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Business Professionals Continue to Succeed in Politics

Dana R
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Business Professionals Continue to Succeed in Politics

There are many prime ministers and parliament members throughout the world who have one thing in common. This common thread is the fact that many of these successful politicians have roots in the business world.

Although the US seems to dominate the discussion regarding business people making it into politics, a look at Azmi Mikati’s profile, as well as others online, demonstrates that this trend is quite true abroad as well. There is a long list of politicians with prior business experience, which has helped give them the tools they need in order to resolve some of the most pressing economic issues that face countries.

Politicians with experience in business have often been involved in telecom and other industries that account for a good portion of a country’s economy. In the Middle East, telecom has become especially popular is the environment becomes more business-friendly, leading to a rise in influential leaders with strong business backgrounds. Influential business owners in the telecom business have a broad reach that often includes several countries outside the Middle East, giving them a bigger picture of the global economic situation that will influence.

Politicians and would-be politicians can forge relationships with leaders in other countries far more easily when their companies have operated on an international level. Several skills from the business world translate well into politics. Negotiation is an important skill that business professionals learn that also translates well to the political world, especially in an era where there are so many sources of conflict in the world.

Many politicians who rise to national prominence in their respective countries start by initially holding cabinet or ministry positions. Although it may seem as though these positions are of little consequence, they allow business professionals to put their experiences to use and gain a greater knowledge of the political experience.

Philanthropy often plays a major role in the lives of successful business people, and this interest influences how well they are often able to address their countries’ most difficult problems as politicians. In addition to philanthropy, many business professionals who go into politics also serve in an educational capacity. Examples of educational activities that some politicians take part in include serving on a Board of Trustees or being on advisory councils. An involvement in educational and philanthropic activities also leads to a greater ability to develop and oversee programs that result in economic growth in countries affected by war or other hardship.

Some of the most popular philanthropic activities among business owners with political ambitions include setting up foundations that provide ongoing support. Foundations are often in honor of a professional’s parents or other important people in their lives who have helped shape who they are.

Some of the charitable organizations and foundations that business professionals in politics favor include groups that assist with health care, as well as educational and cultural needs. As many countries today have seen a lot of warfare, politicians engaged in humanitarian causes have had a positive following. Helping to make a genuine difference in the lives of those in need is one thing that makes a difference for politicians.

Jubilee of Mercy: Pope Francis Opens Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica

James J. Williams
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Jubilee of Mercy: Pope Francis Opens Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica

Pope Francis has opened the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome to launch the Catholic Church’s Year of Mercy.

Tens of thousands attended a Mass in St Peter’s Square for the start of Pope Francis’ “revolution of tenderness”.

The Mass took place amid tight security with extra police and soldiers deployed, and a no-fly zone imposed.

Under the year’s theme of mercy, Pope Francis has said priests can absolve women who have had abortions.

During the jubilee celebrations, one of the most important events in the Roman Catholic Church, pilgrims travel to Rome and religious sites around the world.

At the end of the Mass, Pope Francis opened the huge bronze Holy Door. He said that by passing through it, Catholics should take on the role of the Good Samaritan.

It is the first time the Holy Door has been opened since the Great Jubilee in the 2000 called for by St John Paul II. It has been bricked up since then.

Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, 88, also attended today’s event.Pope Francis opens Holy Door 2015

Italian security forces are on high alert following recent attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.

Visitors to St Peter’s Square had to pass through metal detectors and undergo bag and body checks.

Announcing the extraordinary jubilee in March, Pope Francis said the Holy Door was a “Door of Mercy, through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons and instills hope”.

For the first time, the pontiff has instructed churches and cathedrals to take part in the tradition of the Holy Door, to help Catholics mark the jubilee at home rather than coming to Rome.

Pope Francis has long signaled his wish to change the Church’s approach from condemnation of wrongdoing to a Church that is more forgiving and understanding of its flock.

This extraordinary jubilee year is seen as a practical way of giving expression to that wish.

Pope Francis took many by surprise when he announced in September that, as part of the jubilee, parish priests across the world would be allowed to absolve repentant women who asked for forgiveness for having an abortion, even though Church teaching still terms abortion a grave sin.

What Are Jubilee Years?

Jubilee years are rooted in the Old Testament tradition of freeing slaves and prisoners once every 50 years, a concept that died out within Judaism but was taken up by Pope Boniface VIII for the Catholic Church in 1300.

Pilgrimages to Rome were at the heart of the original jubilee years, and attracted hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to the city, many willing to pay for “indulgences” – the eradication by the Church of the spiritual debt arising from sin.

It was a tradition that not only contributed copious cash to the Vatican’s coffers, but also contributed to the theological turmoil that led to the establishment of rival Protestant churches across much of northern Europe.

The last Jubilee was called by St John Paul II to mark the millennium, and this Holy Year of Mercy starts on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 2015, and will end on the Feast of Christ the King on November 20, 2016.

Oscar Pistorius Released on Bail after Murder Conviction

Clyde K. Valle
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Oscar Pistorius Released on Bail after Murder Conviction

Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail while he awaits sentence for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013.

Judges changed the South African Olympic athlete’s conviction from manslaughter to murder last week. The double-amputee has already served one year in prison.

Oscar Pistorius, 29, now faces a minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment – to be set after a hearing on April 18, 2016.

The Paralympic champion will also appeal against his murder conviction in the Constitutional Court, his lawyer has said.

Bail has been set at 10,000 rand ($700). Oscar Pistorius was deemed not to be a flight risk by Judge Audrey Ledwaba.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

He can remain under house arrest at his uncle’s home until sentencing next year, and will be electronically tagged. He also has to hand over his passport.

Oscar Pistorius will be able to leave the house between 7AM and midday, but will only be able to move within a 12 miles radius.

He is currently under house arrest after spending one year of his original five-year sentence in jail.

In his bail affidavit, Oscar Pistorius said he had no income. During the hearing, his lawyer said he was only able to pay a sum of 10,000 rand for his bail.

Oscar Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day after shooting four times through a locked toilet door.

Last week, South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein accepted prosecution arguments and ruled that the lower court did not correctly apply the concept of “dolus eventualis” – whether Oscar Pistorius knew that a death would be a likely result of his actions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzamhRV8OII

San Bernardino Massacre: Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik Had Target Practice before Attack

Diane A. Wade
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San Bernardino Massacre: Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik Had Target Practice before Attack

Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, who were behind the San Bernardino attack that killed 14 people last week, had target practice days before, the FBI has said.

Tashfeen Malik and husband Syed Farook visited ranges in the Los Angeles area, said David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles office.

David Bowdich said both were radicalized and had been “for some time”.

The US is investigating last week’s attack, which happened at a health care centre, as an act of terrorism.

However, David Bowdich said there is no evidence yet that last week’s tragedy, the most deadly terror attack in the US since 9/11, was plotted from overseas.

The FBI did not have an investigation open on restaurant inspector Syed Farook before he and his wife opened fire on his colleagues at a work event at the Inland Regional Center.San Bernardino shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik

They were both killed hours later in a shoot-out with police.

Investigators said they found 19 pipes that could have been turned into bombs at the couple’s apartment, rather than the 12 previously reported.

A photo obtained by ABC News shows the couple arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport from Saudi Arabia in July 2014.

According to US officials, Syed Farook traveled to Saudi Arabia and returned about two weeks later with Tashfeen Malik, who was able to come to the country on a fiancé visa.

Syed Farook’s father told Italian newspaper La Stampa his son sympathized with ISIS and was fixated with Israel.

The family’s lawyer said he had recently told them co-workers had mocked his beard, and that the family knew he had two handguns and two rifles.

But they did not know about the arsenal of weapons the couple had amassed.

Tashfeen Malik reportedly praised ISIS on Facebook on the day of the attacks.

The Department of Justice said on December 7 it is monitoring any anti-Muslim sentiments or attacks that may emerge in the wake of the mass shooting.

Pascal Cotte: Secret Portrait Found under Mona Lisa

Sonia Pantiss
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Pascal Cotte: Secret Portrait Found under Mona Lisa

According to French scientist Pascal Cotte, an image of a portrait underneath the Mona Lisa has been found beneath the existing painting using reflective light technology.

Pascal Cotte said he has spent more than 10 years using the technology to analyze Leonardo’s most celebrated artwork.

He claims the earlier portrait lies hidden underneath the surface of the Mona Lisa painting.

A reconstruction shows another image of a sitter looking off to the side.

However, the Louvre Museum has declined to comment on Pascal Cotte’s claims because it “was not part of the scientific team”.Secret portrait under Mona Lisa

Instead of the famous, direct gaze of the painting which hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris, the image of the sitter also shows no trace of her enigmatic smile, which has intrigued art lovers for more than 500 years.

However, Pascal Cotte’s claims are controversial and have divided opinion among Leonardo experts.

The scientist, who is the co-founder of Lumiere Technology in Paris, was given access to the painting in 2004 by the Louvre.

Pascal Cotte has pioneered a technique called Layer Amplification Method (LAM), which he used to analyse the Mona Lisa.

It works by “projecting a series of intense lights” on to the painting, Pascal Cotte said. A camera then takes measurements of the lights’ reflections and from those measurements, the scientist said he is able to reconstruct what has happened between the layers of the paint.

The Mona Lisa has been the subject of several scientific examinations over more than half a century. More recent techniques include infrared inspections and multi-spectral scanning.

Pascal Cotte has claimed his technique is able to penetrate more deeply into the painting.

He said: “We can now analyze exactly what is happening inside the layers of the paint and we can peel like an onion all the layers of the painting. We can reconstruct all the chronology of the creation of the painting.”

Leonardo da Vinci is believed to have worked on the painting between 1503 and 1517 while working in Florence and later in France.

There has long been debate about the Mona Lisa’s identity. But for centuries, it has been widely believed that she is Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine silk merchant.

However, Pascal Cotte has claimed his discoveries challenge that theory. He believes the image he has reconstructed underneath the surface of the painting is Leonardo’s original Lisa, and that the portrait named Mona Lisa for more than 500 years is, in fact, a different woman.

He said: “The results shatter many myths and alter our vision of Leonardo’s masterpiece forever.

“When I finished the reconstruction of Lisa Gherardini, I was in front of the portrait and she is totally different to Mona Lisa today. This is not the same woman.”

He also claims to have found two more images under the surface of the painting – a shadowy outline of a portrait with a larger head and nose, bigger hands but smaller lips.

Pascal Cotte says he has found another Madonna-style image with Leonardo’s etchings of a pearl headdress.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXzNNi4z7is

San Bernardino Shooting: Donald Trump Calls for Ban on Muslims Entering US

Diane A. Wade
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San Bernardino Shooting: Donald Trump Calls for Ban on Muslims Entering US

Donald Trump has called for a ban on Muslims entering the US, in the wake of the deadly San Bernardino shootings.

In a campaign statement, the Republican presidential hopeful said a “total and complete” shutdown should remain until the US authorities “can figure out” Muslim attitudes to the US.

At a rally in South Carolina hours later, Donald Trump repeated the pledge, to loud cheers.

Criticism from the White House and other Republicans was swift.

The Republican frontrunner’s comments were contrary to US values and its national security interests, a statement from the White House said.

Republican Jeb Bush, also running for president, said Donald Trump was “unhinged”.

Donald Trump’s statement was delivered as the US comes to terms with its deadliest terror attack since 9/11.

Photo Instagram
Photo Instagram

Last week a Muslim couple, believed to have been radicalized, opened fire and killed 14 people at a health centre in San Bernardino, California.

On December 6, President Barack Obama made a rare Oval Office address in response to the attack and warned against the US falling prey to divisiveness.

Donald Trump’s statement to reporters on December 7 said polling by the Center for Security Policy, a conservative think-tank, indicated that 25% of Muslims in the US believed violence against America was justified.

“Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why, we will have to determine.

“Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”

When asked by The Hill if that included Muslim Americans who may currently be abroad, his spokeswoman said: “Mr. Trump says everyone.”

The director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad, said Donald Trump sounded like the leader of a lynch mob rather than a great nation.

Soon after his statement was released, Donald Trump’s Republican rival Ben Carson called on all visitors to the US to “register and be monitored” during their stay.

However, his spokesman added: “We do not and would not advocate being selective on one’s religion.”

Another Republican presidential hopeful, Senator Lindsey Graham, urged all those running to condemn Donald Trump’s remarks, which they did.

