Entertainment
68th GRAMMYs Recap: Kendrick Lamar wins most awards, Bad Bunny wins Album of the Year
Bad Bunny won album of the year at the 68th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. During the evening, Bad Bunny, aka Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was among the artists that took stands against the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) presence in many American cities.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out,” Bad Bunny said to great applause while accepting the award for best música urbana album. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
More Political Statements
Political messaging took center stage at the Grammys, as multiple high-profile artists used the platform to express unity and protest. Billie Eilish, her brother Finneas, and music legend Carole King were seen wearing white pins stamped with the bold message “ICE OUT” during their appearances onstage. The statement extended beyond the usual activists, as Justin and Hailey Bieber—who generally steer clear of overt political expression in U.S. affairs—also chose to wear the pins.
The message was further amplified when Eilish addressed the audience during her Song of the Year acceptance speech, opening with the pointed remark, “no one is illegal on stolen land,” underscoring the broader sentiment behind the symbolic display.
King Kendrick Reigns
Kendrick Lamar made history at the 2026 Grammy Awards, surpassing Jay-Z’s record to become the rapper with the most career Grammy wins. Lamar secured a total of five awards on Sunday night.
His wins included Record of the Year for “Luther” (featuring SZA) and Best Rap Album for GNX. The pre-telecast saw him claim three initial awards: Best Rap Song for “TV Off,” Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Luther” (with SZA), and Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips” (where he was a featured performer).
Lamar’s historic fourth win, for Best Rap Album, officially broke Jay-Z’s long-standing record. He solidified his new position with his fifth win of the night for Record of the Year. Among those who picked up two awards each during the pre-telecast: Kehlani, the Cure, Turnstile, Leon Thomas, Mavis Staples, I’m With Her, Gustavo Dudamel, Amy Allen and Ludwig Göransson (for his work on the “Sinners” soundtrack and score).
Lauryn Hill led powerful tributes
Lauryn Hill closed out the night by spearheading two powerful tribute segments dedicated to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack. The homage to D’Angelo unfolded as an expansive musical celebration, featuring performances of his iconic tracks such as “Nothing Even Matters,” “Brown Sugar,” “Lady,” “Devil’s Pie,” “Another Life,” “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” and “Africa.” The segment brought together an impressive lineup of artists, including Lucky Daye, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, Leon Thomas, Bilal, and Jon Batiste. D’Angelo, a four-time Grammy Award recipient whose influence reshaped modern R&B and neo-soul, passed away from pancreatic cancer in October at just 51 years old.
The tribute to Roberta Flack was presented as a sweeping medley honoring her timeless legacy. It included emotionally rich renditions of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” performed alongside Jon Batiste, and “Compared to What,” featuring Leon Bridges and Alexia Jayy. Additional highlights included “The Closer I Get to You” with Lalah Hathaway and October London, as well as “Where Is the Love,” joined by John Legend and Chaka Khan. The tribute culminated in a show-stopping Fugees reunion, as Hill reunited with Wyclef Jean for a stirring performance of “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” the track that helped define their career through its iconic sample. Flack, a revered singer-pianist and five-time Grammy winner, passed away on February 24, 2025, at the age of 88, leaving behind a legacy that was formally recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.
Topping the list of nominees for the 68th GRAMMY Awards® were Kendrick Lamar (9), Cirkut (7), Jack Antonoff (7), Lady Gaga (7), Bad Bunny (6), Leon Thomas (6), Sabrina Carpenter (6), Serban Ghenea (6), Andrew Watt (5), Clipse (5), Doechii (5), Sounwave (5), SZA (5), Turnstile (5), and Tyler, The Creator (5).
A full list of this year’s Grammy winners follows. The winners are in bold.
Record of The Year
“DtMF” – Bad Bunny
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Anxiety” – Doechii
“WILDFLOWER” – Billie Eilish
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
“luther” – Kendrick Lamar With SZA (WINNER)
“The Subway” – Chappell Roan
“APT.” – ROSÉ, Bruno Mars
Album of The Year
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS — Bad Bunny (WINNER)
SWAG — Justin Bieber
Man’s Best Friend — Sabrina Carpenter
Let God Sort Em Out — Clipse, Pusha T & Malice
MAYHEM — Lady Gaga
GNX — Kendrick Lamar
MUTT — Leon Thomas
CHROMAKOPIA — Tyler, The Creator
Song of the Year
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga, Henry Walter & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
“Anxiety” – Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)
“APT.” – Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars,
Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas & Henry Walter, songwriters (ROSÉ, Bruno Mars)
“DtMF” – Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Hugo René Sención Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry & Roberto José Rosado Torres, songwriters (Bad Bunny)
“Golden [From “KPop Demon Hunters”]” – EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
“luther” – Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solána Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar With SZA)
“Manchild” – Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)
“WILDFLOWER” – Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish) (WINNER)
Best New Artist
Olivia Dean (WINNER)
KATSEYE
The Marias
Addison Rae
sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Dan Auerbach
Cirkut (WINNER)
Dijon
Blake Mills
Sounwave
Songwriter of The Year, Non-Classical
Amy Allen (WINNER)
Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Tobias Jesso Jr
Laura Veltz
Best Pop Solo Performance
“DAISIES” — Justin Bieber
“Manchild” — Sabrina Carpenter
“Disease” — Lady Gaga
“The Subway” — Chappell Roan
“Messy” — Lola Young (WINNER)
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Defying Gravity” — Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande (WINNER)
“Golden” (from KPop Demon Hunters) — HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI
“Gabriela” — KATSEYE
“APT” — ROSÉ, Bruno Mars
“30 For 30” — SZA Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Best Pop Vocal Album
SWAG — Justin Bieber
Man’s Best Friend — Sabrina Carpenter
Something Beautiful — Miley Cyrus
MAYHEM — Lady Gaga (WINNERS)
I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy — Part 2 — Teddy Swims
Best Dance/Electronic Recording
“No Cap” — Disclosure & Anderson .Paak
“Victory Lap” — Fred again.., Skepta, & PlaqueBoyMax
“SPACE INVADER” — KAYTRANADA
“VOLTAGE” — Skrillex
“End Of Summer” — Tame Impala (WINNER)
Best Dance Pop Recording
“Bluest Flame” — Selena Gomez & benny blanco
“Abracadabra” — Lady Gaga (WINNER)
“Midnight Sun” — Zara Larsson
“Just Keep Watching” (from F1 The Movie) — Tate McRae
“Illegal” — PinkPantheress
Best Dance/Electronic Album
EUSEXUA — FKA twigs (WINNER)
Ten Days — Fred again..
