Author: Max Brzezinski
2024 was a banner year for North Carolinians working in music, and The Grammys agree! By our count, Tarheels are up for Grammy Awards in a whopping 90 categories this year. From "Best Rap Album" to "Best Liner Notes," and in genres from chamber music to country, this year North Carolina's singers, producers, engineers, songwriters and critics have received well-deserved flowers from The Recording Academy. Please join us in celebrating all of the North Carolina artists up for Grammys at the February 2nd Awards, listed below:
- Stuart White: engineer/mixer, Record of the Year: “Texas Hold ‘Em” (Beyonce)
- The-Dream (Rockingham): producer and songwriter, Album of the Year: Cowboy Carter (Beyonce)
- Bryce Bordone (App State): engineer/mixer, Record of the Year: “Fortnight” (Taylor Swift)
- Rapsody (Snow Hill, NCCU): Best Melodic Rap Performance and Best Rap Song: "3:AM" and "Asteroids"
- J. Cole (Fayetteville): Best Rap Album: Might Delete Later (feat. Mad Skillz, Fayetteville)
- Queen Sheba (Raleigh): Best Spoken Word Poetry Album: Civil Writes
- Christine Dashiell (raised in NC): Best Jazz Vocal Album: Journey in Black
- Sean Mason (Charlotte): Best Jazz Vocal Album: My Ideal
- Aaron Lazar (Duke): Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Impossible Dream
- Taylor Phillips: songwriter, Best Country Song: "I Am Not Okay" (Jelly Roll)
- Rhiannon Giddens (Greensboro): Best American Roots Performance: "The Ballad of Sally Anne"
- Iron & Wine (Durham): Best American Roots Song: "All in Good Time"
- Del McCoury (Bakersville): Best Bluegrass Album: Songs of Love and Life
- Donald Lawrence (Gastonia): songwriter, Best Gospel Song: "Church Doors" (Yolanda Adams)
- Melvin Crispell III (Charlotte): Best Gospel Song and Best Gospel Album: "Yesterday" and Covered Volume 1
- Kenneth Leonard, Jr. (Franklinton): songwriter: Best Gospel Song: "One Hallelujah" (Tasha Cobb Leonard)
- Elevation Worship (Charlotte), Christ Brown (Charlotte) and Steven Furtick (Moncks Corner), songwriters and artist: Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance: "Praise"
- Stephen Burwell (Authentic Unlimited): Best Gospel Album: The Gospel Sessions Vol. 2
- Ricky Kej: Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album: Break of Dawn
- George Clinton (Kannapolis): Best Audio Book Narration: ... And Your Ass Will Follow
- Luke Combs (Huntersville): Best Song Written for Visual Media: "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma"
- Joedan Okun (Triangle): video producer, Best Music Film: American Symphony (Jon Batiste)
- The Avett Brothers (Concord): Best Recording Package: The Avett Brothers
- Lauren Du Graf (UNC): Best Liner Notes: The Carnegie Hall Concert (Alice Coltrane)
- Josh Kun (Duke): Best Liner Notes: Al Son de Beno soundtrack
- Bryan Sutton (Asheville): Best Arrangement Instrumental of A Capella: "Rhapsody in (Blue)grass"
- Ryan McKinny (Asheville): Best Opera Recording: "Adams: Girls of the Golden West" (also up for Best Engineered Album, Classical)
- Alexander Lloyd Blake (Jacksonville): Best Arrangement Instrumental of A Capella: "Rose without Thorns"
- Margaret Carpenter Haigh (Charlotte): Best Choral Performance: "Handel: Israel in Egypt"
- Caroline Shaw (Greenville): Best Chamber Music Performance: Rectangles and Circumstance
Image: Photo of an Avett Brothers performance, live in North Carolina. The band is up for Best Recording Package for their S/T album, and have been nominated for two Grammys previously.