Matraca Berg Plans New Release

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Plus news on projects from George Jones, Ralph Stanley, Jeff Bates and Kenny Rogers.
>>Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Matraca Berg will release her first album in fourteen years on May 17. “I knew when I was writing these songs that they where a bit deeper and darker,” she says of The Dreaming Fields, “so I knew it was up to me [to share them]. When I perform and look at the audience, I realized these stories I’m writing are their stories too.”
Berg’s new collection covers sensitive issues like domestic violence (“If I Had Wings”), fading beauty (“Silver and Glass”), selling the family farm (“The Dreaming Fields”), and a son sent off to war (“South of Heaven”).
Berg scored her first No. 1 at age 18, and has since provided pivotal hits for the Dixie Chicks, Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood, Gretchen Wilson, Linda Ronstadt and Dusty Springfield. Her most recent 1997 release Sunday Morning To Saturday Night was critically acclaimed.
>>George Jones is back with new material for the first time in more than 5 years. “I Ain’t Ever Slowin Down,” written by Al Anderson and Stephen Bruton; and “I Should Have Called,” by Eddie Raven, are on a new greatest hits compilation. The tracks were produced by Jones’ longtime producer Keith Stegall in 2006. From Bandit Records, George Jones: The Hits will be available exclusively at WalMart starting today (2/15).
>>Kenny Rogers will become the first artist to release a second album through the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® exclusive music program when The Love of God becomes available March 7. The CD is an inspirational collection of classic songs, along with new recordings of contemporary songs. Guests include The Whites, Winfield’s Locket, and Point of Grace.
>>Black River artist Jeff Bates’ new release hits the streets today (2/14). One Day Closer, his second album for the label, covers the circle of life he has experienced in recent years with the deaths of his parents and the birth of his daughter. In addition to the six song EP, Bates recorded a live DVD that features all the music from One Day Closer with bonus tracks highlighting previous singles.
>>Ralph Stanley will release A Mother’s Prayer, a newly recorded collection of hymns and spirituals, April 19 on Rebel Records. Among the project’s contributors are Sara Evans, Billy and Terry Smith, Clinch Mountain Boys’ fiddler Dewey Brown, and grandson Nathan Stanley.

TV Round-up with Red, Steel Magnolia, Aaron Lewis

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>>Nashville-based rock group Red performed “Faceless” on Conan last week (2/8). The Provident Label Group act will also perform on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tomorrow (2/16). Red’s latest release, Until We Have Faces (2/1/2011) was the highest debut in the country, claiming the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Top 200 its first week out. Further, it remained in the Top 5 on both iTunes’ Overall Album and Rock Album charts its entire street week. www.redmusiconline.com.

Pictured on Conan (L-R): RED band members: Joe Rickard, Randy Armstrong; Host Conan O'Brien; Anthony Armstrong, and Michael Barnes. Photo: Meghan Sinclair/Team Coco


>>Stroudavarious Records artist Aaron Lewis recently stopped by CMT for a series of interviews in support of his debut solo single, “Country Boy,” from his forthcoming Town Line EP, due for a March 1 release.

Pictured (l-r): Jordan Berliant, Partner, The Collective; Derek Simon, Vice President, Marketing & Artist Development, Stroudavarious Records; Stephen Linn, Sr. Director Music Programming & Promotion, CMT; Aaron Lewis; and Jay Frank, Sr. Vice President Music Strategy, CMT.


>>Steel Magnolia performed on The Late Show with David Letterman Monday, Feb. 7.

Pictured: Meghan Linsey (R) and Joshua Scott Jones (L) of Steel Magnolia hang with Green Bay Packers quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers (C) backstage.

Morning News From The Web

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>>Online radio outfit Pandora has filed a $100 million initial public offering, which could value the company at $1.2 billion. Pandora has 80 million users. More here.
>>A post-Grammy sales bump is expected for Lady A, Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire, and more, according to HitsDailyDouble.
>> Rumors of an Apple streaming music service have been circulating for a while. The latest clues are an expected upgrade of its cloud-based MobileMe media storage service, and the debut of a smaller, less expensive version of the iPhone. Read more from the Wall Street Journal.
>>Bonnaroo promoter AC Entertainment has signed on to present the Louisville Forecastle Festival. Read on.
>>CAA has teamed with Qualcomm to launch Creative Mobile Labs. The company will pair the creative minds CAA represents with mobile app developers. More here.

