RAFU WIRE AND STAFF REPORTS
Two Japanese classical musicians were among the recipients of the 64th annual Grammy Awards, announced April 3 in Las Vegas.
Mihoko Fujimura, a mezzo-soprano, was part of the chorale group that won “Best Choral Performance” for its rendition of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.
Calling the award “prestigious,” Fujimura said that she was “extremely happy” to have received it as a soloist who was part of the chorale group.
Eru Matsumoto, a cellist, was among the group that won “Best Classical Solo Vocal Album” for “Mythologies.”
Fans of South Korean boyband BTS were disappointed for the second consecutive year after it lost the award for “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance” despite the popularity of its catchy tune “Butter,” which BTS performed that evening.
Asian Americans were well represented during the ceremony. Silk Sonic (the duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak), Olivia Rodrigo and H.E.R. were among the evening’s winners and nominees. Mars is of Filipino American and Puerto Rican parentage; Paak is Korean American and African American; Rodrigo is of German and Filipino descent; H.E.R. is of Filipina American and African American parentage.
Record of the Year — Winner: “Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic. Nominees: “Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat featuring SZA; “Montrero (Call Me by Your Name),” Lil Nas X; “Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo; “Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish; “Right on Time,” Brandi Carlile; “Peaches,” Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon; “I Get a Kick Out of You,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga; “Freedom,” Jon Baptiste; “I Still Have Faith in You,” ABBA.
Album of the Year — Winner: “We Are,” Jon Batiste. Nominees: “Donda,” Kanye West; “Montero,” Lil Nas X; “Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe),” Justin Bieber; “Planet Her (Deluxe),” Doja Cat; “Back of My Mind,” H.E.R.; “Sour,” Olivia Rodrigo; “Evermore,” Taylor Swift; “Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish; “Love for Sale,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.
Song of the Year — Winner: “Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic. Nominees: “Kiss Me More,” “Peaches,” “Right on Time,” “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” “Happier Than Ever,” “Fight for You,” “Drivers License,” “A Beautiful Noise.” “Bad Habits.”
Best New Artist — Winner: Olivia Rodrigo. Nominees: Saweetie, Arlo Parks, The Kid LAROI, Japanese Breakfast, Glass Animals, FINNEAS, Baby Keem, Jimmie Allen, Arooj Aftab. Saweetie is half Filipina-Chinese. Japanese Breakfast is fronted by Michelle Zauner, who is Korean American. Aftab is the first Pakistani woman to win a Grammy (see below).
Best Pop Solo Performance — Winner: “Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo. Nominees: “Positions,” Ariana Grande; “Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish; “Right on Time,” Brandi Carlile; “Anyone,” Justin Bieber.
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance — Winner: “Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat featuring SZA. Nominees: “Higher Power,” Coldplay; “Butter,” BTS; “Lonely,” Justin Bieber and Benny Blanco; “I Get a Kick Out of You,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album — Winner: “Love for Sale,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. Nominees: “A Holly Dolly Christmas,” Dolly Parton; “That’s Life,” Willie Nelson; “Ledisi Sings Nina,” Ledisi; “A Tori Kelly Christmas,” Tori Kelly; “’Til We Meet Again (Live),” Norah Jones (who is Indian American).
Best Pop Vocal Album — Winner: “Sour,” Olivia Rodrigo. Nominees: “Positions,” Ariana Grande; “Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish; “Planet Her (Deluxe),” Doja Cat; “Justice (Triple Chucka Deluxe),” Justin Bieber.
Best Alternative Music Album — Winner: “Daddy’s Home,” St. Vincent. Nominees: “Collapsed in Sunbeams,” Arlo Parks; “Jubilee,” Japanese Breakfast; “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power,” Halsey; “Shore,” Fleet Foxes.
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song — Winner: “Believe for It,” CeCe Winans (Dwan Hill, Kyle Lee, CeCe Winans and Mitch Wong, songwriters). Nominees: “Jireh,” “Hold Us Together (Hope Mix),” “Man of Your Word,” “We Win.”
Best R&B Performance — Winner: “Pick Up Your Feelings,” Jazmine Sullivan. Nominees: “Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic; “Damage,” H.E.R.; “Peaches,” Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon; “Lost You,” Snoh Aalegra.
Best Traditional R&B Performance — Winner: “Fight for You,” H.E.R. Nominees: “How Much Can a Heart Take,” Lucky Daye featuring Yebba; “Born Again,” Leon Bridges featuring Robert Glasper; “Bring It on Home to Me,” BJ the Chicago Kid, PJ Morton and Kenyon Dixon featuring Charlie Bereal; “I Need You,” Jon Batiste.
Best R&B Song — Winner: “Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic. Nominees: “Good Days,” “Pick Up Your Feelings,” “Heartbreak Anniversary,” “Damage.”
Best R&B Album — Winner: “Heaux Tales,” Jazmine Sullivan. Nominees: “Back of My Mind,” H.E.R.; “Gold-Diggers Sound,” Leon Bridges; “We Are,” Jon Batiste; “Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies,” Snoh Aalegra.
