In a press statement issued on Monday, February 9, 2026, the Coalition of Unemployed Tertiary Graduates with Disabilities expressed frustration over what it described as years of neglect and exclusion from the formal job market, despite being qualified and certified by various tertiary institutions.

The group said hundreds of graduates with disabilities have remained unemployed for over six years, forcing many into poverty, the informal sector, or street begging, even though persons with disabilities make up about eight per cent of Ghana’s population.

Citing labour data, the coalition noted that while the national unemployment rate stands at about 13 per cent, unemployment among persons with disabilities in the formal sector is nearly double, with only about 27 per cent of working-age persons with disabilities gainfully employed.

The coalition accused the government of failing to enforce the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), particularly provisions on employment, and called for the immediate implementation of a five per cent employment quota for persons with disabilities, as earlier promised by President John Dramani Mahama.

Convener of the group, Gilbert Boateng Agyare, said they are not seeking charity but demanding their right to work, stressing that continued inaction will compel them to demonstrate across the country.

The coalition warned that if the government fails to respond within one month with a clear and actionable employment roadmap, its members from all 16 regions will stage mass protests to demand inclusion, dignity, and equal opportunity.

Read the statement below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MONDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2026.

UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES WITH DISABILITIES ISSUE ONE-MONTH ULTIMATUM TO GOVERNMENT

We, the Coalition of Unemployed Tertiary Graduates with Disabilities, are issuing this formal press statement to express our utter disappointment, frustration, and rising anger at the Government of Ghana’s systemic neglect of our right to work and dignity.
For over six years now, hundreds of us qualified, skilled, and certified by various tertiary institutions across the country have been left to languish in poverty at home. We have fulfilled our part of the social contract by acquiring higher education, often at great personal and financial sacrifices.
Yet, the State has turned its back on us, leaving us to survive on the fringes of a society we are ready to build.
The Grim Reality is that the current state of inclusion in Ghana is not just disappointing and disturbing but rather a flagrant violation and an abridgement of our fundamental human rights. Based on the 2021 Population and Housing Census and recent 2025 labor data, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) make up approximately 8% of Ghana’s population, representing over 2.1 million people.
While the national unemployment rate hovers around 13%, the unemployment rate for PWDs in the formal sector is nearly double the national average.
In Ghana, only about 27% of PWDs of working age are gainfully employed, compared to over 56% of persons without disabilities.
The vast majority of PWDs are pushed into the informal sector or forced into street begging, despite holding degrees in Education, Law, Administration, and Information Technology.
The United Nations, through the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)—which Ghana has ratified and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 8), demands that member states ensure PWDs have access to “open, inclusive, and accessible” labor markets.
The UN and International Labour Organization (ILO) standards emphasize that governments should implement quota schemes (often recommending that PWDs occupy between 2% to 5% of the workforce in both public and private sectors) to ensure equitable representation. The Government of Ghana has failed to enforce even the basic provisions of our own Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715 when it comes to the issues of employment).
Recently, at the launch of the free tertiary Education for persons with Disabilities policy, His Excellency the President of the republic, John Dramani Mahama stated pellucidly that he was going to implement a 5% quota employment policy for persons with disabilities across the country in all public and private sector recruitment and also incentivize private companies willing to hire the service of persons with Disabilities.
We are not asking for charity; we are demanding our right to work. We have been “educated for the shelf for too long.
We demand an immediate roadmap for the recruitment of the current backlog of unemployed tertiary-educated PWDs into the public sector.
We demand the full implementation of employment quotas in all government agencies and incentives for private companies that hire PWDs.
We demand an end to the systemic barriers during recruitment processes that favor able-bodied individuals overqualified PWDs.
We hereby give the Government of Ghana a one-month ultimatum from today to respond to our plight with a concrete, actionable employment plan.
Failure to act will leave us with no choice but to hit the streets in our numbers. We will mobilize our members from all sixteen regions, with our wheelchairs, our white canes, and our crutches, to occupy the seats of power until our voices are heard. We will demonstrate against the State’s blatant disregard for our lives and our futures.
We are of the conviction that the current challenge plaguing us is not one which is intractable or insurmountable for government to solve if the political will is there.
We wish to indicate that a plethora of our people have been commuting from their hometowns to Accra to engage the various ministries that can resolve the issues at hand, but all our efforts have unfortunately proven futile.
As a country that frowns on seeing the vulnerable begging for alms on the streets, we must rather ameliorate such people from their destitutions instead of making them more marginalized every day to feed on the crumbs of politicians.
It remains an indubitable or incontrovertible truth that issues of disability in this country have been swept under the carpet, but we are of the conviction that it is about time that we rose against such ignominious treatment given to such people in this country.
Persons with disability in this country have been languished to struggle on their own to survive without any clear policies to alleviate the predicaments faced by us.
The impediments in our path are too much to the extent that we are not considered by government in any decision made by the government.
These challenges hamper our progress as humans since we compete with the abled bodied persons for everything.
But we wish to assert that disability is no respecter of persons so we should be guided as a country through our actions by creating an inclusive environment for all without any semblance of discrimination and segregation against the disabled.
As a country that tout itself with an accolade of being the beacon of democracy in Africa, our attitude towards the disabled has not been the best at all as we continue to create excruciating pains for such people in everything we do.
Finally, we will elicit an unflinching support from the media and the general public to implore the government to do the needful for peace to prevail.

Thank you.

SIGNED:
GILBERT BOATENG AGYARE
CONVENER OF THE GROUP
0244061940.

The following leaders may be contacted for interviews and more clarifications by the media

1. Baah Felix – 0544295020
2. Gilbert Boateng Agyare – 0244061940.
3. Takyi Augustine – 0551393853
4. Habib Augustine K. A. – 0248503773
5. Awoe Emmanuel – 0546594198.
6. Arther Dede Alberta – 0552695654  
   Coalition of Unemployed Tertiary Graduates with Disabilities
   Please find attached a portion of the list of people who are affected by this unfortunate situation for your consideration.
   The list constitutes details of their names, type of impairment, year of completion and the school attended.