Grammy Reaction Around The Web

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Lady A celebrates backstage. Photo: Rick Diamond/WireImage


Nashville is on a Grammy winning streak. Last night’s wins by Lady Antebellum marked the third year in a row that a Nashville act has been the show’s top winner. Last year Taylor Swift scored big, and in 2009, the most trophies went to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant.
It is a testament to the versatile sounds coming out of Music City, and to the far-reaching visibility of Country music in particular. It gives a boost to the genre that will hopefully translate into album sales.
While Lady A stole the show, the band was shut out for Album of the Year in a night of several key upsets. Instead, the coveted Album prize went to Arcade Fire. It was equally surprising that Esperanza Spalding was named Best New Artist, and that leading nominee Eminem went into the show with ten nods, but left with just two trophies.
Many morning-after critics point to these eye-opening wins as evidence of shifting industry dynamics between old and new schools of thought. And a few of them are picking on Lady A’s name.

The LA Times called the show “a generational takeover and an airing of the widening gap between the traditional corporate music industry and the dynamic, diverse culture that’s redefining the very nature of popular music right now.
The contrast the night’s most notable winners embodied is stark. On the one hand, Lady Antebellum, whose easy-listening country pop typifies the kind of commercial crossover sound that’s moved units and won industry awards for at least half a century.
The Nashville trio’s success seemed like a victory for the commercial old guard identified with carefully crafted, highly accessible golden hits, an impression reinforced by the group’s Nashville affiliation and its weirdly conservative-seeming name, which seems to celebrate the pre-Civil War South.”

The Washington Post pointed out the show’s performance collaborations pairing young and revered faces: “And as the beleaguered recording biz continues to unravel, Grammy organizers tried to hold things together the only way they know how: with a big trans-generational group hug.” The paper also called Lady A “the adorable country-pop trio with the slavery-era name.”
On a lighter note, Dierks Bentley helped jump-start Grammy festivities with a show at Troubador in West Hollywood. It was a who’s-who of Nashville nominees including Miranda Lambert, Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, Blake Shelton, Zac Brown, Del McCoury, Sam Bush, Lady A, Hayley Williams and more. Read about it here.

Benefits: BAMS, W.O. Smith, Children's Hospital

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>>Clay Walker and AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-AM golf tournament playing partner Michael Bolton won the celebrity challenge event in Pebble Beach, CA, Wednesday, February 9. The duo walked away with a $19,000 purse to be split between their own respective charities. Clay Walker will give the proceeds to his foundation Band Against MS (BAMS), which provides educational information and funding programs for those living with MS.

Pictured (l-r): Walker and Bolton at the 18th green after winning the event.


>>The 10th Annual Birdhouse Thing benefit for the W.O. Smith Music School is scheduled for Thurs., March 10 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the school on 8th Ave. S. in Nashville. This year, Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum, Sara Evans, Josh Turner, Kellie Pickler and many others have donated tickets and meet and greet passes for a stop on their 2011 tour. These celebrity auction items will be available online March 8-22 at www.mclemoreauction.com.
Each year, event organizers provide wooden birdhouses to local Nashville visual artists, architects, and public figures who then add their own artful design. These birdhouses, designed by visual artists Edie Maney, Diana Wiles, Bob McGill and others, will be available at both live and silent auction at the event.
Tickets are on sale for $50, and are available online at www.birdhousething.com, by calling the W.O. Smith Music School at (615) 255-8355 or by emailing [email protected].
>>Music City Tennis Invitational Pre-tournament Songwriter Showcase was held at the Bluebird Café on Feb 10. The benefit concert is a kick-off event for the 38th Annual MCTI benefiting the Center for Child Development at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The tennis tournament will be held April 30-May 1 at the Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. Tennis Center at Vanderbilt.

