, composer & lyricist) (New Broadway Cast Recording)

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

  • Baby Driver
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2
  • Hidden Figures: The Album
  • La La Land
  • Moana: The Songs

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media

  • Arrival — Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer
  • Dunkirk — Hans Zimmer, composer
  • Game of Thrones: Season 7 — Ramin Djawadi, composer
  • Hidden Figures — Benjamin Wallfisch, Pharrell Williams & Hans Zimmer, composers
  • La La Land — Justin Hurwitz, composer

Best Song Written For Visual Media

  • "City of Stars" — Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, songwriters (Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone)
  • "How Far I'll Go" — Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Auli'i Cravalho)
  • "I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)" — Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Zayn & Taylor Swift)
  • "Never Give Up" — Sia Furler & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Sia)
  • "Stand Up for Something" — Common & Diane Warren, songwriters (Andra Day featuring Common)

Best Instrumental Composition

  • "Alkaline" — Pascal Le Boeuf, composer (Le Boeuf Brothers & JACK Quartet)
  • "Choros #3" — Vince Mendoza, composer (Vince Mendoza & WDR Big Band Cologne)
  • "Home Free (For Peter Joe)" — Nate Smith, composer (Nate Smith)
  • "Three Revolutions" — Arturo O'Farrill, composer (Arturo O'Farrill & Chucho Valdés)
  • "Warped Cowboy" — Chuck Owen, composer (Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge)

Best Arrangement, an Instrumental or A Cappella

  • "All Hat, No Saddle" — Chuck Owen, arranger (Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge)
  • "Escapades for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra From Catch Me If You Can" — John Williams, arranger (John Williams)
  • "Home Free (For Peter Joe)" — Nate Smith, arranger (Nate Smith)
  • "Ugly Beauty/Pannonica" — John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)
  • "White Christmas" — Chris Walden, arranger (Herb Alpert)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

  • "Another Day of Sun" — Justin Hurwitz, arranger (La La Land Cast)
  • "Every Time We Say Goodbye" — Jorge Calandrelli, arranger (Clint Holmes featuring Jane Monheit)
  • "I Like Myself" — Joel McNeely, arranger (Seth MacFarlane)
  • "I Loves You Porgy/There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York" — Shelly Berg, Gregg Field, Gordon Goodwin & Clint Holmes, arrangers (Clint Holmes featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Count Basie Orchestra)
  • "Putin" — Randy Newman, arranger (Randy Newman)

Best Recording Package

  • El Orisha de la Rosa — Claudio Roncoli & Cactus Taller, art directors (Magín Díaz)
  • Mura Masa — Alex Crossan & Matt De Jong, art directors (Mura Masa)
  • Pure Comedy (Deluxe Edition) — Sasha Barr, Ed Steed & Josh Tillman, art directors (Father John Misty)
  • Sleep Well Beast — Elyanna Blaser-Gould, Luke Hayman & Andrea Trabucco-Campos, art directors (The National)
  • Solid State — Gail Marowitz, art director (Jonathan Coulton) Gail Marowitz, art director (Jonathan Coulton)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

  • Bobo Yeye: Belle Epoque in Upper Volta — Tim Breen, art director (Various Artists)
  • Lovely Creatures: The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1984- 2014) — Tom Hingston, art director (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)
  • May 1977: Get Shown the Light - Masaki Koike, art director (Grateful Dead)
  • The Voyager Golden Record: 40th Anniversary Edition — Lawrence Azerrad, Timothy Daly & David Pescovitz, art directors (Various Artists)
  • Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares — Tim Breen, Benjamin Marra & Ken Shipley, art directors (Various Artists)

Best Album Notes

  • Arthur Q. Smith: The Trouble With the Truth — Wayne Bledsoe & Bradley Reeves, album notes writers (Various Artists)
  • Big Bend Killing: The Appalachian Ballad Tradition — Ted Olson, album notes writer (Various Artists)
  • The Complete Piano Works of Scott Joplin — Bryan S. Wright, album notes writer (Richard Dowling)
  • Edouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, Inventor of Sound Recording: A Bicentennial Tribute — David Giovannoni, album notes writer (Various Artists)
  • Live at the Whisky A Go Go: The Complete Recordings — Lynell George, album notes writer (Otis Redding)
  • Washington Phillips and His Manzarene Dreams — Michael Corcoran, album notes writer (Washington Phillips)

Best Historical Album

  • Bobo Yeye: Belle Epoque in Upper Volta — Jon Kirby, Florent Mazzoleni, Rob Sevier & Ken Shipley, compilation producers; Jeff Lipton & Maria Rice, mastering engineers (Various Artists)
  • The Goldberg Variations — the Complete Unreleased Recording Sessions June 1955 — Robert Russ, compilation producer; Matthias Erb, Martin Kistner & Andreas K. Meyer, mastering engineers (Glenn Gould)
  • Leonard Bernstein — the Composer — Robert Russ, compilation producer; Martin Kistner & Andreas K. Meyer, mastering engineers (Leonard Bernstein)
  • Sweet as Broken Dates: Lost Somali Tapes From the Horn of Africa — Nicolas Sheikholeslami & Vik Sohonie, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
  • Washington Phillips and His Manzarene Dreams — Michael Corcoran, April G. Ledbetter & Steven Lance Ledbetter, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Washington Phillips)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