Grammy Nominations 2016: Full List of Nominees

Sonia Pantiss
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Grammy Nominations 2016: Full List of Nominees

58th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominees

1. Record Of The Year

Really Love

D’Angelo And The Vanguard

D’Angelo, producer; Russell Elevado & Ben Kane, engineers/mixers; Dave Collins, mastering engineer

Track from: Black Messiah

Label: RCA Records

Uptown Funk

Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars

Jeff Bhasker, Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson, producers; Josh Blair, Serban Ghenea, Wayne Gordon, John Hanes, Inaam Haq, Boo Mitchell, Charles Moniz & Mark Ronson, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer

Track from: Uptown Special

Label: RCA Records

Thinking Out Loud

Ed Sheeran

Jake Gosling, producer; Jake Gosling, Mark ‘Spike’ Stent & Geoff Swan, engineers/mixers; Stuart Hawkes, mastering engineer

Track from: X

Label: Atlantic

Blank Space

Taylor Swift

Max Martin & Shellback, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Sam Holland & Michael Ilbert, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer

Track from: 1989

Label: Big Machine Records

Can’t Feel My Face

The Weeknd

Max Martin & Ali Payami, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes & Sam Holland, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer

Label: Republic

2. Album Of The Year

Sound & Color

Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes & Blake Mills, producers; Shawn Everett, engineer/mixer; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer

Label: ATO Records

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

Bilal, George Clinton, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley, Rapsody, Snoop Dogg, Thundercat & Anna Wise, featured artists; Taz Arnold, Boi-1Da, Ronald Colson, Larrance Dopson, Flying Lotus, Fredrik “Tommy Black” Halldin, Knxwledge, Koz, Lovedragon, Terrace Martin, Rahki, Sounwave, Tae Beast, Thundercat, Whoarei & Pharrell Williams, producers; Derek “Mixedbyali” Ali, Thomas Burns, James “The White Black Man” Hunt, 9th Wonder & Matt Schaeffer, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope

Traveller

Chris Stapleton

Dave Cobb & Chris Stapleton, producers; Vance Powell, engineer/mixer; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer

Label: Mercury Nashville

1989

Taylor Swift

Jack Antonoff, Nathan Chapman, Imogen Heap, Max Martin, Mattman & Robin, Ali Payami, Shellback, Taylor Swift, Ryan Tedder & Noel Zancanella, producers; Jack Antonoff, Mattias Bylund, Smith Carlson, Nathan Chapman, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Imogen Heap, Sam Holland, Michael Ilbert, Brendan Morawski, Laura Sisk & Ryan Tedder, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer

Label: Big Machine Records

Beauty Behind The Madness

The Weeknd

Lana Del Rey, Labrinth & Ed Sheeran, featured artists; Dannyboystyles, Ben Diehl, Labrinth, Mano, Max Martin, Stephan Moccio, Carlo Montagnese, Ali Payami, The Pope, Jason Quenneville, Peter Svensson, Abel Tesfaye & Kanye West, producers; Jay Paul Bicknell, Mattias Bylund, Serban Ghenea, Noah Goldstein, John Hanes, Sam Holland, Jean Marie Horvat, Carlo Montagnese, Jason Quenneville & Dave Reitzas, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne & Dave Kutch, mastering engineers

Label: Republic

3. Song Of The Year

Alright

Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)

Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly

Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope; Publisher(s): WB Music Corp., TDE Music, Hard Working Black Folks Publishing, EMI Music Inc., More Water From Nazareth, Sounwave TDE Productions, SonyATV

Blank Space

Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

Track from: 1989

Label: Big Machine Records; Publisher(s): Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Taylor Swift Music/MXM admin. by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Inc.

Girl Crush

Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)

Track from: Pain Killer

Label: Capitol Records Nashville; Publisher(s): Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Songs Of Crazy Girl Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., Hoodie Songs, HillarodyRathbone Music admin. by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC

See You Again

Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)

Track from: Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Label: Atlantic; Publisher(s): Artist Publishing Group West/J Franks Publishing/Andrew Cedar Publishing admin. by WB Music Corp./Wiz Khalifa Publishing admin. by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Charlie Puth Music Publishing/Artist 101 Publishing Group admin. by Warner Chappell Music, Universal Pictures Music, UPG Music Publishing

Thinking Out Loud

Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge, songwriters (Ed Sheeran)

Track from: X

Label: Atlantic; Publisher(s): Sony/ATV Music Publishing/BDi Music Limited

4. Best New Artist

Courtney Barnett

James Bay

Sam Hunt

Tori Kelly

Meghan Trainor

5. Best Pop Solo Performance

Heartbeat Song

Kelly Clarkson

Track from: Piece By Piece

Label: RCA Records/19 Recordings Limited

Love Me Like You Do

Ellie Goulding

Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Label: Republic

Thinking Out Loud

Ed Sheeran

Track from: X

Label: Atlantic

Blank Space

Taylor Swift

Track from: 1989

Label: Big Machine Records

Can’t Feel My Face

The Weeknd

Track from: Beauty Behind The Madness

Label: Republic

6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Ship To Wreck

Florence + The Machine

Track from: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

Label: Republic

Sugar

Maroon 5

Track from: V

Label: 222 Records/Interscope

Uptown Funk

Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars

Track from: Uptown Special

Label: RCA Records

Bad Blood

Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar

Label: Big Machine Records

See You Again

Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth

Track from: Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Label: Atlantic

7. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern

Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap

Label: RPM Records/Columbia Records

Shadows In The Night

Bob Dylan

Label: Columbia

Stages

Josh Groban

Label: Reprise

No One Ever Tells You

Seth MacFarlane

Label: Republic

My Dream Duets

Barry Manilow (& Various Artists)

Label: Verve Music Group

8. Best Pop Vocal Album

Piece By Piece

Kelly Clarkson

Label: 19/RCA

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

Florence + The Machine

Label: Republic

Uptown Special

Mark Ronson

Label: RCA Records

1989

Taylor Swift

Label: Big Machine Records

Before This World

James Taylor

Label: Concord Records

9. Best Dance Recording

We’re All We Need

Above & Beyond Featuring Zoë Johnston

Andrew Bayer, Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness & Paavo Siljamäki, producers; Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness & Paavo Siljamäki, mixers

Label: Ultra/Anjunabeats

Go

The Chemical Brothers

Tom Rowlands & Ed Simons, producers; Steve Dub Jones & Tom Rowlands, mixers

Label: Astralwerks

Never Catch Me

Flying Lotus Featuring Kendrick Lamar

Steven Ellison, producer; Kevin Marques Moo, mixer

Track from: You’re Dead!

Label: Warp Records

Runaway (U & I)

Galantis

Linus Eklöw, Christian Karlsson & Svidden, producers; Linus Eklöw, Niklas Flyckt & Christian Karlsson, mixers

Track from: Pharmacy

Label: Big Beat/Atlantic

Where Are Ü Now

Skrillex And Diplo With Justin Bieber

Sonny Moore & Thomas Pentz, producers; Sonny Moore & Thomas Pentz, mixers

Track from: Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü

Label: Owsla/Mad Decent/Atlantic

10. Best Dance/Electronic Album

Our Love

Caribou

Label: Merge Records

Born In The Echoes

The Chemical Brothers

Label: Astralwerks

Caracal

Disclosure

Label: Capitol Records

In Colour

Jamie XX

Label: Young Turks Recordings

Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü

Skrillex And Diplo

Label: Owsla/Mad Decent/Atlantic

11. Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

Guitar In The Space Age!

Bill Frisell

Label: Okeh

Love Language

Wouter Kellerman

Label: Listen 2 Entertainment Group

Afrodeezia

Marcus Miller

Label: Blue Note Records

Sylva

Snarky Puppy & Metropole Orkest

Label: Impulse!

The Gospel According To Jazz, Chapter IV

Kirk Whalum

Label: Mack Avenue Records

12. Best Rock Performance

Don’t Wanna Fight

Alabama Shakes

Label: ATO Records

What Kind Of Man

Florence + The Machine

Track from: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

Label: Republic

Something From Nothing

Foo Fighters

Track from: Sonic Highways

Label: RCA Records

Ex’s & Oh’s

Elle King

Track from: Love Stuff

Label: RCA Records

Moaning Lisa Smile

Wolf Alice

Track from: My Love Is Cool

Label: RCA Records/Dirty Hit

13. Best Metal Performance

Identity

August Burns Red

Label: Fearless Records

Cirice

Ghost

Label: Loma Vista Recordings

512

Lamb Of God

Track from: VII: Sturm Und Drang

Label: Epic Records

Thank You

Sevendust

Label: 7Bros Records

Custer

Slipknot

Track from: .5: The Gray Chapter

Label: Roadrunner Records

14. Best Rock Song

Don’t Wanna Fight

Alabama Shakes, songwriters (Alabama Shakes)

Label: ATO Records; Publisher(s): Alabama Shakes Publishing/Break Mirrors Music

Ex’s & Oh’s

Dave Bassett & Elle King, songwriters (Elle King)

Track from: Love Stuff

Label: RCA Records; Publisher(s): Elle King Music/EMI Music Publishing, Inc./Bassett Songs/EMI April Music, Inc.

Hold Back The River

Iain Archer & James Bay, songwriters (James Bay)

Track from: Chaos And The Calm

Label: Republic; Publisher(s): B-Unique/Kobalt/Iain Archer/Kobalt

Lydia

Richard Meyer, Ryan Meyer & Johnny Stevens, songwriters (Highly Suspect)

Track from: Mister Asylum

Label: 300 Entertainment; Publisher(s): MCID

What Kind Of Man

John Hill, Tom Hull & Florence Welch, songwriters (Florence + The Machine)

Track from: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

Label: Republic; Publisher(s): Rodeoman Music/EMI April Music/Universal Music Publishing

15. Best Rock Album

Chaos And The Calm

James Bay

Label: Republic

Kintsugi

Death Cab For Cutie

Label: Atlantic

Mister Asylum

Highly Suspect

Label: 300 Entertainment

Drones

Muse

Label: Warner Bros. Records

.5: The Gray Chapter

Slipknot

Label: Roadrunner Records

16. Best Alternative Music Album

Sound & Color

Alabama Shakes

Label: ATO Records

Vulnicura

Björk

Label: One Little Indian

The Waterfall

My Morning Jacket

Label: Capitol Records

Currents

Tame Impala

Label: Interscope

Star Wars

Wilco

Label: Anti/Dbpm

17. Best R&B Performance

If I Don’t Have You

Tamar Braxton

Track from: Calling All Lovers

Label: Epic Records

Rise Up

Andra Day

Track from: Cheers To The Fall

Label: Warner Bros. Records

Breathing Underwater

Hiatus Kaiyote

Track from: Choose Your Weapon

Label: Flying Buddha / Sony Masterworks

Planes

Jeremih Featuring J. Cole

Label: Def Jam Recordings

Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)

The Weeknd

Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Label: Universal Studios/Republic Records

18. Best Traditional R&B Performance

He Is

Faith Evans

Track from: Incomparable

Label: Prolific Music Group/BMG

Little Ghetto Boy

Lalah Hathaway

Label: Entertainment One/8Th Floor

Let It Burn

Jazmine Sullivan

Track from: Reality Show

Label: RCA Records

Shame

Tyrese

Label: Voltron Recordz

My Favorite Part Of You

Charlie Wilson

Track from: Forever Charlie

Label: RCA Records

19. Best R&B Song

Coffee

Brook Davis & Miguel Pimentel, songwriters (Miguel)

Track from: Wildheart

Label: RCA Records/ByStorm Entertainment; Publisher(s): Art Dealer Chic, Pop Killer/Dleaurean

Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)

Ahmad Balshe, Stephan Moccio, Jason Quenneville & Abel Tesfaye, songwriters (The Weeknd)

Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Label: Universal Studios/Republic Records; Publisher(s): SONGS Music Publishing, LLC, o/b/o Songs Of SMP, Songs Of Universal, Inc. and Sing Little Penguin, Universal Music Corp, CP Music Group, Inc., Universal Pictures Music and UPG Music Publishing

Let It Burn

Kenny B. Edmonds, Jazmine Sullivan & Dwane M. Weir II, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan)

Track from: Reality Show

Label: RCA Records; Publisher(s): JazLady Publishing, Dwane M. Weir II/Sean Michael Anderson Music LLC/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Sony/ATV Songs LLC

Really Love

D’Angelo & Kendra Foster, songwriters (D’Angelo And The Vanguard)

Track from: Black Messiah

Label: RCA Records; Publisher(s): Ah Choo Music Publishing/12:00 AM Music admin. by Universal Polygram International Publishing, Ear Kandy Music, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

Shame

Warryn Campbell, Tyrese Gibson & DJ Rogers Jr, songwriters (Tyrese)

Label: Voltron Recordz; Publisher(s): Peer Music/Sounds From The Soul/Campbell Kids Music/Warner Chappell/@PenTorious D.J. Rogers Jr. Sounds From The Soul/Gibson & Gibson Music Publishing