(L-R) Kathy Ashworth, Bill Riddle, Patsy Wells, Patsy Bradley, Bob DiPiero, Dr. Tyler Reimschisel, Gary Burr, Victoria Shaw, Jim Photoglo

Grammys Score Best Ratings In A Decade

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Last night’s (2/13) Grammy Awards were the show’s most viewed telecast since 2001, drawing 26.6 million total viewers and securing a win for CBS.
The show’s ratings have been on a steady rise in recent years, with a 3 percent increase over last year’s broadcast which attracted 25.8 million viewers.
In the key adults 18-49 demographic, last night’s Grammys had the best delivery since 2004.
Here’s a look at some other ratings magnets from 2010:
Oscars—41.3 million viewers
American Idol season finale—24.2 million
CMA Awards—16.45 million
ACM Awards—13 million

Grammy Ads Feature Growing Number of Celebs

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Nearly one out of four advertisements during last night’s (2/13) Grammy Awards featured a celebrity endorsement, according to a report by Greenlight, a company specializing in licensing and rights clearance.

Among the other findings of the GreenLight Ad Gauge:
• celeb ads were up 47% over last year, and up more than 250% from 2009
• 23% of ads featured licensed pop music
• 35% of ads featured either a celeb endorsement or licensed music, up from 26% of ads in 2010
MusicRow’s Bobby Karl noted the numerous celeb spots during this morning’s column about the awards. He said:

Even if you weren’t on the show, you had a good chance of being seen. Just about every commercial break featured a music star – Taylor Swift for Cover Girl, Carrie Underwood for Olay, Jennifer Hudson for Weight Watchers, Justin Bieber for CSI, Alicia Keys for HP, Taylor Swift for Target, Keith Urban for Target, Ricky Martin for the American Cancer Society, Jennifer Lopez for Venus razors, Eminem (in cartoon form) for Brisk beverages, Queen Latifah for Cover Girl….

GreenLight’s full report can be downloaded here.
AdAge has recently weighed in on the pros and cons of celebrity endorsements.

Bobby Karl Works The Grammy Viewing Party

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Miranda Lambert on the Grammy red carpet.


Chapter 358


The Nashville Grammy viewing party had door prizes, a dance DJ upstairs hosted by Red Bull, the Gibson Guitar tour bus parked outside and a generally merry atmosphere.
It was held at the Hard Rock downtown (2/13), so you know the food stations were first rate. The parking lot I chose had a broken machine, so I got away free. And the balmy weather couldn’t have been better.
As a viewing experience, if I wasn’t such a Recording Academy fan, I doubt that I would have stayed tuned in. Several of the much-vaunted “only-at-the-Grammys” collaborations failed to fizz. Early in the telecast, the Bruno Mars, B.o.B. and Janelle Monae mash-up was just a big flapdoodle about nothing. Katy Perry looked fabulous but sang flat. Arcade Fire’s performance featured kids on bicycles wheeling around pointlessly, plus disorienting camera work.
Mick Jagger’s “Everybody Needs Somebody” tribute to the late Solomon Burke was sung in a two-note range. Both of Rihanna’s appearances (with Eminem and Drake, respectively) were less than thrilling. The video flame effects used several times during the show looked exactly like the ones in Logan’s Steak House ads. The dancers deployed during the Muse tune were just weird.
On the plus side — at least for this community — was the fact that just about every time a Nashvillian appeared, the show perked up. First on was Martina McBride, more than holding her own during the show-opening Aretha Franklin tribute alongside Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Yolanda Adams and a clearly outclassed Florence Welch (from Florence & The Machine). Miranda Lambert sounded scared and a little timid during her simply staged performance of “The House That Built Me,” but her genuine emotion carried the day.

(L-R) Florence Welch, Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride, and Yolanda Adams.


“First Grammy performance ever – first Grammy ever,” said Miranda upon winning her Female Country Vocal prize. “It means the world to me. Thank you very much. I love country music.”
Americana stars The Avett Brothers shone brightly alongside Mumford & Sons and Bob Dylan during their folk-rock Grammy moment. Those kids in Lady Antebellum can sure-enough sing. The trio’s flawless harmonies were the most pitch-perfect of the entire show, both on the Teddy Pendergrass tribute “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” and on their own “American Honey” and “Need You Now.” The group picked up a stunning five Grammy Awards during the night.