Fancy That — PinkPantheress
Inhale / Exhale — RÜFÜS DU SOL
F— U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3 — Skrillex
Best Remixed Recording
“Abracadabra – Gesaffelstein Remix” — Gesaffelstein, remixer (Lady Gaga, Gesaffelstein) (WINNER)
“Don’t Forget About Us” — KAYTRANADA, remixer (Mariah Carey & KAYTRANADA)
“A Dreams A Dream – Ron Trent Remix” — Ron Trent, remixer (Soul II Soul)
“Galvanize” — Chris Lake, remixer (The Chemical Brothers & Chris Lake)
“Golden – David Guetta REM/X” — David Guetta, remixer (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
Best Rock Performance
“U Should Not Be Doing That” — Amyl and The Sniffers
“The Emptiness Machine” — Linkin Park
“NEVER ENOUGH” — Turnstile
“Mirtazapine” — Hayley Williams
“Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back To The Beginning” — YUNGBLUD Featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II (WINNER)
Best Metal Performance
“Night Terror” — Dream Theater
“Lachryma” — Ghost
“Emergence” — Sleep Token
“Soft Spine” — Spiritbox
“BIRDS” — Turnstile (WINNER)
Best Rock Song
“As Alive As You Need Me To Be” — Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails) (WINNERS)
“Caramel” — Vessel & II, songwriters (Sleep Token)
“Glum” — Daniel James & Hayley Williams, songwriters (Hayley Williams)
“NEVER ENOUGH” — Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory, Meg Mills & Brendan Yates, songwriters (Turnstile)
“Zombie” — Dominic Harrison & Matt Schwartz, songwriters (YUNGBLUD)
Best Rock Album
private music — Deftones
I quit — HAIM
From Zero — Linkin Park
NEVER ENOUGH — Turnstile (WINNER)
Idols — YUNGBLUD
Best Alternative Music Performance
“Everything Is Peaceful Love” — Bon Iver
“Alone” — The Cure (WINNER)
“SEEIN’ STARS” — Turnstile
“mangetout” — Wet Leg
“Parachute” — Hayley Williams
Best Alternative Music Album
SABLE, fABLE — Bon Iver
Songs Of A Lost World — The Cure (WINNER)
DON’T TAP THE GLASS — Tyler, The Creator
moisturizer — Wet Leg
Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party — Hayley Williams
Best R&B Performance
“YUKON” — Justin Bieber
“It Depends” — Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller
“Folded” — Kehlani (WINNER)
“MUTT — Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk” — Leon Thomas
“Heart Of A Woman” — Summer Walker
Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Here We Are” — Durand Bernarr
“UPTOWN” — Lalah Hathaway
“LOVE YOU TOO” — Ledisi
“Crybaby” — SZA
“VIBES DON’T LIE” — Leon Thomas (WINNER)
Best R&B Song
“Folded” — Darius Dixson, Andre Harris, Donovan Knight, Don Mills, Kehlani Parrish, Khris Riddick-Tynes & Dawit Kamal Wilson, songwriters (Kehlani) (WINNER)
“Heart Of A Woman” — David Bishop & Summer Walker, songwriters (Summer Walker)
“It Depends” — Nico Baran, Chris Brown, Ant Clemons, Ephrem Lopez Jr., Ryan Press, Bryson Tiller, Elliott Trent & Dewain Whitmore Jr., songwriters (Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller)
“Overqualified” — James John Abrahart Jr, Durand Bernarr, John Derisme, Egberto “Budda” Foster, Amaire Johnson, Frank Moka, Cary Singer & Chase Worrell songwriters (Durand Bernarr)
“YES IT IS” — Jariuce Banks, Lazaro Andres Camejo, Mike Hector, Peter Lee Johnson, Rodney Jones Jr., Ali Prawl & Leon Thomas, songwriters (Leon Thomas)
Best Progressive R&B Album
BLOOM — Durand Bernarr (WINNER)
Adjust Brightness — Bilal
LOVE ON DIGITAL — Destin Conrad
Access All Areas — FLO
Come As You Are — Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon
Best R&B Album
BELOVED — GIVĒON
Why Not More — Coco Jones
The Crown — Ledisi
Escape Room — Teyana Taylor
MUTT — Leon Thomas (WINNER)
Best Rap Performance
“Outside” — Cardi B
“Chains & Whips” — Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams (WINNER)
“Anxiety” — Doechii
“tv off” — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay
“Darling, I” — Tyler, The Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown
Best Melodic Rap Performance
“Proud Of Me” — Fridayy Featuring Meek Mill
“Wholeheartedly” — JID Featuring Ty Dolla $ign & 6Lack
“luther” — Kendrick Lamar With SZA (WINNER)
“WeMaj” — Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon Featuring Rapsody
“SOMEBODY LOVES ME” — PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake
Best Rap Song
“Anxiety” — Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)
“The Birds Don’t Sing” — Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton, Pharrell Williams & Stevie Wonder, songwriters (Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring John Legend & Voices Of Fire)
“Sticky” — Aaron Bolton, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Dudley Alexander Duverne, Tyler Okonma, Janae Wherry, Gloria Woods & Rex Zamor, songwriters (Tyler, The Creator Featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne)
“TGIF” — Lucas Alegria, Dillon Brophy, Yakki Davis, Jess Jackson, Ronnie Jackson, Mario Mims, Jorge M. Taveras & Gloria Woods, songwriters (GloRilla)
“tv off” — Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay) (WINNER)
Best Rap Album
Let God Sort Em Out — Clipse, Pusha T & Malice
GLORIOUS — GloRilla
God Does Like Ugly — JID
GNX — Kendrick Lamar (WINNER)
CHROMAKOPIA — Tyler, The Creator
Best Spoken Word Poetry Album
A Hurricane in Heels: healed people don’t act like that — partially recorded live @City Winery & other places — Queen Sheba
Black Shaman — Marc Marcel
Pages — Omari Hardwick & Anthony Hamilton
Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends At Treepeople — Saul Williams, Carlos Niño & Friends
Words For Days Vol. 1 — Mad Skillz (WINNER)
Best Jazz Performance
“Noble Rise” — Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Immanuel Wilkins & Mark Whitfield
“Windows – Live” — Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade (WINNER)
“Peace Of Mind / Dreams Come True” — Samara Joy
“Four” — Michael Mayo
“All Stars Lead To You – Live” — Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold, Rachel Eckroth & Sam Weber
Best Jazz Vocal Album
Elemental — Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap
We Insist 2025 — Terri Lyne Carrington and Christie Dashiell Featuring Weedie Braimah, Milena Casado, Morgan Guerin, Simon Moullier and Matthew Stevens
Portrait — Samara Joy (WINNER)
Fly — Michael Mayo
Live at Vic’s Las Vegas — Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold, Rachel Eckroth and Sam Weber
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Trilogy 3 — Live — Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade
Southern Nights — Sullivan Fortner Featuring Peter Washington & Marcus Gilmore (WINNER)
Belonging — Branford Marsalis Quartet
Spirit Fall — John Patitucci Featuring Chris Potter & Brian Blade
Fasten Up — Yellowjackets
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Orchestrator Emulator — The 8-Bit Big Band
Without Further Ado, Vol 1 — Christian McBride Big Band (WINNER)
Lumen — Danilo Pérez and Bohuslän Big Band
Basie Rocks — Deborah Silver and The Count Basie Orchestra
Lights on a Satellite — Sun Ra Arkestra
Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores — Kenny Wheeler Legacy Featuring The Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra and Frost Jazz Orchestra
Best Latin Jazz Album
La Fleur de Cayenne — Paquito D’Rivera and Madrid-New York Connection Band
The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra — Featuring Pedrito Martinez, Daymé Arocena, Jon Faddis, Donald Harrison & Melvis Santa
Mundoagua – Celebrating Carla Bley — Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole — Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yainer Horta & Joey Calveiro (WINNER)
Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard — Miguel Zenón Quartet
Best Alternative Jazz Album
honey from a winter stone — Ambrose Akinmusire
Keys To The City Volume One — Robert Glasper
Ride into the Sun — Brad Mehldau
LIVE-ACTION — Nate Smith (WINNER)
Blues Blood — Immanuel Wilkins
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Wintersongs — Laila Biali
The Gift Of Love — Jennifer Hudson
Who Believes In Angels — Elton John & Brandi Carlile
Harlequin — Lady Gaga
A Matter Of Time — Laufey (WINNER)
The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2 — Barbra Streisand
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Brightside — ARKAI (WINNER)
Ones & Twos — Gerald Clayton
BEATrio — Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez
Just Us — Bob James & Dave Koz
Shayan — Charu Suri
Best Musical Theater Album
Buena Vista Social Club (WINNER)
Marco Paguia, Dean Sharenow & David Yazbek, producers (Original Broadway Cast)
Death Becomes Her
Taurean Everett, Megan Hilty, Josh Lamon, Christopher Sieber, Jennifer Simard & Michelle Williams, principal vocalists; Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Noel Carey, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Julia Mattison & Scott M. Riesett, producers; Noel Carey & Julia Mattison, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)
Gypsy
Danny Burstein, Kevin Csolak, Audra McDonald, Jordan Tyson & Joy Woods, principal vocalists; David Caddick, Andy Einhorn, David Lai & George C. Wolfe, producers (Jule Styne, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (2024 Broadway Cast)
Just In Time
Emily Bergl, Jonathan Groff, Erika Henningsen, Gracie Lawrence & Michele Pawk, principal vocalists; Tom Kirdahy, Derik Lee, Andrew Resnick, Bill Sherman & Alex Timbers, producers (Bobby Darin, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)