LIST OF UNEMPLOYED TERTIARY GRADUATES WITH DISABILITIES
NO. NAME INSTITUTION ATTENDED YEAR
COMPLETED TYPE OF DISABILITY

1. Jonathan Atta Kakra Yorke Koforidua Polytechnic 2007 Visual Impairment
2. Walter Komla Gomashie Evangelical Presbyterian University College, Ho 2011 Albinism
3. Emmanuel Asibey Osei School of Social Work 2012 Visual Impairment
4. Stephen Mensah Amoh Kumasi Technical University 2013 Physical Disability
5. Titriku Akosua Rejoice University of Education, Winneba 2013 Physical Disability
6. Emmanuel Kwesi Cole University of Cape Coast 2014 Visual Impairment
7. Gloria Pokua Annancy Central University 2014 Visual Impairment
8. Yakub Issahaque University For Development Studies 2014 Physical Disability
9. Faisal Sey IPMC University College 2015 Physical Dis
10. Monica Boateng Dedaa UCC 2016 Physical Disability
11. Faisal Abubakar Vocational 2017 Visual Impairment
12. Felix Selase Dovi University of professional studies Accra 2017 Visual Impairment
13. Georgina Mills Addo University of Education, Winneba 2017 Hearing Impairment
14. Gifty Teni Salibga Koforidua Technical University 2017 Hearing Impairment
15. Mohammed Salihu Adnan University of Cape Coast (UCC) 2017 Physical Disability
16. Zenabu Belbah University of Cape Coast 2017 Physical Disability
17. Delali Josephine Kuwornu University of Education Winneba 2018 Physical Disability
18. Fatima Amadu University of Education 2018 Hearing Impairment
19. Isaac Asirifi University of Cape Coast 2018 Amputee in right leg
20. Shadrack Ndibagen University Of Education, Winneba 2018 Visual Impairment
21. Sylvester Agyemang Atta University of Education, Winneba, Ghana 2018 Hearing Impairment
22. Abu Ayishetu New life college 2019 Physical Disability
23. Ali Male Ibrahim University of Education 2019 Visual Impairment
24. Ayishetu Mohadi Maliku University of education Winneba – kumasi campus 2019 Physical Disability
25. Cosmos Quenin Opoku University of Education, Winneba 2019 Visually Impaired with hearing challenge
26. Evans Acheampong University of Education, Winneba 2019 Visual Impairment
27. Habiba Kantunsung Jackson college of education 2019 Physical challenge
28. Yahaya Bayi Ghana Institute of Journalism 2019 Person with albinism
29. Apuga Sampson University of Education, Winneba 2020 Visual Impairment
30. Bonnah Kwasi Stephen University of Education, Winneba 2020 Visual Impairment
31. Kenneth Mawutor Gakpetor Evangelical Presbyterian University College 2020 Physical Disability
32. Martha Frimpong University of Education, Winneba 2020 Visual Impairment
33. Sudais Abubakar Mohammed Garden City University 2020 Physical Disability
34. Maxwell Turkson University of Education, Winneba 2021 Visual Impairment
35. Norbert Dawono University of Education, Winneba 2021 Visual Impairment
36. Placidio Gume University of Education, Winneba 2021 Physical Disability
37. Rita Naa Okaikor Ayi-Bonte Wisconsin International University College 2021 Stammering
38. Abubakakari Zakaria Tamale Technical University and New Life College, Tamale 2021 Physical Disability
39. Abdul-Rahman Estandaru University For Development Studies 2022 Physical Disability
40. Albert Anakwa Coffie University of Education, Winneba 2022 Hearing Impairment
41. Bernice Adjoa Eshun University of Cape Coast 2022 Visual Impairment
42. Bismark Bosomprah University of Education, Winneba 2022 Visual Impairment
43. Cecilia Saamporibo University of Education, winneba 2022 Visual Impairment
44. Elvis Boateng Jackson College of Education 2022 Physical Disability
45. Farhan Alhassan Shaibu University of Ghana, Legon 2022 Visual Impairment
46. Godsway Kekeli Tamakloe University of Education, Winneba 2022 Visual Impairment
47. Hamdan Alidu University of Education, Winneba 2022 Deaf
48. Hoenyedzi mensah Alphonsus University of Education, winneba 2022 Hearing Impairment
49. Ruth Asare Koforidua Technical University 2022 Hearing Impairment
50. Frank Kwaku Yeboah University of Ghana 2023 Visual Impairment
51. Sidu Latifa Kantong University of Education, Winneba 2022 Visual Impairment
52. Ziinkow Bertha University of Education, Winneba 2022 Visual Impairment
53. Abdul-Majeed Alhassan University of Education, Winneba 2023 Physical Disability
54. Theodora Kissiwa University of Cape Coast 2023 Physical Disability
55. Adam Rasheed Abdul Koforidua Technical university 2023 Deaf
56. Albert Anakwa Coffie University of Education, winneba 2023 Hearing Impairment
57. Alberta Dede Narther University of Education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
58. Alhassan Abdul-Majeed University of education, Winneba 2023 Physical Disability
59. Atinga Ayinpoka Mavis University of Education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
60. Batadiniah Asoawe Eric University of Education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
61. Benjamin Kyere University of Education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
62. Benjamin Mensah University of Education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
63. Boniretey Jorbontey University of Cape coast, UCC 2023 Physical Disability
64. Bright Wireko Ampong Kwame nkrumah university of science and technology 2023 Physical Disability
65. David Mort Akoliga University of Cape Coast 2023 Visual Impairment
66. Elikem Yaw Attipoe University of Education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
67. Ellen Bempah Owusu University of education, Winneba 2023 Physical Disability
68. Emmanuel Awoe University of Education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
69. Emmanuel Kwabena Akonsi University of education, Winneba 2023 Hearing Impairment
70. Enyonam Destiny Lavoe University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
71. Eric Kwesi Asare University of Education, Winneba 2023 Hearing Impairment
72. Ewura Dari Malik University of education, Winneba 2023 Physical Disability
73. Francis Suma University for Development Studies (UDS Tamale ) 2023 Physical Disability
74. Fuseini Yakubu University of education winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
75. Habib Augustine Kurawura Alankpari University of cape coast UCC 2023 Visual Impairment
76. Hassan Yakubu University of education Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
77. Iddrisu Abdul Hanan University of education, Winneba 2023 Hearing Impairment
78. Ishmael Edem Adevu University of education, Winneba 2023 Physical Disability
79. Jeffery Addo University of Ghana, Legon 2023 Visual Impairment
80. Jonas Adjetey University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
81. Joyce Asantewaa University of Education,Winneba 2023 Physical Disability
82. Lennox Alalek University of Education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
83. Meshack Azaanga Amobire University of Education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
84. Mispa Odame University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
85. Moses Azumah Nelson University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
86. Muhammad Mubarak University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
87. Nsungar Alice Bipee University for development studies 2023 Albinism
88. Prince Adjei Otsiwah University of Ghana 2023 Visual Impairment
89. Rebecca Agbagah University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
90. Richard Nsoh Avebire University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
91. Sabratu Avoye Imoro St John Bosco College of Education 2023 Physical Disability
92. Sarfo Hienno Aikins University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
93. Selorm Adrah-Hormeku University of Ghana 2023 Dwarfism
94. Shadrach Kwame Norvinyo University college of agriculture and environmental studies 2023 Physical Disability
95. Stephen Dankwa University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
96. Suma Francis University for Development Studies 2023 Physical Disability
97. Sylvester Acquah University of Ghana 2023 Visual Impairment
98. Thomas Kwame Kwaa University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
99. Veronica Amuzu University of Cape Coast 2023 Visual Impairment
100. Veronica Segbornya Amegakpui University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
101. Yakubu Hassan University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
102. Mohammed No Iddrisu University of Education Winneba-Ajumako 2023 Visual Impairment
103. Alhassan Habibata University of education, Winneba 2023 Visual Impairment
104. Hamdan Alidu University of Education, Winneba (Distance) 2023 Hearing Impairment
105. Abraham Abugbilla Abugri University of education, Winneba 2023 Physical Disability
106. Abdul Mumin University of cape coast 2024 Physical Disability
107. Abdul Rashid Suleymana Kessben university college 2024 Visual Impairment
108. Abdulai Widraogo Nuhu University of Ghana 2024 Visual Impairment
109. Abdul-Kudus Basin Tahiru University of Cape Coast 2024 Visual Impairment
110. Abdul-Razak Osman University for Development Studies 2024 Physical Disability
111. Abigail Agyemang University of cape coast 2024 Visual Impairment
112. Aboagye Okyere Mensah AAMUSTED, Kumasi campus 2024 Hearing Impairment
113. Adu Emmanuel University of Ghana 2024 Visual Impairment
114. Amos Awuku University of cape coast 2024 Visual Impairment
115. Antwi Ellias University of education, Winneba 2024 Hearing Impairment
116. Asumah Zoromi Abdul- Rashid BAGABAGA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION TAMALE 2024 Physical Disability
117. Atanga Assibi Janet University of Education Winneba 2024 Visual Impairment
118. Atta Silas Mensah University of education, Winneba 2024 Hearing Impairment
119. Augustina Kpipien University of Cape coast 2024 Visual Impairment
120. Bridget Abla Honu University of Education,winneba 2024 Physical Disability
121. Catherine Anim-Larbi University of Education, Winneba 2024 Hearing Impairment
122. Catherine Yaa Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development 2024 DeafBlindness
123. Catherine Adjeley Nonom University of Ghana legon 2024 Visual Impairment
124. Cletus Naah Boorsong University of education, Winneba 2024 Visual Impairment
125. David Nunyala Duodu University of Cape Coast 2024 Visual Impairment
126. Ephraim Ayeh Oracca-Tetteh University of Ghana 2024 Visual Impairment
127. Eric Owusu Afriyie University of Education, Winneba 2024 Hearing Impairment
128. Fatima Owusuaa University of cape coast 2024 Visual Impairment
129. Foster Abariche University of Cape coast 2024 Visual Impairment
130. Godwin Edudzi Bleboo University of Education, Winneba 2024 Hearing Impairment
131. Ibrahim Hamidu University of education, winneba 2024 Hearing Impairment
132. Ibrahim Yahaya University of Cape coast 2024 Visual Impairment
133. Iddrisu Nashiru University of education, Winneba 2024 Hearing Impairment
134. Isaac Obeng University of Cape Coast 2024 Visual Impairment
135. Jenita Sommah Anafo Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya college 2024 Visual Impairment
136. Kunugbe None Rosemary UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA 2024 Physical Disability
137. Kyeraa Hannah AAmusted- kumasi 2024 Hearing Impairment
138. Lateef Abdullahi Alhassan University of education, Winneba 2024 Visual Impairment
139. Mariam Shuaib University of Cape Coast 2024 Hearing Impairment
140. Martha Ayorkor Ashong University of Cape coast 2024 Visual Impairment
141. Martha Kangmenang Seidu Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies-(SDD-UBIDS) 2024 Physical Disability
142. Matilda Dankwah Akenten appiah-Menka university of skills training and entrepreneurial development (AAMUSTED) 2024 Hearing Impairment
143. Mavis Teiko Aminatey University of Ghana 2024 Physical Disability
144. Michael Annorhene Frimpong University of Cape Coast 2024 Visual Impairment
145. Mohammed Sabasa Umar University of education, Winneba 2024 Visual Impairment
146. Nancy Adompoka Akurigya UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA 2024 Visual Impairment
147. Paul Ayaba Asiawon University of education, Winneba 2024 Physical Disability
148. Peace Awadzi University of Education,Winneba 2024 Visual Impairment
149. Rashida Kumih University of Cape coast 2024 Hearing Impairment
150. Richard Kwadwo Glakpeh University of education, Winneba 2024 Visual Impairment
151. Rolanda Wewobong University of Cape Coast 2024 Visual Impairment
152. Samsideen Gbana Mohammed. Bukari University of education UEW. 2024 Visual Impairment
153. Takyi Augustine AAMUSTED 2024 Physical Disability
154. Zenabu Hudu University of education, Winneba 2024 Hearing Impairment
155. Ansah Emmanuel AKENTEN APPIAH-MENKA UNIVERSITY OF SKILLs TRANING AND ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT 2024 Hearing Impairment
156. Samuel Asante University of Cape Coast 2024 Visual Impairment
157. mensah benjamin University of education, Winneba 2024 Visual Impairment
158. Febian Maanneakpeng Sotenga University of Cape Coast 2024 Visual Impairment
159. Iddrisu Abdul Hanan University of education, Winneba 2024 Hearing Impairment
160. Nahima Issahak Issahak University of education, Winneba 2024 Visual Impairment
161. Abdul Basit Osman University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, Wa Ghana 2025 Physical Disability
162. Awal Wumbei Iddrisu University of Education, Winneba 2025 Physical Disability
163. Didongo Raymond University of education, Winneba 2025 Visual Impairment
164. Francis Kutom UDS 2025 Physical Disability
165. Godfred Aming Atoosiko University of Cape coast (UCC) 2025 Physical Disability
166. Kwabena Bediako Kyere University of Cape Coast 2025 Physical Disability
167. Lamor Augustine Nkoranza technical Institute 2025 Physical Disability
168. Monica Boateng Dedaa UCC 2025 Physical Disability
169. Nicholas Akorligah Kwofie University of Ghana 2025 Visual Impairment
170. Sakina Barson University of education, Winneba 2025 Physical Disability
171. Seth Doetse University of education, winneba 2025 Hearing Impairment
172. stephen Adonu Adonu Technical university 2025 Hearing Impairment
173. Sylvester Agyemang Atta University of education, Winneba 2025 Hearing Impairment
174. Adongo Bilitor Isaiah Isaiah LPMV &Gbewaa college of Education 2025 Albinism
175. Iddrisu Zuleiha Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) 2025 Visual Impairment

1. The Night Manager

It has been nearly a decade since the dynamic adaptation of John le Carré’s 1993 novel became a huge critical and popular success.

At last, a second season continues the story of Jonathan Pine, the efficient hotel night manager who became an even more efficient spy.

But that first run took the story to the end of the novel, and le Carré died in 2020 – so its adapter David Farr had to start from scratch for this one.

Tom Hiddleston once again stars as Pine, whose looks, charm and quick wit enabled him to take down an arms dealer. He is now entrenched at MI6, working quietly in a London office, when he goes rogue and follows yet another arms dealer all the way to Colombia.

Olivia Colman returns in a supporting role as Angela Burr, who recruited Pine to the agency last time.

