Innholdsfortegnelse for 2015 Grammy Voter Guide i Billboard Magazine

The First Grammys (1959) The inaugural Grammy Awards are not televised. Trophies are handed out at dinners in New York and Los Angeles on May 4. The very first song of the year and record of the year awards go to Domenico Modugno’s “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare).” Henry Mancini wins the first of his 20 Grammys when The Music From Peter Gunn is named album of the year. Frank Sinatra loses out to “Volare” and Mancini, but still wins the first of his 11 awards when Only the Lonely takes home best recording package. TV Debut (1959) The second awards are given out six months after the first, on Nov. 29, and the TV audience gets its first taste of the Grammys when taped portions air on NBC…

“FANCY” Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX PRODUCERS The Arcade, The Invisible Men ENGINEERS/MIXERS Anthony Kilhofler, Eric Weaver MASTERING ENGINEER Miles Showell FROMThe New Classic LABEL Def Jam Recordings “Fancy” was everywhere in 2014: at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, covered by The Killers and Kasabian, spoofed by “Weird Al” Yankovic and given the Neil Young treatment by Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, complete with backing vocals by Crosby, Stills & Nash. Between the earworm hook sung by Charli XCX and the canny Clueless-themed music video, it was clear that the 24-year-old Azalea, rap’s breakout of the year, wasn’t afraid to shoot for the stars. “One critic was like, ‘Why didn’t you talk about more Australian things?’ ” she says. “I don’t understand why I’m supposed to write…

BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM SAIL OUT Jhene Aiko EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS No I.D., Ketrina “Taz” Askew PRODUCER Fisticuffs ENGINEERS/MIXERS Fisticuffs, Jim Caruana, Christian Plata, Ryan Kaul, Derek “MixedByAli” Ali, Jaycen Joshua, Rob Kinelski, Maximilian Jaeger, Sam Martin, Donnie Scantz, Michael L. Thomas LABEL ARTium Records/Def Jam Recordings After 10 years of lending her sultry voice to songs by B2K, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake, Jhene Aiko formally came into her own with this solo debut, an ethereal set of new-wave-R&B melodies and lyrical freestyles that includes breakthrough single “The Worst” (best R&B song nominee), “3:16am” (featured on VH1’s Black Ink Crew) and “Bed Peace” with Childish Gambino. BEYONCÉ Beyoncé EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Beyoncé Knowles PRODUCERS Ammo, Boots, Noel “Detail” Fisher, Jerome Harmon, Hit-Boy, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius “The Dream” Nash, Caroline Polachek,…

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM SYRO Aphex Twin LABEL Warp Records An enigmatic Cornish artist (real name: Richard D. James) beloved by the electronic music faithful, Aphex Twin’s Syro, announced on the deep web, generated a buzz similar to Daft Punk’s 2013 comeback, Random Access Memories. A DJ since the late 1980s and one of the first artists to compose music by computer, James was a pioneer of early-1990s acid house and techno. Syro, his first official release in 13 years, stays true to his industrial roots, yet it’s a melodic, luscious and subtle blending of his influences over the past three decades, from ambient music to glitch and techno. It’s also a bit of an anomaly in today’s EDM landscape: dance music built for headphones, not the dancefloor. WHILE (1<2) Deadmau5…

BEST LATIN POP ALBUM TANGOS Ruben Blades LABEL Sunnyside Salsa icon Ruben Blades refashioned his greatest hits including “Pedro Navaja” and “Pablo Pueblo” as tangos with help from Argentine musicians. The resulting album, on indie Sunnyside Records, finds Blades competing in the realm of pop instead of tropical, with an album that’s as beautifully understated as it is surprising. “A song works because of the lyrics , not because of the rhythm or the genre, and a song can be approached in a more lyrical way in tango than in salsa,” Blades told Billboard last May. Singing a completely different genre was a challenge, and Blades says he never wanted to “pretend I was a tango singer.” But no make-believe was necessary — recording live with an orchestra, Blades delivered…

