The GRAMMY Awards, the most prestigious music award show each year, takes place this Sunday.

From the 2023 GRAMMYs Program Book, which will be distributed at Music’s Biggest Night…

In his message in the program that will be distributed to everyone attending the Grammy ceremony Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. called the Grammys “A night dedicated to honoring musical excellence, witnessing amazing performances, and celebrating  the miracle of music.”

He also wrote:

Music is humanity’s greatest natural resource. It has the ability to heal, the power to improve mental, spiritual, and even physical health. It can change minds, moods perspectives. Music changes our hearts. When we feel invisible music sees us. When we are afraid, music comforts us. When we are in love, music inspires us. It binds up our wounds. It breaks down walls. Music is shortest distance between two points, bringing us together like nothing else.

There are 91 award categories this year, including this new one: Best Score Soundtrack For Video Games And Other Interactive Media.

Really Mr. Mason Jr.?

Of course the major categories are:

Best New Artist

Song of the Year

Album of the Year

Record of the Year

Trivia time: Only two artists have ever won all 4 of these awards. Who are they?

OK, that’s super tough. Think it over. The answers come later.

This week Grammy nominated music. I promise, no Lizzo, Rap, or Opera.

Let’s begin with oen of those biggies: Record Of The Year.

The group’s first new music in 39 years. Their message: A request is that the fans give them another chance.

Remember Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog?

Other nominees:

• Easy On Me
  Adele
  
• BREAK MY SOUL
  Beyoncé
  
• Good Morning Gorgeous
  Mary J. Blige
  
• You And Me On The Rock
  Brandi Carlile Featuring Lucius
  
• Woman
  Doja Cat
  
• Bad Habit
  Steve Lacy
  
• The Heart Part 5
  Kendrick Lamar
  
• About Damn Time
  Lizzo
  
• As It Was
  Harry Styles
  

But ABBA is the sentimental favorite. Their song is also nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and the LP “Voyage” is nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album.

Speaking of sentimental you could lump these two old rockers in that category.

Edgar Winter is nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album for his tribute album to brother Johnny who died in 2014.

Both the Winter brothers recorded this song as solo artists.

Other nominees:

• Done Come Too Far
  Shemekia Copeland
  
• Crown
  Eric Gales
  
• Bloodline Maintenance
  Ben Harper
  
• Set Sail
  North Mississippi Allstars
  

NEXT: Best Jazz Vocal Album

The famed vocal quartet the Manhattan Transfer recently celebrated the group’s half-century mark with a new album, appropriately titled “Fifty.” If the group wins in this category it would be the ensemble’s first Grammy in more than 30 years.

In 1977 Manhattan Transfer released a single of their version of “Chanson D’Amour” (French for ‘Love Song’). From their Grammy-nominated album…

And yet another sentimental favorite.

Other nominees:

• The Evening : Live At APPARATUS
  The Baylor Project
  
• Linger Awhile
  Samara Joy
  
• Fade To Black
  Carmen Lundy
  
• Ghost Song
  Cécile McLorin Salvant

Let’s stay vocal now with Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and Michael Buble.

Music producer and writer Nicholas Gaudet writes:

The song (“Higher”) introduces itself in the most appropriate fashion: as dramatically as the rest of the track. It takes no time to swell into the epic nature of the track; it simply jumps right into the thick piano-and-drum groove, accented by an angry string section. Michael’s voice here is loud and gritty, almost aggressive.

“Higher” is a total shift of tone for Michael Bublé. Some might find it a bit off putting because of its aggressive nature, and almost metal approach to this type of music Michael has essentially branded, but for those with an open ear and heart, ‘Higher’ is a true staple of the man’s talents.

Other nominees:

• When Christmas Comes Around…
  Kelly Clarkson
  
• I Dream Of Christmas (Extended)
  Norah Jones
  
• Evergreen
  Pentatonix
  
• Thank You
  Diana Ross

That’s it for this week.

Goodnight.

Sleep well.

Have a great weekend.

Now the answers to our trivia question. Only two artists have ever won all 4 of these awards: Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Record of the Year. They are Christopher Cross and Adele.

We close with the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.

The nominees:

• Encanto
  (Various Artists)
  
• Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4 (Vol 2)
  (Various Artists)
  
• Top Gun: Maverick
  Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga, Hans Zimmer & Lorne Balfe
  
• West Side Story
  (Various Artists)
  
  and

• ELVIS
  (Various Artists)

This mash-up is one of the album’s 36 tracks.