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Best Comedy Album Nominees | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Jim Gaffigan, Ellen DeGeneres, Aziz Ansari, Trevor Noah and Dave Chappelle receive nominations in the GRAMMY's funniest category

Nate Hertweck

GRAMMYs

Nov 22, 2019 - 11:19 am

The 62nd GRAMMY nominations have arrived, and for five comedians, their chances of winning GRAMMY Gold on Jan. 26 just got a lot better. Let's take a look at who is nominated this year in the GRAMMY's funniest category, Best Comedy Album.

Quality Time - Jim Gaffigan

Jim Gaffigan has been on a GRAMMY tear, earning his fifth nomination in eight years in the category with his latest special, Quality Time. His seventh special builds on Gaffigan's Midwestern everyman style with some of his more adventurous comedy yet, but will it be enough to bring him home his first GRAMMY win?

Relatable - Ellen DeGeneres

Comedian-turned-television superstar, Ellen DeGeneres returns to her roots for her first comedy special in 15 years. True to its moniker, Relatable shows DeGeneres' honest magnetism and range from simple and silly to deep and dark, always eliciting a laugh at life. This year's nod marks the third GRAMMY nomination of her career.

Right Now - Aziz Ansari

The Spike Jones-directed special showcases Aziz Ansari's special brand of modern edge perspective on a wide range of culture, race and social topics. Right Now drew enough laughs to gain Ansari his first career GRAMMY nomination.

Son Of Patricia - Trevor Noah

"The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah continues his global ascent into comedy's upper echelon with Son Of Patricia. Sprawling out from the tempral confines of his hosting show, the South African comedian dazzles on his way to his first career GRAMMY nomination.

Sticks & Stones - Dave Chappelle

The two-time defending champ in the Best Comedy Album category, the ever-innovative and boundary-pushing Dave Chappelle is going for a three-peat at the 62nd GRAMMYs. His latest album, Sticks & Stones, looks to join Equanimity & The Bird Revelation and The Age Of Spin & Deep In The Heart Of Texas with GRAMMY wins.

2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List

Dave Chappelle at the 2018 GRAMMYs

Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images

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Dave Chappelle Wins Best Comedy Album For 'Sticks & Stones' | 2020 GRAMMYs

The comedian takes home his third Best Comedy Album at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards

Ana Monroy Yglesias

GRAMMYs

Jan 26, 2020 - 6:25 pm

Dave Chappelle won Best Comedy Album for Sticks & Stones, from his 2019 Netflix comedy special, at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards. This is his third win in a row for the Comedy Album category and third career GRAMMY. Last year, at the 61st GRAMMY Awards, Equanimity & The Bird Revelation earned him the win.

Chappelle's album bested fellow nominees Jim Gaffigan, Ellen DeGeneres, Aziz Ansari and Trevor Noah.

Check out all the complete nominees and winners list here.

Watch: Alicia Keys & Boyz II Men Give A Moving Tribute To Kobe Bryant At The 2020 GRAMMY Awards

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Neil Innes performs in New York City in 2014

Photo: Al Pereira/Getty Images

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Neil Innes, Monty Python Songwriter And Collaborator, Dies at 75

The GRAMMY-nominated writer, musician and comedian gained international fame via his various comedic and musical parody projects

John Ochoa

GRAMMYs

Dec 30, 2019 - 3:17 pm

Neil Innes, a celebrated writer, musician and comedian best known for his work with The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and The Beatles parody band, The Rutles, as well as his collaborations with renowned U.K. comedy group Monty Python, died Dec. 29. He was 75.

According to his agent, Innes "passed away unexpectedly" last Sunday. In a statement posted on Innes' official website, his family confirmed that he "died of natural causes quickly without warning and... without pain."

Monthy Python co-founder John Cleese shared his condolences in a post on his official Twitter page, noting that he was "utterly dismayed" by the news and calling Innes "a very sweet man, much too nice for his own good."

Born in Danbury in Essex, England, Innes attended Goldsmiths College School of Art in London, where he would join The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (The Bonzos) in 1963. The group, which mixed elements of satirical comedy rock, psychedelic pop and avant-garde art, initially gained national attention via the U.K. TV series "Do Not Adjust Your Set," which featured daily performances from the band throughout the late '60s.