Among the new characters, Diego Calva plays Teddy Dos Santos, the season’s wily villain, Camila Morrone is his glamorous cohort and Hayley Squires is an MI6 agent working with Pine. Le Carré may be gone, but his novel’s DNA remains, and a third series has already been ordered.

The Night Manager premieres 1 January on BBC One in the UK and 11 January on Prime Video internationally

2. Run Away

The latest of many Netflix adaptations of Harlan Coben novels stars James Nesbitt as Simon, whose college-age daughter, Paige (Ellie de Lange), runs off. His search for her takes him to an underworld of drugs and, when Paige’s controlling boyfriend is murdered, into the kind of cloak-and-dagger mystery Coben is known for.

Minnie Driver plays Simon’s wife, Ingrid. Alfred Enoch is Detective Isaac Fagbenle. And Ruth Jones (co-creator and star of Gavin & Stacey) plays Elena, a private investigator who is also searching for Paige, although Simon didn’t ask her to.

They form a team with its own energy. “It’s a really lovely onscreen relationship because, well, spoiler alert, it’s not a romance,” Jones said at the series’ London premiere. “It’s refreshing to see that male-female friendship.”

Run Away premieres 1 January on Netflix internationally

3. The Pitt

On paper, The Pitt might have sounded like just another medical drama, but its first season proved to be one of the year’s best shows, full of realism, with lives lost and saved, as doctors, nurses, medical students and patients endlessly grappled with stress. The second season is once again built around Noah Wyle’s character, Dr Robby, whose PTSD is leading him to take a sabbatical.

The series’ setting isn’t called the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center for nothing. The new season – and its 15 episodes following a single working day in real time – takes place on his last shift before that break, and the show’s creators have added more peril by setting it on the Fourth of July.

Wyle tells EW that the holiday will bring “fireworks, alcohol-related accidents, bad judgments [and] celebrations gone awry” as patients stream into the hospital.

The new season is set 10 months after the last, which means that most of the previous cast are still around, including Katherine LaNasa as Nurse Dana Evans, Taylor Dearden as empathetic Dr Mel King, Fiona Dourif as Dr Cassie McKay and Patrick Ball as Dr Frank Langdon, just back from rehab.

The Pitt premieres 8 January on HBO Max in the US

4. His & Hers

Small-town murder investigations don’t get more closed-circle than this. Tessa Thompson plays Anna Andrews, a television anchor who leaves Atlanta to report on a killing in her hometown of Dahlonega, Georgia.

Jon Bernthal is Jack Harper, an investigator in Dahlonega’s sheriff’s department, who is tackling the murder case there after being forced out of a big city job. Each suspects the other of being the killer, and because they are married to each other (it is fiction) but estranged, each probably has a good instinct about what the other is capable of.

Or maybe suspecting an estranged spouse of murder is the ultimate revenge. William Oldroyd, director of the terrific 2016 film Lady Macbeth, with Florence Pugh – not based on Shakespeare, it’s another fraught story of marriage and murder – directed the first episode and is a writer on the show, based on the 2020 novel by Alice Feeney.

His & Hers premieres 8 January on Netflix internationally

5. Industry

This intense, compulsively watchable series dared to blow itself up at the end of last season. The ambitious, sexually voracious, ruthless young friends and rivals at the London investment bank Pierpoint scattered when the firm was taken over by another company, leaving the show to reconstruct itself in this fourth season.

Most of the familiar cast returns, including Marisa Abela as Yasmin, last seen getting engaged to the wealthy and wonderfully named Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington). Her true love, Robert, played by Harry Lawtey, is the one main character not in the new season. Harper (Myha’la) sets out on a business venture of her own.

And Max Minghella joins the cast as a tech mogul, creator of a payment processing company called Tender (think PayPal if that helps). Kiernan Shipka plays his executive assistant and Kal Penn the company’s CEO.

The show’s creators, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, have said that this season was influenced by “conspiracy and erotic thrillers”, which should ramp up the enjoyable tension even more.

Industry premieres 11 January on HBO and HBO Max in the US and January on BBC One in the UK

6. Hijack

If you happen to be on a hijacked anything – plane, train, whatever – just hope that Idris Elba is there too. In season two of this taut thriller, he returns as Sam Nelson, the business negotiator who talked and stormed his way into saving a hijacked plane full of passengers last time.

Now he is in Berlin, searching for the fugitive he holds responsible for that hijacking, when he steps onto an underground train with a bomb attached to it. There are plenty of twists and questions, as the German police and British security services suspect Sam himself is part of the plot.

New cast addition Toby Jones and a returning Archie Panjabi play British officials who have their own agenda. Elba is, as always, a charismatic hero, who is savvy enough to manipulate anyone with schemes that aren’t always obvious. “This is a game of poker,” Sam says. “You don’t have to have the best hand to win, you just have to have the best bluff.”

Hijack premieres 12 January on Apple TV internationally

7. Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials

Agatha Christie is always in fashion and her novels always seem to draw superb casts to their screen adaptations. This three-part series, based on The Seven Dials Mysteries, is set in 1925 at that most reliable and cinematic of murder-mystery settings, a large country house.

A prank gone wrong at a house party leads to death, and Lady Eileen Brent, known as Bundle, sets out to discover who did it. Mia McKenna-Bruce (who made her breakthrough in the 2023 film How to Have Sex) plays Bundle, whom James Prichard, Christie’s great-grandson and an executive producer of the series, has described as “one of my great-grandmother’s raft of interesting, humorous, and sharp young female characters”.

Helena Bonham Carter plays Lady Caterham and Martin Freeman is Superintendent Battle in the show, which was written by Chris Chibnall, the creator of a great, darker television mystery series, Broadchurch. “Someone in this room knows more than they are telling us,” one character says in the trailer to the gathered guests. Of course they do. That cosy familiarity is what makes Christie such fun.

Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials premieres 15 January on Netflix internationally

8. Ponies

Emilia Clarke (forever the Mother of Dragons on Game of Thrones) is Bea and Haley Lu Richardson (from The White Lotus’s Sicily season) is Twila in this mismatched-buddy spy thriller set in Moscow in 1977, a year that explains Twila’s giant mop of curly hair.  Bea is a reserved, educated Russian speaker, daughter of Soviet émigrés to the US, and Twila is a brash rebel from a working-class background.

Both are now living in the USSR because their husbands are undercover CIA operatives, but when the men are killed in a suspicious plane crash, Bea and Twila go undercover themselves to find out what happened.

They are Persons of No Interest, PONIs in spy-talk, whose low profiles as US embassy secretaries, a job they both hate, makes them the perfect underestimated people to infiltrate the KGB. Adrian Lester plays the CIA’s head of the Moscow station and their handler, who figures that together they might make one good agent. There is a dash of wit that comes from Bea and Twila’s contrasting personalities, but the espionage drama dominates as they tangle with some nasty Soviets.

Ponies premieres 15 January on Peacock in the US

9. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

This Game of Thrones prequel is set 100 years before the events of that series, and about a century after House of the Dragon, but don’t expect the same palace intrigue. Based on George RR Martin’s novellas Tales of Dunk and Egg, the show follows Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), known as Dunk, and his squire, called Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). Egg is, by contrast, extremely short, because he is still a child, and readers of the novellas will know that he has a secret connection to the Targaryens, who sit on the Iron Throne.

The series puts us in the point of view of Dunk, who has a relatively low status as a hedge knight, unattached to any household. Ira Parker, the series’ showrunner, has described him as “somebody who grew up in the slums of King’s Landing as an orphan”. And unlike the other GOT dramas, this one is quite short, with six half-hour episodes.

“It’s not the big, sprawling Game of Thrones that we’ve come to know and love,” Parker said. “This is close and this is intimate.” Still, there is a big jousting tournament as an action centrepiece, and some familiar names, with Bertie Carvel playing Baelor Targaryen, heir to the throne, and Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres 18 January on HBO and HBO Max in the US and 19 January on Sky Atlantic in the UK

10. The Beauty

He’s back. And so soon! Producer Ryan Murphy’s most recent series, the campy legal drama All’s Fair, dropped in November and was widely reviled by critics with descriptions such as “the worst TV drama ever”. It quickly became a hit. Here he is with another buzzy series, this time set in the high-fashion world, where a sexually-transmitted virus turns people into examples of physical beauty and perfection. Of course, there’s a deadly catch, reminiscent of last year’s film The Substance.

Evan Peters and Rebecca Hall play FBI agents looking into what nefarious plot might be behind it all. Ashton Kutcher is a villainous tech billionaire (is there any other kind on screen?), creator of a drug called The Beauty, and Anthony Ramos is his employee, known as The Assassin. Guest stars include Isabella Rossellini, Bella Hadid and Ben Platt.

Set in Paris, Venice, Rome and New York, the show is based on a graphic novel series by Jeremy Haun and Jason A Hurley, and considering how often Murphy’s over-the-top characters are deliberately cartoonish, that sounds about right.

The Beauty premieres 21 January on Hulu in the US and 22 January on Disney+ in the UK

11. Shrinking

With Harrison Ford as its droll standout, this sophisticated comedy has one of the best ensemble casts on television, along with the rare ability to be funny and touching while avoiding any sappiness. The plot has grown from its early focus on Jimmy (Jason Segel) and his unconventional psychiatric methods as he spirals after his wife’s death.  In this third season, Paul (Ford), Jimmy’s friend and mentor, deals with the increasing symptoms of Parkinson’s, while Jimmy seems ready to move into a relationship.

Jeff Daniels guest stars as Jimmy’s dad and Michael J Fox plays a Parkinson’s patient, a role tailored to his own well-known experience living with that condition. But it’s the regular cast that shines. Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Christa Miller and Ted McGinley are more comfortable than ever as the friends and neighbours who are endlessly, comically, meddling in each other’s lives.

As Bill Lawrence, the show’s co-creator, told TV Insider: “This is a show about a tiny found family that built a nuclear safety bubble around themselves” – and that continues to evolve.

