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Best Spoken Word Album Nominees | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

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From a former First Lady to a two-time cancer survivor, here are the 2020 nominees
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 22, 2019 - 12:33 pm

The Best Spoken Word GRAMMY Award goes to notable poetry, audiobooks and storytelling recordings. In the past, political and cultural figures including Maya Angelou, Jimmy Carter, Martin Luther King, Jon Stewart and Hillary Clinton have taken the award. The 2020 GRAMMY nominees are people who earned the nod for audiobooks based on their own lives, a musician/songwriter that made an album about coping with a life-threatening disease and an author who ignites the spoken-word world with his fusion style.

Becoming — Michelle Obama

Former First Lady Michelle Obama surprised the world when she made an appearance last year during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards. This year, she has earned her own GRAMMY nod for her audiobook, Becoming, which shares her journey from a little girl from the South Side of Chicago to lawyer and the First Lady of the United States.

Beastie Boys Book — Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, Scott Sherratt and Dan Zitt

Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, Scott Sherratt and Dan Zitt, who have all been nominated for a golden gramophone, are up for Best Spoken Word Album for Beastie Boys Book. The book is a memoir sharing details and stories behind the GRAMMY-winning band's musical journey with anecdotes of their friendship and growing up in New York amidst the growth of hip-hop. 

I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor- Eric Alexandrakis

Eric Alexandrakis' I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor is based on Alexandrakis' journey with the disease. He made the album as a way to escape while he had a tumor in his chest and was going through chemotherapy. For Alexandrakis, the album ended up being more than an escape: it sparked his career.

Mr. Know-It-All — John Waters

Filmmaker, writer and comedian John Waters, known for his humor and films like 1988's Hairspray, isn't receiving his first nomination in this category. Waters was nominated for Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America during the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards. His 2020 nomination is for Mr. Know-It-All, in which he offers thoughts and anecdotes around Hollywood life—and everything else.

Sekou Andrews & The String Theory — Sekou Andrews & The String Theory

Two-time National Poetry Slam winner Sekou Andrews earns his first-time GRAMMY nomination with Sekou Andrews & The String Theory, a spoken-word album touching on themes including love, music, and poetry with his mix of humor, spoken-word style and writing featuring the artistic collective The String Theory. 

2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List

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Beastie Boys 

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Beastie Boys Release 'To The 5 Boroughs' Deluxe Edition In Honor Of 15th Anniversary

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"For the occasion, twelve rare tracks have just been released digitally in addition to the original 15 songs on the album," the group said in a tweet
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jun 17, 2019 - 4:14 pm

GRAMMY-winning hip-hop group the Beastie Boys are celebrating 15 years of their GARMMY-nominated To The 5 Boroughs LP with the first-time digital release of the 15 songs on the album and 12 unreleased rare tracks. 

"Hello everybody - To the 5 Boroughs came out 15 years ago today," the group said in a tweet on Friday, June 15. "For the occasion, twelve rare tracks have just been released digitally in addition to the original 15 songs on the album."

The deluxe edition also includes remixes from the following GRAMMY nominees: Blur guitarist Graham Coxon and producer Just Blaze. There are also rare cuts like "Rizzle Rizzle Nizzle Nizzle." 

To The 5 Boroughs was nominated for a golden gramophone at the 47th GRAMMY Awards. Listen to the album here. 

Sleater-Kinney Drop Album Release Date, Share New Song & More Tour Dates

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Cyndi Lauper

 
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Cyndi Lauper Will Receive First-Ever "Nobel Prize In Music"

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The award will be given out annually to an artist who has promoted social justice for over a decade and is in collaboration with High Note Global Initiative
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 26, 2019 - 12:25 pm

GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter Cyndi Lauper will be honored with the United Nation's first-ever High Note Global Prize for her efforts to end LGBTQ youth homelessness.  

The award will be given out annually to an artist who has promoted social justice for over a decade and is in collaboration with High Note Global Initiative, created by producer and entrepreneur David Clark. The initiative celebrates music artists who promote social justice through their music. The award has been referred to as the "Nobel Prize In Music," according to the High Note Global Initiative.

GRAMMY-nominated pop singer Kesha will present Lauper with the award during the Cyndi Lauper & Friends: Home for the Holidays benefit concert, taking place at the Novo Theater in Los Angeles on Dec. 10, Human Rights Day. 

