Bieber, Allison Russell Head Canadian Grammy Nominees

By FYI Staff

The recently announced list of Grammy Award nominees again featured some prominent Canadian names in a wide variety of genres and categories. Leading the Maple Leaf list was Justin Bieber, with eight, trailing only Jon Batiste, who notched 11 nods. Tied with Bieber were Doja Cat and H.E.R..

Bieber’s hit Peaches was nominated in the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance and Best Music Video. His album Justice is a contender for Album of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, his song Anyone is nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance, and Lonely, his collaboration with Benny Blanco is named in the Best Pop Duo or Group Performance category.

Two acclaimed Canadian artists, Yannick Nezet-Seguin and Allison Russell earned three nominations apiece, in the classical and Americana/roots categories respectively. Nezet-Seguin is named in the Best Classical Solo or Vocal Album for Schubert: Winterreise, as a conductor for the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 in Best Orchestral Performance and as a conductor on Poulenc: Dialogues Des Carmélites in Best Opera Recording.

Allison Russell's album Outside Child is up for Best Americana album while Nightflyer, a song she co-wrote with Jeremy Lindsay, is nominated for Best American Roots Song and Best American roots performance.

Sticking with classical for a moment, two Canadians are nominated in the Best Opera Recording category as members of the cast: Gerald Finley for Janáček: Cunning Little Vixen and Adrienne Pieczonka for the Poulenc project.

Drake scored two nominations, with Certified Lover Boy up for Best Rap Album and his collaborative track with Future, Way 2 Sexy, cited for Best Rap Performance.

Despite his much-publicized feud with the Grammy Awards after being shut out last year, The Weekend is cited three times, in the Best Melodic Rap Performance and Album of the Year categories, both for his featured work on Kanye West's Donda, and again for Best Album via his work on Doja Cat’s Planet Her.

R&B star Daniel Caesar is named multiple times for his contributions to Justin Bieber's hit Peaches, while producer Boi-1Da (Matthew Samuels) is listed for his role on West’s Donda. Kaytranada's work as producer and writer on the song Intimidated, on H.E.R.’s Back of My Mind, earns him a nomination.

Electronica producer/artist Caribou (Dan Snaith) is nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Recording category for his album Suddenly, and acclaimed Cuban-Canadian artist Alex Cuba is up for Best Latin Pop Album for Mendo (recorded by John 'Beetle' Bailey).

Even though Dream Theater is by all consideration a U.S. band, lead singer James LaBrie is thoroughly from Penetanguishene, Ontario as his band is nominated for Best Metal Performance for The Alien, which he wrote the lyrics for.

Noted music archivist and author Kevin Howes earns a Best Album Notes nomination for his contributions to The Willie Dunn Anthology, while Joni Mitchell's Archives Vol. 1 makes it into the Best Historical Album category, joining the Prince Estate's Toronto-based Creative Director Trevor Guy for his contribution to Sign O’ the Times (Super Deluxe Edition.).

Recording engineer Charles Moniz contributed to Silk Sonic's hit single Leave the Door Open, nominated for Record of the Year.

Rupert (Sevn) Thomas, Jr. is among the songwriters listed on Giveon’s Heartbreak Anniversary, nominated for Best R&B Song.

Producer Greg Wells is named along with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nick Lloyd Weber for Best Musical Theatre album for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella.

Composer Nadeem Majdalany is up for Best Classical Solo or Vocal Album for Mythologies.

Toronto filmmaker Petra Collins directed Olivia Rodrigo’s Good 4 U, nominated in the Best Music Video category.

See the full list of Grammy nominations here.

The 64th Grammy Awards air Jan. 31. on CBS and Citytv. Sources: Variety, CP, Reuters