BMI Writers Receive Multiple GRAMMY Nominations

Posted in News on December 15, 2015
Pictured: Taylor Swift, Mark Ronson and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes
Pictured: Taylor Swift, Mark Ronson and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes

2015 proved to be another explosive year for BMI songwriters. In advance of the 58th Annual GRAMMY awards, BMI is very proud to congratulate all of our many affiliates who have earned impressive nominations for their musical contributions across a wide range of genres, including Taylor Swift and Maroon 5 for pop, Alabama Shakes and Foo Fighters for rock, J. Cole and Nicki Minaj for rap, and Little Big Town, Ashley Monroe and Kacey Musgraves for country.

Multiple nominee Taylor Swift’s ascendance as a pop titan was reinforced by her efforts this year, as she’s up for an incredible seven awards, including Best Pop Solo Performance, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Blank Space,” Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Bad Blood,” and both Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year for 1989.

Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” is also in the running for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, alongside his nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album for Uptown Special. British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, meanwhile, returns as a GRAMMY contender for his single “Thinking Out Loud,” which is nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

Soulful roots rockers Alabama Shakes are also making a strong showing for their work in 2015, having garnered nominations for both Album of the Year and Best Alternative Music Album for Sound & Color and Best Rock Performance for “Don’t Wanna Fight. Also representing rock, Foo Fighters are nominated for Best Rock Performance for “Something for Nothing,” as well as Best Music Film for Sonic Highways.

The partnership of John Legend and Common proved to be a formidable one this year, as their teamwork on “Glory,” from the major motion picture, Selma, earned each of the BMI writers their own nominations for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Rap Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media. Legend also snagged a second Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for his work on “One Man Can Change the World” by Big Sean.*

Winners will be announced in a live broadcast on CBS, Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Congratulations to all of the BMI writers nominated! Here is a complete list.

RECORD OF THE YEAR
“Uptown Funk”
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars*
Jeff Bhasker & Mark Ronson, producers;
Boo Mitchell & Mark Ronson, engineers/mixers

“Thinking Out Loud”
Ed Sheeran

“Blank Space”
Taylor Swift

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Sound & Color
Alabama Shakes
Alabama Shakes & Blake Mills, producers

To Pimp a Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar*
Bilal, Snoop Dogg, Larrance Dopson, Tae Beast, producers

Traveller
Chris Stapleton*
Dave Cobb, producer

1989
Taylor Swift
Jack Antonoff, Nathan Chapman, Taylor Swift & Noel Zancanella, producers; Jack Antonoff & Nathan Chapman, engineers/mixers

Beauty Behind the Madness
The Weeknd*
Ed Sheeran, featured artist; Stephan Moccio, Carlo Montagnese & Kanye West, producers; Carlo Montagnese, engineer/mixer

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Blank Space”
Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)

“Girl Crush”
Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)

“See You Again”
Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)

“Thinking Out Loud”
Ed Sheeran, songwriter (Ed Sheeran)

BEST NEW ARTIST
James Bay

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
“Love Me Like You Do”
Ellie Goulding

“Thinking Out Loud”
Ed Sheeran

“Blank Space”
Taylor Swift

BEST POP DUP/GROUP PERFORMANCE
“Sugar”
Maroon 5

“Uptown Funk”
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars*

“Bad Blood”
Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar*

“See You Again”
Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
Stages
Josh Groban

My Dream Duets
Barry Manilow & Various Artists

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
Uptown Special
Mark Ronson

1989
Taylor Swift

BEST DANCE RECORDING
“We’re All We Need”
Above & Beyond Featuring Zoë Johnston

“Runaway (U & I)”
Galantis

BEST CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Guitar in the Space Age!
Bill Frisell

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
“Don’t Wanna Fight”
Alabama Shakes

“Something From Nothing”
Foo Fighters

“Ex’s & Oh’s”
Elle King

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
“512”
Lamb Of God

“Thank You”
Sevendust

BEST ROCK SONG
“Don’t Wanna Fight”
Alabama Shakes, songwriters (Alabama Shakes)

“Ex’s & Oh’s”
Elle King, songwriter (Elle King)

“Hold Back the River”
James Bay, songwriter (James Bay)

“Lydia”
Richard Meyer, Ryan Meyer & Johnny Stevens, songwriters (Highly Suspect)

BEST ROCK ALBUM
Chaos and the Calm
James Bay

Kintsugi
Death Cab For Cutie

Mister Asylum
Highly Suspect

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
Sound & Color
Alabama Shakes

The Waterfall
My Morning Jacket

Star Wars
Wilco

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
“If I Don’t Have You”
Tamar Braxton