Maybe Happy Ending
Marcus Choi, Darren Criss, Dez Duron & Helen J Shen, principal vocalists; Deborah Abramson, Will Aronson, Ian Kagey & Hue Park, producers; Hue Park, lyricist; Will Aronson, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
Best Country Solo Performance
“Nose On The Grindstone” — Tyler Childers
“Good News” — Shaboozey
“Bad As I Used To Be” (from F1 The Movie) — Chris Stapleton (WINNER)
“I Never Lie” — Zach Top
“Somewhere Over Laredo” — Lainey Wilson
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“A Song To Sing” — Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton
“Trailblazer” — Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson
“Love Me Like You Used To Do” — Margo Price & Tyler Childers
“Amen” — Shaboozey & Jelly Roll (WINNER)
“Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” — George Strait, Chris Stapleton
Best Country Song
“Bitin’ List” — Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers) (WINNER)
“Good News” — Sean Cook, Collins Obinna Chibueze, Michael Ross Pollack, Sam Elliot Roman, Nevin Sastry & Jacob Torrey, songwriters (Shaboozey)
“I Never Lie” — Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols & Zach Top, songwriters (Zach Top)
“Somewhere Over Laredo” — Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson & Lainey Wilson, songwriters (Lainey Wilson)
“A Song To Sing” — Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton)
Best Traditional Country Album
Dollar A Day — Charley Crockett
American Romance — Lukas Nelson
Oh What A Beautiful World — Willie Nelson
Hard Headed Woman — Margo Price
Ain’t In It For My Health — Zach Top (WINNER)
Best Contemporary Country Album
Patterns — Kelsea Ballerini
Snipe Hunter — Tyler Childers
Evangeline Vs. The Machine — Eric Church
Beautifully Broken — Jelly Roll (WINNER)
Postcards From Texas — Miranda Lambert
Best American Roots Performance
“LONELY AVENUE” — Jon Batiste Featuring Randy Newman
“Ancient Light” — I’m With Her
“Crimson And Clay” — Jason Isbell
“Richmond On The James” — Alison Krauss & Union Station
“Beautiful Strangers” — Mavis Staples (WINNER)
Best Americana Performance
“Boom” — Sierra Hull
“Poison In My Well” — Maggie Rose & Grace Potter
“Godspeed” — Mavis Staples (WINNER)
“That’s Gonna Leave A Mark” — Molly Tuttle
“Horses” — Jesse Welles
Best American Roots Song
“Ancient Light” — Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I’m With Her) (WINNER)
“BIG MONEY” — Jon Batiste, Mike Elizondo & Steve McEwan, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
“Foxes In The Snow” — Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell)
“Middle” — Jesse Welles, songwriter (Jesse Welles)
“Spitfire” — Sierra Hull, songwriter (Sierra Hull)
Best Americana Album
BIG MONEY — Jon Batiste (WINNER)
Bloom — Larkin Poe
Last Leaf On The Tree — Willie Nelson
So Long Little Miss Sunshine — Molly Tuttle
Middle — Jesse Welles
Best Bluegrass Album
Carter & Cleveland — Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter
A Tip Toe High Wire — Sierra Hull
Arcadia — Alison Krauss & Union Station
Outrun — The Steeldrivers
Highway Prayers — Billy Strings (WINNER)
Best Traditional Blues Album
Ain’t Done With The Blues — Buddy Guy (WINNER)
Room On The Porch — Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
One Hour Mama: The Blues Of Victoria Spivey — Maria Muldaur
Look Out Highway — Charlie Musselwhite
Young Fashioned Ways — Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Bobby Rush
Best Contemporary Blues Album
Breakthrough — Joe Bonamassa
Paper Doll — Samantha Fish
A Tribute To LJK — Eric Gales
Preacher Kids — Robert Randolph (WINNER)
Family — Southern Avenue
Best Folk Album
What Did The Blackbird Say To The Crow — Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson
Crown Of Roses — Patty Griffin
Wild And Clear And Blue — I’m With Her (WINNER)
Foxes In The Snow — Jason Isbell
Under The Powerlines April 24 – September 24 — Jesse Welles
Best Regional Roots Music Album
Live At Vaughan’s — Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet
For Fat Man — Preservation Brass
Church Of New Orleans — Kyle Roussel
Second Line Sunday — Trombone Shorty And New Breed Brass Band
A Tribute To The King Of Zydeco — (Various Artists) (WINNER)
Best Gospel Performance/Song
“Do It Again” — Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter
“Church” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard, John Legend; Anthony S. Brown, Brunes Charles, Annatoria Chitapa, Kenneth Leonard, Jr., Tasha Cobbs Leonard & Jonas Myrin, songwriters
“Still — Live” — Jonathan McReynolds & Jamal Roberts; Britney Delagraentiss, Jonathan McReynolds, David Lamar Outing II, Orlando Joel Palmer & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters
“Amen” — Pastor Mike Jr.; Adia Andrews, Michael McClure Jr., David Lamar Outing II & Terrell Anthony Pettus, songwriters
“Come Jesus Come” — CeCe Winans Featuring Shirley Caesar (WINNER)
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
“I Know A Name” — Elevation Worship, Chris Brown, Brandon Lake; Hank Bentley, Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake & Jacob Sooter, songwriters
“YOUR WAY’S BETTER” — Forrest Frank; Forrest Frank & Pera, songwriters
“Hard Fought Hallelujah” — Brandon Lake With Jelly Roll; Chris Brown, Jason Bradley Deford, Steven Furtick, Benjamin William Hastings & Brandon Lake, songwriters (WINNER)
“Headphones” — Lecrae, Killer Mike, T.I.; Tyshane Thompson, Bongo ByTheWay, Michael Render, Lecrae Moore & Clifford Harris, songwriters
“Amazing” — Darrel Walls, PJ Morton; PJ Morton & Darrel Walls,songwriters
Best Gospel Album
Sunny Days — Yolanda Adams
Tasha — Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Live Breathe Fight — Tamela Mann
Only On The Road Live — Tye Tribbett
Heart Of Mine — Darrel Walls, PJ Morton (WINNER)
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
CHILD OF GOD II — Forrest Frank
Coritos Vol. 1 — Israel & New Breed (WINNER)
King Of Hearts — Brandon Lake
Reconstruction — Lecrae
Let The Church Sing — Tauren Wells
Best Roots Gospel Album
I Will Not Be Moved — Live — The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir (WINNER)
Then Came The Morning — Gaither Vocal Band
Praise & Worship: More Than A Hollow Hallelujah — The Isaacs
Good Answers — Karen Peck & New River
Back To My Roots — Candi Staton
Best Latin Pop Album
Cosa Nuestra — Rauw Alejandro
BOGOTÁ DELUXE — Andrés Cepeda
Tropicoqueta — KAROL G
Cancionera — Natalia Lafourcade (WINNER)
Y ahora qué — Alejandro Sanz
Best Música Urbana Album
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS — Bad Bunny (WINNER)
Mixteip — J Balvin
FERXXO VOL X: Sagrado — Feid
NAIKI — Nicki Nicole
EUB DELUXE — Trueno
SINFÓNICO — En Vivo — Yandel
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
Genes Rebeldes — Aterciopelados
ASTROPICAL — Bomba Estéreo, Rawayana, ASTROPICAL
PAPOTA — CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso (WINNER)
ALGORHYTHM — Los Wizzards
Novela — Fito Paez
Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)
MALA MÍA — Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera
Y Lo Que Viene — Grupo Frontera
Sin Rodeos — Paola Jara
Palabra De To’s – Seca — Carín León (WINNER)
Bobby Pulido & Friends Una Tuya Y Una Mía – Por La Puerta Grande – En Vivo — Bobby Pulido
Best Tropical Latin Album
Fotografías — Rubén Blades, Roberto Delgado & Orquesta
Raíces — Gloria Estefan (WINNER)
Clásicos 1.0 — Grupo Niche
Bingo — Alain Pérez
Debut y Segunda Tanda, Vol. 2 — Gilberto Santa Rosa
Best Global Music Performance
“EoO” — Bad Bunny (WINNER)
“Cantando en el Camino” — Ciro Hurtado
“JERUSALEMA” — Angélique Kidjo
“Inmigrante Y Que” — Yeisy Rojas
“Shrini’s Dream” – Live — Shakti
“Daybreak” — Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
Best African Music Performance
“Love” — Burna Boy
“With You” — Davido Featuring Omah Lay
“Hope & Love” — Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin
“Gimme Dat” — Ayra Starr Featuring Wizkid
“PUSH 2 START” — Tyla (WINNER)
Best Global Music Album
Sounds Of Kumbha — Siddhant Bhatia
No Sign of Weakness — Burna Boy
Eclairer le monde – Light the World — Youssou N’Dour
Mind Explosion – 50th Anniversary Tour Live — Shakti
Chapter III: We Return To Light — Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo — Caetano Veloso And Maria Bethânia (WINNER)
Best Reggae Album
Treasure Self Love — Lila Iké
Heart & Soul — Vybz Kartel
BLXXD & FYAH — Keznamdi (WINNER)
From Within — Mortimer
No Place Like Home — Jesse Royal
Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album
Kuruvinda — Kirsten Agresta-Copely
According To The Moon — Cheryl B. Engelhardt, GEM, Dallas String Quartet
Into The Forest — Jahnavi Harrison
NOMADICA — Carla Patullo Featuring The Scorchio Quartet & Tonality (WINNER)
The Colors In My Mind — Chris Redding
Best Children’s Music Album
Ageless: 100 Years Young — Joanie Leeds & Joya
Buddy’s Magic Tree House — Mega Ran
Harmony — FYÜTCH & Aura V (WINNER)
Herstory — Flor Bromley
The Music Of Tori And The Muses —Tori Amos
Best Comedy Album
Drop Dead Years — Bill Burr
PostMortem — Sarah Silverman
Single Lady — Ali Wong
What Had Happened Was… — Jamie Foxx
Your Friend, Nate Bargatze — Nate Bargatze (WINNER)
Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording
Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story — Kathy Garver
Into The Uncut Grass — Trevor Noah
Lovely One: A Memoir — Ketanji Brown Jackson
Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama — Dalai Lama (WINNER)
You Know It’s True: The Real Story Of Milli Vanilli — Fab Morvan
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
A Complete Unknown
Timothée Chalamet
Nick Baxter, Steven Gizicki & James Mangold, compilation producers; Steven Gizicki, music supervisor
F1 The Album
(Various Artists)
Brandon Davis, Joe Khoury, Kevin Weaver, compilation producers; David Taylor & Jake Voulgarides, music supervisors
KPop Demon Hunters
(Various Artists)
Spring Aspers & Dana Sano, compilation producers; Ian Eisendrath, music supervisor
Sinners (WINNER)
(Various Artists)
Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson & Serena Göransson, compilation producers; Niki Sherrod, music supervisor
Wicked
Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande (& Wicked Movie Cast)
Stephen Oremus, Stephen Schwartz & Greg Wells, compilation producers; Maggie Rodford, music supervisor
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television)
How To Train Your Dragon
John Powell, composer
Severance: Season 2
Theodore Shapiro, composer
Sinners (WINNER)
Ludwig Göransson, composer
Wicked
John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers
The Wild Robot
Kris Bowers, composer
Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Secrets of the Spires — Pinar Toprak, composer
Helldivers 2 — Wilbert Roget, II, composer
Indiana Jones And The Great Circle — Gordy Haab, composer
Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate’s Fortune — Cody Matthew Johnson & Wilbert Roget, II, composers
Sword of the Sea — Austin Wintory, composer (WINNER)
Best Song Written For Visual Media
“As Alive As You Need Me To Be” — From TRON: Ares
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)
“Golden” — From KPop Demon Hunters (WINNER)
EJAE, Park Hong Jun, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
“I Lied to You” — From Sinners
Ludwig Göransson & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Miles Caton)
“Never Too Late” — From Elton John: Never Too Late
Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Elton John, Brandi Carlile)
“Pale, Pale Moon” — From Sinners
Ludwig Göransson & Brittany Howard, songwriters (Jayme Lawson)
“Sinners” — From Sinners
Leonard Denisenko, Rodarius Green, Travis Harrington, Tarkan Kozluklu, Kyris Mingo & Darius Poviliunas, songwriters (Rod Wave)
Best Music Video
“Manchild” — Sabrina Carpenter
Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia, video directors; Aiden Magarian, Nathan Scherrer & Natan Schottenfels, video producers
“So Be It” — Clipse
Hannan Hussain, video director; Theresa Kusumadjaja, video producer
“Anxiety” — Doechii (WINNER)
James Mackel, video director; Pablo Feldman, Jolene Mendes & Sophia Sabella, video producers
“Love” — OK Go
Aaron Duffy, Miguel Espada & Damian Kulash Jr., video directors; Petra Ahmann & Andrew Geller, video producer
“Young Lion” — Sade
Sophie Muller, video director; Aaron Taylor Dean & Sade, video producers
Best Music Film
Devo — Devo
Chris Smith, video director; Danny Gabai, Anita Greenspan, Chris Holmes & Chris Smith, video producers
Live At The Royal Albert Hall — Raye
Paul Dugdale, video director; Stefan Demetriou & Amy James, video producers
Relentless — Diane Warren
Bess Kargman, video director; Peggy Drexler, Michele Farinola, Bess Kargman & Kat Nguyen, video producers
Music By John Williams — John Williams (WINNER)
Laurent Bouzereau, video director; Sara Bernstein, Laurent Bouzereau, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Meredith Kaulfers, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg & Justin Wilkes, video producers
Piece By Piece — Pharrell Williams
Morgan Neville, video director; Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, Mimi Valdes & Pharrell Williams, video producers
Best Recording Package
And The Adjacent Possible
Hà Trịnh Quốc Bảo, Damian Kulash, Jr., Claudio Ripol, Wombi Rose & Yuri Suzuki, art directors (OK Go)
Balloonerism
Bráulio Amado & Alim Smith, art directors (Mac Miller)
Danse Macabre: De Luxe
Rory McCartney, art director (Duran Duran)
Loud Is As
Farbod Kokabi & Emily Sneddon, art directors (Tsunami)
Sequoia
Tim Breen & Ken Shipley, art directors (Various Artists)
The Spins — Picture Disc Vinyl
Darby Kaighin-Shields & Miller McCormick, art directors (Mac Miller)
Tracks II: The Lost Albums (WINNER)
Meghan Foley & Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)
Best Album Cover
CHROMAKOPIA (WINNER)
Tyler Okonma, art director (Tyler, The Creator)
The Crux
Jake Hirshland, Joe Keery, Neil Krug, Taylor Vandergrift & William Wesley II, art directors (Djo)
Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, art director (Bad Bunny)
Glory
Cody Critcheloe, Mike Hadreas & Andrew J.S., art directors (Perfume Genius)
moisturizer
Iris Luz, Lava La Rue & Rhian Teasdale, art directors (Wet Leg)
Best Album Notes
Adios, Farewell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964-1974
Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Buck Owens And His Buckaroos)
After The Last Sky
Adam Shatz, album notes writer (Anouar Brahem, Anja Lechner, Django Bates, Dave Holland)
Árabe
Amanda Ekery, album notes writer (Amanda Ekery)
The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Alec Palao, album notes writer (Sly & The Family Stone)
A Ghost Is Born — 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Bob Mehr, album notes writer (Wilco)
Miles ’55: The Prestige Recordings (WINNER)
Ashley Kahn, album notes writer (Miles Davis)
Best Historical Album
Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years — 1976-1980 (WINNER)
Patrick Milligan & Joni Mitchell, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Joni Mitchell)
The Making Of Five Leaves Left
Joe Black, Cally Callomon & Johnny Chandler, compilation producers; Simon Heyworth & John Wood, mastering engineers; Richard Whittaker & John Wood, restoration engineers (Nick Drake)
Roots Rocking Zimbabwe – The Modern Sound Of Harare’ Townships 1975-1980 — Analog Africa No.41
Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Michael Graves & Jordan McLeod, restoration engineers (Various Artists)
Super Disco Pirata – De Tepito Para El Mundo 1965-1980 — Analog Africa No. 39
Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Jordan McLeod, restoration engineer (Various Artists)
You Can’t Hip A Square: The Doc Pomus Songwriting Demos
Will Bratton, Sharyn Felder & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Michael Graves & Jordan McLeod, restoration engineers (Doc Pomus)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
All Things Light
Jesse Brock, Jon Castelli, Matt Chamberlain, Tyler Johnson, Nick Lobel, Simon Maartensson, Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, Rob Moose, Anders Mouridsen, Ryan Nasci, Ernesto Olvera-LaPier, Ethan Schneiderman, Rahm Silverglade & Owen Stoutt, engineers; Dale Becker, mastering engineer (Cam)
Arcadia
Neal Cappellino & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)
For Melancholy Brunettes & sad women
Joseph Lorge, Blake Mills & Sebastian Reunert, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Japanese Breakfast)
That Wasn’t A Dream (WINNER)
Joseph Lorge & Blake Mills, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Pino Palladino, Blake Mills)
Best Engineered Album, Classical
Cerrone: Don’t Look Down (WINNER)
Mike Tierney, engineer; Alan Silverman, mastering engineer (Sandbox Percussion)
Eastman: Symphony No. 2; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2
Gintas Norvila, engineer; Jennifer Nulsen, mastering engineer (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra)
Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth Of The Mtsensk District
Shawn Murphy & Nick Squire, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Andris Nelsons, Kristine Opolais, Günther Groissböck, Peter Hoare, Brenden Gunnell & Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Standard Stoppages
Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, Bill Maylone, Judith Sherman & David Skidmore, engineers; Joe Lambert, mastering engineer (Third Coast Percussion)
Yule
Morten Lindberg, engineer; Morten Lindberg, mastering engineer (Trio Mediæval)
Producer Of The Year, Classical
Blanton Alspaugh
All Is Miracle – The Choral Music Of Kyle Pederson (Timothy J. Campbell & Transept) (A)
Heggie: Intelligence (Kwame Ryan, Janai Brugger, Jamie Barton, J’Nai Bridges & Houston Grand Opera) (A)
Marsalis: Blues Symphony (Jader Bignamini & Detroit Symphony Orchestra) (A)
Massenet: Werther (Robert Spano, Matthew Polenzani, sabel Leonard & Houston Grand Opera) (A)
The Mirage Calls (Charles Bruffy & Kansas City Chorale) (A)
Sheehan: Ukrainian War Requiem (Michael Zaugg, Axios Men’s Ensemble & Pro Coro Canada) (A)
Sun, Moon, Stars, Rain (Christopher Gabbitas & Phoenix Chorale) (A)
Sergei Kvitko
Biedenbender: Enigma; River Of Time (Kevin L. Sedatole & Michigan State University Wind Symphony) (A)
Chiaroscuro (Vedrana Subotic) (A)
Dancing In A Still Life (Tasha Warren) (A)
Excursions (Vuorovesi Trio) (A)
Four Hands. Two Hearts. One Hope. Ukrainian And American Music For Piano Duo (Mykhailo Diordiiev & Anastasiia Larchikova) (A)