Shrinking premieres 28 January on Apple TV internationally

12. Bridgerton

Season four belongs to the second Bridgerton son, the licentious, artistically-minded  Benedict (Luke Thompson). According to the rules of his society (and of historical romances on TV) it is time for him to grow up and settle down. At a masked ball, he spies a young woman he calls The Lady in Silver, and is instantly taken with her. We soon know, and Netflix has revealed, what he doesn’t: Cinderella-style, she has made her way into the ball but is actually a lowly maid. How will he ever find her unless she loses a shoe? Yerin Ha plays the mysterious love interest, Sophie Baek. She works for another new character, the harsh Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung, Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films), who has two daughters to marry off. The regular cast returns, including (for at least a bit) Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton, along with Claudia Jessie as the spirited Eloise and Nicola Coughlan as Penelope, now married to Colin Bridgerton and having admitted that she has been the gossiping Lady Whistledown all along. Half of the season premieres this month, and the remaining four episodes on 26 February.

Bridgerton premieres 29 January on Netflix internationally

The norm would have been that long queues of voters, and objects such as stones, chairs and gallons representing voters, would have formed overnight as anxious voters desiring to cast their ballots early in the day forgo sleep.

The stones and gallons would represent voters in the queues who want to attend to some other business and would have secured their turns with the acknowledgement of ‘neighbours’ in the queue.

This is in spite of the labelling of this year’s election as a ‘high stakes’ election, whatever that means.

Bawumia in Walewale, Mahama in Bole

Vice President and presidential candidate of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, arrived in his hometown of Walewale, in the North East Region Friday night.

The Vice President votes in Kperiga, a suburb of Walewale, and he is expected to cast his ballot there when polls open.

Dr. Bawumia is on the ballot for the first time, on the ticket of the NPP, and he is seeking to be elected President, having been Vice President to President Akufo-Addo in the past eight years.

Similarly former President John Dramani Mahama, presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, arrived at his home base of Bole-Bamboi constituency in the Savannah Region on Friday to cast his vote, confident of victory.

Bole-Bamboi holds significant personal and political value for Mr Mahama, as he previously served as the constituency’s Member of Parliament before ascending to the roles of Vice President and President of Ghana.

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High school was a land of plenty for me. In my sophomore year, I began dating a series of quirky, heartfelt boys, each one something straight out of a John Hughes movie.

There were lots of burned CDs, late-night make-out sessions, and outside-the-box love notes. One boyfriend placed a Ziploc bag of red liquid in a heart-shaped container lined with handwritten poems comparing me to ventricles and the aorta. It was kind of creative, very creepy, and totally romantic. 

I was drunk on my newfound power. Why bask in the adoration of one guy, I thought, when there were at least two others who were also interested and waiting on the sidelines?

“Boys, please! There’s plenty of me to go around.” My ego was off the charts.

I began to string a few guys along at a time. I started one semester in a relationship with a great guy, then replaced him two months in with a charming nerd who was double-majoring in Film and Computer Science. That summer, I got back together with my first boyfriend so I wouldn’t have to spend three months not being worshipped back in my hometown.

Eventually, I realized that some guys are special, and I shouldn’t be changing them as often as I change my underwear. I would find a nice guy to commit to… but so many guys were nice. I decided I’d find a nice one until I found a nicer one. I’d become a serial monogamist.

When I moved to New York City at age 22, my college boyfriend, Sam, and I tried the long-distance thing for a few months. Then I met someone else and started acting aloof so Sam would break up with me. So, for those of you keeping track at home, there was Sam and then Marco and then Nick, and then… I’m running out of aliases.

I finally fell hard for Chad. He was the first boyfriend who seemed to be marriage material, whatever that was. Things soured after about a year, and I broke up with him. I walked around the city, listening to sad music on my iPod… for about three weeks.

Then I started dating John.

If Chad was a hard fall, then John was a jump off the Empire State Building. He was smart, kind, and inspiring.

We drove around the city for hours brainstorming ideas for creative projects. I’d never had so much in common with someone I’d dated. John and I read the same books, sang along to the same music, and shared the same values.

We’d also never been single adults. I’d been in a relationship of some sort since I was 15. John had dated only three women. He’d had the same girlfriend through high school and college. Then he met me, his third girlfriend, while he was still dating his second.

That might have been the most significant thing we had in common: John and I were both serial monogamists. He was my mirror.

I was devastated when John broke up with me after a year of dating. Our demise wasn’t easy to classify. We hadn’t stopped loving each other or grown bored. The things that brought us together were still stronger than all the annoyances that came up later. But we were stuck.

When you really care for someone at 16, everyone reminds you how young you are.

When it happens at 26, everyone reminds you how not-that-young-anymore you are. John and I weren’t ready to take any big next steps, no matter how age-appropriate they might be. John told me that he wanted to focus on his career and self-actualization and that he worried he was codependent. But John wasn’t just talking about himself. He was talking about me, too.

When two serial monogamists quit each other, it’s not pretty. John and I spent months trying to get each other back, though never at the same time. I tried standup comedy, took a trapeze class, and changed careers — all while listening to angry breakup music. Months later, I decided to try dating again.

Remember, I hadn’t ever spent more than a few weeks on my own. I’d just bounced from relationship to relationship.

The singles scene was a sobering reality: it certainly wasn’t the land of plenty that I’d experienced in high school. I went on so many bad dates. Sometimes there was no chemistry. Sometimes we didn’t speak the same language (literally and figuratively). Sometimes I got treated the way I used to treat boys in high school — disposable.

I was a serial monogamist who was suddenly single and trying to figure out what I really was looking for after all. But how could I really have known who I am if I’d never really let myself be independent? I had always been wrapped up and somehow defined by a relationship — in a perpetual rebound state.

Then I met my match in John — the mirror — who broke up with me and finally forced me to reevaluate my dating patterns. Before John (and our breakup), being a girlfriend was a huge part of my identity. I neglected other aspects of myself because boyfriends consumed so much of my time and energy.

John’s decision to ultimately make a clean break forced me to look inside myself.

I probably would have kept falling back into his arms if he hadn’t cut the cord. Once I was alone with no desire to be with anyone else, I saw that love — and the pursuit of it — was an addiction for me. In the first weeks, I found myself lonely and unable to imagine the rest of my life. But I stuck it out and then once I snapped out of it, something amazing happened: for the first time, I was able to imagine my future without someone else in the picture.

I started to focus on rediscovering me.

Does that mean I’d given up on love? Of course not. But instead of always looking outside of myself for fulfillment, I learned to turn my search inward. Ultimately, I want a partner and a person who makes me a better version of myself. It would take a lot of time and effort to find someone special again, I knew. But when I did find him, I’d finally understand his worth.

Though he will not give details of roads to see an upgrade, the Minister says Kwabre East and West areas will see contractors mobilise to the site in less than a month.

Residents of Kwabre East have on several occasions hit the streets to protest the poor state of road networks in the area.

They include the Antoa road linking Sakora Wonoo, the hometown of the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie alias Sir John, a former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party.

Others are the Kenyasi-Adwumam-Fawode, the Aboaso-Mpobi-Wawase roads, Maase-Aduman-Buoho road and Afrancho-Ntiribuoho stretch.

Mr Amoako Atta says a major contractor working on deplorable roads in both Keabre East and West will soon mobilise to the site.

The sector minister made the remarks at a sod-cutting ceremony for the Suame Interchange project.

Similar projects, according to him, would soon be done in the Manso area.

Present at the event was the Member of Parliament for Kwabre East, Francisca Oteng.

He described the donation as an “important milestone”, stating that it was going to help the Commission to monitor and enforce laws against the destruction of Ghana’s forest reserves.

Mr. Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, also assured the company of the commission’s support to undertake exploration in some areas of the forest.

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But it was not free lunch.

Fasoh Multi Services then requested the Ghana’s forestry regulator to assist the company with guards to monitor and protect its mining concession in the Upper Wassaw Forest Reserve.

The commission obliged. It deployed 12 Forest guards to the mining company after the request, according to the commission’s website.

But there is an irony. It has now emerged that the said mining company, Fasoh Multi Services Limited was jointly owned by the late Sir John.

In his will, one of the controversial lands he owned at the Achimota Forest is held in the name of the company.

Sir John wrote, “I give my land also situated at the Achimota Forest in the name of Fasoh Limited and measuring 0.987acres to my nephews Michael Owusu, Yaw Boadu and Kwabena Amoateng forever.”

It continued:

In another part of the will, he disclosed his business interest in the company: “I have a similar ownership in gold production in Rotl, Fasoh, MBL who can be contacted through Francis Owusu.”

The mining company forms part of a long list of 75 properties, including houses, parcels of land, bank accounts, investments, businesses, guns and clothes to be distributed among the named persons in the will by the late former NPP General Secretary.

From the will, some of these properties were registered while Sir John was serving as the Chief executive of the Forestry Commission from 2017-2020.

It is unclear when he acquired interest in mining businesses, but some commentators on his will have suggested he might have put himself in the situation of conflict-of-interest situation.

It is also unclear whether the mining company ever paid for the Forestry Commission guards that were deployed to them.

Meanwhile, information The Fourth Estate has requested and received from the Audit Service reveals that Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie did not declare his assets before taking office and did not declare them throughout his tenure as the CEO of the Forestry Commission.

Per the laws regulating asset declaration in Ghana—Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution and Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act—Mr Afriyie should have declared assets relating to the following:

(a) lands, houses and buildings;
(b) farms;
(c) concessions;
(d) trust or family property in respect of which the officer has beneficial interest;
(e) vehicles, plant and machinery, fishing boats, trawlers, generating plants;
(f) business interests;
(g) securities and bank balances;
(h) bonds and treasury bills;
(i) jewellery of the value of ¢5 million [now ¢500] or above; objects of art of the value of ¢5 million or above;
(j) life and other insurance policies;
(k) such other properties as are specified on the declaration form.

Sir John had a long list of properties including 13 houses at various locations in Accra and Kumasi and his hometown, Sakora Wonoo, in the Ashanti Region.

Meanwhile, the government has stated that Sir John’s will shall not get the Achimota Forest and Ramsar site lands included in the will.

Barely 24 hours following The Fourth Estate‘s publication, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in a statement on May 24, 2022, stated that its checks at the Lands Commission “show no record of ownership of lands, at the Achimota Forest or the Sakumono Ramsar Site, by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.”

From the details available to The Fourth Estate, it will not be strange not to find any records of Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie relating to the lands. He appeared to have acquired them through certain companies that were not linked to him until his death or with other persons named in his will. That has been the case in all the Achimota Forest lands he named in his will.

