Kendrick Lamar's Controversial Grammy Performance

King Kendrick stormed in and took over Grammy Night as predicted, winning 5 awards including Best Rap Album and his unforgettable performance. In absence of Rihanna, Lauryn Hill, and Nicki Minaj who announced they surprisingly were not taking the stage, Kendrick's performance held to be the best of the night. From the beginning with Kendrick being chained like a slave while performing "The Blacker the Berry" to the Compton words in place of Africa over the continent while performing "Alright" this was by far the most controversial performance the Grammy's stage has ever witness. 

The audience was in awe and honestly I was a little confused myself. What did he mean with replacing the words? I understand that Kendrick could be suggesting that we're currently still enslaved, but why specify Compton. What is the direct correlation with Compton and Africa oppose to the recognition of the entire world. Is it possible that this may be a performance depicting Kendrick's roots, describing how his ancestry came to existence and not the entire black community? Either way I'm sure many people may have taken offense to his performance, including Africans. African culture is completely different from the black American's, yes we all are rooted from Africa but due to 400 years of slavery and learning the European lifestyle, black American culture resembles more of Europe than Africa. How? The language, the clothes, the hair, the food, evens the monotheistic religions.  For example using African style dancers to a Saxophone beat, are two separate cultures. African cultural music incorporates more drums and upbeat tempos. Which ironically makes the performance great because he's fusing the two, but in retrospective the only thing that screams African about most Blacks are the skin color. Therefore displaying African culture while rapping about a black American revolt, when African people do not recognize themselves as Blacks, seems a little confusing to me, but that's why it’s controversial.

So overall great performance KDot you single handily made the Grammys worth watching because the rest of it sucked. Although I still think J Cole deserved one of the awards, because come on the man sold platinum album with 0 features, and not counting streams in 2015, like that's an almost impossible task for any artist to do. Oh well better luck next time Cole. Taylor Swift, The Weekend, and Ed Sheeran also managed to snatch up some Grammy’s.

Here's the list of winners:

Album of the Year
Alabama Shakes, Sound and Color
Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly
Chris Stapleton, Traveller
Taylor Swift, 1989
The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness

Song of the Year
Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”
Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”
Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”
Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, “See You Again”
Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”

Record of the Year
D’Angelo and the Vanguard, “Really Love”
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk”
Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”
The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face”

Best New Artist
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
Tori Kelly
Meghan Trainor

Best Pop Solo Performance
Kelly Clarkson, "Heartbeat Song"
Ellie Goulding, "Love Me Like You Do"
Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"
Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"
The Weeknd, "Can't Feel My Face"

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Florence and the Machine, "Ship to Wreck"
Maroon 5, "Sugar"
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"
Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Bad Blood"
Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern
Bob Dylan, Shadows in the Night
Josh Groban, Stages
Seth MacFarlane, No One Ever Tells You
Barry Manilow (& Various Artists), My Dream Duets

Best Pop Vocal Album
Kelly Clarkson, Piece by Piece
Florence and the Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Mark Ronson, Uptown Special
Taylor Swift, 1989
James Taylor, Before This World

Best Dance Recording
Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston, "We're All We Need"
The Chemical Brothers, "Go"
Flying Lotus feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Never Catch Me"
Galantis, "Runaway (U & I)"
Skrillex and Diplo With Justin Bieber, "Where Are Ü Now"

Best Dance/Electronic Album
Caribou, Our Love
The Chemical Brothers, Born in the Echoes
Disclosure, Caracal
Jamie xx, In Colour
Skrillex and Diplo, Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü

Best Rap Performance
J. Cole, "Apparently"
Drake, "Back to Back"
Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"
Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake and Lil Wayne, "Truffle Butter"
Kanye West feat. Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom, and Paul McCartney, "All Day"

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Big Sean feat. Kanye West and John Legend, "One Man Change the World"
Common and John Legend, "Glory"
Jidenna feat. Roman GianArthur, "Classic Man"
Kendrick Lamar feat. Bilal, Anna Wise, and Thundercat, "These Walls"
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake, Lil Wayne, and Chris Brown, "Only"