UN Human Rights Chief External Outreach Laurent Sauver said the award is an effort to inspire more awareness of human rights around the world. 

"Musicians hold a special place in society, as they have the ability to inspire people to action. We are proud to support The High Note Global Initiative and The High Note Global Prize in an effort to galvanize global awareness of the importance of human rights, and at the same time honor artists who passionately use their work to promote and protect the rights of others," Sauveur said in a statement on the High Note Global Initiative website.  

Lauper co-founded True Colors United, an organization fighting against and preventing LGBTQ youth homelessness. According to statistics, roughly 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. 

Lauper, whose songs like "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" and "Time After Time" have become classics in American culture, won her first GRAMMY in 1985 in the Best New Artist Category. 

Letters To Cleo "Cleo-ize" The Holidays On The Limited-Edition 'OK Christmas' EP

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TroyBoi

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TroyBoi To Perform At Monster Energy's Up & Up Festival College Competition

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The race for TroyBoi's signature bass sound launches Feb. 11
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 25, 2019 - 11:52 am

Colleges across the nation will rally together in early February to get British music producer TroyBoi to drop beats on their campus as a part of the Monster Energy drink Up & Up Festival college series.

Each academic semester, students all over the U.S. compete in a 48-hour pre-sale race to win a chance at having a major music artist perform at their school. The top seven schools to get the most pre-ordered tickets win the concert. This upcoming winter semester, internationally recognized artist TroyBoi, who is known for his bass sound and collaborations (Skrillex among them), is the artist colleges are competing to see, Billboard reports. 

TroyBoi is currently on his 2019 Nostalgia tour with Los Angeles producer Yultron. He recently released "Tranquilizer" with Nigerian artist AG Baby.  

The race for the fest launches Feb. 11. For more information, visit the up & Up festival website.

Find Out Who Just Made History With Their GRAMMY Nominations: 2020 GRAMMYs By The Numbers

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The Ventures

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Walk, Don't Run: 60 Years Of The Ventures Exhibit Will Showcase The Surf-Rock Icons' Impact On Pop Culture

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The exhibit, opening Dec. 7, will feature late band member Mel Taylor's Gretsch snare drum, a 1965 Ventures model Mosrite electric guitar, the original 45 rpm of "Walk Don't Run" and more
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 21, 2019 - 12:44 pm

Influential instrumental rock band The Ventures are getting their own exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles that will showcase the band's impact on pop culture since the release of their massive hit "Walk, Don't Run" 60 years ago. 

The Rock Hall of Fame inductees and Billboard chart-toppers have become especially iconic in the surf-rock world, known for its reverb-loaded guitar sound, for songs like "Wipeout," "Hawaii Five-O" and "Walk, Don't Run." The Walk, Don't Run: 60 Years Of The Ventures exhibit opening Dec. 7 will feature late band member Mel Taylor's Gretsch snare drum, a 1965 Ventures model Mosrite electric guitar, the original 45 rpm of "Walk Don't Run," a Fender Limited Edition Ventures Signature guitars, rare photos and other items from their career spanning six decades and 250 albums. 

“It’s such an honor to have an exhibit dedicated to The Ventures at the GRAMMY Museum and be recognized for our impact on music history,” said Don Wilson, a founding member of the band, in a statement. "I like to think that, because we ‘Venturized’ the music we recorded and played, we made it instantly recognizable as being The Ventures. We continue to do that, even today."

Don Wilson, Gerry McGee, Bob Spalding, and Leon Taylor are current band members. On Jan. 9, Taylor's widow and former Fiona Taylor, Ventures associated musician Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and others will be in conversation with GRAMMY Museum Artistic Director Scott Goldman about the band's journey into becoming the most successful instrumental rock band in history at the Clive Davis Theater. 

"The Ventures have inspired generations of musicians during their storied six-decade career, motivating many artists to follow in their footsteps and start their own projects," said Michael Sticka, GRAMMY Museum President. "As a music museum, we aim to shine a light on music education, and we applaud the Ventures for earning their honorary title of 'the band that launched a thousand bands.' Many thanks to the Ventures and their families for letting us feature items from this important era in music history."

The exhibit will run Dec. 7–Aug. 3, 2020 at the GRAMMY Museum. 

2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List