  • Every Where Is Some Where — Brent Arrowood, Miles Comaskey, JT Daly, Tommy English, Kristine Flaherty, Adam Hawkins, Chad Howat & Tony Maserati, engineers; Joe LaPorta, mastering engineer (K.Flay)
  • Is This the Life We Really Want? — Nigel Godrich, Sam Petts-Davies & Darrell Thorp, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Roger Waters)
  • Natural Conclusion — Ryan Freeland, engineer; Joao Carvalho, mastering engineer (Rose Cousins)
  • No Shape — Shawn Everett & Joseph Lorge, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Perfume Genius)
  • 24K Magic — Serban Ghenea, John Hanes & Charles Moniz, engineers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer (Bruno Mars)

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

  • Calvin Harris
  • Greg Kurstin
  • Blake Mills
  • No I.D.
  • The Stereotypes

Best Remixed Recording

  • "Can't Let You Go (Louie Vega Roots Mix)" — Louie Vega, remixer (Loleatta Holloway)
  • "Funk O' De Funk (SMLE Remix)" — SMLE, remixers (Bobby Rush)
  • "Undercover (Adventure Club Remix)" — Leighton James & Christian Srigley, remixers (Kehlani)
  • "A Violent Noise (Four Tet Remix)" — Four Tet, remixer (The xx)
  • "You Move (Latroit Remix)" — Dennis White, remixer (Depeche Mode)

Best Surround Sound Album

  • Early Americans — Jim Anderson, surround mix engineer; Darcy Proper, surround mastering engineer; Jim Anderson & Jane Ira Bloom, surround producers (Jane Ira Bloom)
  • Kleiberg: Mass for Modern Man — Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Eivind Gullberg Jensen & Trondheim Symphony Orchestra And Choir)
  • So Is My Love — Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Nina T. Karlsen & Ensemble 96)
  • 3-D the Catalogue — Fritz Hilpert, surround mix engineer; Tom Ammermann, surround mastering engineer; Fritz Hilpert, surround producer (Kraftwerk)
  • Tyberg: Masses — Jesse Brayman, surround mix engineer; Jesse Brayman, surround mastering engineer; Blanton Alspaugh, surround producer (Brian A. Schmidt, Christopher Jacobson & South Dakota Chorale)

Best Engineered Album, Classical

  • Danielpour: Songs of Solitude & War Songs — Gary Call, engineer (Thomas Hampson, Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)
  • Kleiberg: Mass for Modern Man — Morten Lindberg, engineer (Eivind Gullberg Jensen, Trondheim Vokalensemble & Trondheim Symphony Orchestra)
  • Schoenberg, Adam: American Symphony; Finding Rothko; Picture Studies — Keith O. Johnson & Sean Royce Martin, engineers (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)
  • Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio — Mark Donahue, engineer (Manfred Honeck & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
  • Tyberg: Masses — John Newton, engineer; Jesse Brayman, mastering engineer (Brian A. Schmidt, Christopher Jacobson & South Dakota Chorale)

Producer Of The Year, Classical

  • Blanton Alspaugh
  • Manfred Eicher
  • David Frost
  • Morten Lindberg
  • Judith Sherman

Best Orchestral Performance

  • "Concertos for Orchestra" — Louis Langrée, conductor (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra)
  • "Copland: Symphony No. 3; Three Latin American Sketches" — Leonard Slatkin, conductor (Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
  • "Debussy: Images; Jeux & aa Plus Que Lente" — Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
  • "Mahler: Symphony No. 5" — Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra)
  • "Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio" — Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)

Best Opera Recording

  • Berg: Lulu — Lothar Koenigs, conductor; Daniel Brenna, Marlis Petersen & Johan Reuter; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra)
  • Berg: Wozzeck — Hans Graf, conductor; Anne Schwanewilms & Roman Trekel; Hans Graf, producer (Houston Symphony; Chorus of Students and Alumni, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University & Houston Grand Opera Children's Chorus)
  • Bizet: Les Pêcheurs de Perles — Gianandrea Noseda, conductor; Diana Damrau, Mariusz Kwiecień, Matthew Polenzani & Nicolas Testé; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
  • Handel: Ottone — George Petrou, conductor; Max Emanuel Cencic & Lauren Snouffer; Jacob Händel, producer (Il Pomo D'Oro)
  • Rimsky-Korsakov: The Golden Cockerel — Valery Gergiev, conductor; Vladimir Feliauer, Aida Garifullina & Kira Loginova; Ilya Petrov, producer (Mariinsky Orchestra; Mariinsky Chorus)