Best Rap Song
Kanye West, "All Day"
Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"
Drake, "Energy"
Common and John Legend, "Glory"
Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"

Best Rap Album
J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Dr. Dre, Compton
Drake, If You're Reading This It's Too Late
Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly
Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint

Best Country Solo Performance
Cam, "Burning House"
Chris Stapleton, "Traveller"
Carrie Underwood, "Little Toy Guns"
Keith Urban, "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16"
Lee Ann Womack, "Chances Are"

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Brothers Osborne, "Stay A Little Longer"
Joey + Rory, "If I Needed You"
Charles Kelley, Dierks Bentley, and Eric Paslay, "The Driver"
Little Big Town, "Girl Crush"
Blake Shelton feat. Ashley Monroe, "Lonely Tonight"

Best Country Song
Lee Ann Womack, "Chances Are"
Tim McGraw, "Diamond Rings and Old Barstools"
Little Big Town, "Girl Crush"
Brandy Clark, "Hold My Hand"
Chris Stapleton, "Traveller"

Best Country Album
Sam Hunt, Montevallo
Little Big Town, Pain Killer
Ashley Monroe, The Blade
Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material
Chris Stapleton, Traveller

Best Rock Performance
Alabama Shakes, "Don't Wanna Fight"
Florence and the Machine, "What Kind of Man"
Foo Fighters, "Something From Nothing"
Elle King, "Ex's & Oh's"
Wolf Alice, "Mona Lisa Smile"

Best Metal Performance
August Burns Red, "Identity"
Ghost, "Cirice"
Lamb of God, "512"
Sevendust, "Thank You"
Slipknot, "Custer"

Best Rock Song
Alabama Shakes, "Don't Wanna Fight"
Elle King, "Ex's & Oh's"
James Bay, "Hold Back the River"
Highly Suspect, "Lydia"
Florence and the Machine, "What Kind of Man"

Best Rock Album
James Bay, Chaos and the Calm
Death Cab for Cutie, Kintsugi
Highly Suspect, Mister Asylum
Muse, Drones
Slipknot, The Gray Chapter

Best Alternative Music Album
Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color
Björk, Vulnicura
My Morning Jacket, The Waterfall
Tame Impala, Currents
Wilco, Star Wars

Best R&B Performance
Tamar Braxton, "If I Don't Have You"
Andra Day, "Rise Up"
Hiatus Kaiyote, "Breathing Underwater"
Jeremih feat. J. Cole, "Planes"
The Weeknd, "Earned It"

Best Traditional R&B Performance
Faith Evans, "He Is"
Lalah Hathaway, "Little Ghetto Boy"
Jazmine Sullivan, "Let It Burn"
Tyrese, "Shame"
Charlie Wilson, "My Favorite Part of You"

Best R&B Song
Miguel, "Coffee"
The Weeknd, "Earned It"
Jazmine Sullivan, "Let It Burn"
D'Angelo, "Really Love"
Tyrese, "Shame"

Best Urban Contemporary Album
The Internet, Ego Death
Kehlani, You Should Be Here
Lianne La Havas, Blood
Miguel, Wildheart
The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness

Best R&B Album
Leon Bridges, Coming Home
D'Angelo and the Vanguard, Black Messiah
Andra Day, Cheers to the Fall
Jazmine Sullivan, Reality Show
Charlie Wilson, Forever Charlie

Best Spoken Word Album
Patti Smith, Blood on Snow (Jo Nesbø)
Dick Cavett, Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks
Jimmy Carter, A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety
Janis Ian & Jean Smart, Patience and Sarah (Isabel Miller)
Amy Poehler, Yes Please

Best Comedy Album
Lisa Lampanelli, Back to the Drawing Board
Wyatt Cenac, Brooklyn
Jay Mohr, Happy. And a Lot.
Craig Ferguson, Just Being Honest
Louis C.K., Live at Madison Square Garden

Best Musical Theater Album
An American In Paris
Fun Home
Hamilton
The King and I
Something Rotten!