CASUAL CHIC: GRACIAS MADRE With Gracias Madre’s communal tables, outdoor patio and fireplace, competition for seating at the trendy vegan Mexican restaurant can get fierce. Common, Diana Ross, Jennifer Lopez and Stevie Wonder have all popped in for a meal. So if you want to give the totopos con chile ($9) or grilled tofu with coconut rice ($16) a try during Grammy Week, make a reservation at least two weeks in advance. 8905 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069; graciasmadrewho.com Can’t snag a table? For a quick meal, time-strapped celebs and execs head to the L.A. Live entertainment complex to choose from a variety of on-the-go restaurants (like Ford’s Filling Station). 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015; lalive.com THE HOTSPOT: SOHO HOUSE Not a member? Cozy up to…

ALBUM OF THE YEAR MORNING PHASE Beck PRODUCER Beck Hansen ENGINEERS/MIXERS Tom Elmhirst, David Greenbaum, Florian Lagatta, Cole Marsden, Greif Neill, Robbie Nelson, Darrell Thorp, Cassidy Turbin, Joe Visciano MASTERING ENGINEER Bob Ludwig LABEL Capitol Records BEYONCÉ Beyoncé FEATURED ARTISTS Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Drake, Jay Z, Frank Ocean PRODUCERS Ammo, Boots, Noel “Detail” Fisher, Jerome Harmon, Hit-Boy, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius “The Dream” Nash, Caroline Polachek, Rey Reel, Noah “40” Shebib, Ryan Tedder, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Key Wane, Pharrell Williams ENGINEERS/MIXERS Boots, Noel Cadastre, Noel “Gadget” Campbell, Rob Cohen, Andrew Coleman, Chris Godbey, Justin Hergett, James Krausse, Mike Larson, Jonathan Lee, Tony Maserati, Ann Mincieli, Caroline Polachek, Andrew Scheps, Bart Schoudel, Noah “40” Shebib, Ryan Tedder, Stuart White, Jordan “DJ Swivel” Young MASTERING ENGINEERS Tom Coyne, James Krausse, Aya Merrill LABEL…

YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, THERE are... how many categories?” multiple-Grammy winner Cyndi Lauper says, attempting to describe her experience as the 2014 host of the annual Grammy pretelecast ceremony, during which the 70 or so awards not broadcast on the televised main show are presented. “Only so many will make it to TV, but for everyone nominated, it’s an exciting time. That’s why the pretelecast is really great, and over the last few years, it has really become a well-attended and respected event — which wasn’t always the case.” Indeed, much of the general public probably is unaware of the early-afternoon ceremony, but The Recording Academy gradually has been elevating its profile: The event now has its own separate venue — Los Angeles’ state-of-the-art Nokia Theater, on the same campus…

THE BIG FOUR “TAKE ME TO CHURCH” Hozier SONGWRITER Andrew Hozier-Byrne PUBLISHERS The Evolving Music Company Ltd., PRS/Sony-ATV Music Publishing U.K. Ltd., PRS/EMI Music Publishing Ltd., PRS/Sony-ATV Allegro LABEL Columbia Records This bluesy folk anthem, Andrew Hozier-Byrne’s debut single, first found an audience in Ireland in the fall of 2013, when its music video, which depicts the repression of the gay community in Russia, quickly went viral. Months later, “Take Me to Church” gained a very different kind of exposure in the United States, through a Beats by Dr. Dre ad featuring LeBron James and Hozier’s performances on Saturday Night Live and at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The song eventually hit the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hozier’s self-titled first album, released in September 2014, debuted…

BEST RAP ALBUM THE NEW CLASSIC Iggy Azalea EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Sarah Stennett, T.I. PRODUCERS The Invisible Men, The Arcade, Watch the Duck, The Messengers, Joey Dyer, 1st Down of FKi, Stargate ENGINEERS/MIXERS Eric Weaver, Anthony Kilhoffer, Andrew Wuepper, Elliot Carter, Jaycen Joshua, Daniel Zaidenstadt, Mikkel Eriksen, Phil Tan, Fedda Weight LABEL Def Jam Recordings “Fancy” featuring Charli XCX, the second single from Iggy Azalea’s breakthrough debut album, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks thanks in part to its Clueless-inspired video and warmed the pot for The New Classic, which bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in April. The Australian rapper became one of 2014’s biggest breakouts, with crossover hits including “Black Widow” featuring Rita Ora (No. 3 on the Hot 100) and “Beg for It” featuring…