20. Best Urban Contemporary Album

Ego Death

The Internet

Label: Odd Future/Columbia

You Should Be Here

Kehlani

Label: Tsunami Mob/Atlantic

Blood

Lianne La Havas

Label: Nonesuch

Wildheart

Miguel

Label: RCA Records/ByStorm Entertainment

Beauty Behind The Madness

The Weeknd

Label: Republic

21. Best R&B Album

Coming Home

Leon Bridges

Label: Columbia Records

Black Messiah

D’Angelo And The Vanguard

Label: RCA Records

Cheers To The Fall

Andra Day

Label: Warner Bros. Records

Reality Show

Jazmine Sullivan

Label: RCA Records

Forever Charlie

Charlie Wilson

Label: RCA Records

22. Best Rap Performance

Apparently

  1. Cole

Track from: 2014 Forest Hills Drive

Label: Roc Nation/Columbia Records

Back To Back

Drake

Label: Cash Money Records

Trap Queen

Fetty Wap

Track from: Fetty Wap

Label: 300 Entertainment/RGF Productions

Alright

Kendrick Lamar

Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly

Label: Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath Records/Interscope Records

Truffle Butter

Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake & Lil Wayne

Track from: The Pinkprint

Label: Young Money/Cash Money

All Day

Kanye West Featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney

Label: Def Jam Recordings

23. Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

One Man Can Change The World

Big Sean Featuring Kanye West & John Legend

Track from: Dark Sky Paradise

Label: Universal/Def Jam

Glory

Common & John Legend

Label: Def Jam Recordings

Classic Man

Jidenna Featuring Roman GianArthur

Label: Epic Records

These Walls

Kendrick Lamar Featuring Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat

Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly

Label: Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath Records/Interscope Records

Only

Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown

Track from: The Pinkprint

Label: Young Money/Cash Money

24. Best Rap Song

All Day

Ernest Brown, Tyler Bryant, Sean Combs, Mike Dean, Rennard East, Noah Goldstein, Malik Yusef Jones, Karim Kharbouch, Allan Kyariga, Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Victor Mensah, Charles Njapa, Che Pope, Patrick Reynolds, Allen Ritter, Kanye West, Mario Winans & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney)

Label: Def Jam Recordings; Publisher(s): Please Gimme My Publishing/EMI Blackwood Music Inc./MPL Communications Inc./TYLER BRANT PUBLISHING/WB Music Corp./ Hard Working Black Folks Inc./Top Dawg Music/Excuse My French Music/EMI Blackwood Music Inc./Monarch Music/Abou Thiam Publishing/Victor Kwesi Mensah Publishing Designee/ALLEN KYARIGA/EMI Blackwood Music o/b/o Papa George Publishing/Kaya and Ethan Music/Primary Wave Brian/Noah Goldstein admin. by Reach Music Publishing/Ritter Boy LLC/Mario Winans Publishing Designee/Broken Locks/Songs of Universal Inc./Jabriel Iz Myne /Universal Music/Patrick Reynolds Publishing Designee/Smooth Thug Music/Noel Ellis Publishing Designee/Justin Combs Music Publishing administered by EMI April Music

Alright

Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)

Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly

Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope; Publisher(s): WB Music Corp., TDE Music, Hard Working Black Folks Publishing, EMI Music Inc., More Water From Nazareth, Sounwave TDE Productions, SonyATV

Energy

Richard Dorfmeister, A. Graham, Markus Kienzl, M. O’Brien, M. Samuels & Phillip Thomas, songwriters (Drake)

Track from: If Youre Reading This Its Too Late

Label: Young Money/Cash Money; Publisher(s): Sandra Gale/EMI Music Publishing, 1damentional publishing LLC/Sony/ATV Tunes, LLC, Matthew O’Brien/otek north/WB Music Corp./Jack Russell Music Ltd./Notting Hill Music Ltd.

Glory

Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)

Track from: Selma (Music From The Motion Picture)

Label: Universal/Def Jam; Publisher(s): Paramount Pictures/Pathe Productions Limited

Trap Queen

Tony Fadd & Willie J. Maxwell, songwriters (Fetty Wap)

Track from: Fetty Wap

Label: 300 Entertainment/RGF Productions; Publisher(s): RGF Publishing, Zoovier, BMG Gold Songs, Tony Fadd Beats

25. Best Rap Album

2014 Forest Hills Drive

  1. Cole

Label: Roc Nation/Columbia Records

Compton

Dr. Dre

Label: Aftermath/Interscope

If Youre Reading This Its Too Late

Drake

Label: Cash Money/Young Money

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

Label: Aftermath/Interscope

The Pinkprint

Nicki Minaj

Label: Young Money/Cash Money

26. Best Country Solo Performance

Burning House

Cam

Track from: Welcome To Cam Country

Label: Sony Music Entertainment

Traveller

Chris Stapleton

Track from: Traveller

Label: Mercury Nashville

Little Toy Guns

Carrie Underwood

Track from: Greatest Hits: Decade #1

Label: 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville

John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16

Keith Urban

Label: Capitol Records Nashville

Chances Are

Lee Ann Womack

Track from: The Way I’m Livin’

Label: Sugar Hill Records

27. Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Stay A Little Longer

Brothers Osborne

Label: EMI Records Nashville

If I Needed You

Joey+Rory

Track from: Country Classics

Label: Gaither Music Group

The Driver

Charles Kelley, Dierks Bentley & Eric Paslay

Label: Capitol Records Nashville

Girl Crush

Little Big Town

Track from: Pain Killer

Label: Capitol Records Nashville

Lonely Tonight

Blake Shelton Featuring Ashley Monroe

Label: Warner Bros

28. Best Country Song

Chances Are

Hayes Carll, songwriter (Lee Ann Womack)

Track from: The Way I’m Livin’

Label: Sugar Hill Records; Publisher(s): Highway 87 Music admin. by BMG/Chrysalis

Diamond Rings And Old Barstools

Barry Dean, Luke Laird & Jonathan Singleton, songwriters (Tim McGraw)

Track from: Sundown Heaven Town

Label: Big Machine Records/McGraw Music; Publisher(s): Songs of Universal, Inc./Creative Nation Music/Twangin and Slangin Songs/Country Paper/Pulse Nation/BMG Gold Songs /Glassbean/We Jam Writers Group

Girl Crush

Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)

Track from: Pain Killer

Label: Capitol Records Nashville; Publisher(s): Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Songs Of Crazy Girl Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., Hoodie Songs, HillarodyRathbone Music admin. by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC

Hold My Hand

Brandy Clark & Mark Stephen Jones, songwriters (Brandy Clark)

Track from: 12 Stories

Label: Warner Bros Records; Publisher(s): Songs of Parallel/Vista Loma Music admin. by Amplified Administration and Harlan Howard Songs

Traveller

Chris Stapleton, songwriter (Chris Stapleton)

Track from: Traveller

Label: Mercury Nashville; Publisher(s): WB Music Corp./Ken Tucky Music

29. Best Country Album

Montevallo

Sam Hunt

Label: MCA Nashville

Pain Killer

Little Big Town

Label: Capitol Records Nashville

The Blade

Ashley Monroe

Label: Warner Bros.

Pageant Material

Kacey Musgraves

Label: Mercury Nashville

Traveller

Chris Stapleton

Label: Mercury Records

30. Best New Age Album

Grace

Paul Avgerinos

Label: Round Sky Music

Bhakti Without Borders

Madi Das

Label: Kuli Mela

Voyager

Catherine Duc

Label: MG Music Ltd

Love

Peter Kater

Label: Mysterium Music

Asia Beauty

Ron Korb

Label: Humbledragon

31. Best Improvised Jazz Solo

Giant Steps

Joey Alexander, soloist

Track from: My Favorite Things

Label: Motema Music

Cherokee

Christian McBride, soloist

Track from: Live At The Village Vanguard (Christian McBride Trio)

Label: Mack Avenue Records

Arbiters Of Evolution

Donny McCaslin, soloist

Track from: The Thompson Fields (Maria Schneider Orchestra)

Label: ArtistShare

Friend Or Foe

Joshua Redman, soloist

Track from: The Bad Plus Joshua Redman (The Bad Plus Joshua Redman)

Label: Nonesuch

Past Present

John Scofield, soloist

Track from: Past Present

Label: Impulse!

32. Best Jazz Vocal Album

Many A New Day: Karrin Allyson Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein

Karrin Allyson

Label: Motema Music

Find A Heart

Denise Donatelli

Label: Savant Records

Flirting With Disaster

Lorraine Feather

Label: Jazzed Media

Jamison

Jamison Ross

Label: Concord Jazz

For One To Love

Cécile McLorin Salvant

Label: Mack Avenue Records

33. Best Jazz Instrumental Album

My Favorite Things

Joey Alexander

Label: Motema Music

Breathless

Terence Blanchard Featuring The E-Collective

Label: Blue Note Records

Covered: Recorded Live At Capitol Studios

Robert Glasper & The Robert Glasper Trio

Label: Blue Note Records

Beautiful Life

Jimmy Greene

Label: Mack Avenue Records

Past Present

John Scofield

Label: Impulse!

34. Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Lines Of Color

Gil Evans Project

Label: Blue Note/ArtistShare

Köln

Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band

Label: Alternate Side Records

Cuba: The Conversation Continues

Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Label: Motema Music

The Thompson Fields

Maria Schneider Orchestra

Label: ArtistShare

Home Suite Home

Patrick Williams

Label: BFM Jazz

35. Best Latin Jazz Album

Made In Brazil

Eliane Elias

Label: Concord Jazz

Impromptu

The Rodriguez Brothers

Label: Criss Cross Jazz

Suite Caminos

Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Label: 5Passion

Intercambio

Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet

Label: Patois Records

Identities Are Changeable

Miguel Zenón

Label: Miel Music

36. Best Gospel Performance/Song

Worth [Live]

Anthony Brown & Group Therapy; Anthony Brown, songwriter

Track from: Everyday Jesus [Live]

Label: Tyscot Records; Publisher(s): Key Of A Music/Tyscot Music

Wanna Be Happy?

Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter

Label: RCA Records/Fo Yo Soul Recordings; Publisher(s): Aunt Gertrude Music Publishing admin. by Universal Music-Brentwood Benson Songs and Irving Music, Inc. admin. by Universal Music Publishing

Intentional

Travis Greene; Travis Greene, songwriter

Label: RCA Inspiration; Publisher(s): Greenlight InternationalVNavidavi Music

How Awesome Is Our God [Live]

Israel & Newbreed Featuring Yolanda Adams; Neville Diedericks, Israel Houghton & Meleasa Houghton, songwriters

Track from: Covered: Alive In Asia [Live] (Deluxe)

Label: RGM Newbreed/RCA Inspiration; Publisher(s): Integrity’s Praise! Music, RGM-Newbreed Publishing, Sound Of The New Breed, Aaron Lindsey Publishing, CCMG Publishing, Neville D. Publishing

Worth Fighting For [Live]

Brian Courtney Wilson; Aaron Lindsey & Brian Courtney Wilson, songwriters

Track from: Worth Fighting For [Live]

Label: Motown Gospel; Publisher(s): ACER/Aaron Lindsey Music/Capitol Christian Music Publishing admin. by Capitol CMG

37. Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

Holy Spirit

Francesca Battistelli

Track from: If We’re Honest (Deluxe Edition)

Label: Fervent/Curb/Word

Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)

Crowder; Ed Cash, David Crowder & Seth Philpott, songwriters

Track from: Neon Steeple (Deluxe Edition)

Label: sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records; Publisher(s): sixsteps Music/worshiptogether.com Songs/sixsteps Songs/Worship Together Music admin. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com/Alletrop Music

Because He Lives (Amen)

Matt Maher

Track from: Saints And Sinners

Label: Essential Records/Provident Label Group

Soul On Fire

Third Day Featuring All Sons & Daughters; Tai Anderson, Brenton Brown, David Carr, Mark Lee, Matt Maher & Mac Powell, songwriters

Track from: Lead Us Back: Songs Of Worship (Deluxe)

Label: Essential Records/Provident Label Group; Publisher(s): DATAMAMA MUSIC, Thankyou Music, Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, I Am A Pilgrim Songs

Feel It

Tobymac Featuring Mr. Talkbox; Cary Barlowe, David Arthur Garcia & Toby McKeehan, songwriters

Label: ForeFront Records; Publisher(s): Achtober Songs/Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing/D Soul Music admin. by CapitolCMGPublishing.com/Castle Bound Music, Inc./We Be Pawtying

38. Best Gospel Album

Destined To Win [Live]

Karen Clark Sheard

Label: Karew Records/Entertainment One

Living It

Dorinda Clark-Cole

Label: Entertainment One/Light Records

One Place Live

Tasha Cobbs

Label: Motown Gospel

Covered: Alive In Asia [Live] (Deluxe)

Israel & Newbreed

Label: RGM Newbreed/RCA Inspiration

Life Music: Stage Two

Jonathan McReynolds

Label: Entertainment One/Tehillah Music

39. Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

Whatever The Road

Jason Crabb

Label: Reunion Records/Provident Label Group

How Can It Be

Lauren Daigle

Label: Centricity Music

Saints And Sinners

Matt Maher

Label: Essential Records/Provident Label Group

This Is Not A Test

Tobymac

Label: ForeFront Records

Love Ran Red

Chris Tomlin

Label: sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records

40. Best Roots Gospel Album

Still Rockin’ My Soul

The Fairfield Four

Label: Fairfield Four Records

Pray Now

Karen Peck & New River

Label: Daywind Records

Directions Home (Songs We Love, Songs You Know)

