Several Quebecers are finalists for one – or more – Grammy awards, which will be awarded this Sunday.
Montreal conductor and pianist Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a five-time finalist this year – he even competes against himself in the “opera” category.
The artistic director of the Metropolitan Opera (Met) is a finalist for two recordings of contemporary American works staged in New York: Eurydice by Matthew Aucoin and Fire Shut Up In My Bones by Terence Blanchard.
The Montreal conductor is also selected for a record of which he is particularly proud in these times of war: the Concert for Ukraine, at the Met (in the category of the best collection of classical music). He maintained in an interview last fall that this selection would recall the ongoing war and its innocent victims, in particular “the artists who have suffered and who still suffer”.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin is also nominated in the category of best choral interpretation for his direction of the Requiem by Verdi, presented on September 11, 2021 by the Met in tribute to the victims of the attacks of September 11, 2001. With this tribute concert, the Met reopened its doors after a year and a half of pandemic confinement.
The Montreal conductor, as a pianist this time, is also a finalist in the category of best classical solo vocal album for Voice Of Nature – The Anthropocenea collaboration with American soprano Renée Fleming, on the theme of climate change.
Last year, the Montreal conductor won a Grammy in the category of best performance by a classical orchestra, for the recording of the First and Third Symphonies by Florence Price, an African-American composer who died in 1953 whom Nézet-Séguin wishes make known. He was also nominated in two other categories in 2022.
The other Quebec finalists
Director Xavier Dolan is a finalist in the Best Music Video category for his work on Easy on Me, by Adele, filmed in the Eastern Townships. The filmmaker had already made in 2015 for the British singer the clip of the megasuccess Hello.
Kaytranada, a DJ and producer who already has two Grammys on his mantel, could win a third for Intimidatedfeaturing HE R., in the category of Best Dance/Electronic Recording.
Kaytranada, who grew up in Montreal, won a Grammy in 2021 for the album Bubba and another for his song 10%in the category of best dance recording.
In addition, many were surprised to see the Montreal group Arcade Fire in the running for the Grammys this year, in the category of best alternative album for the record. WE.
The group’s frontman, Win Butler, faced allegations of sexual misconduct last year, which he denied. While the allegations led some radio stations to ban the group from the airwaves, the Grammy nomination appears to be a vote of support from the American music industry. Arcade Fire is also a Juno finalist in the Group of the Year category.
In addition, two Quebec producers could win a prize for their work with an international artist. Producer DRTWRK is in the running for the third year in a row, this time for his work on the album God Did by DJ Khaled (best rap album). The Demy & Clipz duo are cited for their work on the album A Verano Sin Ti of Bad Bunny (album of the year), whose song he co-produced The corriente.
Most of the prizes for which Quebecers are in the running will be awarded during the Premiere Ceremony, broadcast from 3:30 p.m. on the Grammy’s YouTube channel. The 65e Grammy night will be televised Sunday evening starting at 8 p.m. on Citytv (in Canada), from the Crypto Amphitheater in Los Angeles.