Best New Age Album — Winner: “Divine Tides,” Stewart Copeland and Ricky Kej (who is of Indian descent). Nominees: “Pieces of Forever,” Laura Sullivan; “Night + Day,” Opium Moon; “Pangaea,” Walter Kellerman and David Arkenstone; “Brothers,” Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster and Tom Eaton.
Best Regional Roots Album — Winner: “Kau Ka Pe’a,” Kalani Pe’a. Nominees: “Live in New Orleans,” Sean Ardoin and Kreole Rock and Soul; “Corey Ledet Zydeco,” Corey Ledet Zydeco; “My People,” Cha Wa; “Bloodstains & Teardrops,” Big Chief Monk Boudreaux.
Best Global Music Performance — Winner: “Mohabbat,” Arooj Aftab. Nominees: “Essence,” WizKid featuring Tems; “Blewu,” Yo-Yo Ma and Angelique Kidjo; “Pà Pá Pà,” Femi Kuti; “Do Yourself,” Angelique Kidjo and Burna Boy. Ma, a Chinese American cellist, has been nominated 29 times and has won 19 times. He did not attend this year’s program.
Best Global Music Album — Winner: “Mother Nature,” Angelique Kidjo. Nominees: “Made in Lagos: Deluxe Edition,” WizKid; “Legacy,” Femi Kuti and Made Kuti; “East West Players Presents: Daniel Ho and Friends Live in Concert,” Daniel Ho and Friends; “Voice of Bunbon, Vol. 1,” Rocky Dawuni. Ho is a 12-time Grammy nominee and a six-time winner.
Best Children’s Music Album — Winner: “A Colorful World,” Falu (an Indian American). Nominees: “All One Tribe,” 1 Tribe Collective; “Crayon Kids,” Lucky Diaz and The Family Jam Band; “Black to the Future,” Pierce Freelon; “Activate,” 123 Andrés.
Best Recording Package — Winner: “Pakelang,” Li Zheng Han and Yu Wei, art directors (2nd Generation Falangao Singing Group and The Chairman Crossover Big Band). Nominees: “Serpentine Prison,” “Zera,” “Carnage,” “American Jackpot/American Girls.”
Best Remixed Recording — Winner: “Passenger (Mike Shinoda Remix),” Mike Shinoda, remixer (Deftones). Nominees: “Talks (Mura Masa Remix),” “Met Him Last Night (Dave Aude Remix),” “Inside Out (3SCAPE DRM Remix),” “Constant Craving (Fashionably Late Remix),” “Born for Greatness (Cymek Remix),” “Back to Life (Booker T. Kings of Soul Satta Dub).” Shinoda is co-founder and lead vocalist for Linkin Park, which has received six Grammy nominations and won twice.
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance — Winner: “Beethoven: Cello Sonatas – Hope Amid Tears,” Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax. Nominees: “Bruits,” “Archetypes,” “Akiho: Seven Pillars,” “Adams, John Luther: Lines Made by Walking.”
Best Classical Instrumental Solo — Winner: “Alone Together,” Jennifer Koh. Nominees: “Of Power,” “Mak Bach,” “Beethoven & Brahms: Violin Concertos,” “Bach: Sonatas & Partitas,” “An American Mosaic.” Koh is a Korean American violinist.
Best Choral Performance — Winner: “Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony of a Thousand,'” Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, Robert Istad, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz and Luke Da Duke, and Luke McEndarfer, chorus masters (Leah Crocetto, Mihoko Fujimura, Ryan McKinny, Erin Morley, Tamara Mumford, Simon O’Neill, Morris Robinson and Tamara Wilson; Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children’s Chorus and Pacific Chorale). Nominees: “The Singing Guitar,” “Sheehan: Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom,” “Schnittke: Choir Concerto; Three Sacred Hymns; Part: Seven Magnificat-Antiphone,” “Rising w/The Crossing,” “It’s A Long Way.”
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album — Winner: “Mythologies,” Sangeeta Kaur and Hila Plitmann; Danaë Xanthe Vlasse, pianist (Virginie D’Avezac De Castera, Lili Haydn, Wouter Kellerman, Nadeem Majdalany, Eru Matsumoto and Emilio D. Miler). Nominees: “Unexpected Shadows,” “Schubert: Winterreise,” “Dreams of a New Day – Songs by Black Composers,” “Confessions.”
Best Music Video — Winner: “Freedom,” Jon Batiste. Nominees: “Good 4 U,” Olivia Rodrigo; “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” Lil Nas X; “Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish; “Peaches,” Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon; “I Get a Kick Out of You,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga; “Shot in the Dark,” AC/DC.
Best Music Film — Winner: “Summer of Soul,” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, video director; David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent and Joseph Patel, video producers. (Patel is Indian American.) Nominees: “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles,” Billie Eilish; “Music, Money, Madness … Jimi Hendrix in Maui,” Jimi Hendrix; “David Byrne’s American Utopia,” David Byrne; “Inside,” Bo Burnham. The “Summer of Soul” team also won an Oscar for best documentary feature.
For a complete list and details about each nominee, go to: https://www.grammy.com/awards/64th-annual-grammy-awards-2021