Friday, December 09, 2005
Grammy's Gettin' Tired Now
On Wednesday, December 7, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (AKA The Recording Academy) released its nominations for the 48th Annual Grammy ® Awards.
I believe the Grammys better represents the true worth of a recording artist than other awards that are based on public approval. The public be damned! The "Pop" stands for "Popular", not "Popularity". So take those Golden Globes and Billboard awards and hock 'em, 'cause the only respectibility they will buy you is a transient mention in the annals of history. A Grammy, on the other hand, virtually assures your bust a home in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame (try to find an inductee who never won a Grammy, then do the same re: GG/BB.) Read about the 2006 Inductees here.
This is not to say that I unequivocally agree with who should receive a Grammy, however. To me, just being nominated is cause enough for celebration. And, inevitably, the Academy is always conspicuous in who it ignores. Every year I have a rant about who was left out (and this is partly what inspired me to begin keeping this blog.) Usually, though, my guesses and the Academy's are fairly syched—which may also be why I pass more credence to this award.
So below you will find a table of the nominations (you may also find a text file of the Nominee list here for your own use.) In one column, I predict who the academy will give the award to; in the next column, I denote who I believe should win the award. Please feel free to post your own comments, and add your predictions (especially concerning Country and Gospel, which, while I make a few tentative stabs, I really know too little about.)
I believe the Grammys better represents the true worth of a recording artist than other awards that are based on public approval. The public be damned! The "Pop" stands for "Popular", not "Popularity". So take those Golden Globes and Billboard awards and hock 'em, 'cause the only respectibility they will buy you is a transient mention in the annals of history. A Grammy, on the other hand, virtually assures your bust a home in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame (try to find an inductee who never won a Grammy, then do the same re: GG/BB.) Read about the 2006 Inductees here.
This is not to say that I unequivocally agree with who should receive a Grammy, however. To me, just being nominated is cause enough for celebration. And, inevitably, the Academy is always conspicuous in who it ignores. Every year I have a rant about who was left out (and this is partly what inspired me to begin keeping this blog.) Usually, though, my guesses and the Academy's are fairly syched—which may also be why I pass more credence to this award.
So below you will find a table of the nominations (you may also find a text file of the Nominee list here for your own use.) In one column, I predict who the academy will give the award to; in the next column, I denote who I believe should win the award. Please feel free to post your own comments, and add your predictions (especially concerning Country and Gospel, which, while I make a few tentative stabs, I really know too little about.)
| Category | Will Win | Should Win | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Field | |||
| Record of the Year | We Belong Together (Mariah Carey) | Feel Good Inc (Gorillaz feat. De La Soul) | I am so glad to see Ms. Carey back on top with the superb "Emancipation of Mimi" but she has better categories to win and, frankly, this song ain't all that! |
| Album of the Year | Emancipation of Mimi (Mariah Carey) | Late Registration (Kanye West) | "Late Registration" is one helluva sophomore release. The production values are top-notch, the content is brilliant, and the timing couldn't be better. Unfortunately, Mr. West has not sucked enough dick to win this most prestigious of the Grammys... and his comments regarding this award are enough to blow it for him. |
| Song of the Year | We Belong Together (Mariah Carey) | Ordinary People (John Legend) | Sucky category--what's the difference between "Record" and "Song of the Year?" |
| Best New Artist | John Legend | Keane | This category is a notorious career-killer. So I hope Kean wins because I'd stick pins in a voodoo doll if that would kill his this over-hyped saccarin-sweet Brit without an ounce of originality. John Legend, while still sounding too Stevie-like, manages to produce some really frothy neo-soul. He has a very bright future ahead of him. |