Best New Age Album
Paul Avgerinos, Grace
Madi Das, Bhakti Without Borders
Catherine Duc, Voyager
Pater Kater, Love
Ron Korb, Asia Beauty

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
Joey Alexander, “Giant Steps”
Christian McBride, “Cherokee”
Donny McCaslin, “Arbiters of Evolution”
Joshua Redman, “Friend or Foe”
John Scofield, “Past Present”

Best Jazz Vocal Album
Karrin Allyson, Many a New Day: Karrin Allyson Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein
Denise Donatelli, Find a Heart
Lorraine Feather, Flirting With Disaster
Jamison Ross, Jamison
Cécile McLorin Salvant, For One to Love

Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Joey Alexander, My Favorite Things
Terence Blanchard feat. the E-Collective, Breathless
Robert Glasper & the Robert Glasper Trio, Covered: Recorded Live at Capitol Studios
Jimmy Greene, Beautiful Life
John Scofield, Past Present

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Gil Evans Project, Lines of Color
Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band, Köln
Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Cuba: The Conversation Continues
Maria Schneider Orchestra, The Thompson Fields
Patrick Williams, Home Suite Home

Best Latin Jazz Album
Eliane Elias, Made in Brazil
The Rodriguez Brothers, Impromptu
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Suite Caminos
Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet, Intercambio
Miguel Zenón, Identities Are Changeable

Best Gospel Performance/Song
Anthony Brown & Group Therapy, “Worth [Live]”
Kirk Franklin; “Wanna Be Happy?”
Travis Greene, “Intentional”
Israel & NewBreed feat. Yolanda Adams, “How Awesome Is Our God [Live]”
Brian Courtney Wilson, “Worth Fighting For [Live]”

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
Francesca Battistelli, “Holy Spirit”
Crowder, “Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)”
Matt Maher, “Because He Lives (Amen)”
Third Day feat. All Sons & Daughters, “Soul on Fire”
Tobymac feat. Mr. Talkbox, “Feel It”

Best Gospel Album
Karen Clark Sheard, Destined to Win [Live]
Dorinda Clark-Cole, Living It
Tasha Cobbs, One Place Live
Israel & NewBreed, Covered: Alive in Asia [Live]
Jonathan McReynolds, Life Music: Stage Two

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Jason Crabb, Whatever the Road
Lauren Daigle, How Can It Be
Matt Maher, Saints and Sinners
Tobymac, This Is Not a Test
Chris Tomlin, Love Ran Red

Best Roots Gospel Album
The Fairfield Four, Still Rockin’ My Soul
Karen Peck & New River, Pray Now
Point of Grace, Directions Home (Songs We Love, Songs You Know)

Best Latin Pop Album
Pablo Alborán, Terral
Alex Cuba, Healer
Ricky Martin, A Quien Quiera Escuchar (Deluxe Edition)
Alejandro Sanz, Sirope
Julieta Venegas, Algo Sucede

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
Bomba Estereo, Amanecer
La Cuneta Son Machín, Mondongo
Natalia Lafourcade, Hasta La Raíz
Monsieur Periné, Caja De Música
Pitbull, Dale

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
Banda El Recodo De Don Cruz Lizarraga, Mi Vicio Mas Grande
La Maquinaria Norteña, Ya Dime Adiós
Los Cojolites, Zapateando
Los Tigres Del Norte, Realidades – Deluxe Edition
Mariachi Los Camperos De Nati Cano, Tradición, Arte Y Pasión

Best Tropical Latin Album
José Alberto “El Canario” & Septeto Santiaguero, Tributo A Los Compadres: No Quiero Llanto
Rubén Blades with Roberto Delgado & Orchestra, Son De Panamá
Guaco, Presente Continuo
Juan Luis Guerra 4.40, Todo Tiene Su Hora
Victor Manuelle, Que Suenen Los Tambores