Here And Now – Trumpet Music By Virginia Composers (Jason Crafton, Richard Masters, Annie Stevens & Paul Langosch) (A)
Lansky: Touch And Go (Gwendolyn Dease) (A)
Orbiting Garden (William Hobbs) (A)
Would That Loving Were Enough (Haven Trio) (A)
Morten Lindberg
Fred Over Jorden (Peace To The World) (Elisabeth Holte, Kjetil Bjerkestrand & Uranienborg Vokalensemble) (A)
Stjernebru (Anne Karin Sundal-Ask & Det Norske Jentekor) (A)
Yule (Trio Mediæval) (A)
Dmitriy Lipay
Heggie: Before It All Goes Dark (Joseph Mechavich, Megan Marino, Ryan McKinny & Music Of Remembrance Ensemble) (A)
Odyssey (Jorge Glem, Gustavo Dudamel & Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela) (A)
Ortiz: Yanga (Gustavo Dudamel, Alisa Weilerstein & Los Angeles Philharmonic) (A)
Elaine Martone (WINNER)
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Chopin & Rachmaninoff: Cello Sonatas (Brian Thornton & Spencer Myer) (A)
Dear Mrs. Kennedy (Ryan Townsend Strand) (A)
Eastman: Symphony No. 2; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
LeFrak: Romántico (Sharon Isbin, Lopez-Yañez & Orchestra Of St. Luke’s) (A)
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 & Symphony No. 29 (Garrick Ohlsson, Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestrea) (A)
The Poet & The Prodigy (Debra Nagy & Mark Edwards) (A)
Shapes In Collective Space (Tallā Rouge) (A)
Songs Of Orpheus (Kelley O’Connor) (A)
Best Immersive Audio Album
All American F—boy
Andrew Law, immersive mix engineer (Duckwrth)
Immersed (WINNER)
Justin Gray, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Justin Gray, Drew Jurecka & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Justin Gray)
An Immersive Tribute To Astor Piazzolla — Live
Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive mix engineers; Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive producers (Various Artists)
Tearjerkers
Hans-Martin Buff, immersive mix engineer; Hans-Martin Buff, immersive producer (Tearjerkers)
Yule
Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Arve Henriksen & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Trio Mediæval)
Best Instrumental Composition
“First Snow” (WINNER)
Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Nordkraft Big Band, Remy Le Boeuf & Danielle Wertz)
“Live Life This Day: Movement I”
Miho Hazama, composer (Miho Hazama, Danish Radio Big Band & Danish National Symphony Orchestra)
“Lord, That’s A Long Way”
Sierra Hull, composer (Sierra Hull)
“Opening”
Zain Effendi, composer (Zain Effendi)
“Train To Emerald City”
John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers (John Powell & Stephen Schwartz)
“Why You Here / Before The Sun Went Down”
Ludwig Göransson, composer (Ludwig Göransson Featuring Miles Caton)
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
“Be Okay”
Cynthia Erivo, arranger (Cynthia Erivo)
“A Child Is Born”
Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Nordkraft Big Band & Remy Le Boeuf)
“Fight On”
Andy Clausen, Addison Maye-Saxon, Riley Mulherkar & Chloe Rowlands, arrangers (The Westerlies)
“Super Mario Praise Break” (WINNER)
Bryan Carter, Charlie Rosen & Matthew Whitaker, arrangers (The 8-Bit Big Band)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
“Big Fish” (WINNER)
Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick, Nate Smith & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (Nate Smith Featuring säje)
“How Did She Look”
Nelson Riddle, arranger (Seth MacFarlane)
“Keep An Eye On Summer”
Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)
“Something In The Water — Acoustic-Ish”
Clyde Lawrence, Gracie Lawrence & Linus Lawrence, arrangers (Lawrence)
“What A Wonderful World”
Cody Fry, arranger (Cody Fry)
Best Orchestral Performance
“Coleridge-Taylor: Toussaint L’Ouverture, Ballade Op. 4, Suites From 24 Negro Melodies”
Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)
“Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie”
Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra) (WINNER)
“Ravel: Boléro, M. 81”
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela)
“Still & Bonds”
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
“Stravinsky: Symphony In Three Movements”
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
Best Opera Recording
Heggie: Intelligence (WINNER)
Kwamé Ryan, conductor; Jamie Barton, J’Nai Bridges & Janai Brugger; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Houston Grand Opera; Gene Scheer)
Huang Ruo: An American Soldier
Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Hannah Cho, Alex DeSocio, Nina Yoshida Nelsen & Brian Vu; Adam Abeshouse, Silas Brown & Doron Schachter, producers (American Composers Orchestra; David Henry Hwang)
Kouyoumdjian: Adoration
Alan Pierson, conductor; Miriam Khalil, Marc Kudisch, David Adam Moore, Omar Najmi, Naomi Louisa O’Connell & Karim Sulayman; Mary Kouyoumdjian, producer (Silvana Quartet; The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)
O’Halloran: Trade & Mary Motorhead
Elaine Kelly, conductor; Oisín Ó Dálaigh, John Molloy & Naomi Louisa O’Connell; Alex Dowling & Emma O’Halloran, producers (Irish National Opera Orchestra; Mark O’Halloran)
Tesori: Grounded
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Ben Bliss, Emily D’Angelo, Greer Grimsley & Kyle Miller; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus; George Brant)
Best Choral Performance
Advena – Liturgies For A Broken World
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Simon Barrad, Emily Yocum Black & Michael Hawes; Conspirare)
Childs: In The Arms Of The Beloved
Grant Gershon, conductor (Billy Childs, Dan Chmielinski, Christian Euman, Larry Koonse, Lyris Quartet, Anne Akiko Meyers, Carol Robbins & Luciana Souza; Los Angeles Master Chorale)
Lang: Poor Hymnal
Donald Nally, conductor (Steven Bradshaw, Michael Hawes, Lauren Kelly, Rebecca Siler & Elisa Sutherland; The Crossing)
Ortiz: Yanga (WINNER)
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, chorus master (Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Master Chorale)
Requiem Of Light
Steven Fox, conductor; Emily Drennan & Patti Drennan, chorus masters (Brian Giebler & Sangeeta Kaur; The Clarion Choir)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
“Dennehy: Land Of Winter”
Alan Pierson & Alarm Will Sound (WINNER)
“La Mer – French Piano Trios”
Neave Trio
“Lullabies For The Brokenhearted”
Lili Haydn & Paul Cantelon
“Slavic Sessions”
Mak Grgić & Mateusz Kowalski
“Standard Stoppages”
Third Coast Percussion
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Coleridge-Taylor: 3 Selections From 24 Negro Melodies
Curtis Stewart; Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)
Hope Orchestrated
Mary Dawood Catlin; Jesús David Medina & Raniero Palm, conductors (Venezuela Strings Recording Ensemble)
Inheritances
Adam Tendler
Price: Piano Concerto In One Movement In D Minor
Han Chen; John Jeter, conductor (Malmö Opera Orchestra)
Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos (WINNER)
Yo-Yo Ma; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos; Solo Works
Yuja Wang; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Alike – My Mother’s Dream
Allison Charney, soloist; Benjamin Loeb, conductor (National Symphonia Orchestra)
Black Pierrot
Sidney Outlaw, soloist; Warren Jones, pianist
In This Short Life
Devony Smith, soloist; Danny Zelibor, pianist; Michael Nicolas, artist
Kurtág: Kafka Fragments
Susan Narucki, soloist; Curtis Macomber, artist
Schubert Beatles
Theo Hoffman, soloist; Steven Blier, pianist (Rupert Boyd, Julia Bullock, Alex Levine, Andrew Owens, Rubén Rengel & Sam Weber)
Telemann: Ino – Opera Arias For Soprano (WINNER)
Amanda Forsythe, soloist; Robert Mealy, Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra)
Best Classical Compendium
Cerrone: Don’t Look Down
Sandbox Percussion; Jonathan Allen, Victor Caccese, Christopher Cerrone, Ian Rosenbaum, Terry Sweeney & Mike Tierney, producers
The Dunbar/Moore Sessions, Vol. II
Will Liverman; Jonathan Estabrooks, producer
Ortiz: Yanga (WINNER)
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Dmitriy Lipay, producer
Seven Seasons
Janai Brugger, Isolde Fair, MB Gordy & Starr Parodi; Nicholas Dodd, conductor; Jeff Fair, Starr Parodi & Kitt Wakeley, producers
Tombeaux
Christina Sandsengen; Shaun Drew & Christina Sandsengen, producers
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Cerrone: Don’t Look Down
Christopher Cerrone, composer (Conor Hanick & Sandbox Percussion)
Dennehy: Land Of Winter
Donnacha Dennehy, composer (Alan Pierson & Alarm Will Sound)
León: Raíces — Origins
Tania León, composer (Edward Gardner & London Philharmonic Orchestra)
Okpebholo: Songs In Flight
Shawn E. Okpebholo, composer (Will Liverman, Paul Sánchez & Various Artists)
Ortiz: Dzonot (WINNER)
Gabriela Ortiz, composer (Alisa Weilerstein, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Art
Comedy and Loss Collide in Kevonstage’s ‘Grief Sucks’ at the Pageant
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN — Comedian KevOnStage brought his one-man show “Grief Sucks” to The Pageant, offering an experience that blended humor with the raw realities of loss. The show, rooted in his personal journey after the sudden death of his brother, manager, and business partner Jason Fredericks four years ago, gave the audience permission to laugh and cry, often at the same time.