The ministry’s statement, which is signed by the sector minister, Samuel A. Jinapor, however, did not end there.

“That said, given the totality of the circumstances of the said allegations, I, as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, have directed the Lands and Forestry Commissions to deem any ownership of lands, both, in the Achimota Forest and the Sakumono Ramsar Site by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie as void and are to take the appropriate actions accordingly,” the statement said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the bequeathing of the aforesaid lands, if established, will not pass any interest/title to the named beneficiaries in the alleged will. These lands, the subject matter of the alleged will, shall remain public lands, whether or not it falls within the de-gazetted lands pursuant to EI 144,” the statement added.

Popularly called Sir John, Mr. Afriyie was a former general secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP). He died of Covid-19-related complications on July 1, 2020, while still in office as the head of the Forestry Commission.

The massive wealth he bequeathed to his family and loved ones has shocked many Ghanaians since The Fourth Estate exclusively revealed the contents of his will.

Of particular interest have been the large parcels of land he owned at the Achimota Forest and the Ramsar site, a protected area he had warned people against acquiring land while he was in office.

Some have also questioned when he acquired the properties.

Information The Fourth Estate has requested and received from the Audit Service reveals that Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie did not declare his assets before taking office and did not declare them throughout his tenure as the CEO of the Forestry Commission.

Per the laws regulating asset declaration in Ghana—Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution and Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act—Mr Afriyie should have declared assets relating to the following:

(a) lands, houses and buildings;
(b) farms;
(c) concessions;
(d) trust or family property in respect of which the officer has beneficial interest;
(e) vehicles, plant and machinery, fishing boats, trawlers, generating plants;
(f) business interests;
(g) securities and bank balances;
(h) bonds and treasury bills;
(i) jewellery of the value of ¢5 million [now ¢500] or above; objects of art of the value of ¢5 million or above;
(j) life and other insurance policies;
(k) such other properties as are specified on the declaration form.

Sir John had a long list of properties including 13 houses at various locations in Accra and Kumasi and his hometown, Sakora Wonoo, in the Ashanti Region. These houses are:

1. House on plot number GA54480 located in Ogbojo, East Legon, and dated February 12, 2018
2. House on plot number GA 55329 located at Oyarifa No. 2, dated May 11, 2018
3. House on plot number GA 55475 located at Oyarifa No.1, dated September 27, 2017
4. House on plot number GA 5881 located at Adjiringanor, Accra, (white House), dated August 7, 2019.
5. A 6-bedroom house located at Patangbe, Ogbojo, near East Legon.
6. A  4-bedroom house located in Mempeheusem, East Legon
7. A 3-bedroom house on plot number TDA 4140 located in Mempehuesem, East Legon
8. Another 3-bedroom house on plot number TDA 4140 located in Mempehuesem, East Legon
9. A 4-bedroom house on plot number GA56838 located in East Legon and dated October 25, 2018
10. A 5-bedroom house located in Sakora Wonoo
11. A 4-storey building located in East Legon, with 10 apartments, each apartment consisting of 3-bedrooms; and five apartments, each consisting of two bedrooms
12. A house at East Legon Hills
13. A house in Kumasi, Ashanti region

Assets Sir John Acquired while in office

Sir John was appointed the CEO of the Forestry Commission in March 2017

His will does not state when most of the landed properties, money in bank accounts and investments were acquired or the businesses he owned were set up.

However, he named dates along with the registration details of five of the houses in his will. Incidentally, all five dates were while he was the CEO of the Forestry Commission.

When he was just six months in office, his house acquired at Oyarifa No. 1 is dated September 27, 2017 with the registration.

A second house at Ogbojo in Accra is dated February 12, 2018, along with the details in the will.

A third house in Sir John’s collection is dated May 11, 2018, in the will, and a fourth on October 25, 2018.

By his 30th month in office, Sir John, a lawyer NPP’s general secretary from 2010 to 2014, had five houses registered in his name. The fifth one came on August 7, 2019.

Eight other houses contained in his will do not have the dates of acquisition.

His listed wealth also included 12 parcels of land.

Sir John’s will also contains 15 foreign and local bank and investment accounts (both individual and corporate ) with one of the local banks having GH₵ 2 million.

His list of businesses includes a fuel station located at Kentinkrono in the Ashanti Region; 10 fuel tankers (worth about $780,000, according to The Fourth Estate’s checks); one teak plantation located at Nkawie in the Ashanti Region; a rubber plantation located in the Eastern Region; three stalls located at the new Kejetia market in Kumasi, also in the Ashanti Region and Farms at Ejura in the Ashanti Region.

That is not all.

He owned a fleet of 15 private vehicles, including a Lexus LX570, Lexus V6, Mercedes Benz E68 Sport AMG, Honda Pilot V6, Honda Accord Sport, Toyota Landcruiser V8, Ford 150 and Lexus Saloon Car, 2019 model.

The Fourth Estate verifies if Sir John declared his assets

The Fourth Estate has, through a right to information request to the Audit Service, found that Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, who led the country’s forestry sector regulator for almost four years failed to file his assets and liabilities as required by law.

This is clearly in violation of Article 286(1) of the 1992 Constitution, which required that public office holders declare their assets they hold directly or indirectly before taking office, at the end of every four years; and at the end of their term of office.

The law requires that the President, Vice-President, the Speaker, Deputy Speakers of Parliament, ministers and deputy ministers of state, ambassadors, the Chief Justice and managers of public institutions in which the state has interest to submit to the Auditor-General written declarations of all property or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by them, whether directly or indirectly.

Sir John did not.

Asset declaration just a formality?

Critics of Ghana’s asset declaration laws say it is nothing more than a formality since there is no means to verify what public office holders disclose.

This is because laws forbid public disclosure of the assets declared by the public officers concerned unless demanded as evidence by a court of competent jurisdiction, a commission of inquiry appointed under Article 278 or before an investigator appointed by the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice.

But anti-graft crusaders including, Vitus Azeem, a former executive director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative, had described the law as opaque with parliament lacking the will to amend it because it wouldn’t favour public office holders.

“It does not make the law an effective tool to fight corruption,” he said, and points to the possibilities of dodging as the ideal situation should be that the Auditor-General could open the envelope and verify if the assets mentioned did exist or “if it was just a blank sheet that has been put into an envelope”.

The case against asset verification 
There have been a lot of cases made against the verification of assets declared. Civil Society Organisations, including the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) noted some of these arguments against asset declarations in their research and publications. One argument against closing the assets declared to the public is the socio-cultural setting.

Some argue that in the context of Ghana’s extended family system, which relies heavily on  relatives, disclosing public office holders’ assets would make them vulnerable to undue pressure from needy relatives.

Another justification has been that publicising the assets of public officials could deter “good” persons from entering public service.

However, CDD-Ghana has shredded these arguments describing them as a red herring.

CDD has noted that politicians and other elites are themselves given to needless displays of ostentation and self-importance, mainly as a way of establishing their “big man” credentials and reputation as “patrons”. It argues that it is disingenuous for these same elites to resist the disclosures of their assets on the grounds that it would give undue publicity to the private wealth of public officeholders.

Controversies in the Sir John era as Forestry Commission CEO

During Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie’s tenure of office, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) released a damning report on the illegal trade and felling of rosewood trees had continued despite a ban being in place since 2012.

“Since 2012, over 540,000 tons of rosewood – the equivalent of 23,478 twenty-foot containers or approximately six million trees – were illegally harvested and imported into China from Ghana while bans on harvest and trade have been in place,” the report said.

The investigations found “a massive institutionalised timber trafficking scheme, enabled by high-level corruption and collusion.”

When he addressed a press conference on September 5, 2019, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie said from 2012 to May 2019, a total of 300,368.94 cubic metres of rosewood equivalent to 257,230 trees had been exported and not six million trees as alleged by the EIA.

As an antidote to the illegal rosewood trade, he said the commission had decided to among other things, burn all seized rosewood in order to deter people from engaging in cutting down the tree since all other measures had failed.

It didn’t happen.

At the heat of the crackdown on illegal mining (galamsey) in 2018, some residents of Koboro in the Amansie Central District in the Ashanti Region, a notorious illegal mining hub, labelled Sir John as an illegal miner.

In his defence, he explained that he had contracted a company to undertake a reclamation exercise and not an illegal mining activity in the Apamprama Forest located in the area.

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In a post, he disclosed that he cannot repay the sacrifices of the former CEO of the Forestry Commission and promised to keep his memory alive.

“Remembering a great father, Lawyer Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, Sir John, on his posthumous 70th Birthday. I cannot repay your sacrifices, and the least I can do is help keep your memory alive. God bless and keep you until we meet again.

“From your grateful son, Yaw Amoateng Afriyie. Deputy CEO, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre,” he wrote.

The former General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party, affectionately called Sir John, died on July 1, 2020, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital after he was believed to have contracted COVID-19.

He was buried at his hometown Sakora Wonoo in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region on June 3, 2021.

Known in real life as Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, the NPP stalwart is set to journey home in his hometown.

Prior to the funeral service, a photo of the NPP bigwig’s final resting place has popped up on social media.

READ ALSO:

• Tears as Sir John’s mortal remains arrive at Sakora Wonoo [Video]

• Sir John: Exclusive visuals from funeral grounds

The photo showed a painted walled and gated edifice looking like a two-bedroom house with a huge picture of Sir John mounted on it.

Reports indicate that the edifice is Sir John’s tombstone and final resting place.

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The former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Wednesday, July 1, 2020, after a short illness.

The body was moved from Accra on Tuesday, June 2, 2021 to Sakora Wonoo in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region ahead of the funeral rites

Residents and sympathisers thronged the streets in their numbers clad in black and red attire to welcome the body amid tears.

ALSO READ:

• Thank you for believing in me – Sammy Awuku mourns Sir John

• You made our politics interesting – Mahama mourns Sir John

All the funeral rites will take place at Sakora Wonoo in strict adherence to the covid-19 safety protocols.

Watch the video below:

The former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Wednesday, July 1, 2020, after testing positive for Covid-19.

The funeral rites began today, Wednesday, June 2, 2021, and will continue up to the weekend.

Canopies and sound systems were mounted with chairs arranged as well as decors in place as mourners prepare to pay their last respects.

All the rites will be held in his hometown, Sakora Wonoo in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region in strict adherence to the covid-19 safety protocols..