Point Of Grace

Label: Word/Curb

41. Best Latin Pop Album

Terral

Pablo Alborán

Label: Warner Music Latina

Healer

Alex Cuba

Label: Caracol Records

A Quien Quiera Escuchar (Deluxe Edition)

Ricky Martin

Label: Sony Music Latin

Sirope

Alejandro Sanz

Label: Universal Music Latino

Algo Sucede

Julieta Venegas

Label: Sony Music Latin

42. Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album

Amanecer

Bomba Estereo

Label: Sony Music Latin

Mondongo

La Cuneta Son Machín

Label: Round Whirled Records

Hasta La RaízGrammys 2016

Natalia Lafourcade

Label: Sony Music Latin

Caja De Música

Monsieur Periné

Label: Sony Music Entertainment

Dale

Pitbull

Label: Mr. 305 / Sony Music Latin

43. Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)

Mi Vicio Mas Grande

Banda El Recodo De Don Cruz Lizarraga

Label: Fonovisa

Ya Dime Adiós

La Maquinaria Norteña

Label: Fonovisa

Zapateando

Los Cojolites

Label: Round Whirled Records

Realidades – Deluxe Edition

Los Tigres Del Norte

Label: Fonovisa

Tradición, Arte Y Pasión

Mariachi Los Camperos De Nati Cano

Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

44. Best Tropical Latin Album

Tributo A Los Compadres: No Quiero Llanto

José Alberto “El Canario” & Septeto Santiaguero

Label: Los Canarios Music

Son De Panamá

Rubén Blades With Roberto Delgado & Orchestra

Label: Ruben Blades Productions

Presente Continuo

Guaco

Label: Latin Pulse / Sony Music Latin

Todo Tiene Su Hora

Juan Luis Guerra 4.40

Label: Universal Music Latino/Capital Latin

Que Suenen Los Tambores

Victor Manuelle

Label: Kiyavi / Sony Music Latin

45. Best American Roots Performance

And Am I Born To Die

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

Track from: Béla Fleck And Abigail Washburn

Label: Rounder

Born To Play Guitar

Buddy Guy

Track from: Born To Play Guitar

Label: RCA Records/Silvertone Records

City Of Our Lady

The Milk Carton Kids

Track from: Monterey

Label: Anti

Julep

Punch Brothers

Track from: The Phosphorescent Blues

Label: Nonesuch

See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

Mavis Staples

Track from: Your Good Fortune

Label: Anti

46. Best American Roots Song

All Night Long

Raul Malo, songwriter (The Mavericks)

Track from: Mono

Label: The Valory Music Co.; Publisher(s): Big Machine Music/Raul Malo Music

The Cost Of Living

Don Henley & Stan Lynch, songwriters (Don Henley & Merle Haggard)

Track from: Cass County

Label: Capitol Records; Publisher(s): Wisteria Music (GMR) admin. by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Matanzas Music

Julep

Chris Eldridge, Paul Kowert, Noam Pikelny, Chris Thile & Gabe Witcher, songwriters (Punch Brothers)

Track from: The Phosphorescent Blues

Label: Nonesuch; Publisher(s): Chris Thile Music, Money Baby Music, Noam Tunes, Silver Hammer Music, Paul Kowert

The Traveling Kind

Cory Chisel, Rodney Crowell & Emmylou Harris, songwriters (Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell)

Track from: The Traveling Kind

Label: Nonesuch; Publisher(s): Criterion Music o/b/o Coolwell Music/Almo Music Corp. o/b/o Poodlebone Music/Chisel Publishing

24 Frames

Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell)

Track from: Something More Than Free

Label: Southeastern Records; Publisher(s): Songs Of Emchant

47. Best Americana Album

The Firewatcher’s Daughter

Brandi Carlile

Label: ATO Records

The Traveling Kind

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell

Label: Nonesuch

Something More Than Free

Jason Isbell

Label: Southeastern Records

Mono

The Mavericks

Label: The Valory Music Co.

The Phosphorescent Blues

Punch Brothers

Label: Nonesuch

48. Best Bluegrass Album

Pocket Full Of Keys

Dale Ann Bradley

Label: Pinecastle Records

Before The Sun Goes Down

Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley

Label: Compass Records Group

In Session

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Label: Mountain Home Music Company

Man Of Constant Sorrow

Ralph Stanley & Friends

Label: Red River Entertainment

The Muscle Shoals Recordings

The Steeldrivers

Label: Rounder

49. Best Blues Album

Descendants Of Hill Country

Cedric Burnside Project

Label: Cedric Burnside Project

Outskirts Of Love

Shemekia Copeland

Label: Alligator Records

Born To Play Guitar

Buddy Guy

Label: RCA Records/Silvertone Records

Worthy

Bettye LaVette

Label: Cherry Red

Muddy Waters 100

John Primer & Various Artists

Label: Raisin Music Records

50. Best Folk Album

Wood, Wire & Words

Norman Blake

Label: Plectrafone Records

Béla Fleck And Abigail Washburn

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

Label: Rounder

Tomorrow Is My Turn

Rhiannon Giddens

Label: Nonesuch

Servant Of Love

Patty Griffin

Label: PGM

Didn’t He Ramble

Glen Hansard

Label: Anti

51. Best Regional Roots Music Album

Go Go Juice

Jon Cleary

Label: FHQ Records

La La La La

Natalie Ai Kamauu

Label: KEKO Records

Kawaiokalena

Keali’i Reichel

Label: Punahele Productions

Get Ready

The Revelers

Label: The Revelers

Generations

Windwalker And The MCW

Label: MCW Productions / PK Productions LLC

52. Best Reggae Album

Branches Of The Same Tree

Rocky Dawuni

Label: Cumbancha

The Cure

Jah Cure

Label: VP Records

Acousticalevy

Barrington Levy

Label: Doctor Dread Presents

Zion Awake

Luciano

Label: Vpal Music

Strictly Roots

Morgan Heritage

Label: CTBC Music Group

53. Best World Music Album

Gilbertos Samba Ao Vivo

Gilberto Gil

Label: Masterworks

Sings

Angelique Kidjo

Label: 429 Records

Music From Inala

Ladysmith Black Mambazo With Ella Spira & The Inala Ensemble

Label: Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Home

Anoushka Shankar

Label: Deutsche Grammophon

I Have No Everything Here

Zomba Prison Project

Label: Six Degrees

54. Best Children’s Album

¡Come Bien! Eat Right!

José-Luis Orozco

Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Dark Pie Concerns

Gustafer Yellowgold

Label: Apple-Eye Productions

Home

Tim Kubart

Label: Tim And The Space Cadets

How Great Can This Day Be

Lori Henriques

Label: Human Puppy Records

Trees

Molly Ledford & Billy Kelly

Label: Yay! Music

55. Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)

Blood On Snow (Jo Nesbø)

Patti Smith

Label: Random House Audio

Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, And Assorted Hijinks

Dick Cavett

Label: Macmillan Audio

A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety

Jimmy Carter

Label: Simon & Schuster Audio

Patience And Sarah (Isabel Miller)

Janis Ian & Jean Smart

Label: Audible Studios

Yes Please

Amy Poehler (& Various Artists)

Label: HarperAudio

56. Best Comedy Album

Back To The Drawing Board

Lisa Lampanelli

Label: Comedy Dynamics

Brooklyn

Wyatt Cenac

Label: Other Music Recording

Happy. And A Lot.

Jay Mohr

Label: Lolflix Inc.

Just Being Honest

Craig Ferguson

Label: Lionsgate Records

Live At Madison Square Garden

Louis C.K.

Label: Comedy Dynamics

57. Best Musical Theater Album

An American In Paris

Leanne Cope, Max Von Essen, Robert Fairchild, Jill Paice & Brandon Uranowitz, principal soloists; Rob Fisher & Scott Lehrer, producers (George Gershwin, composer; Ira Gershwin, lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

Label: Masterworks Broadway

Fun Home

Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn, Sydney Lucas, Beth Malone & Emily Skeggs, principal soloists; Philip Chaffin & Tommy Krasker, producers (Jeanine Tesori, composer; Lisa Kron, lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

Label: PS Classics

Hamilton

Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos & Phillipa Soo, principal soloists; Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bill Sherman, Ahmir Thompson & Tarik Trotter, producers; Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

Label: Atlantic

The King And I

Ruthie Ann Miles, Kelli O’Hara, Ashley Park, Conrad Ricamora & Ken Watanabe, principal soloists; David Caddick, David Lai & Ted Sperling, producers (Richard Rodgers, composer; Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist) (2015 Broadway Cast)

Label: Universal Music Classics

Something Rotten!

Heidi Blickenstaff, Christian Borle, John Cariani, Brian d’Arcy James, Brad Oscar & Kate Reinders, principal soloists; Kurt Deutsch, Karey Kirkpatrick, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Lawrence Manchester, Kevin McCollum & Phil Reno, producers; Karey Kirkpatrick & Wayne Kirkpatrick, composers/lyricists (Originial Broadway Cast)

Label: Ghostlight

58. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

Empire: Season 1

(Various Artists)

Label: Columbia

Fifty Shades Of Grey

(Various Artists)

Label: Republic Records

Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me

(Various Artists)

Label: Big Machine Records

Pitch Perfect 2

(Various Artists)

Label: Universal Music Enterprises/Republic Records

Selma

(Various Artists)

Label: Paramount Pictures/Pathé Productions

59. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media

Birdman

Antonio Sanchez, composer

Label: Milan Records

The Imitation Game

Alexandre Desplat, composer

Label: Sony Classical

Interstellar

Hans Zimmer, composer

Label: WaterTower Music

The Theory Of Everything

Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer

Label: Back Lot Music

Whiplash

Justin Hurwitz, composer

Label: Varèse Sarabande

60. Best Song Written For Visual Media

Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)

Ahmad Balshe, Stephan Moccio, Jason Quenneville & Abel Tesfaye, songwriters (The Weeknd)

Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey

Label: Universal Studios/Republic Records; Publisher(s): SONGS Music Publishing, LLC, o/b/o Songs Of SMP, Songs Of Universal, Inc. and Sing Little Penguin, Universal Music Corp, CP Music Group, Inc., Universal Pictures Music and UPG Music Publishing

Glory

Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)

Track from: Selma

Label: Def Jam/ARTium Records; Publisher(s): Paramount Pictures/Pathé Productions Limited

Love Me Like You Do

Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Tove Nilsson, Ali Payami & Ilya Salmanzadeh, songwriters (Ellie Goulding)

Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey

Label: Republic Records; Publisher(s): MXM admin. by Kobalt, Wolf Cousin/Warner/Chappell Music SCAND, Shellbeck Industries, Universal Pictures Music

See You Again

Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)

Track from: Furious 7

Label: Atlantic; Publisher(s): Artist Publishing Group West/J Franks Publishing/Andrew Cedar Publishing admin. by WB Music Corp./Wiz Khalifa Publishing admin. by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Charlie Puth Music Publishing/Artist 101 Publishing Group admin. by Warner Chappell Music, Universal Pictures Music, UPG Music Publishing

Til It Happens To You

Lady Gaga & Diane Warren, songwriters (Lady Gaga)

Track from: The Hunting Ground

Label: Streamline/Interscope; Publisher(s): Diane Warren Trust d/b/a REALSONGS/Sony ATV songs LLC/House of Gaga Publishing Inc./GloJoe Music Inc.

61. Best Instrumental Composition

The Afro Latin Jazz Suite

Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa)

Track from: Cuba: The Conversation Continues

Label: Motema Music

Civil War

Bob Mintzer, composer (Bob Mintzer Big Band)

Track from: Get Up!

Label: MCG Jazz

Confetti Man

David Balakrishnan, composer (Turtle Island Quartet)

Track from: Confetti Man

Label: Azica Records

Neil

Rich DeRosa, composer (University Of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band)

Track from: Lab 2015

Label: North Texas Jazz

Vesper

Marshall Gilkes, composer (Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band)

Track from: Köln

Label: Alternate Side Records

62. Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

Bruno Mars

Paul Allen, Troy Hayes, Evin Martin & J Moss, arrangers (Vocally Challenged)

Label: PMG Records

Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy

Ben Bram, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstin Maldonado & Kevin Olusola, arrangers (Pentatonix)

Track from: That’s Christmas To Me

Label: RCA Records

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Armand Hutton, arranger (Committed)

Track from: Home For Christmas

Label: Mixed Bag Music Group, LLC.

