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61st GRAMMY Awards Nominations Rescheduled To Dec. 7

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In honor of late President George H.W. Bush's memorial services, nominations will be announced Friday Dec. 7 on CBS, Apple Music and social media
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Dec 3, 2018 - 12:06 pm

UPDATE: See the full list of 61st GRAMMY Nominations

Following the news of President George H.W. Bush's death, the announcement of the nominations for the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards has been postponed until Friday, Dec. 7, 2018.

Nominees in select categories will be revealed by broadcast on "CBS This Morning" and online at Apple Music at 8:30 a.m. ET, the Recording Academy announced on Monday Dec. 3. All 84 categories will be revealed on the Recording Academy's website, and also by press release and over the Recording Academy's social media platforms at 8:45 a.m. ET.

Use the #GRAMMYs hashtag on Recording Academy / GRAMMYs social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to join in the conversation this Friday.

What To Expect When You're Expecting The 2019 GRAMMY Nominations Announcement

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Recording Academy Announces 61st GRAMMY Awards Update

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General Field nominations grow from five to eight and categories evolve to stay as appropriate, current, and relevant as possible
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Jun 26, 2018 - 3:31 pm

The GRAMMY Awards reflect what's happening in the ever-changing landscape of music, and the Recording Academy works diligently to ensure the awards process continually evolves. Driven by the music makers — Academy members — who seek to meet the needs of the music community, several changes have been enacted for the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards process and categories.

For the four General Field categories — Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist — the number of nominations included in each will be increased from five to eight in order to better reflect the many entries in these categories.

Other changes put in place affect various categories including those in the World Music Field, which will now determine nominations through its own Nomination Review Committee where the top 15 selections from general voting membership's ballots will be narrowed down to the final five nominations by a Trustee-ratified committee of Voting Member experts.

For Best Compilation Soundtrack Album, the growing role of Music Supervisors is recognized as eligible. Also, only Music Supervisors who produced more than half of an album will now be eligible for consideration as album producers.

Driven by the technological side of music evolution, the Best Surround Sound Album category is renamed Best Immersive Audio Album. The same goes for the Field to which it belongs. The change reflects evolving technology, new formats, and current industry trends, practices, and language.

Several category guidelines and/or definitions were also updated. For instance, the Best Alternative Music Album criteria and definition has been broadened and updated as, "Alternative is defined as a genre of music that embraces attributes of progression and innovation in both the music and attitudes associated with it. It is often a less intense version of rock or a more intense version of pop and is typically regarded as more original, eclectic, or musically challenging. It may embrace a variety of sub-genres or any hybrids thereof and may include recordings that don't fit into other genre categories."

These changes and other will be in effect for the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards, as the Recording Academy continues to ensure the process remains as appropriate, current, and relevant as possible.

For more information about this year's rule changes and the GRAMMY Awards process, visit www.grammy101.com.

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NYC Council Approves Wu-Tang Clan And Notorious B.I.G. Street Names

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NYC is honoring rap history by voting to rename two streets after the iconic rappers
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Dec 28, 2018 - 2:05 pm

Notorious B.I.G. and the Wu-Tang Clan are steps closer to becoming a permanent part of New York City, their hometown and one of the birthplaces of hip-hop.

The New York City council has unanimously voted to have a Booklyn street become Christopher Wallace Way (after Biggie) and a Staten Island street become Wu-Tang Clan District. The measures are still pending Mayor Bill de Blasio's signature.

"As soon as you put a name on a street sign, you say something about the public importance of that individual," University of Tenn. Geography Professor Derek Alderman told NPR. "Hip-hop deserves that respect."

Brooklyn Community Board 2 first approved the re-naming petition 33-1 in November.

NYC resident LeRoy McCarthy, who led the naming initiatives for both streets, thinks naming a street after Biggie symbolizes something greater than the rapper. "It symbolizes a culture. It symbolizes a borough. It symbolizes a people, and hip-hop is worldwide,” he told Rolling Stone.

The council also voted to name a street after Woody Guthrie in Coney Island, where the iconic folk singer lived in the 1940s.

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The block expected to become Christopher Wallace Way is on St. James Place between Fulton Street and Gates Avenue where B.I.G. actually grew up. Wu-Tang Clan District will be centered on the intersection of Vanderbilt Avenue and Targee Street, the location of Sobel Court Park, according to Rolling Stone.

The news of the council passing the measures came shortly after Chuck D was announced as chairman of the celebrity board for the Universal Hip-Hop Museum to open in Brooklyn in 2022. 

Universal Hip-Hop Museum Names Chuck D Celebrity Board Chair

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How New Artists Can Build A Following In 2019, According To SoundCloud

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The key to standing out is showing up as yourself and growing a network of fans
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Dec 28, 2018 - 11:49 am

The artist and label services team at SoundCloud has some advice for artists hoping to grow their audiences in 2019: Be “YOUnique.”

Ledisi Has Three I's For Social Media

As summed up in a handy list on Hypebot, there are a few ways aspiring artists can build a following: Keep to a consistent schedule of uploads (Fridays are reportedly the best days to release new music), and stay inspired by listening to your fellow artists. You never know when you’ll discover a new friend and/or collaborator.

But above all, when marketing yourself, remember to be "YOUnique": after all, being real is part of what makes music compelling.

SoundCloud also advises artists to pay close attention to their fan network (yes, that means reading the comments section) and study the streaming analytics available with the service’s SoundCloud Pro package. It always helps to know what your listeners are gravitating toward the most, right?

Check out SoundCloud’s advice for aspiring artists over at HypeBot, and the best of luck to all of you creators in 2019.

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ASCAP Makes Disaster Relief Donation To MusiCares

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Donation will help music community members most affected by the fires
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Dec 27, 2018 - 11:59 am

Performing rights organization ASCAP announced on Dec. 18 that it is donating to MusiCares to support music's creators including those "affected by the recent wildfires in northern and southern California" needing help with food, shelter and replacement of instruments or equipment.

"We are truly grateful for the support and ongoing partnership of ASCAP," said Recording Academy and MusiCares President/CEO Neil Portnow. "Their work on behalf of music people is vital, and their generosity to the music community is equally strong. This donation demonstrates how the music industry works together to take care of their own."

"We have all been stunned by the devastation caused by the California fires and the heartache and loss suffered by our members who reside there," said ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams, winner of three GRAMMY awards as a songwriter. "ASCAP has always been an advocate for music creators, and faced with these terrible circumstances, we have their backs. We are pleased to work with MusiCares to get help to those who need it most."

Members may make disaster relief requests by contacting MusiCares toll-free at 1.800.687.4227.

For those wishing to donate, the "Gift Designation" choice at MusiCares' donation page offers "Disaster Relief" as a selection.

"The music community knows that it can turn to MusiCares in times of distress," said ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews. "They have the organization and the infrastructure necessary to respond to these horrible events and help members of the music community in times of need. We're glad to work with MusiCares once again to ensure that our funds reach the people most affected by the fires."

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