ALSO READ:

• Check out Obaapa Christy’s emotional tribute song for late Sir John [Video]

• Read Kwabena Agyepong’s touching tribute in memory of Sir John [Photos]

A thanksgiving service in his honour will be held on Saturday, June 5, 2021, at the Sakora Wonoo Seventh Day Adventist Church at 8:am following his burial today.

Watch the video attached for more:

All the funeral rites are scheduled to take place in his hometown, Sakora Wonoo in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region in strict adherence to the covid-19 safety protocols.

Sir John will be laid in state at the Junior High School park from 3:am to 9:am and buried at the family cemetery at 10:am.

A thanksgiving service in his honour will be held on Saturday, June 5, 2021, at the Sakora Wonoo Seventh Day Adventist Church at 8:am.

ALSO READ:

• Agya Koo’s performance during Sir John’s one-week observance [Watch]

• Don’t step foot at Sir John’s funeral if … – Akufo-Addo, NPP warned [Video]

The former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Wednesday, July 1, 2020, after testing positive for Covid-19.

Read the full details below:

President Nana Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party have been warned to stay away from the funeral of the former Forestry Commission boss, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, aka Sir John.

This is according to the residents of Sakora Wonoo in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region due to the bad nature of roads in the area.

They revealed contractors packed out of the community after the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and other NPP stalwarts used the road to attend their son’s one-week rites.

They have given an ultimatum to the President and the party in which Sir John served as a secretary to ensure they do the needful or forget about his funeral.

The queen mother of the area, Nana Ama Nyarko, who led residents in a demonstration on Thursday, April 29, 2021, bemoaned why they should face such a problem, looking at the love Sir John had for his party.

“Sir John brought you here nine years ago after you lost your first contest and you promised to fix the roads for us and we will plead with you to fulfill that promise.

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“If not, we are going to bury Sir John because he is our son but they should forget coming to the funeral,” she fumed.

To her, the contribution of the former New Patriotic Party General Secretary, who hails from the community, should be enough reason to influence the rehabilitation of the road.

The residents fear they may be cut off from surrounding communities as their roads and bridge linking them continue to deteriorate.

Their fears have heightened after half of the weak bridge caved in at the onset of rains with concrete culverts being washed away.

Drivers now have to skillfully maneuver their way to cross the bridge which may fully collapse at anytime.

Meanwhile, the District Chief Executive for the area, Osei Bonsu, has revealed road projects in the Kwabre East have progressed at a slow pace for financial reasons but efforts were underway to get the contractors back on site.

Watch the video attached above:

Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”

It didn’t make sense to people but to us, it made a lot of sense. The most important numbers in our lives give us a beautiful bible verse and it meant a lot to us.

We stayed for two years and had a boy, James. He was our blessing and all the grace we sought for in our marriage.

When James was one, we decided to take him to visit my husband’s parents. It was Christmas, so in a way, we were celebrating Xmas and also bringing James to his dad’s hometown for the first time.

We got to Asankragua at 11:am and picked a taxi home. At a point, our taxi had to branch and make a U-turn to join the main road. Immediately the driver negotiated the curve and was about to hit the main road, a speeding vehicle out of nowhere ran into the side of the taxi.

The loud noise of the collision was enough to kill the faint-hearted. I didn’t see anything again. I passed out. The only thing I recall was the shout “Jesus!” just before the car crashed into ours. But I don’t remember who shouted.

I regained consciousness at the hospital. My left arm was in a bandage and had stitches just below my right jaw. I couldn’t speak clearly. My husband’s parents were called in when I got conscious. The mother wasn’t looking good. Her eyes were swollen and looking like she’d cried a river.

I asked where my husband and kid were. My husband’s father told me they were in a good shape and were in another ward. Something didn’t look right. A lot of things actually.

Immediately I asked the whereabouts of my husband and kid, my husband’s mother started crying. Her husband was trying to shush her but she couldn’t help it.

I knew something was wrong. I knew they were trying to hide something from me…

My husband and kid couldn’t make it. That was the truth they were hiding from me.

Everything became blurry. Somehow, I wished I was the one dead so John and James survived. I cried but nothing could bring them back to life. I asked God, “but you told us if we believe, we’ll live even if we die? So why are they dead with all their beliefs in their hearts?

No answer came. Obviously

Soon it was a year. Another year passed by and I still had traces of pain written all over my life. Time heals but it doesn’t erase the scars I guess.

At 31, I got married again—Martin. Martin was kind to me from day one. He was very sympathetic to my story and even offered to take me to the graveside of my boy and husband.

When he proposed marriage, I was skeptical at first but he was real. He was very authentic about his feelings towards me and I appreciated that.

We had a small traditional wedding and started a life together. Seven months later, I was pregnant. The joy was boundless, even greater than the joy I felt when I conceived James.

I was nine or 10 months pregnant when Martin had to travel to Prestea for his usual contract works. He told me: “It’s not anything big. By two or three days we would be done.”

I hope you don’t have to travel again when you return. From the look of things, if we don’t take care, you’ll be away when I deliver.”

He smiled: “By all means, I would be home when it happens, you don’t have to worry.”

When he got to Prestea, he called me. We spoke all night until there was no word to say.

He said: “Say hi to the baby for me.” I ran my hand over my stomach and said: “Dad says hi.” We said our goodnights and hang up.

I saw his missed call when I woke up the next morning. I tried calling back but he didn’t pick. Some hours later, I called again, he didn’t pick. “That’s so unlike him,” I said to myself.

It was already noon and he still hadn’t called back. Schedules might have been tight, I thought. I called him again anyway. He didn’t pick anyway.

I heard my phone ringing. It was some minutes after 4:pm. It was him. Martin. I picked up and immediately started ranting: “I’ve been calling you all day. Has work been so tight that you couldn’t even pick up to say hi to me? Anyway, I’ve been thinking about you all day.

“I’m sorry, this is not Martin. I presume you’re the wife?” The voice on the other side asked.

I got embarrassed. I laughed and said: “Ow sorry about my etiquette, I thought it was Martin. Yeah, this is the wife. Has he misplaced his phone?”

There was silence. “Hello, are you there?” I asked. Still, silence. “Hello, talk to me. I’m the wife. Why are you calling with Martin’s phone?”

For some seconds, the voice said nothing. Later, he gave a huge sigh and said; “I’m sorry to be the one to break this news to you. Martin got electrocuted from one of our 11KV lines. He couldn’t survive it.”

“Hello, hello..you mean, you…you mean what? Martin did what?” I was losing my breath. But I wasn’t sure if I heard him right. I kept asking…

“Hello, could you come again? I didn’t get it the first time. What did you say? What happened to Martin?” I was already broken and in tears. I felt my heart was breaking inside my chest, I wasn’t sure what I heard but something rung true.

Calmly he said again: “Yeah I can understand your shock. We are equally broken and don’t know how we are going to go on from here….he died. He got burnt from the electrocution.”

I dropped the phone, sat on the floor and rested my head on the bed next to me. I was in denial. “No no, not again. Martin didn’t die. No..someone should call me and say something different. They should tell me it was a lie.”

I screamed my lungs out…Nooooooo!!

That was when neighbors started rushing in and asking why. But all I said was “No no no this can’t happen. Martin didn’t die”

They started screaming and those who can cry started crying too.

I called Martin’s line again: “Sorry, the number you’re trying to call…” They put his phone off.

My parents heard the news and came for me. Somehow, Martin’s parents also heard the news. They called and I confirmed I’ve heard the news.

Two men. Both buried. Two marriages that ended in heartbreak. What could I have done to save the lives of these two important men in my life? I had a little say in the events that took their lives.

John went with our one-year-old son. Martin left me with an unborn baby…a son I named Martin. Somehow, he’s a piece of the father so I gave him his father’s name.

I won’t talk about the disgusting names people called me after the event. No, I won’t talk about the maltreatment I received from Martin’s family. To them, I killed their son with my witchcraft.

To the society and the little world around me, I am a witch who only prefers to eat husbands. Men are scared to get closer to me, not that I care. I’m over love and I don’t have any desire to marry again but the stigma I go through sometimes gets to me.

I’m a strong-willed woman. This too shall pass I know but for how long, I don’t know.

I’ve loved two men to death but all I get in return is abuse and stigma from same people who ought to give me love, but you see: “Those who believe in him shall live even if they die.” Physically, I’m dead but I’m alive through Christ who strengthens me.

Amen!

-Dede Acheampong, Dunkwa-Ghana.

‘Daily Show’ host and comedian, Trevor Noah, was the emcee of the 63rd ceremony held on Sunday, which took place under coronavirus-related restrictions.

Two Grammy icons set historic marks. Beyoncé, who led all Grammy nominees with nine, is now the most winning performer/singer in Grammys history after multiple wins.

Taylor Swift also made history as the first woman to win an album of the year three times. 

Check out full list of winners below:

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Winners

GENERAL FIELD

1. Record Of The Year
Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s), if other than the artist.

• BLACK PARADE
  Beyoncé
  Beyoncé & Derek Dixie, producers; Stuart White, engineer/mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
   
• COLORS
  Black Pumas
  Adrian Quesada, producer; Adrian Quesada, engineer/mixer; JJ Golden, mastering engineer
   
• ROCKSTAR
  DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch
  SethinTheKitchen, producer; Derek “MixedByAli” Ali, Chris Dennis, Liz Robson & Chris West, engineers/mixers; Glenn A Tabor III, mastering engineer
   
• SAY SO
  Doja Cat
  Tyson Trax, producer; Clint Gibbs & Kalani Thompson, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
   
• EVERYTHING I WANTED – WINNER
  Billie Eilish
  Finneas O’Connell, producer; Rob Kinelski & Finneas O’Connell, engineers/mixers; John Greenham, mastering engineer
   
• DON’T START NOW
  Dua Lipa
  Caroline Ailin & Ian Kirkpatrick, producers; Josh Gudwin, Drew Jurecka & Ian Kirkpatrick, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
   
• CIRCLES
  Post Malone
  Louis Bell, Frank Dukes & Post Malone, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
   
• SAVAGE
  Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé
  Beyoncé & J. White Did It, producers; Stuart White, engineer/mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

2. Album Of The Year
Award to Artist(s) and to Featured Artist(s), Songwriter(s) of new material, Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s), Mixer(s) and Mastering Engineer(s) credited with at least 33% playing time of the album, if other than Artist.