| Field 1--Pop | |||
| Best Female Pop Vocal Performance | Hollaback Girl (Gwen Stefani) | Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson) | I gotta hand it to ol' Kelly: she beat the American Idol curse (perhaps by being the first to graduate) and is now straddling the Pop world like Colossus. This performance in particular, blows out the competitors by yards. Sadly, however, Ms. Stefani's minimal effort will be lauded overall because of her celebrity stature, or because of dues paid. And while purists and die-hard fans will shout for Ms. Raitt, this song just doesn't have that jump-up-and-hollar chutzpah that it needs to keep up with these killer gals. |
| Best Male Pop Vocal Performance | Lonely No More (Rob Thomas) | From the Bottom of My Heart (Stevie Wonder) | While I do respect the verve and blast of Rob's single, this is the first opus from this century's Mozart in about a decade! What's more, this song is so well crafted: pure STEVIE! Among such lackluster compadres, this song shines like an opal. |
| Best Pop Peformance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Don't Lie (The Black Eyed Peas) | This Love (Maroon 5) | This was really an exciting category this year: full of stellar performances. A lot of new Pop groups are emerging, redefining and expanding the idiom. No one is doing more than the Black Eyed Peas, fronted by the amazing Will I. Am. However, "This Love" is a truly remarkable song, bringing back a sensibility that has been dulled by years of Rap dominating this category. |
| Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals | Gone Going (Black Eyed Peas & Jack Johnson) | A Time to Love (Stevie Wonder & India.Arie) | BEP certainly has figured out the Pop formula for the 00's, but this is STEVIE! This guy has a trunk line to true inspiration. 'Nuff said. |
| Best Pop Instrumental Performance | Caravan (Les Paul) | T-Jam (George Duke) | Naturally, I'd be happy if either of these masters won. This year's category, however, seems to be dominated with the most soporific track from each entrant's album--there were much better songs to choose this year. And of course, I am sad that Brian Eno's wonderful "Another Day on Earth" was not even mentioned. |
| Best Pop Instrumental Album | At This Time (Burt Bacharach) | Belladonna (Daniel Lanois) | As with most of the Grammys, just to be nominated is kudos enough, but in this category the caveat applies especially. However, nothing truly groundbreaking (e.g., Guillermo Brown or Brian Eno) will break in here... |
| Best Pop Vocal Album | Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (Gwen Stefani) | Extraordinary Machine (Fiona Apple) | The Academy has to justify to itself the exorbitant budget Ms. Stefani spent to produce that piece of shit. More important work will definitely be passed over in favor of mediocrity that reinforces a status quo. |
| Field 2--Dance | |||
| Best Dance Recording | Wonderful Night (Fatboy Slim & Lateef) | Galvanize (The Chemical Brothers) | It's so hard to keep track of this subgenre, as fickle and fleeting as the fans and musicians are. Sometimes the artists are more at home in the Electronic category than on a dance-floor. And since I gave up XTC long ago, I've kinda lost touch with what's good here. But this is a good bet, I think. |
| Best Electronic/Dance Album | Minimum-Maximum (Kraftwerk) | Minimum-Maximum (Kraftwerk) | As well received as this comeback was, I believe this is a lock. I am furious, though, that Thievery Corporation's "The Cosmic Game" WAS NOT EVEN NOMINATED! "Cosmic Game" was definitely the album of the year, regardless of genre, so it should at least have been nominated here. Pas de justice! |
| Field 3--Traditional Pop | |||
| Best Traditional Pop Album | Thanks for the Memory... The Great American Songbook Volume IV (Rod Stewart) | The Art of Romance (Tony Bennet) | Leave it to the Brits to figure out American Pop better than its founders. But I gotta vote for my namesake, who is much (MUCH) cooler than ol' Blue Eyes... |
| Field 4--Rock | |||
| Best Solo Rock Performance | Devils & Dust (Bruce Springsteen) | This Is How a Heart Breaks (Rob Thomas) | It is so sad the way old rockers just lose their gumption. Sorry guys, I want so bad to believe in Bruce and Eric and Neil, but they are just so damn tired! Their music sounds like they are being forced to release something/anything. Why should I be forced to listen? And Mr. Thomas just kicks ass so fluidly! I truly don't want to love him as much as I do, but every release of his just knocks me back the way those geriatrics used to at his age. |