When KevOnStage took the stage at The Pageant Sunday night, his house rules let everyone know what they were in for with his one-man show “Grief Sucks.”
“Do not judge yourself. Do not judge the jokes. Just laugh,” he said.
Even within his directions, were jokes.
He gave the audience permission to cry, but quietly – because Black people have a tendency to do things at full volume.
The hour that followed provided plenty of laughter. But underneath the humor were truths that anyone who has ever lost someone could feel deep in their chest.
The show was based on his experience of losing his brother, best friend, manager and business partner Jason Fredericks. He died suddenly of a heart attack four years ago at the age of 42.
Kev warned the audience to be mindful of their social media — both the wild posts that could end up being someone’s last and the intrusive ones people make after a loved one dies. And he gave people permission to laugh at the moments that feel too outrageous to say out loud — the ones that become inside jokes for families trying to survive the worst days of their lives.
“Grief is dark humor,” he said as he walked through the story of his brother’s death — a story he jokingly blamed on Nia Long.
He found a way to give permission to laugh at the outlandish moments that often serve as inside jokes. Those who have lived through some of the worst moments of their lives and not only found a way to talk about it, but to steal a laugh in the midst.
“Grief is dark humor,” he said as he walked through the story of his brother’s death — a story he jokingly blamed on Nia Long.
“I know that sounds crazy,” he said. “It’s not her fault — but it is her responsibility.”
It was a jarring moment, but it let the audience know exactly what kind of honesty they were in for.
He said his brother’s death was “proof that she is drop‑dead gorgeous.”
“Sometimes things are funny — and sometimes things are funny because you should not be laughing,” he said.
The show moved through a series of points about grief, each one backed by a story that made the room nod in recognition. He talked about how grief can twist ordinary moments — how it can make you jealous of people with siblings or irritated by strangers having a good day.
He explained how grief can twist even the simplest moments, how it can make you jealous of people with siblings, or irritated by strangers having a good day. He brilliantly compared grief to a rock stuck in your shoe. Sometimes it’s small and manageable. Other times its jagged and unbearable – but always there.
He also talked about the unfairness of grief — how the world doesn’t stop when your loved one dies, how people still go to Raising Cane’s, still pick up their kids, still laugh. And he talked about the heartbreak of realizing his brother never got to see things he would have loved, from TV shows to cultural moments. And that he was robbed of the opportunity to engage with him about them.
“He would have loved Sinners,” Kev said. “But he never got to see it.”
At one point, he paused to show a video of his brother telling him how proud he was. The room went quiet. It wasn’t the polite kind of silence – but the kind where you can hear someone in the back sniff. The crowd assured him that it was okay for him to take a beat. His voice shook as he pushed through. Those pauses made the audience lean in even more.
Kev made grief feel communal. He made people laugh at things they didn’t think they were allowed to laugh at. And he reminded everyone in the room that grief doesn’t make sense, doesn’t follow rules, and doesn’t care about timing. And most importantly, he drove home the point that it also doesn’t have to be carried alone.
There were moments when his emotions got the best of him. There was the video he shared of his brother telling Kev how proud he was of him that compelled him to take a beat. His voice quivered as he powered through. Those pauses made the audience connect with the show all the more. Grief Sucks wasn’t just comedy. It was catharsis. It was storytelling. It was a room full of people realizing they weren’t the only ones trying to make sense of loss.
KevOnStage gave them permission to feel all of it — and to laugh anyway.
Internet personality and standup comedian KevOnStage used the sudden and unexpected loss of his brother as the foundation for a one-man show that was funny, honest and a little dark – often at the same time.
Sunday night, he brought “Grief Sucks” to The Pageant. His barometer check
KevOnStage walked onto The Pageant stage Sunday night with a promise: that the next hour would be funny, honest and a little dark. And he delivered all three — often at the same time.
His one‑man show, Grief Sucks, was as relatable as it was funny. It was the kind of performance where the audience laughed hard, then caught themselves nodding in recognition. Because beneath every punchline was a truth that anyone who has lost someone could feel in their chest.
He opened with the kind of humor that only comes from someone who has lived through the worst days of their life and somehow found a way to talk about it. He told the crowd they had permission to cry, laugh, sit still, or just breathe — but to “cry quietly,” because, as he joked, Black folks tend to do everything at full volume.
Then he went straight into the story of losing his brother — not with soft edges, but with the kind of raw honesty that made the room go still. He explained how grief can twist even the simplest moments, how it can make you jealous of people with siblings, or irritated by strangers having a good day. He compared grief to a rock stuck in your shoe: sometimes small and manageable, sometimes jagged and unbearable, but always there.
And he didn’t shy away from the intrusive thoughts that come with loss — the ones people rarely admit out loud. He shared the moment he realized he had lived longer than his older brother ever got to, and how that fact sits heavy no matter how much time passes.
Kev’s storytelling is built on the kind of humor that comes from real life — the funeral home upcharges, the family dynamics, the dark jokes that slip out at the worst possible moments. He told a story about previewing his brother’s body with his wife and grandmother, and how one unexpected comment turned into an inside joke that has carried them through four years of grief.
He also talked about the unfairness of grief — how the world doesn’t stop when your loved one dies, how people still go to Raising Cane’s, still pick up their kids, still laugh. And he talked about the heartbreak of realizing his brother never got to see things he would have loved, from TV shows to cultural moments.
The most emotional part of the night came when he recounted the day his brother died — the phone calls, the confusion, the hope, and finally the moment his nephew said, “He’s gone,” while Kev was sitting in a middle seat on a United flight. He told it plainly, without theatrics, and the room held its breath.
But even in that story, he found a way to make people laugh — not at the pain, but at the absurdity of life continuing around you when your world has just shattered.
By the end of the show, KevOnStage had done something rare: he made grief feel communal. He made people laugh at things they didn’t think they were allowed to laugh at. And he reminded everyone in the room that grief doesn’t make sense, doesn’t follow rules, and doesn’t care about timing — but it also doesn’t have to be carried alone.
Grief Sucks wasn’t just comedy. It was catharsis. It was storytelling. It was a room full of people realizing they weren’t the only ones trying to make sense of loss.
And on a Sunday night at The Pageant, KevOnStage gave them permission to feel all of it — and to laugh anyway.
Based on reporting by St. Louis American.
Black Press
Should You Have to Pay to Hear the Gospel?
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN — Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell of Atlanta’s 2819 CHURCH and Tim Timberlake of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, are at the center of a social media debate. The controversy stems from ticket prices for their “Street Preachers” podcast tour, with general admission tickets reportedly costing around $60 and VIP options up to $200.
For generations, the Black church has passed the offering plate to keep the lights on, pay the preacher, help the poor and carry the Gospel beyond its walls. But what happens when the preacher leaves the sanctuary, takes a popular Christian podcast on tour — and charges admission?
That question has placed Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell, founder and lead pastor of Atlanta’s fast-growing 2819 CHURCH, at the center of a heated social media debate.
Mitchell and Tim Timberlake, senior pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, host “Street Preachers,” which its official website describes as a “raw, unfiltered podcast” committed to spreading the Gospel.
‘A brood of vipers’
The controversy began after ticket prices for the podcast’s 2026 tour circulated online. General admission tickets reportedly cost about $60 before fees, with premium options, including a VIP meet-and-greet package, priced at $200. Critics questioned whether ministers should charge people to hear the Gospel.
Others defended the pastors, arguing that Christian events require venues, transportation, security, equipment and staff.
Mitchell answered critics from the pulpit last month, calling them “a brood of vipers.” He said the podcast is a separate, personal project and that neither his church nor Timberlake’s is bankrolling it.
“Now we have decided to go on a tour to take the gospel to cities, and because that’s not funded by 2819, and it’s not funded by Celebration Church, Tim and I gotta do that with our own pockets,” Mitchell said. “It’s why there is tickets. We have to pay for venues and security and productions and staff from our own pockets.”
Mitchell called some critics “ignorant” and said they did not know that a child was healed through faith during one of the events.
“And you want to complain about a 60 ticket?” he said. “So hate on!”
Worship service vs. media event
Mitchell maintains that “Street Preachers” is an independently produced podcast tour, not a worship service, and that ticket revenue helps cover production costs.