Best Choral Performance

  • "Bryars: The Fifth Century" — Donald Nally, conductor (PRISM Quartet; The Crossing)
  • "Handel: Messiah" — Andrew Davis, conductor; Noel Edison, chorus master (Elizabeth DeShong, John Relyea, Andrew Staples & Erin Wall; Toronto Symphony Orchestra; Toronto Mendelssohn Choir)
  • "Mansurian: Requiem" — Alexander Liebreich, conductor; Florian Helgath, chorus master (Anja Petersen & Andrew Redmond; Münchener Kammerorchester; RIAS Kammerchor)
  • "Music of the Spheres" — Nigel Short, conductor (Tenebrae)
  • “Tyberg: Masses” — Brian A. Schmidt, conductor (Christopher Jacobson; South Dakota Chorale)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

  • "Buxtehude: Trio Sonatas, Op. 1" — Arcangelo
  • "Death & the Maiden" — Patricia Kopatchinskaja & the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
  • "Divine Theatre — Sacred Motets by Giaches De Wert" — Stile Antico
  • "Franck, Kurtág, Previn & Schumann" — Joyce Yang & Augustin Hadelich
  • "Martha Argerich & Friends — Live From Lugano 2016" — Martha Argerich & Various Artists

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

  • "Bach: The French Suites" — Murray Perahia
  • "Haydn: Cello Concertos" — Steven Isserlis; Florian Donderer, conductor (The Deutsch Kammerphilharmonie Bremen)
  • "Levina: The Piano Concertos" — Maria Lettberg; Ariane Matiakh, conductor (Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin)
  • "Shostakovich: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2" — Frank Peter Zimmermann; Alan Gilbert, conductor (NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester)
  • "Transcendental" - Daniil Trifonov

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

  • Bach & Telemann: Sacred Cantatas — Philippe Jaroussky; Petra Müllejans, conductor (Ann-Kathrin Brüggemann & Juan de la Rubia; Freiburger Barockorchester)
  • Crazy Girl Crazy — Music by Gershwin, Berg & Berio — Barbara Hannigan (Orchestra Ludwig)
  • Gods & Monsters — Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang, accompanist
  • In War & Peace — Harmony Through Music — Joyce DiDonato; Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor (Il Pomo D’Oro)
  • Sviridov: Russia Cast Adrift — Dmitri Hvorostovsky; Constantine Orbelian, conductor (St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra & Style of Five Ensemble)

Best Classical Compendium

  • Barbara — Alexandre Tharaud; Cécile Lenoir, producer
  • Higdon: All Things Majestic, Viola Concerto & Oboe Concerto — Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer
  • Kurtág: Complete Works for Ensemble & Choir — Reinbert de Leeuw, conductor; Guido Tichelman, producer
  • Les Routes de l'Esclavage — Jordi Savall, conductor; Benjamin Bleton, producer
  • Mademoiselle: Première Audience — Unknown Music of Nadia Boulanger — Lucy Mauro; Lucy Mauro, producer

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

  • "Danielpour: Songs of Solitude" — Richard Danielpour, composer (Thomas Hampson, Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)
  • "Higdon: Viola Concerto" — Jennifer Higdon, composer (Roberto Díaz, Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)
  • "Mansurian: Requiem" — Tigran Mansurian, composer (Alexander Liebreich, Florian Helgath, RIAS Kammerchor & Münchener Kammerorchester)
  • "Schoenberg, Adam: Picture Studies" — Adam Schoenberg, composer (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)
  • "Zhou Tian: Concerto for Orchestra" — Zhou Tian, composer (Louis Langrée & Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra)

Best Music Video

  • "Up All Night" — (Beck) Canada, video director; Laura Serra Estorch & Oscar Romagosa, video producers
  • "Makeba" — (Jain) Lionel Hirle & Gregory Ohrel, video directors; Yodelice, video producer
  • "The Story of O.J." — (Jay-Z) Shawn Carter & Mark Romanek, video directors; Daniel Midgley, video producer
  • "Humble." — (Kendrick Lamar) The Little Homies & Dave Meyers, video directors; Jason Baum, Dave Free, Jamie Rabineau, Nathan K. Scherrer & Anthony Tiffith, video producers
  • "1-800-273-8255" — (Logic featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid) Andy Hines, video director; Andrew Lerios, video producer

Best Music Film

  • One More Time With Feeling (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds) Andrew Dominik, video director; Dulcie Kellett & James Wilson, video producers
  • Long Strange Trip (The Grateful Dead) Amir Bar-Lev, video director; Alex Blavatnik, Ken Dornstein, Eric Eisner, Nick Koskoff & Justin Kreutzmann, video producers
  • The Defiant Ones (Various Artists) Allen Hughes, video director; Sarah Anthony, Fritzi Horstman, Broderick Johnson, Gene Kirkwood, Andrew Kosove, Laura Lancaster, Michael Lombardo, Jerry Longarzo, Doug Pray & Steven Williams, video producers
  • Soundbreaking (Various Artists) Maro Chermayeff & Jeff Dupre, video directors; Joshua Bennett, Julia Marchesi, Sam Pollard, Sally Rosenthal, Amy Schewel & Warren Zanes, video producers