| Best Rock Performance by a Duo or a Group with Vocal | Speed of Sound (Coldplay) | Best of You (Foo Fighters) | I didn't even want to add anyone--the field is so dry (but I remember tapping my feet once to the FF.) What a pack of losers! Surely something great happened in Rock music last year...? |
| Best Hard Rock Performance | The Hand That Feeds (Nine Inch Nails) | The Hand That Feeds (Nine Inch Nails) | Mr. Reznor once again shows us how it's supposed to be done. Too bad he's such an asshole, though. |
| Best Metal Peformance | Mein Teil (Rammstein) | Mein Teil (Rammstein) | The truly amazing thing is that these tracks are probably the weakest from all nominees. Much better tunes on the individual albums (and most are the first track, as if that is as far as the judges could listen.) |
| Best Rock Instrumental Performance | 69 Freedom Special (Les Paul & Friends) | Beat Box Guitar (Adrian Belew) | All of the nominees in this category deserve a Grammy for this year's work. I only reluctantly put aside Joe Perry, and Steve Vai is just magnificent. A fan of instrumental Rock should buy each of these albums, and Belew's "Side One/Side Two" can easily best any entrant in the "Best Rock Album" by leagues. |
| Best Rock Song | Best of You (Foo Fighters) | Best of You (Foo Fighters) | Actually, I couldn't care less. Each entrant has just a little more flavor than porridge. |
| Best Rock Album | X&Y (Coldplay) | How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (U2) | Again, mighty yawn... Put Belew against these guys to show the world what quality Rock should be. |
| Field 5--Alternative | |||
| Best Alternative Music Album | Guero (Beck) | Guero (Beck) | Nobody can touch this wunderkind (though I kinda feel sorry for his girlfriend, who has to...) White Stripes does pull in a close second, but there are no seconds. |
| Field 6-R&B | |||
| Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | We Belong Together (Mariah Carey) | Unbreakable (Alicia Keys) | It's just cynicism talking. Anyone with a pair of ears can tell the difference. |
| Best Male R&B Performance | Ordinary People (John Legend) | So What the Fuss? (Stevie Wonder) | Only Mr. Wonder can do it like that. Go Steve! |
| Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | So Amazing (Beyonce & Stevie Wonder) | How Will I know (Stevie Wonder Feat. Aisha Morris) | What could be more adorable than The immortal great Wonder singing with his daughter? only chocolate puppies! I wanted to recommend John Legend & Lauren Hill's "So High", but that was really a remix. Nist if the nominees came from "So Amazing: an All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross." The album, however, was not nominated, which is a real shame. Luther's genius of Love continues to feed the soul--this is a highly recommended album. |
| Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance | Mine Again (Mariah Carey) | If I Was Your Woman (Alicia Keys) | God, Ms. Keys just makes me tremble! This song makes me just wanna gather her up in my arms and tell her, it's okay baby, you can be my woman... What a great song! She can just release a new version every year and still win a Grammy with it. |
| Best Urban/Alternative Performance | Welcome To Jamrock (Damian Marley) | Dirty Harry (Gorillaz) | Just can't get enuff of those Gorillaz! More please. But I think the Academy will tip the hat to his Majesty Bob Marley's son. |
| Best R&B Song | We Belong Together (Mariah Carey) | Unbreakable (Alicia Keys) | Did you know that Kanye West helped author "Unbreakable"? |
| Best R&B Album | Get Lifted (John Legend) | A Time to Love (Stevie Wonder) | OK, it's not "Inner Visions," but "Illumination" isn't "That's the Way of the World" either. Anyhoo, JL's gonna beat the OG's out of their own groove. |
| Best Contemporary R&B Album | The Emancipation of Mimi (Mariah Carey) | The Emancipation of Mimi (Mariah Carey) | If I ruled the world, this is the only Grammy Ms. Carey will win (or deserve.) I can see the headlines now: Mariah Carey dominates the Grammys with [at least 4]. |
| Field 7--Rap | |||
| Best Solo Rap Performance | Gold Digger (Kanye West) | Testify (Common) | The outcome of this category will be determined by the mental age of the judges. |
| Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Don't Funk with My Heart (The Black Eyed Peas) | The Corner (Common feat. The Last Poets) | Despite 50 Cent's dominance of the genre, his recognition by the Academy will continue to be ignored. |
| Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | Rich Girl (Gwen Stefani feat. Eve) | They Say (Common feat. Kanye West & John Legend) | Chicago seems to be where culture is flourishing in this evil empire. |
| Best Rap Song | Candy Shop (50 Cent) | Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Kanye West) | The great thing about this category is the way it changed crediting songwriters. Thanks to Rap, even small contributions are recognized. |
| Best Rap Album | Late Registration (Kanye West) | Be (Common) | Once again, Curtis Jackson will get shouldered aside by Chi-towns finest. |
| Field 8 --Country | |||
| Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Mississippi Girl (Faith Hill) | The Connection (Emmylou Harris) | |
| Best Male Country Vocal Performance | As Good as I Once Was (Toby Keith) | Midnight Communion (Delbert McClinton) | |
| Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group | Comin' to Your City (Big & Rich) | Restless (Allison Kraus & Union Station) | |
| Best Country Collaboration with Vocals | Like We Never Loved at All (Faith Hill & Tim McGraw) | Dreams Come True (Willie Nelson & Norah Jones) | |
| Berst Country Instumental Performance | I'll Fly Away (Charlie Daniels) | Who's Your Uncle? (Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush & Béla Fleck) | |
| Best Country Song | I May Hate Myself in the Morning (Lee Ann Womack) | I Hope (Dixie Chicks) | |
| Best Country Album | |||
| Best Bluesgrass Album | |||
| Field 9 - New Age | |||
| Best New Age Album | Montana - A Love Story (George Winston) | Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Vol. 2 (Kitaro) | What a strange catgegory: music that is too bland to be called Jazz and too pedestrian to be called Classical. |
| Field 10 - Jazz | |||
| Best Contemporary Jazz Album | This Way Up (Pat Metheny Group) | The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel (Me'Shell Ndegeocello) | The Spirit Music is one of the finest albums this year, regardless of category. |
| Best Jazz Instumental Solo | A Love Supreme - Acknowledgement (Bradford Marsalis) | Away (Ravi Coltrane) | Any of these nominees winning this Grammy would be a cause for celebration. THis has been a very good year for Jazz. |
| Best Jazz Instrumental Album | Beyond the Sound Barrier (Wayne Shorter Quartet) | Live at the House of Tribes (Wynton Marsalis) | Marsalis is finaaly getting press recognition as a Jazz titan - his album should solidify that title. |
| Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album | Overtime (Dave Holland Big Band) | I Am Three (Mingus Big Band, Orchestra & Dynasty) | |
| Best Latin Jazz Album | Mulatos (Omar Sosa) | ...And Sammy Walked In (Sammy Figueroa & His Latin Jazz Explosion) | |
| Field 11 - Gospel | |||
| Best Gospel Song | Be Blessed (Yolanda Adams) | Be Blessed (Yolanda Adams) | |
| Best Rock Gospel Album | |||
| Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album | Redemption Songs (Jars of Clay) | ||
| Best Southern, Country, or Bluesgrass Gospel Album | Rock of Ages...Hymns & Faith (Amy Grant) | Common Thread (Oak Ridge Boys) | |
| Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album | Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Music (Donnie McClurkin) | Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Music (Donnie McClurkin) | |
| Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | Purified (CeCe Winans) | Day by Day (Yolanda Adams) | |
| Bestg Gospel Choir or Chorus Album | One Church (The Kurt Carr Singers) | One Voice (Saints United Voices) | |
| Field 12 - Latin | |||
| Best Latin Pop Album | Andrea Echeverri (Andrea Echeverri) | Andrea Echeverri (Andrea Echeverri) | |
| Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album | Fijaciòn Oral Vol. 1 (Shakira) | Fijaciòn Oral Vol. 1 (Shakira) | |
| Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album | Buena Vista Social Club Presents (Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal) | Una Noche Inolvidable (Afro-latin Jazz Orchestra With Arturo O'Farrill) | |
| Best Salsa/Merengue Album | Fabricando Fantasìas (Tito Nieves) | Fabricando Fantasìas (Tito Nieves) | |
| Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album | México en la Piel (Luis Miguel) | México en la Piel (Luis Miguel) | |