Read: Iconic Broadway Composer Jerry Herman Has Passed Away

The Bonzos are best known for their 1968 hit, "I'm The Urban Spaceman," which reached No. 5 in the U.K. charts. Written by Innes, the track featured production by Paul McCartney, under the pseudonym Apollo C. Vermouth, and Gus Dudgeon. (The Bonzos would later perform their track "Death Cab For Cutie" in The Beatles' 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour; Ben Gibbard has since cited this track's title as the inspiration behind the moniker of his band of the same name.)

Following The Bonzos' breakup in 1970, Innes formed The World with former members of the band. The group, which aimed for commercial success beyond the previous band's satirical comedy rock style, released one album, Lucky Planet, in 1970.

That same year, in 1970, Innes formed the band GRIMMS, which released three albums throughout the '70s, including GRIMMS (1973), Rocking Duck (1973) and Sleepers (1976).

Innes then began to work closely with Monty Python, a much-revered comedy sextet from England, in the mid-'70s. Recognized as an unofficial member of the comedy troupe—a 2008 musical documentary, The Seventh Python, chronicles his life and career—Innes contributed to multiple Monty Python TV sketches and albums, in addition to touring live with the comedy crew. He also wrote original songs for and appeared in the group's classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and later appeared in the follow-up film, Monty Python's Life Of Brian.

Innes then worked alongside Monty Python member Eric Idle on "Rutland Weekend Television," a U.K. TV sketch show that ran from 1975–1976. The show, which featured music by Innes, inspired The Rutles, a pastiche and parody group of The Beatles. The act was the main subject of the 1978 mockumentary TV film All You Need Is Cash, also known as The Rutles, which featured cameos from original Beatles member George Harrison. The film's soundtrack album received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Comedy Recording at the 21st GRAMMY Awards held in 1979.

In 1979, Innes created a solo TV series, "The Innes Book Of Records," which ran for three seasons in the U.K. and featured some of his older material and new music written for the show.

Read: Musicians, Celebrities & More Remember GRAMMY-Winning Songwriter Allee Willis Known For Writing 'Friends' Theme

Later in his career, Innes transitioned into children's entertainment during the '80s. In addition to playing live-action roles on children's TV shows, he composed music and provided voice-over work for various programs and cartoons.

Following reunion concerts and releases for his various projects, Innes formed the comedy musical collective The Idiot Bastard Band in late 2010.

Innes is survived by his wife Yvonne, his three sons, Miles, Luke and Barney, and his grandchildren, Max, Issy and Zac.

Best Comedy Album Nominees | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

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Find Out Who's Nominated For Best Rap Album | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Dreamville, Meek Mill, 21 Savage, Tyler, The Creator, and YBN Cordae all earn nominations in the category

John Ochoa

GRAMMYs

Nov 20, 2019 - 5:28 am

The 2020 GRAMMYs are just around the corner, and now the nominations are in for the coveted honor of Best Rap Album. While we'll have to wait until the 62nd GRAMMY Awards air on CBS on Jan. 26 to find out who will win, let's take a look at which albums have been nominated for Best Rap Album.

Revenge of the Dreamers III – Dreamville

This star-studded compilation album from 11-time GRAMMY nominee J. Cole and his Dreamville Records imprint features appearances from some of the leading and fastest-rising artists in hip-hop today, including label artists EARTHGANG, J.I.D, and Ari Lennox, plus rappers T.I, DaBaby, and Young Nudy, among many others. Recorded in Atlanta across a 10-day recording session, Revenge of the Dreamers III is an ambitious project that saw more than 300 artists and producers contribute to the album, resulting in 142 recorded tracks. Of those recordings, 18 songs made the final album, which ultimately featured contributions from 34 artists and 27 producers.

Dreamers III, the third installment in the label’s Revenge of the Dreamers compilation series, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and achieved gold status this past July. In addition to a Best Rap Album nod, Dreamers III is also nominated for Best Rap Performance next year for album track “Down Bad,” featuring J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG, and Young Nudy.

