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New Orleans artists Tank & the Bangas, PJ Morton and the late Dr. John are among the New Orleans artists announced Tuesday as nominees of the 65th Grammy Awards.
No New Orleans artist dominated the nominations or turned up in the major categories like Jon Batiste did last year.
Instead, a handful of locally affiliated nominations were spread across genre-specific categories.
“Things Happen That Way,” the posthumous, final studio album by Mac “Dr. John” Rebennack, who died in 2019, is nominated as best Americana album. Produced by guitarist Shane Theriot, the album mostly consists of Rebennack’s interpretations of country songs.
It faces stiff competition from fellow Americana album nominees Bonnie Raitt, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Keb'Mo' and Brandi Carlile.
Tank & the Bangas, the hybrid R&B/hip-hop/spoken word group fronted by vocalist Tarriona “Tank” Ball, was nominated for a best new artist Grammy during the 2020 ceremony. This year, the Bangas’ latest album, “Red Balloon,” is up for best progressive R&B album.
The nomination adds to what has been a big week for the Bangas. On Monday, the band performed the song "Communion in My Cup" on NBC's "Today" show. Afteward, Ball received a congratulatory hug from former First Lady Michelle Obama, who was also a guest on Monday's "Today" show.
Morton, who has developed his own dual career as a contemporary R&B and gospel bandleader even as he keeps his “day job” as the keyboardist in Maroon 5, earned multiple nominations. The most prominent is the best R&B album nomination for his “Watch the Sun.”
He is also nominated for best R&B song, for his “Please Don’t Walk Away.” His "The Better Benediction" is up for best gospel performance/song.
“Stompin’ Ground,” a collaboration between Aaron Neville and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band from the soundtrack of the documentary “Take Me to the River: New Orleans,” is nominated in the American roots performance category.
The soundtrack of New Orleans jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard's "Fire Shut Up In My Bones," the first opera by a Black composer to be presented in the 138-year history of New York's Metropolitan Opera, is nominated as best opera recording.
“Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story,” a documentary about the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival featuring a mix of performance footage and interviews, is nominated for best music film.
The festival factors into another nomination. “Live at the 2022 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival,” by the South Carolina vocal group Ranky Tanky, is nominated for best regional roots music album.
The catch-all regional roots music album category generally includes some Louisiana artists as well as Hawaiian artists. Two southwest Louisiana acts, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-chas and Sean Ardoin, will go head to head in the category.
Ardoin’s nominated album, “Full Circle,” is also credited to LSU’s Golden Band from Tigerland, which would earn a golden Gramophone trophy if the Ardoin album wins.
The New Orleans-born Lil Wayne is a featured artist on DJ Khaled's "God Did," which received multiple nominations.
The 65th Grammy Awards telecast is scheduled to air on CBS at 7 p.m. on Feb. 5.
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