MUMBAI: Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today received nominations for its family of recording artists, songwriters, publishing company, labels and distributed partners spanning nearly all categories, led by Jon Batiste, this years’ most nominated artist, who received 11 nominations including Album of the Year for We Are and Record of the Year for “Freedom”.
In the prestigious general categories, UMG accounts for seven of the ten nominations in Album of the Year and six of the ten nominations in Record of the Year. Universal Music Publishing Group’s songwriters contributed to eight of the ten nominations in the Song of the Year category: “Bad Habits” (co-written by Fred Gibson), “A Beautiful Noise” (Alicia Keys & Brandi Carlile), “Fight For You” (H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas), “Happier Than Ever” (Billie Eilish), “Kiss Me More” (SZA), “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” (Take A Daytrip, Omer Fedi & Roy Lenzo), “Peaches” (Justin Bieber) and “Right On Time” (Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth).
In the Best New Artist category, UMG artists received four nominations for Arooj Aftab (Verve Label Group), Finneas (Interscope Records), Glass Animals (Republic Records) and Olivia Rodrigo (Interscope Records).
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Jon Batiste (Verve Label Group) is also nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “I Need You”, Best R&B Album for We Are, Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song for “Cry”, Best Contemporary Classical Composition for “Batiste: Movement 11’”, Best Music Video for “Freedom” and Best Improvised Jazz Solo (“Bigger Than Us”), Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Jazz Selections: Music From And Inspired By Soul) and Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Soul) for his work on the score for the Academy Award winning Pixar/Disney film Soul (Disney).
Justin Bieber (Def Jam Recordings/UMPG) received a total eight nominations for Record of the Year, Best R&B Performance and Best Music Video for “Peaches”, Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe), Best Pop Solo Performance (“Anyone”), Pop Duo or Group Performance (“Lonely” with Benny Blanco).
Billie Eilish (Interscope Records/UMPG) received seven nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Music Video for “Happier Than Ever”, the title track of her sophomore album (Happier Than Ever), which was also nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. She is also nominated for Best Music Film for Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter To Los Angeles, which launched alongside the album earlier this year.
Olivia Rodrigo (Interscope Records) received seven nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for “drivers license”, Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Sour and Best Music Video (“good 4 u”), alongside her Best New Artist nod.
The Recording Academy handed five Grammy nominations each to Kanye West (Good Music/Def Jam Recordings), Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga (Interscope Records) and Finneas (Interscope Records). Kanye West was nominated in categories including Album of the Year and Best Rap Album for Donda, Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Hurricane” ft. The Weekend & Lil Baby and Best Rap Song for “Jail” ft. Jay-Z. Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga were both nominated for Record of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video for “I Get A Kick Out Of You”, alongside Album of the Year and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Love For Sale, their recent collaborative album, while Finneas (Interscope Records) received nominations for Best New Act, alongside four for his work alongside Billie Eilish and Justin Bieber.
Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) signed songwriter H.E.R. received eight nominations, with UMPG’s SZA, Lil Baby (Motown Records) and Brandi Carlile each recognized with five category nominations.
Taylor Swift (Republic Records) receives an Album of the Year nomination for evermore, whilst ABBA (Capitol Records), returning with their first new music in 40 years were nominated for Record of the Year for “I Still Have Faith In You”). Paul McCartney (Capitol Records) receives nominations for Best Rock Album (McCartney III) and Best Rock Song (“Find My Way”).
J. Cole (Interscope Records) received four nominations for Best Rap Album (The Off-Season), Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance (“m y . l i f e” ft. 21 Savage & Morray) and Best Melodic Rap Performance (“p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l” ft. Lil Baby). Drake (Republic Records) is nominated for Best Rap Song (“Way 2 Sexy” ft. Future & Young Thug) and Best Rap Album for Certified Lover Boy.
Additionally, Angélique Kidjo (Decca Records France/Verve), Ariana Grande (Republic records), The Weeknd (Republic Records), and Alison Russell (Concord) received three nominations each.
In the Country categories, Mickey Guyton (Capitol Records Nashville) and Chris Stapleton (Mercury Nashville) both receive three nominations. Mickey Guyton for Best Country Album (Remember My Name), with the title track (“Remember Her Name”) also nominated for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. Chris Stapleton is nominated for Best Country Album with Starting Over, Best Country Song for “Cold” and Best Country Solo Performance for “You Should Probably Leave”. Kacey Musgraves (Interscope/MCA Nashville) is nominated for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for “camera roll”, while Brothers Osborne (EMI Records Nashville) are nominated for Best Country Duo/Group for “Younger Me”, and Best Country Album for Skeletons. Carrie Underwood (Capitol Records Nashville) is nominated for Best Roots Gospel Album (My Savior) and Best Country Dup/Group Performance for “If I Didn’t Love You” with Jason Aldean.
UMG is widely represented with a broad range of nominations across Latin categories, with J Balvin (UMLE) for Jose, Karol G (UMLE) for KG0516 and Kali Uchis (Interscope Records) for Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros Demonios) 8 each nominated in the Best Música Urbana Album category, Juanes (UMLE) for Origen in Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album and Selena Gomez (Interscope Records) for Revalación in Best Latin Pop Album.
Ólafur Arnalds (Mercury KX) is nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Recording for “Loom” ft. Bonobo and Best Arrangement, Instrumentals and Vocals for “The Bottom Line” ft. Josin. Conductor Gustavo Dudamel (Deutsche Grammophon), Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, receives a nomination for Best Choral Performance for Mahler: Symphony No. 8, “Symphony of a Thousand which is also nominated for Best Engineered Album, Classical. Trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard (Blue Note Records) is nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Album Absence ft. The E-Collective and The Turtle Island Quartet and Improvised Jazz Solo for the title track (“Absence”).
The 64th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Monday, January 31, 2022.