“Planes”
Jeremih* Featuring J. Cole

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
“He Is”
Faith Evans

“My Favorite Part of You”
Charlie Wilson

BEST R&B SONG
“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
Stephan Moccio, songwriter (The Weeknd*)

“Let It Burn”
Kenny B. Edmonds & Dwane M.Weir II, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan*)

“Really Love”
Kendra Foster, songwriter (D’Angelo* and The Vanguard*)

BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Ego Death
The Internet

You Should Be Here
Kehlani

BEST R&B ALBUM
Forever Charlie
Charlie Wilson

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
“Apparently”
J. Cole

“Truffle Butter”
Nicki Minaj Featuring & Lil Wayne

“All Day”
Kanye West

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
“One Man Can Change the World”
Big Sean* Featuring Kanye West & John Legend

“Glory”
Common & John Legend

“Classic Man”
Jidenna Featuring Roman GianArthur*

“These Walls”
Kendrick Lamar* Featuring Bilal

“Only”
Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake*, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown

BEST RAP SONG
“All Day”
Kanye West, songwriter (Kanye West)

“Energy”
M. O’Brien, songwriter (Drake*)

“Glory”
Lonnie Lynn & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)

BEST RAP ALBUM
2014 Forest Hills Drive
J. Cole

The Pinkprint
Nicki Minaj

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
“Burning House”
Cam

“Little Toy Guns”
Carrie Underwood

“John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16”
Keith Urban

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
“If I Needed You”
Joey+Rory

“Girl Crush”
Little Big Town

“Lonely Tonight”
Blake Shelton Featuring Ashley Monroe

BEST COUNTRY SONG
“Diamond Rings and Old Barstools”
Barry Dean & Luke Laird, songwriters (Tim McGraw)

“Girl Crush”
Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)

“Hold My Hand”
Mark Stephen Jones, songwriter (Brandy Clark*)

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Pain Killer
Little Big Town

The Blade
Ashley Monroe

Pageant Material
Kacey Musgraves

BEST NEW AGE ALBUM
Voyager
Catherine Duc

Love
Peter Kater

Asia Beauty
Ron Korb

BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO
“Cherokee”
Christian McBride, soloist

“Arbiters of Evolution”
Donny McCaslin, soloist

“Friend or Foe”
Joshua Redman, soloist

“Past Present”
John Scofield, soloist

BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM
Find a Heart
Denise Donatelli

Jamison
Jamison Ross

For One to Love
Cécile McLorin Salvant

BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Breathless
Terence Blanchard Featuring The E-Collective

Beautiful Life
Jimmy Greene

Past Present
John Scofield

BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM
Lines of Color
Gil Evans Project

Cuba: The Conversation Continues
Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Home Suite Home
Patrick Williams

BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM
Made in Brazil
Eliane Elias

Intercambio
Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet

Identities are Changeable
Miguel Zenón

BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE/SONG
“Wanna Be Happy?”
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin, songwriter

“How Awesome is Our God” [Live]
Israel & Newbreed Featuring Yolanda Adams
Israel Houghton & Meleasa Houghton, songwriters

“Worth Fighting For” [Live]
Brian Courtney Wilson*
Aaron Lindsey, songwriter

BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE/SONG
“Life Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)”
Crowder*
Ed Cash & Seth Philpott, songwriters

“Because He Lives (Amen)”
Matt Maher

“Soul on Fire”
Third Day Featuring All Sons & Daughters*
Matt Maher, songwriter

“Feel It”
Tobymac Featuring Mr. Talkbox*
Toby McKeehan

BEST GOSPEL ALBUM
Destined to Win [Live]
Karen Clark Sheard

Living It
Dorinda Clark-Cole

Covered: Alive in Asia [Live] (Deluxe)
Israel & Newbreed

BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM
Whatever the Road
Jason Crabb

Saints and Sinners
Matt Maher

This is Not a Test
Tobymac

Love Ran Red
Chris Tomlin

BEST GOSPEL ROOTS ALBUM
Pray Now
Karen Peck & New River

BEST LATIN POP ALBUM
Healer
Alex Cuba

A Quien Quiera Escuchar (Deluxe Edition)
Ricky Martin

BEST LATIN ROCK, URBAN OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
Caja de Música
Monsieur Periné

Dale
Pitbull

BEST REGIONAL MEXICAN MUSIC ALBUM (INCLUDING TEJANO)
Realidades (Deluxe Edition)
Los Tigres Del Norte

BEST TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM
Tributo a Los Compadres: No Quiero Llanto
José Alberto “El Canario” & Septeto Santiaguero

Todo Tiene Su Hora
Juan Luis Guerra 4.40

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE
“And Am I Born to Die”
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn*