• CHILOMBO
  Jhené Aiko
  Fisticuffs & Julian-Quán Việt Lê, producers; Fisticuffs, Julian-Quán Việt Lê, Zeke Mishanec, Christian Plata & Gregg Rominiecki, engineers/mixers; Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, Julian-Quán Việt Lê, Maclean Robinson & Brian Keith Warfield, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
   
• BLACK PUMAS (DELUXE EDITION)
  Black Pumas
  Adrian Quesada, producer; Adrian Quesada, engineer/mixer; Eric Burton & Adrian Quesada, songwriters; JJ Golden, mastering engineer
   
• EVERYDAY LIFE
  Coldplay
  Daniel Green, Bill Rahko & Rik Simpson, producers; Mark “Spike” Stent, engineer/mixer; Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer
   
• DJESSE VOL.3
  Jacob Collier
  Jacob Collier, producer; Ben Bloomberg & Jacob Collier, engineers/mixers; Jacob Collier, songwriter; Chris Allgood & Emily Lazar, mastering engineers
   
• WOMEN IN MUSIC PT. III
  HAIM
  Rostam Batmanglij, Danielle Haim & Ariel Rechtshaid, producers; Rostam Batmanglij, Jasmine Chen, John DeBold, Matt DiMona, Tom Elmhirst, Joey Messina-Doerning & Ariel Rechtshaid, engineers/mixers; Rostam Batmanglij, Alana Haim, Danielle Haim, Este Haim & Ariel Rechtshaid, songwriters; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer
   
• FUTURE NOSTALGIA
  Dua Lipa
  Lorna Blackwood & Koz, producers; Josh Gudwin & Cameron Gower Poole, engineers/mixers; Clarence Coffee Jr. & Dua Lipa, songwriters; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
   
• HOLLYWOOD’S BLEEDING
  Post Malone
  Louis Bell & Frank Dukes, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
   
• FOLKLORE – WINNER
  Taylor Swift
  Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Jonathan Low & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

3. Song Of The Year
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BLACK PARADE
  Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
   
• THE BOX
  Larrance Dopson, Samuel Gloade, Rodrick Moore, Adarius Moragne, Eric Sloan & Khirye Anthony Tyler, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
   
• CARDIGAN
  Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
   
• CIRCLES
  Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)
   
• DON’T START NOW
  Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
   
• EVERYTHING I WANTED
  Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
   
• I CAN’T BREATHE – WINNER
  Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
   
• IF THE WORLD WAS ENDING
  Julia Michaels & JP Saxe, songwriters (JP Saxe Featuring Julia Michaels)

4. Best New Artist
This category recognizes an artist whose eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.

• INGRID ANDRESS
   
• PHOEBE BRIDGERS
   
• CHIKA
   
• NOAH CYRUS
   
• D SMOKE
   
• DOJA CAT
   
• KAYTRANADA
   
• MEGAN THEE STALLION – WINNER

POP

5. Best Pop Solo Performance
For new vocal or instrumental pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.

• YUMMY
  Justin Bieber
   
• SAY SO
  Doja Cat
   
• EVERYTHING I WANTED
  Billie Eilish
   
• DON’T START NOW
  Dua Lipa
   
• WATERMELON SUGAR  – WINNER
  Harry Styles
   
• CARDIGAN
  Taylor Swift

6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.

• UN DIA (ONE DAY)
  J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy
   
• INTENTIONS
  Justin Bieber Featuring Quavo
   
• DYNAMITE
  BTS
   
• RAIN ON ME – WINNER
  Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
   
• EXILE
  Taylor Swift Featuring Bon Iver

7. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new traditional pop recordings.

• BLUE UMBRELLA
  (Burt Bacharach &) Daniel Tashian
   
• TRUE LOVE: A CELEBRATION OF COLE PORTER
  Harry Connick, Jr.
   
• AMERICAN STANDARD – WINNER
  James Taylor
   
• UNFOLLOW THE RULES
  Rufus Wainwright
   
• JUDY
  Renée Zellweger

8. Best Pop Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new pop vocal recordings.

• CHANGES
  Justin Bieber
   
• CHROMATICA
  Lady Gaga
   
• FUTURE NOSTALGIA – WINNER
  Dua Lipa
   
• FINE LINE
  Harry Styles
   
• FOLKLORE
  Taylor Swift

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC

9. Best Dance Recording
For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.

• ON MY MIND
  Diplo & SIDEPIECE
  Diplo & SIDEPIECE, producers; Luca Pretolesi, mixer
   
• MY HIGH
  Disclosure Featuring Aminé & Slowthai
  Guy Lawrence & Howard Lawrence, producers; Guy Lawrence, mixer
   
• THE DIFFERENCE
  Flume Featuring Toro y Moi
  Flume, producer; Eric J Dubowsky, mixer
   
• BOTH OF US
  Jayda G
  Fred Again.. & Jayda G, producers; Fred Again.. & Jayda G, mixers
   
• 10% – WINNER
  Kaytranada Featuring Kali Uchis
  Kaytranada, producer; Neal H. Pogue, mixer

10. Best Dance/Electronic Album
For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.

• KICK I
  Arca
   
• PLANET’S MAD
  Baauer
   
• ENERGY
  Disclosure
   
• BUBBA – WINNER
  Kaytranada
   
• GOOD FAITH
  Madeon

CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

11. Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
For albums containing approximately 51% or more playing time of instrumental material. For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings.

• AXIOM
  Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
• CHRONOLOGY OF A DREAM: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD
  Jon Batiste
• TAKE THE STAIRS
  Black Violin
   
• AMERICANA
  Grégoire Maret, Romain Collin & Bill Frisell
   
• LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL – WINNER
  Snarky Puppy

ROCK

12. Best Rock Performance
For new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative rock recordings.

• SHAMEIKA – WINNER
  Fiona Apple
   
• NOT
  Big Thief
   
• KYOTO
  Phoebe Bridgers
   
• THE STEPS
  HAIM
   
• STAY HIGH
  Brittany Howard
   
• DAYLIGHT
  Grace Potter

13. Best Metal Performance
For new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative metal recordings.

• BUM-RUSH – WINNER
  Body Count
   
• UNDERNEATH
  Code Orange
   
• THE IN-BETWEEN
  In This Moment
   
• BLOODMONEY
  Poppy
   
• EXECUTIONER’S TAX (SWING OF THE AXE) – LIVE
  Power Trip

14. Best Rock Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• KYOTO
  Phoebe Bridgers, Morgan Nagler & Marshall Vore, songwriters (Phoebe Bridgers)
   
• LOST IN YESTERDAY
  Kevin Parker, songwriter (Tame Impala)
   
• NOT
  Adrianne Lenker, songwriter (Big Thief)
   
• SHAMEIKA
  Fiona Apple, songwriter (Fiona Apple)
   
• STAY HIGH – WINNER
  Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)

15. Best Rock Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rock, hard rock or metal recordings.

• A HERO’S DEATH
  Fontaines D.C.
   
• KIWANUKA
  Michael Kiwanuka
   
• DAYLIGHT
  Grace Potter
   
• SOUND & FURY
  Sturgill Simpson
   
• THE NEW ABNORMAL – WINNER
  The Strokes

ALTERNATIVE

16. Best Alternative Music Album
Vocal or Instrumental.

• FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS – WINNER
  Fiona Apple
   
• HYPERSPACE
  Beck
   
• PUNISHER
  Phoebe Bridgers
   
• JAIME
  Brittany Howard
   
• THE SLOW RUSH
  Tame Impala

R&B

17. Best R&B Performance
For new vocal or instrumental R&B recordings.

• LIGHTNING & THUNDER
  Jhené Aiko Featuring John Legend
   
• BLACK PARADE – WINNER
  Beyoncé
   
• ALL I NEED
  Jacob Collier Featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign
   
• GOAT HEAD
  Brittany Howard
   
• SEE ME
  Emily King

18. Best Traditional R&B Performance
For new vocal or instrumental traditional R&B recordings.

• SIT ON DOWN
  The Baylor Project Featuring Jean Baylor & Marcus Baylor
   
• WONDER WHAT SHE THINKS OF ME
  Chloe X Halle
   
• LET ME GO
  Mykal Kilgore
   
• ANYTHING FOR YOU – WINNER
  Ledisi
   
• DISTANCE
  Yebba

19. Best R&B Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BETTER THAN I IMAGINED – WINNER
  Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello)
• BLACK PARADE
  Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
   
• COLLIDE
  Sam Barsh, Stacey Barthe, Sonyae Elise, Olu Fann, Akil King, Josh Lopez, Kaveh Rastegar & Benedetto Rotondi, songwriters (Tiana Major9 & EARTHGANG)
   
• DO IT
  Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Anton Kuhl, Victoria Monét, Scott Storch & Vincent Van Den Ende, songwriters (Chloe X Halle)
   
• SLOW DOWN
  Nasri Atweh, Badriia Bourelly, Skip Marley, Ryan Williamson & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Skip Marley & H.E.R.)

20. Best Progressive R&B Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded progressive vocal tracks derivative of R&B.

• CHILOMBO
  Jhené Aiko
   
• UNGODLY HOUR
  Chloe X Halle
   
• FREE NATIONALS
  Free Nationals
   
• F*** YO FEELINGS
  Robert Glasper
   
• IT IS WHAT IT IS – WINNER
  Thundercat

21. Best R&B Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new R&B recordings.

• HAPPY 2 BE HERE
  Ant Clemons
   
• TAKE TIME
  Giveon
   
• TO FEEL LOVE/D
  Luke James
   
• BIGGER LOVE – WINNER
  John Legend
   
• ALL RISE
  Gregory Porter

RAP

22. Best Rap Performance
For a Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.

• DEEP REVERENCE
  Big Sean Featuring Nipsey Hussle
   
• BOP
  DaBaby
   
• WHATS POPPIN
  Jack Harlow
   
• THE BIGGER PICTURE
  Lil Baby
   
• SAVAGE – WINNER
  Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé
   
• DIOR
  Pop Smoke

23. Best Melodic Rap Performance
For a solo or collaborative performance containing both elements of R&B melodies and Rap.

