Credit: Krista Schlueter; Brianna Alysse; Rambo Elliott
Last night, the 61st Annual Grammy Awards aired, and as always, I was super excited. Being a music junkie, I’m always excited for the show, but this time was different. This year, a number of talented artists from New Orleans were up for awards. Yes, I know that happens every year, but this year featured people who I’ve actually watched work hard as hell. And their hard work finally paid off.
Nominees and winners included New Orleans natives, four of which are graduates of St. Augustine (PJ, Jon, Terrence, and Blair), and other artists from surrounding areas. Here’s the list:
NEW ORLEANS ARTISTS
PJ Morton
Won: Best Traditional R&B Performance for “How Deep Is Your Love” ft. Yebba.
Nominations: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Maroon 5 for “Girls Like You”
Best R&B Performance for “First Began”
Best R&B Album for Gumbo Unplugged (Live)
Jon Batiste
Nomination: Best American Roots Performance for “St. James Infirmary Blues”
Terence Blanchard
Won: Best Instrumental Composition for “Blut Und Boden” (“Blood and Soil”) from the BlacKKKlansman soundtrack.
Blair Taylor helped produce Travis Scott’s Astroworld, which was up for Best Rap Album. Well, we all know how that went.
Ambré Perkins has writing credits on H.E.R.’s self-titled, debut album, which won Best R&B Album.
Mary Gauthier
Nomination: Best Folk Album for “Rifles and Rosary Beads”
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
Nomination: Best Instrumental Album for The Emancipation Procrastination
Sullivan Fortner
Won: Best Jazz Vocal album as pianist on Cecile McLorin Salvant’s “The Window”
LOUISIANA ARTISTS:
Buddy Guy
Lettsworth, LA
Won: Best Traditional Blues Album for The Blues Is Alive and Well
Lauren Daigle
Lafayette
Won: Best Contemporary Music Performance/Song for “You Say”
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Look Up Child
Sean Ardoin
Lake Charles
Nomination: Best Regional Roots Music Album for Kreole Rock and Soul
Best American Roots Performance for “Kick Rocks”
Cha Wa
New Orleans
Nomination: Best Regional Roots Music Album for Spy Boy
Koryn Hawthorne
Abbeville
Nomination: Best Gospel Performance/Song for “Won’t He Do It”
Shreveport’s own, Dominique Jones, aka DOE, was nominated for her feature on Jonathan McReynolds’ “Cycles.” The song was nominated for Best Gospel Song/Performance.
Brian Blade
Shreveport
Won: With The Wayne Shorter Quartet for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for “Emanon”