Yet the presence of pastors, Scripture and Gospel language makes the distinction less clear to some believers.
The official tour website lists all eight 2026 stops as sold out. Promotional material announcing additional dates promised, “Better ticket options. Same Gospel. Same move of God.”
Corporate prayer gathering
The language gets to the heart of the dispute. Some Christians argue that no one should be kept outside because they cannot afford a ticket. Others say the Gospel remains free even when people pay for the venue and experience surrounding its presentation.
The paid podcast tour, however, is not Mitchell’s only large-scale gathering. On Oct. 10, 2819 CHURCH will host “ACCESS — That Powerful Hour of Prayer” at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Admission is free.
2819 CHURCH has said 80,000 free tickets were claimed before registration reopened.
The contrast raises another question: What makes one Gospel-centered event a ministry supported by donors and another a production supported by customers?
Unfiltered preaching, youth appeal
Mitchell’s congregation, composed largely of young Black adults, grew from fewer than 200 weekly worshippers in 2023 to about 6,000, according to the church. Some worshippers arrive before sunrise to secure a place inside.
His appeal rests partly in an intense, vulnerable and raw preaching style.
“I’m preaching without watering that down, without filtering out things that we think might be too controversial,” Mitchell told The Associated Press.
That visibility has also brought scrutiny of his theology, associations, travel, security and the businesses surrounding his ministry.
But the controversy reaches beyond Mitchell and Timberlake. Christian music concerts charge admission. Seminaries charge tuition. Religious publishers sell Bibles, books and devotionals. Churches pay musicians, media teams and guest preachers. Money becomes particularly uncomfortable, however, when an event is presented simultaneously as ministry and entertainment.
Ministry vs. entertainment
Supporters should not assume every dollar collected becomes personal profit. Critics, however, question whether lower-cost seats, sponsored tickets or free admission for people who cannot pay should be part of a Gospel-centered event.
The Black church always has required resources for ministry. It also has carried a sacred responsibility to make room for people with little or nothing to give.
The sold-out “Street Preachers” tour shows people are willing to pay to attend. The free ACCESS gathering offers a different model. The challenge is preserving that open door as Christian ministry increasingly adopts the machinery — and economics — of popular entertainment.
The post Should you have to pay to hear the Gospel? appeared first on St. Louis American.
Based on reporting by St. Louis American.
Black Press
NCCU Ramping up for the 89th Ultimate Homecoming Experience
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY – CAMPUS ECHO — N.C. Central University is preparing for its 89th Ultimate Homecoming Experience, a week-long celebration. Thousands of students, family, friends, and alumni are expected to gather on campus for festivities including the Homecoming Countdown, parade, Miss and Mister NCCU Coronation, concerts, and the football game.
This Saturday N.C. Central University will kick off its 89th Ultimate Homecoming Experience — a week-long celebration bringing thousands of students, family, friends and alumni to campus.
This year’s festivities include the Homecoming Countdown, parade, Miss and Mister NCCU Coronation, concerts and the football game.
The number of visitors to the football game on Saturday, Oct. 10 is expected to reach at least 10,000 — O’Kelly Riddick Stadium’s capacity, with NCCU’s recent enrollment increase of more than 10,000 students.
The Eagles will face William & Mary after playing against the Campbell University’s Fighting Camels on Oct 3.
Students are already expressing excitement for the upcoming festivities.
“I’m excited for homecoming because I can meet alumni and go outside and party with my fellow eagles,” Digital Filmmaking junior Rhese Gardner said. “I’m also really looking forward to the Greek Bowl because there’s a lot going on.”
He added that even though he’s disappointed this semester’s Oil Spill was canceled, he’s still excited for the other events like the parade and concerts.
Here is a list of the week’s on-campus events:
- Oct. 3 – Homecoming Countdown
- Oct. 4 – Gospel Concert
- Oct. 5 – Coronation of Miss and Mister NCCU
- Oct. 6 – 10:40 Break
- Oct. 6 – Homecoming Experience Showcase
- Oct. 7 – Fried Chicken Wednesday
- Oct. 7 – Festival Block Party
- Oct. 7 – Late Night Breakfast
- Oct. 8 – Back to the Nest Young Alumni Mixer
- Oct. 8 – Old School Greek Stroll Off
- Oct. 8 – Hip-Hop Concert
- Oct. 9 – Step Show
- Oct. 10 – Football Game
The post NCCU ramping up for the 89th Ultimate Homecoming Experience first appeared on Campus Echo Online.
Based on reporting by North Carolina Central University – Campus Echo.
Black Press
Master P Encourages Norwood Elementary Students to Dream Big, Work Hard
BIRMINGHAM TIMES — Music mogul Percy Miller, known as Master P, visited Norwood Elementary School on Friday alongside his mascot sidekick, Captain Ace. Teachers and students, dressed in school colors, welcomed Miller, who shared lessons on education, consistency, networking, and the importance of not letting circumstances define one’s future.
Music mogul Percy Miller, better known as Master P, visited Norwood Elementary School on Friday with his mascot sidekick, Captain Ace. (Birmingham City Schools) ”
The sounds of students singing filled Norwood Elementary School Friday morning as teachers dressed in camouflage and students wearing their school colors of green welcomed a special guest whose career has been built on music, entrepreneurship and perseverance.
Before taking the stage at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) Friday night, music mogul and entrepreneur Percy “Master P” Miller spent the morning with Birmingham students, sharing lessons about education, consistency, networking and the importance of refusing to let circumstances determine their futures.
Miller was joined by Captain Ace, the blue-dog mascot and educational character associated with his school visits and assemblies. Together, they turned the celebrity appearance into a lesson centered on positive choices, learning, and believing in one’s potential.
The visit also brought together Birmingham city and school leaders, including Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan and members of the school system’s staff and leadership.
At the conclusion of the assembly, Woodfin and Sullivan presented Miller with a proclamation honoring his visit to Norwood Elementary.

For Miller, however, the morning was less about recognition and more about the children sitting in front of him.
“I love the kids,” Miller told the students. “Even though I got a show, I’m like, no, I got to come and touch the kids because that’s the future.”
Miller said his focus is on what he described as “saving the next generation” and educating young people so they can recognize their potential.
“I want these kids to know that they can fly over all this negative,” he said.
That message became personal when Miller reflected on his own childhood.
He told students he grew up living with his grandparents, who had 12 children. His family lived in a three-bedroom housing project, but Miller said he refused to allow his circumstances to define what was possible for him.
“I didn’t let my condition stop me, and I don’t want you guys to let your condition stop you,” he told the students.
Miller repeatedly returned to the idea that dreams require action.
“There’s no limit to your dreams,” he said, emphasizing that success requires work and that students cannot “cheat the game of life.”
He then asked the students how many of them wanted to be successful. The room responded.
Miller used a familiar example to explain one of his central lessons: McDonald’s.
After asking students what the restaurant sells, he shifted the conversation from hamburgers to consistency.
“McDonald’s is selling consistency,” Miller said.
He explained that a Big Mac is expected to taste the same wherever it is purchased, using that familiarity as an analogy for persistence.
“Keep doing something, not giving up,” he told the students. “Keep chasing your dreams, doing something every day to get that, even when it don’t look like it’s gonna happen.”

“Somebody’s gonna make it big.”
Miller also challenged the students to think about the relationships they are building now. He asked whether they understood what networking means before explaining that the people sitting beside them today could become important figures in their lives tomorrow.
Miller shared a story about a girl he knew when he was in school — someone he said other people did not like or treated negatively. Years later, she became a bank president. When Miller needed a loan, he said, she remembered how kind he had been to her when they were younger.
“You never know who’s gonna be what in here,” Miller said.
He encouraged students to introduce themselves to others, learn their names and treat people well.
“That’s networking,” he said.
For Miller, the lesson went beyond professional connections. He encouraged students to recognize the possibility within one another.
“Who’s gonna be a doctor? Who’s gonna be a lawyer? Who gonna be a teacher?” he asked. “Who gonna be the president of the bank? Who gonna be the mayor? Who gonna be the superintendent?”
Miller said students cannot know where their classmates will end up, which makes how they treat one another today important.
“Somebody’s gonna make it big,” he said. “And it could be all you guys.”

Moments of Celebration
The visit was also filled with moments of celebration. Before Miller addressed the students, Norwood teachers and scholars welcomed him with a robust singalong to “The Affirmation Song,” creating an energetic introduction to the morning’s message.
The appearance of Captain Ace added another layer to the program. The character is part of Miller’s educational work with children, with school assemblies and musical programs addressing topics including anti-bullying, stranger danger and mental health awareness.
Miller said he has spent years making time for young people because he sees them as the future.