Ghost Of A Chance

Bob James, arranger (Bob James & Nathan East)

Track from: The New Cool

Label: Yamaha Entertainment Group Of America

You And The Night And The Music

John Fedchock, arranger (John Fedchock New York Big Band)

Track from: Like It Is

Label: Mama Records

63. Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

Be My Muse

Shelly Berg, arranger (Lorraine Feather)

Label: Jazzed Media

52nd & Broadway

Patrick Williams, arranger (Patrick Williams Featuring Patti Austin)

Track from: Home Suite Home

Label: BFM Jazz

Garota De Ipanema

Otmaro Ruiz, arranger (Catina DeLuna Featuring Otmaro Ruiz)

Track from: Catina Deluna Lado B Brazilian Project Featuring Otmaro Ruiz

Label: Catina DeLuna

Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)

Maria Schneider, arranger (David Bowie)

Track from: Nothing Has Changed

Label: Legacy/Columbia

When I Come Home

Jimmy Greene, arranger (Jimmy Greene With Javier Colon)

Track from: Beautiful Life

Label: Mack Avenue Records

64. Best Recording Package

Alagoas

Alex Trochut, art director (Alagoas)

Label: Better Problems

Bush

Anita Marisa Boriboon, art director (Snoop Dogg)

Label: Doggy Style/ Iamother/ Columbia Records

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (Deluxe Edition)

Brian Roettinger, art director (Florence + The Machine)

Label: Republic

My Happiness

Nathanio Strimpopulos, art director (Elvis Presley)

Label: Third Man Records

Still The King: Celebrating The Music Of Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys

Sarah Dodds, Shauna Dodds & Dick Reeves, art directors (Asleep At The Wheel)

Label: Bismeaux Records

65. Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

Beneath The Skin (Deluxe Box Set)

Leif Podhajsky, art director (Of Monsters And Men)

Label: Republic

I Love You, Honeybear (Limited Edition Deluxe Vinyl)

Sasha Barr & Josh Tillman, art directors (Father John Misty)

Label: Sub Pop

The Rise & Fall Of Paramount Records, Volume Two (1928-32)

Susan Archie, Dean Blackwood & Jack White, art directors (Various Artists)

Label: Third Man Records / Revenant Records

Sticky Fingers (Super Deluxe Edition)

Stephen Kennedy & James Tilley, art directors (The Rolling Stones)

Label: Universal Music Enterprises, A Division Of UM

30 Trips Around The Sun

Doran Tyson & Steve Vance, art directors (Grateful Dead)

Label: Rhino

What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World (Deluxe Box Set)

Jeri Heiden & Glen Nakasako, art directors (The Decemberists)

Label: Capitol Records

66. Best Album Notes

Folksongs Of Another America: Field Recordings From The Upper Midwest, 1937-1946

James P. Leary, album notes writer (Various Artists)

Label: Dust-To-Digital/University of Wisconsin Press

Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection

Jeff Place, album notes writer (Lead Belly)

Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting To Be Danced

Joni Mitchell, album notes writer (Joni Mitchell)

Label: Rhino

Portrait Of An American Singer

Ted Olson, album notes writer (Tennessee Ernie Ford)

Label: Bear Family Productions

Songs Of The Night: Dance Recordings, 1916-1925

Ryan Barna, album notes writer (Joseph C. Smith’s Orchestra)

Label: Archeophone Records

67. Best Historical Album

The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11

Steve Berkowitz, Jan Haust & Jeff Rosen, compilation producers; Peter J. Moore, mastering engineer (Bob Dylan And The Band)

Label: Columbia/Legacy

The Complete Concert By The Sea

Geri Allen, Jocelyn Arem & Steve Rosenthal, compilation producers; Jessica Thompson, mastering engineer (Erroll Garner)

Label: Columbia/Legacy

Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, And Country 1966–1985

Kevin Howes, compilation producer; Greg Mindorff, mastering engineer (Various Artists)

Label: Light In The Attic Records

Parchman Farm: Photographs And Field Recordings, 1947–1959

Steven Lance Ledbetter & Nathan Salsburg, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)

Label: Dust-To-Digital

Songs My Mother Taught Me

Mark Puryear, compilation producer; Pete Reiniger, mastering engineer (Fannie Lou Hamer)

Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

68. Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Before This World

Dave O’Donnell, engineer; Ted Jensen, mastering engineer (James Taylor)

Label: Concord Records

Currency Of Man

Maxime Le Guil, engineer; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Melody Gardot)

Label: Verve/Universal

Recreational Love

Greg Kurstin & Alex Pasco, engineers; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer (The Bird And The Bee)

Label: Rostrum Records

Sound & Color

Shawn Everett, engineer; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Alabama Shakes)

Label: ATO Records

Wallflower

Steve Price, Jochem van der Saag & Jorge Vivo, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Diana Krall)

Label: Verve Music Group/Universal

69. Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

Jeff Bhasker

  • Ain’t Gonna Drown (Elle King) (T) • Burning Doves (Mikky Ekko) (T) • Burning House (Cam) (T) • Grand Romantic (Nate Ruess) (A) • Last Damn Night (Elle King) (T) • Never Let You Down (Woodkid Featuring Lykke Li) (T) • Runaway Train (Cam) (T) • Uptown Special (Mark Ronson) (A)

Dave Cobb

  • Delilah (Anderson East) (A) • Little Neon Limelight (Houndmouth) (A) • Smoke (A Thousand Horses) (S) • Something More Than Free (Jason Isbell) (A) • Southernality (A Thousand Horses) (A) • 3 (Honeyhoney) (A) • Traveller (Chris Stapleton) (A)

Diplo

  • B**** I’m Madonna (Madonna Featuring Nicki Minaj) (S) • Doctor Pepper (Diplo Featuring CL, Riff Raff & OG MacO) (S) • Golden (Travie McCoy Featuring Sia) (S) • Lean On (Major Lazer Featuring MØ & DJ Snake) (S) • Peace Is The Mission (Major Lazer) (A) • Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü (Skrillex And Diplo) (A) • Where Are Ü Now (Skrillex And Diplo With Justin Bieber) (T)

Larry Klein

  • Currency Of Man (Melody Gardot) (A) • Freedom & Surrender (Lizz Wright) (A) • Heartland (Indra Rios-Moore) (A) • I’m Leaving You (Florence K) (A) • Parker’s Place (Parker Bent) (A) • Speaking In Tongues (Luciana Souza) (A) • Tenderness (JD Souther) (A)

Blake Mills

  • Sound & Color (Alabama Shakes) (A)

70. Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

Berlin By Overnight (CFCF Remix)

CFCF, remixer (Daniel Hope)

Track from: Berlin By Overnight

Label: Deutsche Grammophon

Hold On (Fatum Remix)

Bill Hamel & Chad Newbold, remixers (JES, Shant, & Clint Maximus)

Label: Intonenation Records

Runaway (U & I) (Kaskade Remix)

Ryan Raddon, remixer (Galantis)

Track from: Runaway (U&I) Remixes

Label: Big Beat/Atlantic

Say My Name (RAC Remix)

André Allen Anjos, remixer (Odesza Featuring Zyra)

Track from: Say My Name Remixes

Label: Counter Records

Uptown Funk (Dave Audé Remix)

Dave Audé, remixer (Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars)

Label: RCA Records

71. Best Surround Sound Album

Amdahl: Astrognosia & Aesop

Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Ingar Heine Bergby & Norwegian Radio Orchestra)

Label: 2L (Lindberg Lyd)

Amused To Death

James Guthrie, surround mix engineer; James Guthrie & Joel Plante, surround mastering engineers; James Guthrie, surround producer (Roger Waters)

Label: Columbia/Legacy

Magnificat

Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Øyvind Gimse, Anita Brevik, Nidarosdomens Jentekor & Trondheimsolistene)

Label: 2L (Lindberg Lyd)

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7

Erdo Groot, surround mix engineer; Erdo Groot, surround mastering engineer; Philip Traugott, surround producer (Paavo Järvi & Russian National Orchestra)

Label: Pentatone

Spes

Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Tove Ramlo-Ystad & Cantus)

Label: 2L (Lindberg Lyd)

72. Best Engineered Album, Classical

Ask Your Mama

Leslie Ann Jones, John Kilgore, Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum & Justin Merrill, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra)

Label: Avie Records

Dutilleux: Métaboles; L’Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, ‘Le Double’

Dmitriy Lipay, engineer; Alexander Lipay, mastering engineer (Ludovic Morlot, Augustin Hadelich & Seattle Symphony)

Label: Seattle Symphony Media

Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D’Ulisse In Patria

Robert Friedrich, engineer; Michael Bishop, mastering engineer (Martin Pearlman, Jennifer Rivera, Fernando Guimarães & Boston Baroque)

Label: Linn Records

Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil

Beyong Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Chorale & Kansas City Chorale)

Label: Chandos

Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, ‘Organ’

Keith O. Johnson & Sean Royce Martin, engineers; Keith O. Johnson, mastering engineer (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)

Label: Reference Recordings

73. Producer Of The Year, Classical

Blanton Alspaugh

  • Hill: Symphony No. 4; Concertino Nos. 1 & 2; Divertimento (Peter Bay, Anton Nel & Austin Symphony Orchestra) • Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Chorale & Kansas City Chorale) • Sacred Songs Of Life & Love (Brian A. Schmidt & South Dakota Chorale) • Spirit Of The American Range (Carlos Kalmar & The Oregon Symphony) • Tower: Violin Concerto; Stroke; Chamber Dance (Giancarlo Guerrero, Cho-Liang Lin & Nashville Symphony)

Manfred Eicher

  • Franz Schubert (András Schiff) • Galina Ustvolskaya (Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Markus Hinterhäuser & Reto Bieri) • Moore: Dances & Canons (Saskia Lankhoorn) • Rihm: Et Lux (Paul Van Nevel, Minguet Quartet & Huelgas Ensemble) • Visions Fugitives (Anna Gourari)

Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin

  • Dances For Piano & Orchestra (Joel Fan, Christophe Chagnard & Northwest Sinfonietta) • Tempo Do Brasil (Marc Regnier) • Woman At The New Piano (Nadia Shpachenko)

Dan Merceruio

  • Chapí: String Quartets 1 & 2 (Cuarteto Latinoamericano) • From Whence We Came (Ensemble Galilei) • Gregson: Touch (Peter Gregson) • In The Light Of Air – ICE Performs Anna Thorvaldsdottir (International Contemporary Ensemble) • Schumann (Ying Quartet) • Scrapyard Exotica (Del Sol String Quartet) • Stravinsky: Petrushka (Richard Scerbo & Inscape Chamber Orchestra) • What Artemisia Heard (El Mundo) • ZOFO Plays Terry Riley (ZOFO)

Judith Sherman

  • Ask Your Mama (George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra) • Fields: Double Cluster; Space Sciences (Jan Kučera, Gloria Chuang & Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra) • Liaisons – Re-Imagining Sondheim From The Piano (Anthony de Mare) • Montage – Great Film Composers & The Piano (Gloria Cheng) • Multitude, Solitude (Momenta Quartet) • Of Color Braided All Desire – Music Of Eric Moe (Christine Brandes, Brentano String Quartet, Dominic Donato, Jessica Meyer, Karen Ouzounian, Manhattan String Quartet & Talujon) • Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (Ursula Oppens) • Sirota: Parting The Veil – Works For Violin & Piano (David Friend, Hyeyung Julie Yoon, Laurie Carney & Soyeon Kate Lee) • Turina: Chamber Music For Strings & Piano (Lincoln Trio)

74. Best Orchestral Performance

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4

Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)

Label: Reference Recordings

Dutilleux: Métaboles; L’Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, ‘Le Double’

Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony)

Label: Seattle Symphony Media

Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow – Symphony No. 10

Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Label: Deutsche Grammophon

Spirit Of The American Range

Carlos Kalmar, conductor (The Oregon Symphony)

Label: Pentatone

Zhou Long & Chen Yi: Symphony ‘Humen 1839’

Darrell Ang, conductor (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra)

Label: Naxos

75. Best Opera Recording

Janáček: Jenůfa

Donald Runnicles, conductor; Will Hartmann, Michaela Kaune & Jennifer Larmore; Magdalena Herbst, producer (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)

Label: Arthaus

Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D’Ulisse In Patria

Martin Pearlman, conductor; Fernando Guimarães & Jennifer Rivera; Thomas C. Moore, producer (Boston Baroque)

Label: Linn Records

Mozart: Die Entführung Aus Dem Serail

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Diana Damrau, Paul Schweinester & Rolando Villazón; Sid McLauchlan, producer (Chamber Orchestra Of Europe)

Label: Deutsche Grammophon

Ravel: L’Enfant Et Les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade

Seiji Ozawa, conductor; Isabel Leonard; Dominic Fyfe, producer (Saito Kinen Orchestra; SKF Matsumoto Chorus & SKF Matsumoto Children’s Chorus)

Label: Decca

Steffani: Niobe, Regina Di Tebe

Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Karina Gauvin & Philippe Jaroussky; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra)

Label: Erato

76. Best Choral Performance

Beethoven: Missa Solemnis

Bernard Haitink, conductor; Peter Dijkstra, chorus master (Anton Barachovsky, Genia Kühmeier, Elisabeth Kulman, Hanno Müller-Brachmann & Mark Padmore; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)