BEST ROCK ALBUM RYAN ADAMS Ryan Adams PRODUCERS Ryan Adams, Mike Viola, Charlie Stavish ENGINEERS/MIXERS David Labrel, Charlie Stavish LABEL Blue Note Records Ryan Adams’ 14th album — in a nearly 20-year career — brings the prolific songwriter his fourth Grammy nod, and serves as something of a reboot. Adams took an uncharacteristic break after 2011’s Ashes & Fire to produce discs for Fall Out Boy, Jenny Lewis and Ethan Johns. For his first LP through Blue Note (whose president Don Was is his friend and occasional bassist), Adams took a different approach from the alt- country and punkier sounds of his previous efforts. Keyboardist Benmont Tench of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers isn’t the only reason this record so often recalls Petty’s early-1980s work. The riffs are big enough, and the…

CLIVE DAVIS & THE RECORDING ACADEMY’S PREGRAMMY GALA THE BEVERLY HILTON WHO Sting, Lorde, Miley Cyrus, Natasha Bedingfield, Patti Smith, Jennifer Hudson WHAT Davis’ party is by far the hottest ticket in town. (It’s rumored that last year, Chris Brown didn’t make the cut, while his ex Rihanna partied with Jimmy Iovine, Smokey Robinson and Brian Grazer.) The seventh annual evening will honor Sony/ATV Music Publishing chairman/CEO Martin Bandier with the President’s Merit Award WHEN Saturday, Feb. 7 (annually the night before the Grammy Awards) TIP Expect the unexpected. In 2014, Jane Fonda twerking to Robin Thicke’s performance of “Blurred Lines” wowed Taylor Swift, while R. Kelly headed up an impromptu conga line around the ballroom. CAA PARTY SUNSET TOWER WHO Jared Leto, Leona Lewis, Gene Simmons, Kelly Rowland, Nick…

It looks like a blast, but getting through the big night requires planning I’m going to bring a lot of tissues, because I know I’m going to cry all night long. —MEGHAN TRAINOR I drink lots of water and bring Advil and sunglasses to combat the shape of what’s to come. —STEVE BARTELS, CEO, DEF JAM RECORDS I invest in shoes that I can run around in. Last year I found a comfortable pair of Louboutins. —CARRIE TOLLES, VP PUBLICITY, 4AD Deep breaths. The night goes so quickly, you just have to remember to stay in the moment. —IDINA MENZEL I’ll be starting the day with a lot of Champagne. —CHARLI XCX I check in to the Peninsula. They press my crumpled clothes and groom my dog, Max. Max loves…

WHEN BONNIE RAITT’S NICK OF TIME WON THE album of the year Grammy on Feb. 21, 1990 (and two more for best female rock and pop vocal performance), Billboard called it “one of the biggest upsets” in the history of the awards. The 40-year-old Burbank, Calif., artist had triumphed over some formidable competition: Don Henley’s The End of the Innocence, Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever, Fine Young Cannibals’The Raw and the Cooked and the debut album by the supergroup Traveling Wilburys, whose members included Bob Dylan and George Harrison. Those albums all had been Billboard 200 top 10 hits, while Nick of Time hadn’t cracked the top 20. But that would soon change. In the weeks after the Grammys, consumers flocked to buy Nick of Time, sending it to No.…

MORNING PHASE Beck PRODUCER Beck Hansen ENGINEERS/MIXERS Tom Elmhirst, David Greenbaum, Florian Lagatta, Cole Marsden, Greif Neill, Robbie Nelson, Darrell Thorp, Cassidy Turbin, Joe Visciano MASTERING ENGINEER Bob Ludwig LABEL Capitol Records Twenty years after “Loser” made him a reluctant Gen X icon, Beck lands a surprise nomination in this category. Morning Phase, his first full-length release in six years, was initially presented as a “companion piece” to his acclaimed 2002 album, Sea Change, and marks a return to that record’s mellow melancholy. All of the songs on Beck’s 12th studio album, which was mostly recorded in a three-day sprint, are set during daybreak (hence the title), capturing the fuzzy mood — full of both promise and uncertainty — that arrives with each new dawn. “I put all my time…

