Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Grammy Awards Approach

The nominees for the 2010 Grammy Awards were announced in stellar fashion last month, with the big celebratory concert that was broadcast on CBS Television. The Grammy's are unique in the music industry, in that they honor music they feel stands out artistically, as opposed to album sales or how well the single charted. It goes without saying that every awards show has some degree of politics when it comes to voting and selection, and I'm sure the Grammy awards are no different in that regard. But I've always respected the Recording Academy (the body which governs the Grammy Awards) for the fact that the "music is art" philosophy is top of mind. A perfect example rests in the country music category, with Jamey Johnson's "Macon" and Gretchen Wilson's "I'd Love to Be Your Last" nominated in the Best Male and Best Female Country Vocal Performance categories respectively. Neither of these singles charted particularly well, yet they are two of the finest singles that were released to radio this year. Jamey Johnson's "The Guitar Song" album is one of the best albums of any year, never mind 2010, but that's another column for another day.

Last year for the first time in Grammy Awards history, an award for the Best Americana Album was introduced, further evidence that the Americana genre continues to grow and gain recognition. There have been awards that have encompassed pieces of the Americana pie, such as the Best Bluegrass Album and the Best Traditional Folk Album categories, but last year was the first to recognize Americana as a standalone category. Last year's nominees were Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel, Wilco, Lucinda Willams, and winner Levon Helm, for his album Electric Dirt.

This year's nominations list is no less impressive. Over the next few weeks that will lead up to the Grammy's, we'll be spotlighting the albums that are nominated in the Best Americana Album category for 2010. Some albums I have had the great pleasure of listening to at least some of their tracks, if not the entire album. A couple of them I have not listened to at all, so I'm looking forward to becoming acquainted with this now-honored music. In addition, there are albums by artists in other Americana-based categories that will be highlighted in this space, if for no other reason that I like them and would like to share them with you.

So, without further adieu, here are the nominees for the Best Americana Album at the 53rd AnnualGrammy Awards, which will be broadcast on the CBS television network in North America on February 13, 2011 8pm Eastern time. Check your television listings, or watch live online if you are reside in a country other than the United States or Canada.

The nominees are:


Roseanne Cash, The List


Los Lobos, Tin Can Trust


Willie Nelson, Country Music


Robert Plant and the Band of Joy, Band of Joy


Mavis Staples, You Are Not Alone


We're off and running in 2011! First up on Tuesday is The List, from the great Roseanne Cash.
Until then, enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

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