Label: BR Klassik

Monteverdi: Vespers Of 1610

Harry Christophers, conductor (Jeremy Budd, Grace Davidson, Ben Davies, Mark Dobell, Eamonn Dougan & Charlotte Mobbs; The Sixteen)

Label: Coro

Pablo Neruda – The Poet Sings

Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (James K. Bass, Laura Mercado-Wright, Eric Neuville & Lauren Snouffer; Faith DeBow & Stephen Redfield; Conspirare)

Label: Harmonia Mundi

Paulus: Far In The Heavens

Eric Holtan, conductor (Sara Fraker, Matthew Goinz, Thea Lobo, Owen McIntosh, Kathryn Mueller & Christine Vivona; True Concord Orchestra; True Concord Voices)

Label: Reference Recordings

Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil

Charles Bruffy, conductor (Paul Davidson, Frank Fleschner, Toby Vaughn Kidd, Bryan Pinkall, Julia Scozzafava, Bryan Taylor & Joseph Warner; Kansas City Chorale & Phoenix Chorale)

Label: Chandos

77. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

Brahms: The Piano Trios

Tanja Tetzlaff, Christian Tetzlaff & Lars Vogt

Label: Ondine

Filament

Eighth Blackbird

Label: Cedille Records

Flaherty: Airdancing For Toy Piano, Piano & Electronics

Nadia Shpachenko & Genevieve Feiwen Lee

Track from: Woman At The New Piano

Label: Reference Recordings

Render

Brad Wells & Roomful Of Teeth

Label: New Amsterdam Records

Shostakovich: Piano Quintet & String Quartet No. 2

Takács Quartet & Marc-André Hamelin

Label: Hyperion

78. Best Classical Instrumental Solo

Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L’Arbre Des Songes

Augustin Hadelich; Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony)

Track from: Dutilleux: Métaboles; L’Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, ‘Le Double’

Label: Seattle Symphony Media

Grieg & Moszkowski: Piano Concertos

Joseph Moog; Nicholas Milton, conductor (Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern)

Label: Onyx Classics

Mozart: Keyboard Music, Vol. 7

Kristian Bezuidenhout

Label: Harmonia Mnudi

Rachmaninov Variations

Daniil Trifonov (The Philadelphia Orchestra)

Label: Deutsche Grammophon

Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated!

Ursula Oppens (Jerome Lowenthal)

Label: Cedille Records

79. Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

Beethoven: An Die Ferne Geliebte; Haydn: English Songs; Mozart: Masonic Cantata

Mark Padmore; Kristian Bezuidenhout, accompanist

Label: Harmonia Mundi

Joyce & Tony – Live From Wigmore Hall

Joyce DiDonato; Antonio Pappano, accompanist

Label: Erato

Nessun Dorma – The Puccini Album

Jonas Kaufmann; Antonio Pappano, conductor (Kristīne Opolais, Antonio Pirozzi & Massimo Simeoli; Coro Dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia; Orchestra Dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia)

Label: Sony Classical

Rouse: Seeing; Kabir Padavali

Talise Trevigne; David Alan Miller, conductor (Orion Weiss; Albany Symphony)

Label: Naxos

St. Petersburg

Cecilia Bartoli; Diego Fasolis, conductor (I Barocchisti)

Label: Decca

80. Best Classical Compendium

As Dreams Fall Apart – The Golden Age Of Jewish Stage And Film Music (1925-1955)

New Budapest Orpheum Society; Jim Ginsburg, producer

Label: Cedille Records

Ask Your Mama

George Manahan, conductor; Judith Sherman, producer

Label: Avie Records

Handel: L’Allegro, Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato, 1740

Paul McCreesh, conductor; Nicholas Parker, producer

Label: Signum Classics

Paulus: Three Places Of Enlightenment; Veil Of Tears & Grand Concerto

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer

Label: Naxos

Woman At The New Piano

Nadia Shpachenko; Marina A. Ledin & Victor Ledin, producers

Label: Reference Recordings

81. Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Barry: The Importance Of Being Earnest

Gerald Barry, composer (Thomas Adès, Barbara Hannigan, Katalin Károlyi, Hilary Summers, Peter Tantsits & Birmingham Contemporary Music Group)

Label: NMC Recordings

Norman: Play

Andrew Norman, composer (Gil Rose & Boston Modern Orchestra Project)

Track from: Norman: Play

Label: BMOP/Sound

Paulus: Prayers & Remembrances

Stephen Paulus, composer (Eric Holtan, True Concord Voices & Orchestra)

Track from: Paulus: Far In The Heavens

Label: Reference Recordings

Tower: Stroke

Joan Tower, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero, Cho-Liang Lin & Nashville Symphony)

Track from: Tower: Violin Concerto; Stroke; Chamber Dance

Label: Naxos

Wolfe: Anthracite Fields

Julia Wolfe, composer (Julian Wachner, The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street & Bang On A Can All-Stars)

Label: Cantaloupe Music

82. Best Music Video

LSD

ASAP Rocky

Dexter Navy, video director; Shin Nishigaki, video producer

Label: RCA Records/A$AP Worldwide/Polo Grounds Music

I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)

The Dead Weather

Cooper Roberts & Ian Schwartz, video directors; Candice Dragonas & Nathan Scherrer, video producers

Label: Third Man Records

Alright

Kendrick Lamar

The Little Homies & Colin Tilley, video directors; Brandon Bonfiglio, Dave Free, Andrew Lerios & Luga Podesta, video producers

Label: Aftermath Records/Interscope Records

Bad Blood

Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar

Joseph Kahn, video director; Ron Morhoff, video producer

Label: Big Machine Records

Freedom

Pharrell Williams

Paul Hunter, video director; Candice Dragonas & Nathan Scherrer, video producers

Label: Columbia

83. Best Music Film

Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown

James Brown

Alex Gibney, video director; Peter Afterman, Blair Foster, Mick Jagger & Victoria Pearman, video producers

Label: Inaudible Films

Sonic Highways

Foo Fighters

Dave Grohl, video director; John Cutcliffe, John Silva, Gaby Skolnek & Kristen Welsh, video producers

Label: RCA Records/Roswell Records

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Nina Simone

Liz Garbus, video director; Liz Garbus, Amy Hobby, Jayson Jackson & Justin Wilkes, video producers

Label: Netflix

The Wall

Roger Waters

Sean Evans & Roger Waters, video directors; Clare Spencer & Roger Waters, video producers

Label: Back Lot Music

Amy

Amy Winehouse

Asif Kapadia, video director; James Gay-Rees, video producer

Label: Universal Music Enterprises

 

 

Grammy Nominations 2016: Kendrick Lamar Emerges as Frontrunner with 11 Nods

Sonia Pantiss
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Grammy Nominations 2016: Kendrick Lamar Emerges as Frontrunner with 11 Nods

Kendrick Lamar is leading the 2016 Grammy nominations with 11 nods in total.

The hip-hop star is up for album of the year for To Pimp A Butterfly.

Kendrick Lamar’s competition comes from Taylor Swift, whose pop smash 1989 is finally nominated, a year after its release.

It came out too late to be eligible for last year’s awards, a fate which has befallen Adele’s 25 this time around.

Taylor Swift ties with R&B star The Weeknd for second place, with seven nominations apiece.

Ed Sheeran is up for two of the major prizes – song of the year and record of the year – for his emotive ballad Thinking Out Loud.

The former award goes to the writers (in this case Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge), while the record of the year category takes into account the performance and production of a hit song.

Other nominees for song of the year include The Weeknd’s breakthrough hit Can’t Feel My Face and Mark Ronson’s global smash Uptown Funk.Grammy nominations 2016

Taylor Swift is nominated for the tongue-in-cheek single Blank Space, as is Kendrick Lamar for Alright, the hope-filled centerpiece of his album.

Kendrick Lamar’s domination of the shortlist is “a testimony to his artistry,” said Neil Portnow, head of the Recording Academy.

“He’s someone that’s very serious about his art and about his craft, and has been working it for quite some time. And this is one of those instances where the work pays off.”

Kendrick Lamar’s other nominations include best rap album and best pop duo/group performance for Bad Blood – a remix of one of the tracks on Taylor Swift’s 1989.

The singer is also shortlisted twice for best rap song, including Kanye West’s All Day, which he co-wrote – along with 18 other credited performers, which could make an interesting moment on stage if West wins.

Among the most prestigious awards in music, the Grammys feature an exhaustive 83 categories in 30 genres, including the likes of best tropical Latin album and best jazz improvisation.

Outside the main categories, the late Amy Winehouse is up for her seventh Grammy thanks to Asif Kapadia’s revealing documentary on her life; while a deluxe reissue of The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers is up for best box set.

Justin Bieber, who had been considered a contender for some of the main prizes, only gets one nomination, for best dance recording; while Rihanna also misses out, despite her Paul McCartney duet FourFiveSeconds being tipped as a nominee for song of the year.

The Grammy Awards ceremony will take place on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Paris Attacks: U2 Pays Tribute to Victims in New Song

Sonia Pantiss
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Paris Attacks: U2 Pays Tribute to Victims in New Song

U2 have paid tribute to the Paris attack victims in a new song.

Last month’s Paris attacks left 130 people dead.

U2 were due to play in Paris in the days after the attacks, but the gigs were canceled.

They played the first rescheduled show on December 6.

“We stand together with the families of those killed in Paris,” said singer Bono, as victims’ names were projected on a huge video screen at the AccorHotels Arena.

“We stand together with the families of those killed in San Bernardino.”

As an encore, Bono wrapped himself in a tricolor flag and sang a verse of Belgian singer Jacques Brel’s Ne me quitte pas (Don’t Leave Me).

U2 will play a second Paris concert on December 7.

Before the gig, Bono revealed that the new song, titled Streets of Surrender, contains lines about Paris being the “city of liberty” and having “streets of love and pride”.

Bono told CNN he originally started writing the song for Italian singer Zucchero. He recited some of the lyrics: “Every man has two cities he needs to be. The one he can touch and the one he can’t see.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

“The one where a stranger’s a friend. Every man’s got one city of liberty.

“For me it’s Paris. I love it. Every time I get lost down these ancient streets, I find myself again.

“You’re free, baby, baby, free now and for ever. It’s Christmas time, you can decide to forget or to remember.

“You’re free, baby, baby. I didn’t come here to fight you. I came down these streets of love and pride to surrender. The streets of surrender.”

Bono’s bandmate The Edge told the channel: “We think of music as the sound of freedom. We think rock and roll has a part to play, so going back to Paris to us is not just symbolic.

“I think we’re actually starting the process of resistance, of defiance against this movement.”

Bono and The Edge both have houses in France. The guitarist said: “It seemed like the target was culture and every kind of expression of the best of humanity – great music, restaurants, French food – everything that we hold dear.”

Bono said his camp had tried to help the Eagles of Death Metal after the violence.

“We tried to find a plane for them to get out and things like that,” he said.

“Turns out the best way to help them was finding them phones, because their phones had been left in the venue.”

Some reports suggest the Eagles of Death Metal, whose gig at the Bataclan venue was attacked by gunmen on November 13, would join U2 on stage.

However, U2 released a statement saying that was incorrect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnalyZ_zA6o

Austria: Tens of Thousands of Euros Fished from Danube River

Nancy Clayson
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Austria: Tens of Thousands of Euros Fished from Danube River

Austrian police are investigating how bank notes worth tens of thousands of euros ended up in the Danube River.

The notes were found floating down the river in Vienna on December 5, leading one passer-by to jump in and salvage the money.

According to police, the recovered money was worth some €100,000 ($108,000).

Police also said there were no crimes were recorded in the area and that it was not clear where the money originated.Euro fishing Danube River

According to local reports, officers had first believed the money – made up of €500 and €100 notes – was counterfeit, but they now believe the notes to be genuine.

They were first alerted when bystanders spotted a boy in the river on December 5. Fearing he was attempting suicide, they called police, only to find he was trying to retrieve the money.

Anyone who finds money and hands it to police in Austria is entitled to keep between 5% and 10% of the total.

However, if the owner is not found within a year, the whole sum will be handed to the boy.

Beijing Issues First Red Alert over Smog Levels

James J. Williams
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Beijing Issues First Red Alert over Smog Levels

Beijing authorities have decided to close schools and to stop outdoor construction after the Chinese capital issued its first “red alert” over smog levels.

The red alert is the highest possible, and has not been used in Beijing before, the state-run Xinhua news agency says.

Chinese authorities expect more than three consecutive days of severe smog.

Cars with odd and even number plates will be banned from driving on alternate days.

The alert comes as China, the world’s largest polluter, takes part in talks on carbon emissions in Paris.

Current pollution levels in Beijing are actually lower than last week’s, but the red alert has been placed because of levels expected over the coming days.

The order will last from 07:00 local time on December 8 until 12:00 on December 10, when a cold front is expected to arrive and clear the smog.

