The excitement at Bluesfest Byron Bay has reached new heights as members of the festival’s lineup shone at the prestigious GRAMMY Awards, with four of its performers emerging as winners. Australia’s Tommy Emmanuel, PJ Morton, Blind Boys of Alabama, and Meshell Ndegeocello have been honoured with esteemed 66th GRAMMY Award accolades.
*Tommy Emmanuel’s win was for Folsom Prison Blues in the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category, which was performed by John Carter Cash, Tommy Emmanuel, Markus Illko, Janet Robin and Roberto Luis Rodriguez, arrangers (The String Revolution Featuring Tommy Emmanuel). PJ Morton’s win was for Best Traditional R&B Performance for Good Morning, PJ Morton featuring Susan Carol.. The Blind Boys of Alabama’s win was for Best Roots Gospel Album, Echoes of The South. Meshell Ndegeocello’s win in Best Alternative Jazz Album was for The Omnichord Real Book.
BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
‘Good Morning’ – PJ Morton featuring Susan Carol.
BEST ROOTS/GOSPEL ALBUM
Echoes of The South – The Blind Boys of Alabama
BEST ARRANGEMENT: INSTRUMENTAL OR A CAPELLA
Folsom Prison Blues
John Carter Cash, Tommy Emmanuel, Markus Illko, Janet Robin & Roberto Luis Rodriguez, arrangers (The String Revolution Featuring Tommy Emmanuel)
BEST ALTERNATIVE JAZZ ALBUM
Meshell Ndegeocello – The Omnichord Real Book
Other Nominees:
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily – Love in Exile
Louis Cole – Quality Over Opinion
Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter, SuperBlue – SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree
Cory Henry – Live at the Piano
BEST AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE
Allison Russell – “Eve Was Black”
Other Nominees:
Jon Batiste – “Butterfly”
Blind Boys of Alabama – “Heaven Help Us All”
Madison Cunningham – “Inventing the Wheel”
Rhiannon Giddens – “You Louisiana Man”
BEST AMERICANA PERFORMANCE
Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile – “Dear Insecurity”
Other Nominees:
Blind Boys of Alabama – “Friendship”
Tyler Childers – “Help Me Make It Through the Night”
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – “King of Oklahoma”
Allison Russell – “The Returner”
BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG
Winner: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – “Cast Iron Skillet”
Other Nominees:
The War and Treaty – “Blank Page”
Billy Strings featuring Willie Nelson – “California Sober”
Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile – “Dear Insecurity”
Allison Russell, “The Returner”
BEST AMERICANA ALBUM
Winner: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Weathervanes
Other Nominees:
Brandy Clark – Brandy Clark
Rodney Crowell – The Chicago Sessions
Rhiannon Giddens – You’re the One
Allison Russell – The Returner
BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM
Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway – City of Gold
Other Nominees:
Sam Bush – Radio John: Songs of John Hartford
Michael Cleveland – Lovin’ of the Game
Mighty Poplar – Mighty Poplar
Willie Nelson – Bluegrass
Billy Strings – Me/And/Dad
BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM
Bobby Rush – All My Love for You
Other Nominees:
Eric Bibb – Ridin’
Mr. Sipp – The Soul Side of Sipp
Tracy Nelson – Life Don’t Miss Nobody
John Primer – Teardrops for Magic Slim Live at Rosa’s Lounge
BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM
Larkin Poe – Blood Harmony
Other Nominees:
Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton – Death Wish Blues
Ruthie Foster – Healing Time
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – Live in London
Bettye LaVette – LaVette!
BEST FOLK ALBUM
Joni Mitchell – Joni Mitchell at Newport (Live)
Other Nominees:
Dom Flemons – Traveling Wildfire
The Milk Carton Kids – I Only See the Moon
Nickel Creek – Celebrants
Old Crow Medicine Show – Jubilee
Paul Simon – Seven Psalms Rufus Wainwright – Folkocracy
BEST REGIONAL ROOTS MUSIC ALBUM
= Live: Orpheum Theater Nola- Lost Bayou Ramblers & Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
= New Beginnings – Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band
Other Nominees:
Live At The 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival – Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers
Live At The Maple Leaf – The Rumble Featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.
Too Much To Hold – New Orleans Nightcrawlers
Made In New Orleans – New Breed Brass Band
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Lainey Wilson – Bell Bottom Country
BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
Chris Stapleton – “White Horse”
BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves – “I Remember Everything”
BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM
Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriters Demos
Robert Gordon, Deanie Parker, etc.
BEST GLOBAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain featuring Rakesh Chaurasia – “Pashto”
BEST GLOBAL MUSIC ALBUM
Shakti – This Moment
BEST AFRICAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Tyla – “Water”
BEST REGGAE ALBUM
Julian Marley and Antaeus – Colors of Royal
Best New Artist
Victoria Monét
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
SZA featuring Phoebe Bridgers – “Ghost in the Machine”
BEST ROCK ALBUM
Paramore – This Is Why
BEST ROCK SONG
boygenius – “Not Strong Enough”
Best Alternative Music Performance
Paramore – “This Is Why”
Best Alternative Music Album
boygenius – The Record
BEST LATIN POP ALBUM
Gaby Moreno – X Mí (Vol. 1)
BEST LATIN ROCK OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
Juanes – Vida Cotidiana
Natalia Lafourcade – De Todas Las Flores
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL
Jack Antonoff
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
The Beatles – “I’m Only Sleeping”
BEST MUSIC FILM
Moonage Daydream