| Best Tejano Album | Then & Now (Joe Posada) | Then & Now (Joe Posada) | |
| Field 13 - Blues | |||
| Best Traditional Blues Album | 80 (B.B.King & Friends) | 80 (B.B. King & Friends) | I wouldn't necessarily call this album (or anything B.B. King does) "Traditional Blues, but this is the best album of the lot. |
| Best Contemporary Blues Album | Twenty (Robert Cray) | Bring 'Em In (Buddy Guy) | The man who bided his time while the luminaries burned (and burned out), BG is finally getgting the recognition his massive recording career deserves. This album rocks! |
| Field 14 - Folk | |||
| Best Traditional Folk Album | Cajun Mardi Gras! (Jo-EL Sonnier) | Live In The UK (Tom Paxton) | |
| Best Contemporary Folk Album | Devils & Dust (Bruce Springsteen) | Ch·vez Ravine (Ry Cooder) | Ry Cooder continues to stretch whatever genre he dabbles in with this fantastic operetta. |
| Best Native American Music Album | Sacred Ground - A Tribute To Mother Earth (Various Artists) | Sacred Ground - A Tribute To Mother Earth (Various Artists) | |
| Best Hawaiian Music Album | Masters Of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar - Vol. 1 (Various Artists) | Sweet & Lovely (Raiatea Helm) | |
| Field 15 - Reggae | |||
| Best Reggae Album | Welcome To Jamrock (Damian Marley) | Clothesdrop (Shaggy) | This is a tip o' the hat to my fiancé, Frqancine, who cannot get enough Shaggy! Of course Abdel Wright's strident contribution has been ignored in favor of a more commercial, crossover sound that means Reggae today. |
| Field 16 - World Music | |||
| Best Traditional World Music Album | In the Heart of the Moon (Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté) | In the Heart of the Moon (Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté) | |
| Best Contemporary World Music Album | You've Stolen My Heart - Songs from R.D. Burman's Bollywood (Kronos Quartet & Asha Bhosle) | You've Stolen My Heart - Songs from R.D. Burman's Bollywood (Kronos Quartet & Asha Bhosle) | |
| Field 17 - Polka | |||
| Best Polka Album | Under The Influence (Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones) | Under The Influence (Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones) | |
| Field 18 - Children's | |||
| Best Musical Album For Children | Songs From The Neighborhood - The Music Of Mister Rogers (Various Artists) | Some Assembly Required (Tom Chapin) | |
| Best Spoken Word Album For Children | Harry Potter And The Half-blood Prince (Jim Dale) | A Series Of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning (Various Artists) | |
| Field 19 - Spoken Word | |||
| Best Spoken Word Album | The Adventures Of Guy Noir (Garrison Keillor) | Chronicles - Volume One [Bob Dylan] (Sean Penn) | |
| Field 20 - Comedy | |||
| Best Comedy Album | Family Guy Live In Vegas (Various Artists) | Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center Blues (Lewis Black) | |
| Field 21 - Musical Show | |||
| Best Musical Show Album | Monty Python's Spamalot (Original Broadway Cast Including David Hyde Pierce, Tim Curry, Hank Azaria & Sara Ramirez) | Monty Python's Spamalot (Original Broadway Cast Including David Hyde Pierce, Tim Curry, Hank Azaria & Sara Ramirez) | |
| Field 22 - Film/TV/Visual Media | |||
| Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media | Ray (Ray Charles) | No Direction Home: The Soundtrack - Bootleg Series, Vol. 7 (Bob Dylan) | Sorry! As a matter of personal taste, Dylan always trumps. |
| Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media | Ray (Craig Armstrong) | Ray (Craig Armstrong) | |
| Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media | Wonka's Welcome Song (Danny Elfman) | Million Voices (Wyclef Jean) | |
| Field 23 - Composing/Arranging | |||
| Best Instrumental Composition | Anakin's Betrayal (John Williams)1 | Into The Light (Billy Childs Ensemble) | |
| Best Instrumental Arrangement | Scarborough Faire (Billy Childs Ensemble) | Cherokee (The Chris Walden Big Band) | |
| Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) | Can't Buy Me Love (Michael Bublé) | What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life? (Chris Botti & Sting) | |
| Field 24 - Package | |||
| Best Recording Package | The Cosmic Game (Thievery Corporation) | The Cosmic Game (Thievery Corporation) | Berst chance they've got this year... |
| Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package | Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (Ray Charles) | Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (Ray Charles) | |
