
Kendrick Lamar To Jay-Z: 2018 GRAMMY Nominees By Region | L.A. To NYC
As far as the 60th GRAMMY Awards go, the compass is pointing east this year with the milestone telecast taking place at the venerable Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, Jan. 28.
But it goes without saying, when it comes to the hundreds of music creators who can call themselves 60th GRAMMY nominees, all signs point to disparate locations on the map.
There is, among others, Lorde, who is from Auckland, New Zealand; Ed Sheeran from England; Chronixx from Kingston, Jamaica; Antonio Sánchez from Mexico City; Juanes from Colombia; Petra Müllejans from Düsseldorf, Germany; and Dmitri Hvorostovsky from Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
And then there's the United States, with nominees hailing from Southern California all the way to Bedford, N.H.
For a different slice of the 60th GRAMMY nominees, we broke up a select group of 60 nominees according to their U.S. birthplace by region: West, Midwest, South, and Northeast. In each region you'll find 15 nominees, offering you a taste of the directional sense of how these nominees got from point A — home — to point B — Music's Biggest Night.
West
Out West, a variety of nominees were born in California, including Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, Tyler, The Creator, Warryn Campbell, Tina Campbell, Beck, Julian Lage, and Kehlani. Representing Las Vegas is Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds. India.Arie and Ben Glover hail from Colorado while Raul Midón is from the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico. Rounding out the region is a pair of Northwest entries: Natalie Grant from Seattle and Wynne from Portland, Ore.
Midwest
In the Midwest, SZA was born in St. Louis, the Gateway to the West. Oklahoma and Kansas are represented by country and classical royalty in Reba McEntire and Joyce DiDonato, respectively. Illinois, the Prairie State, counts Chicago native Common and Decatur native Alison Krauss as two of its own. Julia Michaels, now a Southern California resident, was born in Davenport, Iowa. The state of Indiana spawned the likes of Offa Rex's Chris Funk, comedian Jim Gaffigan and Bruno Mars collaborator Philip Lawrence. Ohio represents hard rock in the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and jazz with pianist Fred Hersch. Actor/filmmaker Mark Ruffalo calls Kenosha, Wis., his home, while gospel great CeCe Winans came up through the heart of Motown in Detroit. Two legends round out the region: the inimitable Bob Dylan from Minnesota and the late great Glen Campbell from Arkansas, which was once dubbed the Land of Opportunity.
South
Starting in the South, in Texas we find jazz singer Jazzmeia Horn, "American Idol" alum Kelly Clarkson and master singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell. R&B songstress Ledisi and jazz pianist John Beasley call Louisiana home. "Cover Me Up" singer/songwriter Jason Isbell hails from Green Hill, Ala. Killer Mike and Khalid, a pair of rappers, represent the Peach State. Gospel singer Le'Andria was born in Palatka, Fla. August Burns Red's Jake Luhrs' hometown is Greenville, S.C. There are two Virginia natives — Chris Eldridge and Pharrell Williams. "Stay" singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb is from Bethesda, Md. Rapsody represents the Tar Heel State. Rounding out the region are Baltimore rapper 6LACK and Washington, D.C., funnyman Dave Chappelle.
Northeast
Up in the Northeast region, there is Jay-Z from Brooklyn, N.Y. Other New Yorkers include Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Gillian Welch, and Lana Del Rey. Producer/songwriter Jack Antonoff and the Boss, Bruce Springsteen, call New Jersey home. Representing the Keystone State are jazzers Joey DeFrancesco and Christine McBride, pop queen Pink, rapper Lil Uzi Vert and comedian Kevin Hart. Rounding out the region are Seth McFarlane, from Kent, Conn.; composer Adam Schoenberg: Northampton, Mass.; and comedienne Sarah Silverman from Bedford, N.H.