“Born to Play Guitar”
Buddy Guy

“Julep”
Punch Brothers

“See That My Grave is Kept Clean”
Mavis Staples

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG
“All Night Long”
Raul Malo, songwriter (The Mavericks)

“Julep”
Noam Pikelny , songwriter (Punch Brothers)

“The Traveling Kind”
Cory Chisel, songwriter (Emmylou Harris* & Rodney Crowell*)

“24 Frames”
Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell)

BEST AMERICANA ALBUM
Something More Than Free
Jason Isbell

Mono
The Mavericks

The Phosphorescent Blues
Punch Brothers

BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM
Pocket Full of Keys
Dale Ann Bradley

Before the Sun Goes Down
Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley

In Session
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Man of Constant Sorrow
Ralph Stanley & Friends

The Muscle Shoals Recordings
The Steeldrivers

BEST BLUES ALBUM
Outskirts of Love
Shemekia Copeland

Born to Play Guitar
Buddy Guy

Muddy Waters 100
John Primer & Various Artists

BEST FOLK ALBUM
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn*

Tomorrow is My Turn
Rhiannon Giddens

BEST REGIONAL ROOTS MUSIC ALBUM
Go Go Juice
Jon Cleary

Kawaiokalena
Keali’i Reichel

Get Ready
The Revelers

BEST REGGAE ALBUM
Branches of the Same Tree
Rocky Dawuni

The Cure
Jah Cure

Acousticalevy
Barrington Levy

BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM
Gilbertos Samba Ao Vivo
Gilberto Gil

BEST CHILDREN’S ALBUM
¡Come Bien! Eat Right!
José-Luis Orozco

Dark Pie Concerns
Gustafer Yellowgold

Trees
Molly Ledford & Billy Kelly*

BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM (INCLUDES POETRY, AUDIO BOOKS AND STORYTELLING)
Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks
Dick Cavett

Patience and Sarah (Isabel Miller)
Janis Ian & Jean Smart*

BEST COMEDY ALBUM
Back to the Drawing Board
Lisa Lampanelli

Brooklyn
Wyatt Cenac

BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM
An American in Paris
Scott Lehrer, producer (Original Broadway Cast)

Fun Home
Michael Cerveris, principal soloist (Original Broadway Cast)

Hamilton
Daveed Diggs, Christopher Jackson, principal soloists; Alex Lacamoire, producers (Original Broadway Cast)

Something Rotten
Kate Reinders, principal soloist; Wayne Kirkpatrick, producer (Original Broadway Cast)

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Empire: Season 1
Jim Beanz, compilation producer

Selma
Ava DuVernay, compilation producer

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Birdman
Antonio Sanchez, composer

The Imitation Game
Alexandre Desplat, composer

Whiplash
Justin Hurwitz, composer

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA
“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
Stephan Moccio, songwriters (The Weeknd*)

“Glory”
Lonnie Lynn & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)

“See You Again”
Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)

“Til It Happens to You”
Lady Gaga

BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION
“The Afro Latin Jazz Suite”
Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa)

“Confetti Man”
David Balakrishnan, composer (Turtle Island Quartet)

“Neil”
Rich DeRosa, composer (University Of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band)

BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTAL OR A CAPPELLA
“Bruno Mars”
Paul Allen, Troy Hayes, Evin Martin, arrangers (Vocally Challenged)

“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”
Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstin Maldonado & Kevin Olusola, arrangers (Pentatonix)

BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTS AND VOCALS
“52nd & Broadway”
Patrick Williams, arranger (Patrick Williams Featuring Patti Austin*)

“When I Come Home”
Jimmy Greene, arranger (Jimmy Greene with Javier Colon*)

BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM
The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11
Steve Berkowitz, compilation producer; (Bob Dylan* And The Band*)

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL
Wallflower
Steve Price, Jochem van der Saag, engineers (Diana Krall*)

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL
Jeff Bhasker
Dave Cobb
Blake Mills

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL
Ask Your Mama
Leslie Ann Jones & Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer

BEST CHAMBER MUSIC/SMALL ENSEMBLE PEFORMANCE
“Shostakovich: Piano Quinten & String Quartet No. 2”
Takács Quartet* & Marc-André Hamelin

BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION
“Stroke”
Joan Tower, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero, Cho-Liang Lin & Nashville Symphony)

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
“LSD”
ASAP Rocky

“I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)”
The Dead Weather

“Bad Blood”
Taylor Swift

BEST MUSIC FILM
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
James Brown

Sonic Highways
Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl, video director

The Wall Live
Roger Waters

AMY
Amy Winehouse


*Not affiliated with BMI

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