Alicia Keys helped to announce this year's Grammy nominees. Among the potential awardees are quite a few of our favorites.
Alabama Shakes, fronted by the indomitable Brittney Howard, are nominated for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song. They are also nominated for Best Alternative Music Album, Best Engineered Album, and Album of the Year for Sound and Color.
[Lianne La Havas Sings Her Heart Out in New Tiny Desk Concert For NPR]
Nicki Minaj scored a nomination for Best Rap Album for her third LP, The Pinkprint. "Truffle Butter," the collaboration between her YMCMB label mates Drake and Lil Wayne, was nominated for Best Rap Performance. "Only" featuring Drake, Lil Wayne, and Chris Brown was nominated for Best Rap Sung collaboration.
Karen Clark-Sheard (Destined to Win), Dorinda Clark-Cole (Living It), and Tasha Cobbs (One Place Live) were nominated for Best Gospel Album.
The R&B categories have significant number of Black Women. Tamar Braxton was nominated for "If I Don't Have You" in Best R&B Performance category; so was Andra Day for "Rise Up." Day's album, Cheers to the Fall, was also recognized. In the Best Traditional R&B Performance Category, Lalah Hathaway was recognized for a cover of her father's song, "Little Ghetto Boy," Jazmine Sullivan for "Let it Burn," and Faith Evans for "He is." Sullivan was also nominated for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Album (Reality Show).
[Exploring the Womanist Themes of Jazmine Sullivan's "Reality Show"]
[Lalah Hathaway talks #BlackLivesMatter, Today's R&B, and her dad, Donny]
Cecile Mclorin Salvant was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album for, For One to Love.
The Extraordinary Nina Simone documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone, is nominated for Best Music Film.
[7 Life Lessons We Can Learn From the New Nina Simone Documentary]
Angelique Kidjo was nominated for Best World Music Album for Sings.