Championships – Meek Mill

In many ways, Championships represents a literal and metaphorical homecoming for Meek Mill. Released in November 2018, Championships is the Philadelphia rapper’s first artist album following a two-year prison sentence he served after violating his parole in 2017. Championships, naturally, sees Meek tackling social justice issues stemming from his prison experience, including criminal justice reform. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, his second chart-topper following 2015’s Dreams Worth More Than Money, and reached platinum status in June 2019. Meek Mill's 2020 Best Rap Album nod marks his first-ever GRAMMY nomination.

i am > i was – 21 Savage

Breakout rapper and four-time GRAMMY nominee 21 Savage dropped i am > i was, his second solo artist album, at the end of 2018. The guest-heavy album, which features contributions from Post Malone, Childish Gambino, J. Cole, and many others, has since charted around the world, topped the Billboard 200 – a first for the artist – in the beginning of 2019, and achieved gold status in the U.S. As well, nine songs out of the album’s 15 original tracks landed on the Hot 100 chart, including multi-platinum lead single “A Lot,” which is also nominated for Best Rap Song next year. 21 Savage’s 2020 Best Rap Album nomination, which follows Record of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Performance nods for his 2017 Post Malone collaboration, "Rockstar,” marks his first solo recognition in the top rap category.

IGOR – Tyler, The Creator

The eccentric Tyler, The Creator kicked off a massive 2019 with his mid-year album, IGOR. Released this past May, IGOR, Tyler’s fifth solo artist album, is his most commercially successful project to date. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking his first time topping the coveted chart, while its lead single, "Earfquake,” peaked at No. 13, his highest entry on the Hot 100. Produced in full by Tyler and featuring guest spots from fellow rap and R&B stars Kanye West, Lil Uzi Vert, Solange, and Playboi Carti, among many others, IGOR follows the rapper’s 2017 album, Flower Boy, which received the Best Rap Album nod that same year.

The Lost Boy – YBN Cordae

Emerging rapper YBN Cordae, a member of the breakout YBN rap collective, released his debut album, The Lost Boy, to widespread critical acclaim this past July. The 15-track release is stacked with major collaborations with hip-hop heavyweights, including Anderson .Paak, Pusha T, Meek Mill, and others, plus production work from J. Cole and vocals from Quincy Jones. After peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard 200, The Lost Boy now notches two 2020 GRAMMY nominations: Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song for album track “Bad Idea,” featuring Chance the Rapper.

Check Out The Full List Of 62nd GRAMMY Awards Nominations

Kelly Clarkson

Photo: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

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Kelly Clarkson, Dave Chappelle, More To Present At 2018 GRAMMYs

Tony Bennett, Alicia Keys, Nick Jonas, John Legend, Eve, Jim Gaffigan, Sarah Silverman also among those to present on Music's Biggest Night on Jan. 28

Nate Hertweck

GRAMMYs

Jan 25, 2018 - 6:30 am

An eclectic all-star lineup of artists, musicians, actors, and comedians will take the stage as presenters at the 60th GRAMMY Awards.

Watch Spike Lee's Star-Studded 'NY Stories' Film

On tap to present awards and introduce performers are 18-time GRAMMY winner Tony Bennett, current GRAMMY nominee Dave Chappelle, three-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee Kelly Clarkson, professional football player Victor Cruz, GRAMMY winner Eve, current GRAMMY nominee Jim Gaffigan, actress Katie Holmes, previous GRAMMY nominee Nick Jonas, actress Anna Kendrick, 15-time GRAMMY winner Alicia Keys, 10-time GRAMMY winner John Legend, actor Shemar Moore, comedian and television host Trevor Noah, current GRAMMY nominee Sarah Silverman, actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld, and GRAMMY nominee Donnie Wahlberg.

Previously announced GRAMMY performers include Brothers Osborne, Alessia Cara, Cardi B, Eric Church, Gary Clark Jr., Miley Cyrus, Childish Gambino, Daddy Yankee, DJ Khaled, Luis Fonsi, Emmylou Harris, Elton John, Kesha, Khalid, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Little Big Town, Logic, Patti LuPone, Bruno Mars, Maren Morris, Pink, Ben Platt, Rihanna, Zuleyka Rivera, Sam Smith, Chris Stapleton, StingSZA, Bryson Tiller, and U2.

Hosted by award-winning television personality and performer James Corden live from Madison Square Garden in New York City, the 60th GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live on CBS on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.