| Field 25 - Album Notes | |||
| Best Album Notes | Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (Ray Charles) | The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax (Jelly Roll Morton) | |
| Field 26 - Historical | |||
| Best Historical Album | The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax (Jelly Roll Morton) | The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax (Jelly Roll Morton) | |
| Field 27 - Production, Non-Classical | |||
| Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical | Back Home (Eric Clapton) | Lonely Runs Both Ways (Alison Krauss And Union Station) | What a dismal category this year. I believe many competent engineers were passed over in favor of the more mediocre. Oh well, it is the way this past year has run in all aspects of Amerikkkan life. |
| Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical | How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (U2) | Demon Days (Gorillaz) | I am sure even the great Steve Lillywhite would defer to Danger Mouse in this case. The Academy, however, I doubt would do the same... |
| Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical | Mr. Brightside [Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix] (The Killers) | What Is Hip? [T.O.P.R.M.X.] (Tower of Power) | This is a very exciting category. FInally scratchers, remixers and mashers are getting their props. Thank goodness most of the best stuff is still underground, however. |
| Field 28 - Surround Sound | |||
| Best Surround Sound Album | In Your Honor (Foo Fighters) | Brothers In Arms - 20th Anniversary Edition (Dire Straits) | |
| Field 29 - Production, Classical | |||
| Best Engineered Album, Classical | Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) | Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) | |
| Producer Of The Year, Classical | Silk Road Journeys: Beyond The Horizon (Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble) | Silk Road Journeys: Beyond The Horizon (Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble) | |
| Best Classical Album | Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) | Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) | |
| Best Orchestral Performance | Shostakovich: Sym. No. 13 (Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks) | Shostakovich: Sym. No. 13 (Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks) | |
| Best Opera Recording | Vivaldi: Bajazet (Europa Galante) | Vivaldi: Bajazet (Europa Galante) | |
| Best Choral Performance | Bernstein: Mass (Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin) | Bernstein: Mass (Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin) | |
| Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra) | Beethoven: Piano Cons. Nos. 2 & 3 (Mahler Chamber Orchestra) | Beethoven: Piano Cons. Nos. 2 & 3 (Mahler Chamber Orchestra) | |
| Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra) | Night Breeze - Harp Music Of Carlos Salzedo (Sarah Schuster Ericsson) | Night Breeze - Harp Music Of Carlos Salzedo (Sarah Schuster Ericsson) | |
| Best Chamber Music Performance | Bartôk: The Six String Quartets (Vermeer Quartet) | Bartôk: The Six String Quartets (Vermeer Quartet) | |
| Best Small Ensemble Performance (with or without Conductor) | Ancient Voices Of Children (David Colson et. al) | Ancient Voices Of Children (David Colson et. al) | |
| Best Classical Vocal Performance | Bach: Cantatas (Rainer Kussmaul; Members Of The RIAS Chamber Choir; Berlin Baroque Soloists) | Bach: Cantatas (Rainer Kussmaul; Members Of The RIAS Chamber Choir; Berlin Baroque Soloists) | |
| Best Classical Contemporary Composition | Bolcom: Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience (Leonard Slatkin) | Bolcom: Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience (Leonard Slatkin) | |
| Best Classical Crossover Album | The Classical Underground (Imani Winds) | Steiner: The Adventures Of Mark Twain (Moscow Symphony Orchestra) | |
| Field 31 - Music Video | |||
| Best Short Form Music Video | Lose Control (Missy Elliott Feat. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop) | (Feel Good Inc. (Gorillaz Feat. De La Soul) | God Love those Gorillaz! |
| Best Long Form Music Video | Trapped In The Closet [Chapters 1-5] (R. Kelly) | No Direction Home (Bob Dylan) | I am amazed that this is the only nomination His R-ness picked up this year (could it be the ghost of scandal?) |