The message aligned with the presence of Birmingham’s education and civic leadership throughout the morning. Woodfin and Birmingham City Schools leadership have increasingly emphasized connecting children with educational, enrichment and career opportunities across the city. Earlier this year, the city announced its Children and Youth Commission’s Cradle-to-Career Roadmap, a strategy designed to connect the systems and resources influencing children from early education through adulthood.
For Norwood students, however, the morning offered a more immediate lesson: the opportunity to see someone who built a career from a childhood that did not necessarily predict the future he ultimately created.
As Miller prepared to leave, he encouraged students to keep working, keep learning and keep believing in themselves.
“I kept going,” he told them, reflecting on the people who once told him he would not succeed. “That’s what I want you guys to do. Keep going, no matter what your conditions is. No matter what your environment is.”
Based on reporting by Birmingham Times.
Black History
National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award Honors the Relentless Fight for Equality
TRI-STATE DEFENDER — The National Civil Rights Museum’s 35th annual Freedom Award ceremony, held on Thursday, October 1, at the Orpheum Theatre, recognized a diverse group of civil rights leaders. Honorees included Fred Gray Sr., a legal strategist who represented Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The honorees at the National Civil Rights Museum’s 35th annual Freedom Award ceremony held at the Orpheum Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 1, reflected a changing era of civil rights leadership.
Fred Gray Sr., one of the last surviving legal strategists of the Civil Rights Movement, helped dismantle segregation in America as the lawyer who represented Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Gray’s pioneering legacy now rests with the generations he helped empower, including fellow award recipients Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, Nneka Ogwumike and Bakari Sellers.
Arline-Bradley, an ordained minister, public health advocate, and president and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women since 2023, credits the women and civil rights legends who preceded her and built the organizations she now leads with making her work possible.
Nneka Ogwumike, WNBA champion and four-term president of the league’s players association, and Bakari Sellers, a lawyer, author, CNN political correspondent and former South Carolina legislator, represent a younger generation of human and civil rights activists. They are taking the fight into new arenas, from women’s sports and economic opportunity to voting rights, education and social justice.
Together, their stories shaped the event’s overall theme and mood, which celebrated the courage of freedom fighters of the past while embracing what civil rights leadership looks like now — and what it may become.
Before the ceremony, hundreds of guests gathered for photographs and interviews on the red carpet and hors d’oeuvres at the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education next door to the Orpheum. Actor Larenz Tate hosted the event for the second consecutive year. Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Tamela Mann brought the audience to its feet with her performance of the hit song “Take Me to the King.” And local artist Garry Goin and the Freedom Award House Band performed a mix of R&B and liberation songs.
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Fred Gray Jr. accepted the Freedom Award on behalf of his father, civil rights attorney Fred Gray Sr., who was unable to attend the ceremony. (Gary S. Whitlow/Tri-State Defender) -

Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, president and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women, was among the honorees at the National Civil Rights Museum’s 35th annual Freedom Award. (Gary S. Whitlow/Tri-State Defender) -

Nneka Ogwumike, WNBA champion and four-term president of the league’s players association, was honored at the National Civil Rights Museum’s 35th annual Freedom Award. (Gary S. Whitlow/Tri-State Defender) -

Bakari Sellers, lawyer, author, CNN political correspondent and former South Carolina legislator, was honored at the National Civil Rights Museum’s 35th annual Freedom Award. (Gary S. Whitlow/Tri-State Defender)
Taking the stage to accept the first award was Arline-Bradley, who reflected on the legacy that shaped her path to leadership.
“This honor means more to me than you can ever imagine,” Arline-Bradley said, describing the moment as the culmination of what she believes God had in store for her.
She paid tribute to Dorothy Height, whose leadership helped secure the headquarters for the women’s advocacy nonprofit on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Arline-Bradley described the building, located on the same street as the White House, as a representation of Black women’s history, power and resilience.
“NCNW stands as the only Black and women-owned building on Pennsylvania Ave,” she continued.
During her speech, Arline-Bradley outlined what she believes it will take to achieve freedom and equality today.
“If America wants to get her healing, we’ve got to climb to the rooftop of justice,” she said.
And justice includes using Black economic power to support companies with compatible values, she continued.
Fred Gray Jr. accepted the award on behalf of his father, who was unable to attend the ceremony. Gray, who practices law alongside his father and brother, recalled his father’s decision to become a lawyer and return to Montgomery, Alabama, determined to challenge segregation.

Gray connected his father’s legal work to Memphis’ sanitation workers, whose 1968 strike became a defining moment in the city’s civil rights history. “At 95, if he was here, he would say to you, ‘I have done what I can do. The rest is up to you,’” Gray Jr. said.
Ogwumike used her acceptance speech to connect the growing visibility of women’s sports to a broader conversation about opportunity and equality.
“In this moment, there are greater and more opportunities for girls and women in sports,” Ogwumike said, pointing to the example provided by the WNBA’s professional athletes who serve as role models for young girls.
She also addressed what she described as threats to women’s rights and access, including debates surrounding Title IX, voting rights, reproductive healthcare and gender violence. “We refuse to be bullied and we refuse to be silenced and made to disappear,” Ogwumike said.
Her remarks were followed by a surprise video message from former Vice President Kamala Harris, who thanked Ogwumike for “being a fighter for the people” and congratulated the evening’s other honorees.
The final honoree, Bakari Sellers, has family ties to Memphis. His mother grew up in the city. His grandfather, the Rev. E.W. Williamson, once served as pastor of Middle Baptist Church and Olivet Baptist Church.

Sellers wrapped his remarks in light humor as he reflected on his conversations with other advocates and his own social justice journey. At one point, he paused, overcome with emotion, as he recalled visiting the National Civil Rights Museum earlier in the day and standing on the balcony where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
“The victories they won are being torn down all around us,” Sellers said.
To illustrate the cost and cruelty of social injustice, he asked the audience to imagine a 10-year-old student who might one day cure cancer but is struggling in school because of hunger.
“Somewhere we have forgotten that we come from a people of dreamers,” Sellers said. “We have forgotten the price that was paid.
“I am only 42 years old. I don’t really deserve this thing,” Sellers said. “But I will promise you this: Tomorrow I will work harder than I did yesterday.”
A video montage at the black-tie ceremony paid tribute to influential figures who died this year, including civil rights organizer Bernard Lafayette, a leader in the Nashville Movement, Freedom Rides and the Selma voting rights campaign; Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights icon, minister and founder of Operation PUS;, Memphis civil rights activist Clara Ester; feminist leader and journalist Gloria Steinem; and country music legend and philanthropist Dolly Parton.
Museum President Russ Wigginton commented ahead of the program on the generational evolution of Freedom Award honorees. He noted that earlier generations of civil rights leaders often could measure progress through changes in laws, court decisions and government policy. Marches, sit-ins and other forms of direct action helped produce the landmark legal changes achieved during the Civil Rights era of the 1950s and 1960s.
But today, he said, the work can be more difficult to measure because much of it involves changing hearts and minds, increasing empathy and encouraging people to understand cultural differences.
“It is a delicate balancing act that requires patience and commitment,” Wigginton said.
He added, however, the fundamental goal remains unchanged: equal rights for everyone.
Based on reporting by Tri-State Defender.
Black Press
New Protections for Ticket Buyers: Gov. Newsom Signs Assemblymember Isaac Bryan’s Bill
OAKLAND POST — Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Sept. 27 authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) that strengthens consumer protections for Californians purchasing tickets to concerts, sporting events and other live entertainment.
Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.
“Buying a ticket shouldn’t come with hidden risks or unfair practices,” Newsom wrote on social media after signing the measure.
Under AB 1349, ticket sellers are prohibited from listing tickets before they have been officially released unless they have authorization or a legally enforceable right to receive them. Online marketplaces must also take reasonable steps to prevent speculative ticket sales on their platforms.
The law prohibits sellers from using bots, multiple accounts, email addresses or internet protocol addresses to circumvent ticket limits, presale restrictions, electronic queues and other controls. It also bans websites and advertisements designed to mislead buyers into believing they are purchasing tickets from an authorized seller, venue or event organizer.
Sellers who violate certain provisions and fail to provide a promised ticket may be held liable for twice the ticket’s contracted price. Buyers may also recover nonrefundable expenses incurred while attempting to attend an event, along with reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.
Pastor Tecoy Porter Sr., president of the National Action Network’s Sacramento chapter, said the law establishes needed accountability.
“Buying a ticket to a concert or show shouldn’t mean entering a marketplace where the rules are stacked against you. This year, we worked with a coalition of consumers, civil rights advocates, community groups, and businesses to make AB 1349 stronger. Consumers deserve enforceable rules that protect them. We thank Assemblymember Bryan for his leadership, and we will keep working to make ticketing fair for every Californian.”
Jose L. Barrera, national vice president for the Far West Region of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also praised the measure.
“Californian families deserve certain protections when they buy tickets. Assemblymember Bryan listened to communities across California and delivered a bill that puts fans first. We thank him and Governor Newsom for making it law.”
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