Best American Roots Performance
Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, “And Am I Born to Die”
Buddy Guy, “Born to Play Guitar”
The Milk Carton Kids, “City of Our Lady”
Punch Brothers, “Julep”
Mavis Staples, “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean”

Best American Roots Song
The Mavericks, “All Night Long”
Don Henley & Merle Haggard, “The Cost of Living”
Punch Brothers, “Julep”
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, “The Traveling Kind”
Jason Isbell, “24 Frames”

Best Americana Album
Brandi Carlile, The Firewatcher’s Daughter
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, The Traveling Kind
Jason Isbell, Something More Than Free
The Mavericks, Mono
Punch Brothers, The Phosphorescent Blues

Best Bluegrass Album
Dale Ann Bradley, Pocket Full of Keys
Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Before the Sun Goes Down
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, In Session
Ralph Stanley & Friends, Man of Constant Sorrow
The Steeldrivers, The Muscle Shoals Recordings

Best Blues Album
Cedric Burnside Project, Descendants of Hill Country
Shemekia Copeland, Outskirts of Love
Buddy Guy, Born to Play Guitar
Bettye LaVette, Worthy
John Primer & Various Artists, Muddy Waters 100

Best Folk Album
Norman Blake, Wood, Wire & Words
Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn
Rhiannon Giddens, Tomorrow Is My Turn
Patty Griffin, Servant of Love
Glen Hansard, Didn’t He Ramble

Best Regional Roots Music Album
Jon Cleary, Go Go Juice
Natalie Ai Kamauu, La La La La
Keali’i Reichel, Kawaiokalena
The Revelers, Get Ready
Windwalker and the MCW, Generations

Best Reggae Album
Rocky Dawuni, Branches of the Same Tree
Jah Cure, The Cure
Barrington Levy, Acousticalevy
Luciano, Zion Awake
Morgan Heritage, Strictly Roots

Best World Music Album
Gilberto Gil, Gilbertos Samba Ao Vivo
Angelique Kidjo, Sings
Ladysmith Black Mambas with Ella Spira & the Inala Ensemble, Music From Inala
Anoushka Shankar, Home
Zumba Prison Project, I Have No Everything Here

Best Children’s Album
José-Luis Orozco, ¡Come Bien! Eat Right!
Gustafer Yellowgold, Dark Pie Concerns
Tim Kubart, Home
Lori Henriques, How Great Can This Day Be
Molly Ledford & Billy Kelly, Trees

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Various Artists, Empire: Season 1
Various Artists, Fifty Shades of Grey
Various Artists, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
Various Artists, Pitch Perfect 2
Various Artists, Selma

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Antonio Sanchez, Birdman
Alexandre Desplat, The Imitation Game
Hans Zimmer, Interstellar
Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Theory of Everything
Justin Hurwitz, Whiplash

Best Song Written for Visual Media
The Weeknd, “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
Common & John Legend, “Glory”
Ellie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do”
Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, “See You Again”
Lady Gaga, “Til It Happens to You”

Best Instrumental Composition
Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Rudresh Mahanthappa), “The Afro Latin Jazz Suite”
Bob Mintzer, composer (Bob Mintzer Big Band), “Civil War”
David Balakrishnan, composer (Turtle Island Quartet), “Confetti Man”
Rich DeRosa, composer (University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band), “Neil”
Marshall Gilkes, composer (Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band), “Vesper”

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
Ben Bram, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstin Maldonado & Kevin Olusola, arrangers (Pentatonix), “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”
Paul Allen, Troy Hayes, Dwight Streets Levens, Evin Martin & J Moss, arrangers (Vocally Challenged), “Bruno Mars”
Armand Hutton, arranger (Committed), “Do You Hear What I Hear?”
Bob James, arranger (Bob James & Nathan East), “Ghost of a Chance”
John Fedchock, arranger (John Fedchock New York Big Band), “You and the Night and the Music”

Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals
Maria Schneider, arranger (David Bowie), “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)”
Shelly Berg, arranger (Lorraine Feather), “Be My Muse”
Patrick Williams, arranger (Patrick Williams feat. Patti Austin), “52nd & Broadway”
Otmaro Ruiz, arranger (Catina DeLuna feat. Otmaro Ruiz), “Garota De Ipanema”
Jimmy Greene, arranger (Jimmy Greene with Javier Colon), “When I Come Home”

Best Recording Package
Sarah Dodds, Shauna Dodds & Dick Reeves, art directors (Asleep At The Wheel), Still the King: Celebrating the Music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
Alex Trochut, art director (Alagoas), Alagoas
Anita Marisa Boriboon and Phi Hollinger, art directors (Snoop Dogg),Bush
Brian Roettinger, art director (Florence & the Machine), How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (Deluxe Edition)
Nathanio Strimpopulos and Jack White, art directors (Elvis Presley), My Happiness

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package:
Susan Archie, Dean Blackwood and Jack White, art directors (Various Artists), The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records, Volume Two (1928-32)
Leif Podhajsky, art director (Of Monsters And Men), Beneath the Skin (Deluxe Box Set)
Sasha Barr & Josh Tillman, art directors (Father John Misty), I Love You, Honeybear (Limited Edition Deluxe Vinyl)
Stephen Kennedy & James Tilley, art directors (The Rolling Stones), Sticky Fingers (Deluxe Edition)
Doran Tyson & Steve Vance, art directors (Grateful Dead), 30 Trips Around the Sun
Carson Ellis, Jeri Heiden & Glen Nakasako, art directors (The Decemberists), What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World (Deluxe Box Set)

Best Album Notes
Joni Mitchell, Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting to Be Danced (winner)
James P. Leary, Folksongs Of Another America: Field Recordings From The Upper Midwest, 1937-1946
Jeff Place, Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection
Ted Olson, Portrait of an American Singer
Ryan Barna, Songs of the Night: Dance Recordings, 1916-1925

Best Historical Album
Steve Berkowitz, Jan Haust, and Jeff Rosen, compilation producers; Peter J. Moore and Mark Wilder, mastering engineers (Bob Dylan and the Band), The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11
Geri Allen, Jocelyn Arem, and Steve Rosenthal, compilation producers; Jamie Howarth and Jessica Thompson, mastering engineers (Erroll Garner), The Complete Concert By the Sea
Kevin Howes, compilation producer; Greg Mindorff, mastering engineer (Various Artists), Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, And Country 1966–1985
Steven Lance Ledbetter and Nathan Salsburg, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists), Parchman Farm: Photographs and Field Recordings, 1947–1959
Mark Puryear, compilation producer; Pete Reiniger, mastering engineer (Fannie Lou Hamer), Songs My Mother Taught Me

Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical)
Dave O’Donnell, engineer; Ted Jensen, mastering engineer (James Taylor), Before This World
Maxime Le Guil, engineer; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Melody Gardot), Currency of Man
Greg Kurstin and Alex Pasco, engineers; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer (The Bird and The Bee), Recreational Love
Shawn Everett, engineer; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Alabama Shakes), Sound & Color
Steve Price, Jochem van der Saag, and Jorge Vivo, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Diana Krall), Wallflower

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jeff Bhasker
Dave Cobb
Diplo
Larry Klein
Blake Mills

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
CFCF, remixer (Daniel Hope), “Berlin By Overnight (CFCF Remix)”
Bill Hamel and Chad Newbold, remixers (JES, Shant, and Clint Maximus), “Hold On (Fatum Remix)”
Ryan Raddon, remixer (Galantis), “Runaway (U & I) (Kaskade Remix)”
André Allen Anjos, remixer (Odesza Featuring Zyra), “Say My Name (RAC Remix)”
Dave Audé, remixer (Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars), “Uptown Funk (Dave Audé Remix)”