Lady A performing during the Grammy Awards.


“This has been a huge, huge year for us,” said Lady A’s Charles Kelley when the group won Country Album of the Year. “This past year has changed our lives,” echoed Hillary Scott when they won the overall Song of the Year. “Thank you to everyone who loved this song,” added their collaborator Josh Kear. When Record of the Year was announced, Hillary exclaimed, “We’re so stunned, we started walking the wrong way.” Added Charles, “We’ve cried our eyes out backstage.” Lady A also won Country Group and Country Song.
Continuing the Nashville performance excellence was Keith Urban. He sang “Jolene” as a tribute to Lifetime Achievement winner Dolly Parton alongside Norah Jones and a lost-at-sea seeming John Mayer. Non-Nashville musical highlights included Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber & Usher (with super tumblers), flamboyantly feathered Cee Lo Green & Gwyneth Paltrow and “Evergreen” Barbra Streisand.

John Mayer, Norah Jones and Keith Urban singing a tribute to Dolly Parton.


CBS evidently urged the Recording Academy to use its non-musical TV stars as presenters throughout the show, so it was extra welcome to see our homies doing some of these honors. Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown, Paramore, Kings of Leon, Jewel, Kris Kristofferson and Miley Cyrus were all among the other presenters.
Unseen, but scoring triumphs was the triple Grammy winning CD by The Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Other pre-telecast local honorees included Marty Stuart, Larry Carlton, Patty Loveless, The Black Keys, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Alan Jackson & The Zac Brown Band, Jack White, Bela Fleck and Keith Urban.
Even if you weren’t on the show, you had a good chance of being seen. Just about every commercial break featured a music star – Taylor Swift for Cover Girl, Carrie Underwood for Olay, Jennifer Hudson for Weight Watchers, Justin Bieber for CSI, Alecia Keys for HP, Taylor Swift for Target, Keith Urban for Target, Ricky Martin for the American Cancer Society, Jennifer Lopez for Venus razors, Eminem (in cartoon form) for Brisk beverages, Queen Latifah for Cover Girl….

Nicole Kidman


You could also be noticed by just walking in. Jewel rocked the red carpet in an off-the-shoulder Grecian-draped, pale yellow frock that disguised her being pregnant with a baby boy. Proud papa-to-be Ty Murray was by her side. Julianne Hough also looked great, in a ruffled and purple hued creation, but said she was jet lagged from a flight from Hong Kong. Hillary Scott of Lady A debuted a new hairstyle with brunette bangs. Miranda Lambert wore a floor-length, one-shouldered, double-strapped metallic number that hugged her curves. Titian tressed Nicole Kidman was a dish in a strapless, rose-petal-patterned gown. Nicki Minaj wore what appeared to be a giant Q-tip on her head and a leopard-print dress and tights. Bedraggled looking Miley Cyrus continued her red-carpet-catastrophe tradition. Lady Gaga arrived in her egg.
Rocking the Hard Rock viewing fiesta were Anthony L. Smith, Gabe Dixon, Shannon Sanders, Karen Clark, Barry Landis, John Oates, Jed Hilly, Becky Hobbs, Lane Brody, Mark Collie, Trent Summar, Larry Sheridan, Lori Badgett, Ashley Gearing, John Lomax III and of course our hostesses with the mostestest, Ashley Ernst and Lynn Aurelius.

Sony Signs Bush Hawg

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Sony Music Nashville has officially welcomed the band Bush Hawg as the newest act on its RCA Nashville roster. Bush Hawg’s debut album will release later this year.

Pictured (back, l-r): Bush Hawg producer/manager Michael Knox; Sony Music Nashville Creative Services VP Scott McDaniel; Marketing Sr. VP Paul Barnabee; Promotion Sr. VP Skip Bishop; Chairman & CEO Gary Overton; and Sales VP Kerri Fox-Metoyer; RCA Nashville Promotion VP Keith Gale; Sony Music Nashville A&R VP Jim Catino; and Buddy Lee Attractions President Kevin Neal. (front, l-r): RCA Nashville Natl. Director of Promotion Norbert Nix; and Bush Hawg band members Jim Phipps, Russ Caldwell, Craig Hand, Shaun Ames, Alex Wilshire, and Ben Helton. Photo credit: Alan Poizner

Lady A Sweeps Grammys

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Lady A took home five Grammy Awards last night.


