Verve Label Group, the home of Universal Music Group’s jazz and classical labels, celebrates 15 Grammy nominations this year.
Diana Krall and Tony Bennett, Jon Batiste, and Bettye LaVette all received Grammy nominations this year.
Universal Music Classics, US’s label Decca Gold received its first nomination for the label and for counter tenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. Deutsche Grammophon conductor Andris Nelsons, Decca composer Alexandre Desplat, Decca’s recording of Der Rosenkavalier, and ECM artist The Danish String Quartet were all nominated as well.
Diana Krall and Tony Bennett’s album of the Gershwin songbook “Love Is Here To Stay” (Verve/Columbia) received two nominations in the categories of Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “’S Wonderful” and for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. This marks Bennett’s sixteenth nomination in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category.
Singer Bettye LaVette received two nominations for her critically acclaimed album of Bob Dylan songs, Things Have Changed (Verve Records) for Best Traditional R&B Performance for the song “Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight” and for Best Americana Album – an incredible feat for a singer of LaVette’s longevity and talent.
Pianist, composer and bandleader Jon Batiste received a nomination in the Best American Roots Performance for his haunting, dirge-like version of “Saint James Infirmary Blues” from his album Hollywood Africans (Verve Records).
“This is a tremendous showing for these incredible artists and for Verve,”
said Danny Bennett, President and CEO of Verve Label Group. “Diana and Tony added a crown jewel into the canon of jazz repertoire with the songs of Gershwin, Bettye LaVette breathed new, soulful life into the songs of Bob Dylan, and Jon Batiste is in the vanguard of artists bridging genres and creating new space for young artists,” said Danny Bennett, President and CEO of Verve Label Group. “Verve is honored to work with such talented artists.”
On the classical side, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo received a nomination for his album of Philip Glass and Handel arias. This was his first Grammy nomination and the first nomination for the newly re-founded Decca Gold label under Universal Music Classics, US.
“Decca Gold was created to house some of the great American classical artists, ensembles and institutions. Anthony Roth Costanzo is an artist whose immense talent, creativity and hard work continually impress the world,” said Graham Parker, President of Universal Music Classics, US. “We are proud and honored to have him on the Decca Gold label and be the first Grammy nomination for Decca Gold. As the US home of Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, and ECM, we are also thrilled to honor Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, legendary composer Alexandre Desplat and the Danish String Quartet for their nominations.”
Deutsche Grammophon’s Andris Nelsons was nominated for his stunning recording with the Boston Symphony Orchestra of Shostakovich’s Symphonies Nos. 4 & 11 for Best Orchestral Performance and Best Engineered Album, Classical.
Alexandre Desplat’s score for “The Shape of Water,” which previously won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Score was nominated three times for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, Best Instrumental Composition and Best Arrangement, Instrumental or a cappella.
Decca’s recording of Der Rosenkavalier featuring Renée Fleming and Elīna Garanča, among others, was nominated for Best Opera Recording.
Additionally, the legendary label ECM was nominated in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for The Danish String Quartet’s album of Beethoven, Shostakovich & Bach works. Albums released on Deutsche Grammophon and Impulse! were celebrated with the nominations for producers of the year David Frost and Larry Klein, friends and great colleagues of the Verve Label Group.