China’s CCTV news channel reported at the weekend that some parts of Beijing had visibility of only 660ft.Beijing red alert over pollution

Coal-powered industries and heating systems, as well as vehicle emissions and dust from construction sites, all contribute to the smog which has been exacerbated by humidity and a lack of wind.

At 18:00 local time on December 7, the air pollution monitor operated by the US Embassy in Beijing reported that the intensity of the poisonous, tiny particles of PM 2.5 was 10 times above the recommended limit.

The level in Beijing reached more than 256 micrograms per cubic meter in some of the worst-affected areas. The World Health Organization considers 25 micrograms per cubic meter to be a safe level.

Activists said the level hit 1,400 micrograms per cubic meter in the north-east city of Shenyang last month, saying it was the worst seen in China.

Last week, activists from Greenpeace had urged the Chinese government to declare a red alert. Another Chinese city, Nanjing, issued a red alert in December 2013.

On November 30, Beijing issued an orange alert – the second-highest of the four-tier system adopted in 2013.

Correspondents say Chinese officials had been unwilling to commit to hard targets on reducing carbon emissions, but have now realized that the dependence on fossil fuels has to stop.

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to take action on the emissions at the current global climate change talks in Paris.

Holly Woodlawn Dies of Cancer Aged 69

Sonia Pantiss
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Holly Woodlawn Dies of Cancer Aged 69

Holly Woodlawn has died of cancer at the age of 69.

The Puerto-Rico born transgender actress inspired Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side and appeared in Andy Warhol’s 70s movies Trash and Women in Revolt.

Lou Reed’s opening lyrics read: “Holly came from Miami, F-L-A / Hitchhiked her way across the USA / Plucked her eyebrows on the way / Shaved her legs, and then he was a she.”

Holly Woodlawn died on December 6 in Los Angeles, her friend Mariela Huerta said.

A memorial service is expected to be held in the city.

Holly Woodlawn, born Haroldo Santiago Franceschi Rodriguez Danhakl, took on her new name after leaving home aged 15 and hitchhiking to New York City.

Photo Flickr
Photo Flickr

She told the Guardian in 2007 of her brief fame after appearing in Warhol’s films: “I was very happy when I gradually became a Warhol superstar. I felt like Elizabeth Taylor!

“Little did I realize that not only would there be no money, but that your star would flicker for two seconds and that was it. But it was worth it, the drugs, the parties, it was fabulous.”

Holly Woodlawn also explained that she did not get to know Lou Reed properly until after the song’s 1972 release.

Despite receiving critical acclaim for her film work, she did not find mainstream success.

Holly Woodlawn also appeared in 90s independent movies Twin Falls Idaho and Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss, as well as the Golden Globe-winning series Transparent, about the father of an LA family who comes out as transgender.

Joe Dallesandro, who starred in Trash, tweeted on December 6: “Holly Woodlawn was in Room 306 when I arrived to see her today. At 3:06pm LA time, she passed away.”

He also said on Facebook that he had visited in her in a hospice, adding: “I was next to her talking and telling her all the love that was being sent her way from everyone. It was like she knew I was there.”

They played a couple in Trash, produced by Andy Warhol and directed by Paul Morrissey, living in the fringes of New York’s East Village, scrounging for food and drugs.

According to Mariela Huerta, Holly Woodlawn, who had been battling brain and liver cancer, had no surviving relatives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMGWstexXww

Venezuela Elections 2015: Opposition Wins Majority in National Assembly

Diane A. Wade
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Venezuela Elections 2015: Opposition Wins Majority in National Assembly

Venezuela’s opposition coalition has won a majority of seats in the National Assembly, overturning nearly two decades of dominance by the Socialists of President Nicolas Maduro.

Five hours after polling ended, the National Electoral Council announced the opposition had won 99 seats.

President Nicolas Maduro has admitted defeat, recognizing “these adverse results”.

It is the worst-ever defeat for the leftist movement founded by former leader Hugo Chavez in 1999.

The Socialists have gained 46 seats, with another 22 yet to be declared.

Results arrived much later than expected, five hours after polls closed. Fireworks erupted over the capital, Caracas, soon after.Venezuela elections results 2015

Among the campaign issues were chronic food shortages of staples – such as milk, rice, coffee, sugar, corn flour and cooking oil.

Venezuela has been hit hard by the continuing low price of oil, its main export. It also has the continent’s highest inflation rate.

President Nicolas Maduro has blamed the situation on an “economic war” waged by the opposition.

“We have come with our morals and our ethics to recognize these adverse results, to accept them and to say to our Venezuela that the constitution and democracy have triumphed.

“We have lost a battle today, but the struggle to build a new society is just beginning,” Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s president and head of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, added.

Henrique Capriles, a leading opposition figure in the Democratic Unity Roundtable and a former presidential challenger, tweeted: “The results are as we hoped. Venezuela has won. It’s irreversible.”

Jesus Torrealba, opposition coalition chief, said: “Venezuela wanted a change and that change came. A new majority expressed itself and sent a clear and resounding message.”

The opposition alliance, made up of centrist and conservative parties, is confident of ultimately taking at least 112 seats after 16 years of socialist control.

The results also give stronger momentum to the opposition should it wish to call a referendum on Nicolas Maduro’s future. This could take place only when his presidency reaches its halfway point in April next year.

However, under Venezuela’s presidential system the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) will still be a powerful force, as it controls many municipalities.

The next presidential election is due in April 2019.

San Bernardino Shooting: Barack Obama Delivers Rare Oval Office Address

Diane A. Wade
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San Bernardino Shooting: Barack Obama Delivers Rare Oval Office Address

President Barack Obama has delivered a rare Oval Office address after the last week’s San Bernardino attack that left 14 dead.

Barack Obama said the killings were “an act of terrorism designed to kill innocent people”.

“Freedom is more powerful than fear,” the president said, warning that falling prey to divisiveness in American society would play into the hands of extremists.

Barack Obama also said the US must make it harder for potential attackers to obtain guns.

The president vowed that the US would overcome the evolving threat of terrorism, but warned that Americans “cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam”.Barack Obama Oval Office address December 2015

“If we’re to succeed in defeating terrorism, we must enlist Muslim communities as some of our strongest allies, rather than push them away through suspicion and hate,” Barack Obama said.

He reminded his audience that Muslim-Americans were part of US society.

“And, yes, they are our men and women in uniform who are willing to die in defense of our country. We have to remember that,” he said.

Barack Obama warned that turning against America’s Muslim communities would be exactly what Islamist extremists in the so-called Islamic State group want.

The president told Americans that terrorism had entered a new phase, from large scale attacks by al-Qaeda to less complicated attacks by radicalized individuals.

He said the US would draw upon “every aspect of American power” to combat ISIS.

Barack Obama underscored that the US and its allies have increased their bombing of Islamic State oil infrastructure and would continue to train and equip moderate rebels in Iraq and Syria.

“Our military will continue to hunt down terrorist plotters in any country where it is necessary,” he said.

Barack Obama added that there are a number of things that can be done on home soil to combat terrorism.

He called for stricter gun control and said he had ordered the Departments of State and Homeland Security to review the K-1 fiancé visa program under which the female attacker in San Bernardino originally entered the US.

This was only the third Oval Office address of Barack Obama’s presidency – they are reserved for events of national importance.

Barack Obama’s speech was in response to a mass shooting by a married couple that left 14 dead.

Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and his wife Tashfeen Malik, 29, opened fire on an office Christmas party and were later killed in a shootout with police.

In his speech, the president characterized ISIS as “thugs and killers”, adding: “The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it.”

The group said in a radio broadcast that the couple that Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik were ISIS supporters, but gave no indication that ISIS was involved in the attack’s planning.

The FBI is also looking into reports Tashfeen Malik posted a message on Facebook pledging allegiance to ISIS around the time of the attacks.

Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik used handguns and semi-automatic weapons that had been legally purchased in the US, police say.

Bomb equipment, weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition were later found in their home.

The San Bernardino attack is the deadliest mass shooting in the US since 26 people were killed at a school in Connecticut in 2012.

The authorities said there was no indication so far the killers were part of an “organized group or formed part of a broader terrorist cell”.

France Regional Elections 2015: Marine Le Pen’s Front National Leads First Round

Diane A. Wade
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France Regional Elections 2015: Marine Le Pen’s Front National Leads First Round

Marine Le Pen’s Front National (National Front) appears to have made big gains in France’s first round of regional elections, estimates show.

They put the far-right National Front ahead in at least six of 13 regions in mainland France.

The elections are the first electoral test since last month’s Paris attacks, in which 130 people were killed.

The center-right Republicans party led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy appeared to be in second place ahead of the governing Socialist Party.

A second round of voting will be held on December 13.

As the results became clear, the Socialist party said it was withdrawing from the second round in at least two regions, in the north and the south, to try to block a run-off victory for the FN.

Exit polls from December 2 vote predicted that the FN had won 30.8% of the vote, followed by Nicolas Sarkozy’s Republicans on 27.2% and President Francois Hollande’s Socialists with 22.7%.

Photo AFP
Photo AFP

FN leader Marine Le Pen, who stood in the northern region of Nord-Pas-De-Calais-Picardie, and her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen, who stood in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur in the south, both looked to have won more than 40% of the vote, polls predicted, breaking previous records for the party.

Marine Le Pen told supporters it was a “magnificent result” which proved the FN was “without contest the first party of France”.

In previous years, the center-right opposition and governing Socialist party have worked together to block the FN.

However, Nicolas Sarkozy said there would be no “tactical alliances” in the second round.

French regions have wide powers over local transport, education and economic development.

The far right has been steadily gaining votes over the past few years from both left- and right-wing sympathizers through a mix of nationalist and pro-welfare policies.

In the lead-up to the election, opinion polls suggested that the popularity of the anti-immigration, anti-EU National Front had increased since the Paris attacks on November 13.

The election has been held under a state of emergency declared after the Paris attacks, which were claimed by Islamic State militants.

The FN is hoping a strong performance will boost Marine Le Pen’s chances for the 2017 presidential election.

Meanwhile, the government’s response to the Paris attacks has boosted President Francois Hollande’s approval ratings – they have soared more than 30 percentage points to 50%.

However, this surge in personal popularity has so far not translated into greater approval for Francois Hollande’s Socialist Party, which is trailing with about 22%.

PM Manuel Valls made an “appeal to patriotism” on December 3 in an effort to rally the Socialist vote.

Assemblies are being elected in the 13 regions of metropolitan France and in four overseas territories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZKaOO6QArQ

San Jose Galleon Wreck: Colombia Finds Holy Grail of Shipwrecks

James J. Williams
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San Jose Galleon Wreck: Colombia Finds Holy Grail of Shipwrecks

Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos has announced the discovery of San Jose galleon’s wreck off the Colombian coast.

The San Jose galleon was a Spanish ship laden with treasure that was sunk by the British more than 300 years ago.

“Great news! We have found the San Jose galleon,” President Juan Manuel Santos tweeted.

The wreck was discovered near the port city of Cartagena.

It has been described as the holy grail of shipwrecks, as the ship was carrying one of the largest amounts of valuables ever to have been lost at sea.

The Colombian galleon said the cargo was worth at least $1 billion.San Jose galleon wreck found in Colombia

The San Jose was carrying gold, silver, gems and jewellery collected in the South American colonies to be shipped to Spain’s king to help finance his war of succession against the British when it was sunk in June 1708.

The vessel was attacked by a British warship just outside Cartagena.

Colombian officials would not reveal the precise location of the wreck, but Juan Manuel Santos said the find “constitutes one of the greatest – if not the biggest, as some say – discoveries of submerged patrimony in the history of mankind”.

The president also said that a museum would be built in Cartagena to house the ship’s treasures.

Ownership of the wreck has been the subject of a long-running legal row.

The Colombian government did not mention its long-running quarrel with US-based salvage company Sea Search Armada (SSA) over claims to the treasure.

A group now owned by SSA said in 1981 that it had located the area in which the ship sank.

SSA has been claiming billions of dollars for breach of contract from the Colombian government, but in 2011 an American court ruled that the galleon was the property of the Colombian state.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T01RmluXz84

Ringo Starr Memorabilia Raises $9.2 Million at Auction

Sonia Pantiss
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Ringo Starr Memorabilia Raises $9.2 Million at Auction

A Ringo Starr memorabilia has raised a total of $9.2 million at Julien’s Auctions.

The auction lot included more than 1,300 clothes, instruments, pieces of jewellery and other items owned by the Beatle.

The highlight of the sale was a drum kit played by Ringo Starr on many Beatles hits, which fetched $2.1 million.

A Rickenbacker guitar once owned by John Lennon made $910,000.

Ringo Starr’s copy of The White Album, numbered 0000001, sold for $790,000 – which is thought to make it the most expensive record ever sold.

Photo Julien's Auctions
Photo Julien’s Auctions

Julien’s Auctions said it surpassed the previous world record, set when Elvis Presley’s first acetate recording sold for $300,000 earlier this year.

Ringo Starr’s LP was the first mono copy of The White Album to be manufactured in the UK.

