The Grammys announced their nominees for the 2017 awards and numerous Nashville artists made the cut, in a wide array of musical categories.
Genre bender Sturgill Simpson is up for one of the Grammy’s biggest prizes: Album of the Year. His “A Sailor’s Guide To Earth” is up against records made by some of pop music’s biggest names including Adele, Drake, Justin Bieber and Beyonce.
Rock star Jack White joined Beyonce this year for “Don’t Hurt Yourself” which is up for Best Rock Performance. White is also nominated in the American Roots category as are the Time Jumpers who regularly play 3rd & Lindsley, and sometimes feature Vince Gill. They earned an Americana nomination as well.
Two Nashvillians were nominated for Best New artist – country singers Kelsea Ballerini and Maren Morris. In the Country categories, Morris, Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban received multiple nominations.
The Alabama Shakes and Cage the Elephant received rock nominations. Kelly Clarkson is in for best pop solo performance and Jill Scott, who lives in Franklin, was nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
As usual, Middle Tennesseans featured heavily in the Bluegrass and Gospel categories and Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott racked up two nominations for her Contemporary Christian debut.
Local works were also recognized for Best Engineered Album, Best Music Film and the Nashville Symphony is hoping to win in two Classical categories.
Album of the Year
“A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” — Sturgill Simpson
Best New Artist
Kelsea Ballerini
Maren Morris
Best Rock Album
Tell Me I’m Pretty — Cage The Elephant
Best Rock Performance
“Joe (Live From Austin City Limits)” — Alabama Shakes
“Don’t Hurt Yourself” — Beyoncé featuring Jack White
Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Can’t Wait” — Jill Scott
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
“Undercurrent” — Shani Gandhi & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Sarah Jarosz)
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
“Daugherty: Tales of Hemingway” — Zuill Bailey; Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Nashville Symphony)
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway — Michael Daugherty, composer (Zuill Bailey, Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)
Best Music Film
“American Saturday Night: Live From the Grand Ole Opry” — George J. Flanigen IV, video director; John Burke & Lindsey Clark, video producers
GENRES:
Best Country Solo Performance
“Love Can Go to Hell” — Brandy Clark
“Vice” — Miranda Lambert
“My Church” — Maren Morris
“Church Bells” — Carrie Underwood
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Keith Urban
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Different For Girls” — Dierks Bentley featuring Elle King
“21 Summer” — Brothers Osborne
“Setting the World On Fire” — Kenny Chesney & P!nk
“Jolene” — Pentatonix featuring Dolly Parton
“Think of You” — Chris Young With Cassadee Pope
Best Country Song
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey & Steven Lee Olsen, songwriters (Keith Urban)
“Die a Happy Man” — Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett & Joe Spargur, songwriters (Thomas Rhett)
“Humble and Kind” — Lori McKenna, songwriter (Tim McGraw)
“My Church” — busbee & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris)
“Vice” — Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
Best Country Album
“Big Day In a Small Town” — Brandy Clark
“Full Circle” — Loretta Lynn
“Hero” — Maren Morris
“A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” — Sturgill Simpson
“Ripcord” — Keith Urban
Best American Roots Performance
“Ain’t No Man” — The Avett Brothers
“Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time” — Blind Boys Of Alabama
“Factory Girl” — Rhiannon Giddens
“House Of Mercy” — Sarah Jarosz
“Wreck You” — Lori McKenna
Best American Roots Song
“Alabama At Night” — Robbie Fulks, songwriter (Robbie Fulks)
“City Lights” — Jack White, songwriter (Jack White)
“Gulfstream” — Eric Adcock & Roddie Romero, songwriters (Roddie Romero And The Hub City All-Stars)
“Kid Sister” — Vince Gill, songwriter (The Time Jumpers)
“Wreck You” — Lori McKenna & Felix McTeigue, songwriters (Lori McKenna)
Best Americana Album
True Sadness — The Avett Brothers
This Is Where I Live — William Bell
The Cedar Creek Sessions — Kris Kristofferson
The Bird & The Rifle — Lori McKenna
Kid Sister — The Time Jumpers
Best Folk Album
Silver Skies Blue — Judy Collins & Ari Hest
Upland Stories — Robbie Fulks
Factory Girl — Rhiannon Giddens
Weighted Mind — Sierra Hull
Undercurrent — Sarah Jarosz
Best Bluegrass Album
Original Traditional — Blue Highway
Burden Bearer — Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
The Hazel Sessions — Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands
North And South — Claire Lynch
Coming Home — O’Connor Band With Mark O’Connor
Best Gospel Performance/Song
“It’s Alright, It’s OK” — Shirley Caesar Featuring Anthony Hamilton; Stanley Brown & Courtney Rumble, songwriters
“You’re Bigger [Live]” — Jekalyn Carr; Allundria Carr, songwriter
“Made A Way [Live]” — Travis Greene; Travis Greene, songwriter
“God Provides” — Tamela Mann; Kirk Franklin, songwriter
“Better” — Hezekiah Walker; Jason Clayborn, Gabriel Hatcher & Hezekiah Walker, songwriters
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
“Trust In You” — Lauren Daigle; Lauren Daigle, Michael Farren & Paul Mabury, songwriters
“Priceless” — For King & Country; Benjamin Backus, Seth Mosley, Joel Smallbone, Luke Smallbone & Tedd Tjornhom, songwriters
“King of the World” — Natalie Grant; Natalie Grant, Becca Mizell & Samuel Mizell, songwriters
“Thy Will” — Hillary Scott & The Scott Family; Bernie Herms, Hillary Scott & Emily Weisband, songwriters Track from: Love Remains
“Chain Breaker” — Zach Williams; Mia Fieldes, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters
Best Gospel Album
Listen —Tim Bowman Jr.
Fill This House — Shirley Caesar
A Worshipper’s Heart [Live] —Todd Dulaney
Losing My Religion — Kirk Franklin
Demonstrate [Live] —William Murphy
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Poets & Saints — All Sons & Daughters
American Prodigal — Crowder
Be One — Natalie Grant
Youth Revival [Live] — Hillsong Young & Free
Love Remains — Hillary Scott & The Scott Family
Best Roots Gospel Album
Better Together — Gaither Vocal Band
Nature’s Symphony In 432 — The Isaacs
Hymns — Joey+Rory
Hymns And Songs Of Inspiration — Gordon Mote
God Don’t Ever Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson — (Various Artists)
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