Driven by the wild success of its song “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum was the top winner at last night’s (2/13) Grammy Awards. The Capitol Nashville trio took home the all-genre trophies for Record of the Year and Song of the Year for the format-crossing smash. Lady A was the lead country nominee heading into the show, and walked away with all but one of the awards for which it was nominated. The only category in which the group was shut out was Album of the Year, which went to rock outfit Arcade Fire.
“Need You Now” has racked up over 4 million paid downloads, and its namesake album has sold more than 3 million units. Sharing the Record of the Year honors with bandmates Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood are producer Paul Worley and engineer Clarke Schleicher. The band shares Song of the Year honors with co-writer Josh Kear.
Miranda Lambert performed on the televised show and won the award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Keith Urban took home the male vocal trophy. Best Country Collaboration With Vocals went to Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson for “As She’s Walking Away.” Marty Stuart scored the award for Best Country Instrumental Performance for “Hummingbyrd.”

Songwriters Allen Shamblin (pictured left) and Tom Douglas won Country Song of the Year for "The House That Built Me." Miranda Lambert won for her performance of that song.


Winners in the Americana categories include Mavis Staples, Patty Loveless, Carolina Chocolate Drops and Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs.
Gospel Field awards went to two-time winners BeBe & CeCe Winans, as well as Jerry Peters & Kirk Whalum, Lalah Hathaway, Switchfoot, Israel Houghton, Diamond Rio, and Patty Griffin.
The Nashville Symphony also won three awards.
See select Nashville winners below in RED and the complete list here.
GENERAL FIELD (all genres)
Record Of The Year:
“Nothin’ On You” — B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars
“Love The Way You Lie” — Eminem Featuring Rihanna
“F*** You” — Cee Lo Green
“Empire State Of Mind” — Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
“Need You Now” — Lady Antebellum
Song Of The Year:
“Beg Steal Or Borrow” — Ray LaMontagne, songwriter (Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs)
“F*** You” — Cee Lo Green, Philip Lawrence & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Cee Lo Green)
“The House That Built Me” —Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“Love The Way You Lie” — Alexander Grant, Skylar Grey & Marshall Mathers, songwriters (Eminem Featuring Rihanna)
“Need You Now” — Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

Gretchen Wilson scored a nod with her independent release.


COUNTRY FIELD
Best Female Country Vocal Performance:
“Satisfied” — Jewel
“The House That Built Me” — Miranda Lambert
“Swingin’” — LeAnn Rimes
“Temporary Home” — Carrie Underwood
“I’d Love To Be Your Last” — Gretchen Wilson
Best Male Country Vocal Performance:
“Macon” — Jamey Johnson
“Cryin’ For Me (Wayman’s Song)” — Toby Keith
“Turning Home” — David Nail
“‘Til Summer Comes Around” — Keith Urban
“Gettin’ You Home” — Chris Young
Best Country Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals:
“Free” — Zac Brown Band
“Elizabeth” — Dailey & Vincent
“Need You Now” — Lady Antebellum
“Little White Church” — Little Big Town
“Where Rainbows Never Die” — The SteelDrivers

Dierks Bentley and Zac Brown


Best Country Collaboration With Vocals:
“Bad Angel” — Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert & Jamey Johnson
“Pride (In The Name Of Love)” — Dierks Bentley, Del McCoury & The Punch Brothers
“As She’s Walking Away” — Zac Brown Band & Alan Jackson
“Hillbilly Bone” — Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins
“I Run To You” — Marty Stuart & Connie Smith
Best Country Song:
“The Breath You Take” — Casey Beathard, Dean Dillon & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (George Strait)
“Free” — Zac Brown, songwriter (Zac Brown Band)
“The House That Built Me” — Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“I’d Love To Be Your Last” — Rivers Rutherford, Annie Tate & Sam Tate, songwriters (Gretchen Wilson)
“If I Die Young” — Kimberly Perry, songwriter (The Band Perry)
“Need You Now” — Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)
Best Country Album:
Up On The Ridge — Dierks Bentley
You Get What You Give — Zac Brown Band
The Guitar Song — Jamey Johnson
Need You Now — Lady Antebellum
Revolution — Miranda Lambert
Best Country Instrumental Performance:
“Tattoo Of A Smudge” — Cherryholmes
“Magic #9” — The Infamous Stringdusters
“New Chance Blues” — Punch Brothers
“Willow Creek” — Darrell Scott
“Hummingbyrd” — Marty Stuart