Best Surround Sound Album
Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Ingar Heine Bergby & Norwegian Radio Orchestra),Amdahl: Astrognosia & Aesop
James Guthrie, surround mix engineer; James Guthrie & Joel Plante, surround mastering engineers; James Guthrie, surround producer (Roger Waters), Amused To Death
Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Øyvind Gimse, Anita Brevik, Nidarosdomens Jentekor & Trondheimsolistene),Magnificat
Erdo Groot, surround mix engineer; Erdo Groot, surround mastering engineer; Philip Traugott, surround producer (Paavo Järvi & Russian National Orchestra), Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7
Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Tove Ramlo-Ystad & Cantus), Spes

Best Engineered Album, Classical
Leslie Ann Jones, John Kilgore, Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum and Justin Merrill, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra), Ask Your Mama
Dmitriy Lipay, engineer; Alexander Lipay, mastering engineer (Ludovic Morlot, Augustin Hadelich & Seattle Symphony), Dutilleux: Métaboles; L’Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, ‘Le Double’
Robert Friedrich, engineer; Michael Bishop, mastering engineer (Martin Pearlman, Jennifer Rivera, Fernando Guimarães & Boston Baroque),Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D’Ulisse in Patria
Byeong Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Chorale & Kansas City Chorale), Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil
Keith O. Johnson & Sean Royce Martin, engineers; Keith O. Johnson, mastering engineer (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony), Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, ‘Organ’

Producer of the Year, Classical
Blanton Alspaugh
Manfred Eicher
Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin
Dan Merceruio
Judith Sherman

Best Orchestral Performance
Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra), Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony), Dutilleux: Métaboles; L’Arbre des Songes; Symphony No. 2, ‘Le Double’
Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra), Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow – Symphony No. 10
Carlos Kalmar, conductor (The Oregon Symphony), Spirit of the American Range
Darrell Ang, conductor (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra), Zhou Long & Chen Yi: Symphony ‘Humen 1839

Best Opera Recording
Donald Runnicles, conductor; Will Hartmann, Michaela Kaune and Jennifer Larmore; Magdalena Herbst, producer (Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin), Janáček: Jenůfa
Martin Pearlman, conductor; Fernando Guimarães and Jennifer Rivera; Thomas C. Moore, producer (Boston Baroque), Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D’Ulisse In Patria
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Diana Damrau, Paul Schweinester and Rolando Villazón; Sid McLauchlan, producer (Chamber Orchestra Of Europe), Mozart: Die Entführung Aus Dem Serail
Seiji Ozawa, conductor; Isabel Leonard; Dominic Fyfe, producer (Saito Kinen Orchestra; SKF Matsumoto Chorus & SKF Matsumoto Children’s Chorus), Ravel: L’Enfant et les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade
Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Karina Gauvin and Philippe Jaroussky; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra), Steffani: Niobe, Regina Di Tebe

Best Choral Performance
Bernard Haitink, conductor; Peter Dijkstra, chorus master (Anton Barachovsky, Genia Kühmeier, Elisabeth Kulman, Hanno Müller-Brachmann and Mark Padmore; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks), Beethoven: Missa Solemnis
Harry Christophers, conductor (Jeremy Budd, Grace Davidson, Ben Davies, Mark Dobell, Eamonn Dougan and Charlotte Mobbs; The Sixteen), Monteverdi: Vespers of 1610
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (James K. Bass, Laura Mercado-Wright, Eric Neuville and Lauren Snouffer; Faith DeBow and Stephen Redfield; Conspirare), Pablo Neruda – The Poet Sings
Eric Holtan, conductor (Sara Fraker, Matthew Goinz, Thea Lobo, Owen McIntosh, Kathryn Mueller and Christine Vivona; True Concord Orchestra; True Concord Voices), Paulus: Far In The Heavens
Charles Bruffy, conductor (Paul Davidson, Frank Fleschner, Toby Vaughn Kidd, Bryan Pinkall, Julia Scozzafava, Bryan Taylor and Joseph Warner; Kansas City Chorale & Phoenix Chorale), Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Tanja Tetzlaff, Christian Tetzlaff & Lars Vogt, Brahms: The Piano Trios
Eighth Blackbird, “Filament”
Nadia Shpachenko & Genevieve Feiwen Lee, “Flaherty: Airdancing For Toy Piano, Piano & Electronics”
Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth, “Render”
Takács Quartet & Marc-André Hamelin, Shostakovich: Piano Quintet & String Quartet No. 2

Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Augustin Hadelich; Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony), Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L’Arbre Des Songes
Joseph Moog; Nicholas Milton, conductor (Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern), Grieg & Moszkowski: Piano Concertos
Kristian Bezuidenhout, Mozart: Keyboard Music, Vol. 7
Daniil Trifonov (The Philadelphia Orchestra), Rachmaninov Variations
Ursula Oppens (Jerome Lowenthal), Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated!

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Mark Padmore; Kristian Bezuidenhout, accompanist, Beethoven: An Die Ferne Geliebte; Haydn: English Songs; Mozart: Masonic Cantata
Joyce DiDonato; Antonio Pappano, accompanist, Joyce & Tony – Live From Wigmore Hall
Jonas Kaufmann; Antonio Pappano, conductor (Kristīne Opolais, Antonio Pirozzi & Massimo Simeoli; Coro Dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia; Orchestra Dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia), Nessun Dorma – The Puccini Album
Talise Trevigne; David Alan Miller, conductor (Orion Weiss; Albany Symphony), Rouse: Seeing; Kabir Padavali
Cecilia Bartoli; Diego Fasolis, conductor (I Barocchisti), St. Petersburg

Best Classical Compendium
New Budapest Orpheum Society; Jim Ginsburg, producer, As Dreams Fall Apart – The Golden Age Of Jewish Stage And Film Music (1925-1955)
George Manahan, conductor; Judith Sherman, producer, Ask Your Mama
Paul McCreesh, conductor; Nicholas Parker, producer, Handel: L’Allegro, Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato, 1740
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer, Paulus: Three Places Of Enlightenment; Veil of Tears & Grand Concerto
Nadia Shpachenko; Marina A. Ledin & Victor Ledin, producers, Woman at the New Piano

Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Gerald Barry, composer (Thomas Adès, Barbara Hannigan, Katalin Károlyi, Hilary Summers, Peter Tantsits & Birmingham Contemporary Music Group), Barry: The Importance Of Being Earnest
Andrew Norman, composer (Gil Rose & Boston Modern Orchestra Project), Norman: Play
Stephen Paulus, composer (Eric Holtan, True Concord Voices & Orchestra), Paulus: Prayers & Remembrances
Joan Tower, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero, Cho-Liang Lin & Nashville Symphony), Tower: Stroke
Julia Wolfe, composer (Julian Wachner, The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street & Bang On A Can All-Stars), Wolfe: Anthracite Fields

Best Music Video
A$AP Rocky, “LSD”
The Dead Weather, “I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)”
Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”
Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, “Bad Blood”
Pharrell Williams, “Freedom”

Best Music Film
Alex Gibney, video director; Peter Afterman, Blair Foster, Mick Jagger & Victoria Pearman, video producers, (James Brown), Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
Dave Grohl, video director; John Cutcliffe, Dave Grohl, John Ramsay, James A. Rota, John Silva, Gaby Skolnek & Kristen Welsh, video producers (Foo Fighters), Sonic Highways
Liz Garbus, video director; Liz Garbus, Amy Hobby, Jayson Jackson & Justin Wilkes, video producers (Nina Simone), What Happened, Miss Simone?
Sean Evans & Roger Waters, video directors; Clare Spencer & Roger Waters, video producers (Roger Waters), The Wall
Asif Kapadia, video director; James Gay-Rees, video producer (Amy Winehouse), Amy