THE BIG FOUR IGGY AZALEA The New Classic is a gutsy title for a debut, especially coming from an artist who has ridden the major-label carousel and experienced years of album delays. But the Australian-born, Los Angeles-honed rap star’s first (and still biggest) Hot 100 hit, “Fancy,” made good on the promise she showed as a member of T.I.’s Grand Hustle crew, capturing Billboard’s Song of the Summer crown for 2014 and helping launch the mainstream career of its co-performer, Charli XCX. Azalea further demonstrated her knack for collaborations on Ariana Grande’s smash “Problem”; her “Fancy” follow-up “Black Widow,” featuring Rita Ora; and “Beg for It,” a new top 40 hit with MØ from the deluxe edition of The New Classic. Finally, Azalea — who opened for Beyoncé on select…

POP SOLO PERFORMANCE “ALL OF ME” (LIVE) John Legend LABEL Columbia Records It was the 56th annual Grammy Awards that kicked John Legend’s piano ballad, “All of Me,” into overdrive. After he performed the song during the 2014 telecast, sales of the single almost tripled. Released in August 2013 “All of Me” took a full nine months to reach No. 1, the first time Legend, 36, has ever topped the Billboard Hot 100. (The studio recording was submitted for nomination last year, so this live version is eligiable this year.) Dedicated to model Chrissy Teigen, whom he married a month after the song came out, and inspired by Billy Joel’s “She’s Always a Woman,” Legend knew that the slow, stripped-down track wasn’t typical radio fare: “People are used to music…

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM RISER Dierks Bentley PRODUCERS Ross Copperman, Jaren Johnston ENGINEERS F. Reid Shippen, Ross Copperman, Robot Lemon, Andrew Mendelson LABEL Capitol Recorded in the aftermath of his father’s death, Bentley’s Riser occasionally tackles meaning-of-life questions with a resilient spirit, balancing the dark parts of the equation with more light-hearted moments, particularly the woozy “Drunk on a Plane,” which helped transform him into an arena headliner. Riser debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, and “Drunk” and “I Hold On” topped Country Airplay, with “Drunk” surpassing 1 million in sales, according to Nielsen Music. THE OUTSIDERS Eric Church PRODUCER Jay Joyce ENGINEERS Jason Hall, Jay Joyce, Andrew Mendelson LABEL EMI Nashville The Outsiders is the first album Church recorded in producer Jay Joyce’s new studio, a converted church…

The mad dash for the best accommodations “starts 364 days before the Grammys,” says Seth Kaplan, co-founder of luxury-travel concierge In the Know Experiences. “People [in the industry] want to maintain a certain image — to be seen at a certain hotel.” So select the L.A. suite that meets your needs and plan to book (next time) a year in advance For the CEO WHERE FOUR SEASONS LOS ANGELES 300 S. Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90048; 310-273-2222; fourseasons.com WHAT “We put a lot of the executives and music managers there,” says Kaplan of the 285-room hotel. “It’s a little quieter for meetings.” To brush up against celebs, hit the Sunday brunch buffet and the Boulevard Lounge at night. WHO Lava Records CEO Jason Flom, LL Cool J and Mark…

3 TUES PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS WING CELEBRATION Village Studios This eighth annual event will honor three-time Grammy Award winner Nile Rodgers. 8 p.m., 1616 Butler Ave., Los Angeles GRAMMY CAMP JAZZ SESSION Spaghettini and the Dave Koz Lounge This new Beverly Hills restaurant and venue will host a public performance by a select group of high school students along with special guests. 7 p.m. dinner; 8 p.m. performance, 184 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills 4 WED GRAMMY CONNECT YouTube Space LA This annual digerati gathering focuses on social media, music and technology. 5 p.m.-8 p.m., 12422 W. Bluff Creek Drive, Los Angeles GRAMMY IN THE SCHOOLS LIVE! Club Nokia at L.A. Live Five-time Grammy nominee Hunter Hayes will perform with top high school musicians — representing 31 cities and 13…