It was widely known that the band members kept the first four copies, but until recently it was assumed that John Lennon had owned the first.

Paul McCartney told his official biographer: “John got 0000001 because he shouted loudest. He said, <<Bagsy number one!>>”

A portion of the proceeds from the auction will go to Ringo Starr and wife Barbara Bach’s charity The Lotus Foundation, which says it aims to advance “social welfare” in a wide range of areas including substance abuse, cancer, cerebral palsy, domestic abuse and animal protection.

Ringo Starr memorabilia auction:

  • $2,110,000 – Ludwig Drum kit, used on hits including Can’t Buy Me Love and I Want to Hold Your Hand
  • $910,000 – John Lennon’s 1964 Rickenbacker guitar, which he gave to Ringo Starr in 1968
  • $790,000 – The White Album, numbered 0000001
  • $179,200 – George Harrison’s 1962 Gretsch Tennessean guitar, given to Ringo Starr by George Harrison’s family after the Concert for George following Harrison’s death
  • $179,200 – An 18 carat yellow gold Moonphase watch by Patek Philippe
  • $125,000 – The back panel from John Lennon’s psychedelic caravan, featuring the Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band logo
  • $115,200 – Ludwig silver sparkle drum kit used in the 1967 Hello, Goodbye video
  • $106,250 – A gold ring with rectangular sapphire that Ringo Starr says he wore during every show he ever played with the Beatles
  • $100,000 – A gold and onyx ring, which was also worn for every single Beatles show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTJbeeNJf04

Jimmy Carter Announces He Is Cancer-Free

Nancy Clayson
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Jimmy Carter Announces He Is Cancer-Free

Ex-President Jimmy Carter has announced in a statement that his brain cancer is gone.

“My most recent MRI brain scan did not reveal any signs of the original cancer spots nor any new ones,” Jimmy Carter, 91, said.

The former president first announced the news during a Sunday school class in Plains, Georgia.

Jimmy Carter, who was president from 1977 to 1981 and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, revealed his illness in August.Jimmy Carter cancer free

Doctors have been treating four small melanoma lesions on his brain.

Last month, Jimmy Carter said he was responding well to treatment and there were no signs of further cancer growth.

Jill Stuckey, a member of the congregation at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Jimmy Carter had been teaching the class of about 350 people when he made the announcement.

“He said he got a scan this week and the cancer was gone,” she said.

“The church, everybody here, just erupted in applause.”

Jimmy Carter revealed in August that cancer initially found in his liver had spread to four spots on his brain. The lesion on his liver was removed on August 12.

After leaving the White House, Jimmy Carter founded the Carter Center, which focuses on human-rights efforts and political mediation.

He has remained active with the center ever since.

Jimmy Carter – a Georgia Democrat – won the Nobel Peace prize for his commitment to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts and his work with human rights and democracy initiatives.

Venezuela Elections 2015: First Serious Challenge to Governing Socialists

Diane A. Wade
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Venezuela Elections 2015: First Serious Challenge to Governing Socialists

Venezuelans are voting in congressional elections that are seen as the first serious challenge to the governing socialists in 17 years.

According to opinion polls, a broad opposition coalition could capitalize on widespread frustration over food shortages, inflation and crime.

Nicolas Maduro’s governing PSUV, however, retains wide support in rural areas, and will continue to control the presidency.

Voters will be electing all 167 National Assembly members.

Even if the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable captures a majority in the assembly, its power will be limited.

However, a win for the coalition – which includes center-left and centre-right groups – could mark a potential political shift in Venezuela.

The elections are widely regarded as a referendum on President Nicolas Maduro, the handpicked successor of the late president Hugo Chavez, and the party’s socialist policies.Venezuela elections 2015

The opposition accuses the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) of mismanaging the economy and of squandering the country’s oil wealth.

Nicolas Maduro says his party defends the interests of ordinary Venezuelans and wants to complete Hugo Chavez’s “Bolivarian Revolution”.

“They say they’re winning in the polls – it’s the same story of the last 17 years,” Nicolas Maduro said at one election rally.

“Let them win in the polls, we will win in the streets.”

Among the concerns are chronic food shortages of staples – such as milk, rice, coffee, sugar, corn flour and cooking oil.

Nicolas Maduro has blamed the situation on an “economic war” waged against his government by the opposition.

The opposition also accuses the government of increasing authoritarianism.

Earlier this year opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was given a 13-year prison sentence for inciting violence – a charge critics say was politically motivated.

Venezuela has invited election monitors from regional body UNASUR but has rejected those from the Organization of American States (OAS) and the EU.

France Regional Elections 2015: First Major Polls since Paris Attacks

Diane A. Wade
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France Regional Elections 2015: First Major Polls since Paris Attacks

France is voting in regional elections, the first electoral test since last month’s Paris attacks, in which 130 people were killed.

According to opinion polls, there will be a strong showing for the far-right National Front (FN).

The center-right led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to win in most regions at the expense of the governing Socialist Party.

December 6 first round will be followed by a run-off on December 13.

French regions have wide powers over local transport, education and economic development.

The election is also being closely watched after opinion polls suggested the popularity of the anti-immigration, anti-EU National Front had increased since the attacks on November 13.France regional elections 2015

National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen is likely to win in the northern region of Nord-Pas-De-Calais-Picardie, while her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen is a leading contender in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur in the south.

It would be the first time the FN has captured any of France’s regions. The party is hoping a strong performance will boost Marine Le Pen’s chances for the 2017 presidential election.

Both Nicolas Sarkozy’s Les Republicains party and the FN appear to be heading for about 30% of votes, according to opinion polls, but President Francois Hollande’s Socialist Party is trailing on about 22%.

PM Manuel Valls made an “appeal to patriotism” on December 3 in an effort to rally the Socialist vote.

The election is being held under a state of emergency which was declared after the Paris attacks.

On December 4, the Belgian prosecutor’s office said police were seeking two new suspects accused of aiding the fugitive suspect from the Paris attacks Salah Abdeslam, who lived in Belgium.

They are “armed and dangerous” and are thought to have helped Salah Abdeslam travel to Hungary in September.

Investigators say Salah Abdeslam may have driven the suicide bombers at the Stade de France to their target on the night of the Paris attacks.

However, Salah Abdeslam’s precise role in the attacks remains unclear. There are suggestions he was meant to carry out a suicide attack on the night but decided against it.

Mark Zuckerberg Defends Facebook Share Giveaway

Nancy Clayson
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Mark Zuckerberg Defends Facebook Share Giveaway

Mark Zuckerberg has defended the unusual company structure chosen for the eye-catching philanthropic venture launched to celebrate the birth of his daughter, Max.

He will give away 99% of his stake in Facebook, worth $45 billion, to fund the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Rather than set up a simple charity, the Facebook founder formed a limited liability company (LLC) to administer the money.

An LLC brings certain tax exemptions but also allows investment for profit.

Photo Facebook
Photo Facebook

Critics have said the structure of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative could provide a way for Mark Zuckerberg to avoid paying tax on the sale of his shares. They have also questioned why he did not set up a not-for-profit charity instead.

An LLC allows Mark Zuckerberg to keep hold of the voting and allocation of the shares he puts into it.

In a Facebook post on December 3, Mark Zuckerberg explained his reasons for creating an LLC instead of a not-for-profit organization and said he and his wife, Priscilla Chan, will pay capital gains taxes when their shares are sold by the company.

“By using an LLC instead of a traditional foundation, we receive no tax benefit from transferring our shares to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, but we gain flexibility to execute our mission more effectively,” he said.

“In fact, if we transferred our shares to a traditional foundation, then we would have received an immediate tax benefit, but by using an LLC we do not.

“And just like everyone else, we will pay capital gains taxes when our shares are sold by the LLC,” Mark Zuckerberg added.

The new charitable organization is aimed at “advancing human potential and promoting equality for all children in the next generation”.

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s shares will be donated over the course of their lives. They have already committed $1.6 billion to philanthropic causes according to a Facebook statement.

Kobe Bryant Wants to Play at Rio 2016 after Announcing Retirement

Clyde K. Valle
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Kobe Bryant Wants to Play at Rio 2016 after Announcing Retirement

Kobe Bryant has said he would love to represent the US at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The 37-year-old LA Lakers star, regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in history, announced this week he would retire at the end of the NBA season.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist has been hindered by injuries in recent seasons but said he would “love to play” in Rio if fit enough.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

“If my body can’t do it, there’s no sense doing it,” Kobe Bryant said.

The five-time NBA champion has scored 32,734 points during a 20-year career with the Lakers to rank third on the NBA’s all-time list.

Kobe Bryant, who won gold with the US team in 2008 and 2012, told ESPN Radio: “I would love nothing more than to be in an international environment and be around some of the other great athletes one more time.”

Should the Lakers fail to make the end-of-season play-offs, Kobe Bryant’s final game is set to be at home against Utah on April 13. The Olympics will be held four months later, between August 5 and 21.

Kobe Bryant is one of 34 players in the US men’s national team pool, from which only 12 can be selected for Rio.

Greece Crisis: Parliament Passes Austere 2016 Budget

Diane A. Wade
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Greece Crisis: Parliament Passes Austere 2016 Budget

Greek parliament has approved the 2016 budget that includes sharp spending cuts and some tax increases amid economic recession.

The austere budget was passed with a majority of only eight votes – 153 to 145.

“This budget is a difficult task for a government that wants to leave its mark with social justice,” PM Alexis Tsipras told lawmakers.

Alexis Tsipras agreed to a batch of economic reforms in August to secure a euro zone bailout of up to €86 billion ($93 billion).Greece austerity budget

His leftist-led government has been under pressure to deliver tangible benefits to its poorest citizens since the agreement.

Greece’s budget makes €5.7 billion in public spending cuts including €1.8 billion from pensions and €500 million from defense. It also includes tax increases of just over €2 billion.

Despite the cuts, the budget will still have a greater deficit than the 2015 budget.

Earlier this year the country reluctantly agreed to the strict conditions of its third international bailout in five years.

After losing his majority in August as a result, Alexis Tsipras called an election and was returned to power in September with 35% of the vote.

Representatives of the euro zone, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) return to Greece on December 7 for more talks about pending reforms of the pension and tax systems and public administration.

The euro zone has also held out to Greece the possibility of long-term debt relief after a review of progress under the new bailout.

However, it has said that relief would come in the form of longer delays before repayments start or finish, not a reduction – or so-called “haircut” – in the amount that has to be repaid.

Vatican Orders First Ever External Audit of Assets

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Vatican Orders First Ever External Audit of Assets

The Vatican announces it has ordered the first ever external audit of its assets as part of Pope Francis’ efforts to reform the Roman Catholic Church.

Accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers will start work immediately, a Vatican spokesman said.

Pope Francis has promised to make the Vatican’s finances more transparent after a series of scandals.

In 2014, the pontiff created a new ministry to oversee papal finances, headed by Cardinal George Pell.

Cardinal George Pell later said he had discovered millions of euros “tucked away”.

Photo Instagram
Photo Instagram

While he did not say any wrongdoing had occurred, he added Vatican departments long had “an almost free hand” with their finances.

Turning to an external auditor puts the Vatican more in line with international standards.

PwC will review the Vatican’s consolidated financial statements, spokesman Federico Lombardi said, which includes assets, income and expenses.

Author Gianluigi Nuzzi obtained secret recordings of Pope Francis this year suggesting the pontiff had grown exasperated at vested interests in the Vatican.

“If we don’t know how to look after money, which you can see, how can we look after the souls of the faithful, which you can’t see?” Pope Francis told clerics in 2013, the recordings said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yCyHY2aFxo

Iraq: Turkish Ambassador Summoned over Mosul Troops

Roy Siemens
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Iraq: Turkish Ambassador Summoned over Mosul Troops

Iraq’s foreign ministry has summoned the Turkish ambassador to demand the withdrawal of Turkish troops sent to an area near the northern city of Mosul.

According to the Iraqi foreign ministry, the troops had entered Iraq without Baghdad’s consent and that Iraq considered it “a hostile act”.

Turkey says it deployed 150 soldiers in the town of Bashiqa year to train Iraqi Kurdish forces fighting ISIS.Turkish troops Mosul

Mosul has been under the control of ISIS militants since 2014.

Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu described the deployment as a routine troop rotation. He said Turkish forces had set up a camp near Mosul a year ago in co-ordination with Iraq.

“This camp was established as a training camp for a force of local volunteers fighting terrorism,” he said.

Earlier, Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi’s office said the move was a “serious breach of Iraqi sovereignty”.

The statement called on Turkey to “respect good neighborly relations and to withdraw immediately from the Iraqi territory”.

Turkey enjoys close relations with autonomous Kurdish regions in Iraq, although it views Syrian Kurdish groups over the border as hostile, analysts say.

The fall of Mosul was a key moment in the rise of ISIS and an Iraqi government offensive to retake the city has been repeatedly put back.

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