Winners Zac Brown Band


AMERICAN ROOTS FIELD
Best Americana Album:
The List — Rosanne Cash
Tin Can Trust — Los Lobos
Country Music — Willie Nelson
Band Of Joy — Robert Plant
You Are Not Alone — Mavis Staples
Best Bluegrass Album:
Circles Around Me — Sam Bush
Mountain Soul II — Patty Loveless
Family Circle — The Del McCoury Band
Legacy — Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
Reckless — The SteelDrivers
Best Traditional Folk Album:
Genuine Negro Jig — Carolina Chocolate Drops
Onward And Upward — Luther Dickinson & The Sons of Mudboy
Memories Of John — The John Hartford Stringband
Maria Muldaur & Her Garden Of Joy — Maria Muldaur
Ricky Skaggs Solo: Songs My Dad Loved — Ricky Skaggs

Best Contemporary Folk Album:
Love Is Strange – En Vivo Con Tino — Jackson Browne & David Lindley
The Age Of Miracles — Mary Chapin Carpenter
Somedays The Song Writes You — Guy Clark
God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise — Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs
Dream Attic — Richard Thompson
GOSPEL FIELD
Best Gospel Performance:
“He Wants It All” — Forever Jones
“You Hold My World” — Israel Houghton
“Nobody Greater” — VaShawn Mitchell
“He’s Been Just That Good” — Kirk Whalum & Lalah Hathaway
“Grace” — BeBe & CeCe Winans
Best Gospel Song:
“Beautiful Things — Lisa Gungor & Michael Gungor, songwriters (Gungor)
“Better Than A Hallelujah” — Sarah Hart & Chapin Hartford, songwriters (Amy Grant)
“It’s What I Do” — Jerry Peters & Kirk Whalum, songwriters (Kirk Whalum & Lalah Hathaway)
“Our God” — Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman, Jesse Reeves & Chris Tomlin, songwriters (Chris
Tomlin)
“Return To Sender” — Gordon Kennedy, songwriter (Ricky Skaggs)
Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album:
Church Music — David Crowder Band
For Those Who Wait — Fireflight
Beautiful Things — Gungor
Rehab — Lecrae
Hello Hurricane — Switchfoot
Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album:
Beauty Will Rise — Steven Curtis Chapman
Love God. Love People — Israel Houghton
Pieces Of A Real Heart — Sanctus Real
Mosaic — Ricky Skaggs
Tonight — TobyMac

Best Southern, Country, Or Bluegrass Gospel Album:
Times Like These — Austins Bridge
The Reason — Diamond Rio
Expecting Good Things — Jeff & Sheri Easter
Journey On — Ty Herndon
Live At Oak Tree: Karen Peck & New River — Karen Peck & New River
Best Traditional Gospel Album:
The Experience — Vanessa Bell Armstrong
A City Called Heaven — Shirley Caesar
Downtown Church — Patty Griffin
Here I Am — Marvin Sapp
All In One — Karen Clark Sheard
Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album:
Get Ready — Forever Jones
Love Unstoppable — Fred Hammond
Triumphant — VaShawn Mitchell
Aaron Sledge — Aaron Sledge
Still — BeBe & CeCe Winans
Also, the Nashville Symphony’s recording of Michael Daugherty’s Metropolis Symphony and Deus Ex Machina received three Grammys. Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero and the orchestra won in the category of Best Orchestral Performance, while composer Daugherty won in the category of Best Classical Contemporary Composition. In addition, the recording’s engineers, Mark Donahue, John Hill and Dirk Sobotka, earned an award in the category of Best Engineered Album, Classical (in a tie with the engineers of Quincy Porter’s Complete Viola Works).
All photos from Grammy.com, courtesy of WireImage.com.