• ROCKSTAR
  DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch
   
• LAUGH NOW CRY LATER
  Drake Featuring Lil Durk
   
• LOCKDOWN – WINNER
  Anderson .Paak
   
• THE BOX
  Roddy Ricch
   
• HIGHEST IN THE ROOM
  Travis Scott

24. Best Rap Song
A Songwriter(s) Award.  A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only..

• THE BIGGER PICTURE
  Dominique Jones, Noah Pettigrew & Rai’shaun Williams, songwriters (Lil Baby)
   
• THE BOX
  Larrance Dopson, Samuel Gloade, Rodrick Moore, Adarius Moragne, Eric Sloan & Khirye Anthony Tyler, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
   
• LAUGH NOW CRY LATER
  Durk Banks, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Ron LaTour & Ryan Martinez, songwriters (Drake Featuring Lil Durk)
   
• ROCKSTAR
  Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro IV & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch)
   
• SAVAGE – WINNER
  Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé)

25. Best Rap Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rap recordings.

• BLACK HABITS
  D SMOKE
   
• ALFREDO
  Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
   
• A WRITTEN TESTIMONY
  Jay Electronica
   
• KING’S DISEASE – WINNER
  Nas
   
• THE ALLEGORY
  Royce 5’9″

COUNTRY

26. Best Country Solo Performance
For new vocal or instrumental solo country recordings.

• Stick That In Your Country Song
  Eric Church
   
• WHO YOU THOUGHT I WAS
  Brandy Clark
   
• WHEN MY AMY PRAYS – WINNER
  Vince Gill
   
• BLACK LIKE ME
  Mickey Guyton
   
• BLUEBIRD
  Miranda Lambert

27. Best Country Duo/Group Performance
For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative country recordings.

• ALL NIGHT
  Brothers Osborne
   
• 10,000 HOURS – WINNER
  Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
   
• OCEAN
  Lady A
   
• SUGAR COAT
  Little Big Town
   
• SOME PEOPLE DO
  Old Dominion

28. Best Country Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BLUEBIRD
  Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
   
• THE BONES
  Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
   
• CROWDED TABLE – WINNER
  Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)
   
• MORE HEARTS THAN MINE
  Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis & Derrick Southerland, songwriters (Ingrid Andress)
   
• SOME PEOPLE DO
  Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Old Dominion)

29. Best Country Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new country recordings.

• LADY LIKE
  Ingrid Andress
   
• YOUR LIFE IS A RECORD
  Brandy Clark
   
• WILDCARD – WINNER
  Miranda Lambert
   
• NIGHTFALL
  Little Big Town
   
• NEVER WILL
  Ashley McBryde

NEW AGE

30. Best New Age Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental new age recordings.

• SONGS FROM THE BARDO
  Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal & Jesse Paris Smith
   
• PERIPHERY
  Priya Darshini
   
• FORM//LESS
  Superposition
   
• MORE GUITAR STORIES – WINNER
  Jim “Kimo” West
   
• MEDITATIONS
  Cory Wong & Jon Batiste

JAZZ

31. Best Improvised Jazz Solo
For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter’s name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.

• GUINNEVERE
  Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, soloist
  Track from: Axiom
   
• PACHAMAMA
  Regina Carter, soloist
  Track from: Ona (Thana Alexa)
   
• CELIA
  Gerald Clayton, soloist
   
• ALL BLUES – WINNER
  Chick Corea, soloist
  Track from: Trilogy 2 (Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade)
   
• MOE HONK
  Joshua Redman, soloist
  Track from: RoundAgain (Redman Mehldau McBride Blade)

32. Best Jazz Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal jazz recordings.

• ONA
  Thana Alexa
   
• SECRETS ARE THE BEST STORIES – WINNER
  Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez
   
• MODERN ANCESTORS
  Carmen Lundy
   
• HOLY ROOM: LIVE AT ALTE OPER
  Somi With Frankfurt Radio Big Band Conducted By John Beasley
   
• WHAT’S THE HURRY
  Kenny Washington

33. Best Jazz Instrumental Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new instrumental jazz recordings.

• ON THE TENDER SPOT OF EVERY CALLOUSED MOMENT
  Ambrose Akinmusire
   
• WAITING GAME
  Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science
   
• HAPPENING: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD
  Gerald Clayton
   
• TRILOGY 2 – WINNER
  Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade
   
• ROUNDAGAIN
  Redman Mehldau McBride Blade

34. Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new ensemble jazz recordings.

• DIALOGUES ON RACE
  Gregg August
   
• MONK’ESTRA PLAYS JOHN BEASLEY
  John Beasley’s MONK’estra
   
• THE INTANGIBLE BETWEEN
  Orrin Evans And The Captain Black Big Band
   
• SONGS YOU LIKE A LOT
  John Hollenbeck With Theo Bleckmann, Kate McGarry, Gary Versace And The Frankfurt Radio Big Band
   
• DATA LORDS – WINNER
  Maria Schneider Orchestra

35. Best Latin Jazz Album
For vocal or instrumental albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded material. The intent of this category is to recognize recordings that represent the blending of jazz with Latin, Iberian-American, Brazilian, and Argentinian tango music.

• TRADICIONES
  Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra
   
• FOUR QUESTIONS – WINNER
  Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
   
• CITY OF DREAMS
  Chico Pinheiro
   
• VIENTO Y TIEMPO – LIVE AT BLUE NOTE TOKYO
  Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola
   
• TRANE’S DELIGHT
  Poncho Sanchez

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC

36. Best Gospel Performance/Song
This award is given to the artist(s) and songwriter(s) (for new compositions) for the best traditional Christian, roots gospel or contemporary gospel single or track.

• WONDERFUL IS YOUR NAME
  Melvin Crispell III
   
• RELEASE (LIVE)
  Ricky Dillard Featuring Tiff Joy; David Frazier, songwriter
   
• COME TOGETHER
  Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins Present: The Good News; Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins & Jazz Nixon, producers; Lashawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Lecrae Moore & Jazz Nixon, songwriters
   
• WON’T LET GO
  Travis Greene; Travis Greene, songwriter
   
• MOVIN’ ON – WINNER 
  Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music; Darryl L. Howell, Jonathan Caleb McReynolds, Kortney Jamaal Pollard & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters

37. Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
This award is given to the artist(s) and songwriter(s) (for new compositions) for the best contemporary Christian music single or track, (including pop, rap/hip-hop, Latin, or rock.

• THE BLESSING (LIVE)
  Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes & Elevation Worship; Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe Carnes & Steven Furtick, songwriters
   
• SUNDAY MORNING
  Lecrae Featuring Kirk Franklin; Denisia Andrews, Jones Terrence Antonio, Saint Bodhi, Rafael X. Brown, Brittany Coney, Kirk Franklin, Lasanna Harris, Shama Joseph, Stuart Lowery, Lecrae Moore & Nathanael Saint-Fleur, Songwriters
   
• HOLY WATER
  We The Kingdom; Andrew Bergthold, Ed Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash & Scott Cash, songwriters
   
• FAMOUS FOR (I BELIEVE)
  Tauren Wells Featuring Jenn Johnson; Chuck Butler, Krissy Nordhoff, Jordan Sapp, Alexis Slifer & Tauren Wells, songwriters
   
• THERE WAS JESUS – WINNER
  Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters

38. Best Gospel Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, traditional or contemporary/R&B gospel music recordings.

• 2ECOND WIND: READY
  Anthony Brown & group therAPy
   
• MY TRIBUTE
  Myron Butler
   
• CHOIRMASTER
  Ricky Dillard
   
• GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PJ – WINNER
  PJ Morton
   
• KIERRA
  Kierra Sheard

39. Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, contemporary Christian music, including pop, rap/hip hop, Latin, or rock recordings.

• RUN TO THE FATHER
  Cody Carnes
   
• ALL OF MY BEST FRIENDS
  Hillsong Young & Free
   
• HOLY WATER
  We The Kingdom
   
• CITIZEN OF HEAVEN
  Tauren Wells
   
• JESUS IS KING – WINNER
  Kanye West

40. Best Roots Gospel Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, traditional/roots gospel music, including country, Southern gospel, bluegrass, and Americana recordings.

• BEAUTIFUL DAY
  Mark Bishop
   
• 20/20
  The Crabb Family
   
• WHAT CHRISTMAS REALLY MEANS
  The Erwins
   
• CELEBRATING FISK! (THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM) – WINNER
  Fisk Jubilee Singers
   
• SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
  Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

LATIN

41. Best Latin Pop or Urban Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new Latin pop or urban recordings.

• YHLQMDLG – WINNER
  Bad Bunny
   
• POR PRIMERA VEZ
  Camilo
   
• MESA PARA DOS
  Kany García
   
• PAUSA
  Ricky Martin
   
• 3:33
  Debi Nova

42. Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new Latin rock or alternative recordings.

• AURA
  Bajofondo
   
• MONSTRUO
  Cami
   
• SOBREVOLANDO
  Cultura Profética
   
• LA CONQUISTA DEL ESPACIO – WINNER
  Fito Paez
   
• MISS COLOMBIA
  Lido Pimienta

43. Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new regional Mexican (banda, norteño, corridos, gruperos, mariachi, ranchera and Tejano) recordings.

• HECHO EN MÉXICO
  Alejandro Fernández
   
• LA SERENATA
  Lupita Infante
   
• UN CANTO POR MÉXICO, VOL. 1 – WINNER
  Natalia Lafourcade
   
• BAILANDO SONES Y HUAPANGOS CON MARIACHI SOL DE MEXICO DE JOSE HERNANDEZ
  Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez
   
• AYAYAY!
  Christian Nodal

44. Best Tropical Latin Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new tropical Latin recordings.

• MI TUMBAO
  José Alberto “El Ruiseñor”
   
• INFINITO
  Edwin Bonilla
   
• SIGO CANTANDO AL AMOR (DELUXE)
  Jorge Celedon & Sergio Luis
   
• 40 – WINNER
  Grupo Niche
   
• MEMORIAS DE NAVIDAD
  Víctor Manuelle

AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC

45. Best American Roots Performance
For new vocal or instrumental American Roots recordings.  This is for performances in the style of any of the subgenres encompassed in the American Roots Music field including Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk or regional roots. Award to the artist(s).

• COLORS
  Black Pumas
   
• DEEP IN LOVE
  Bonny Light Horseman
   
• SHORT AND SWEET
  Brittany Howard
   
• I’LL BE GONE
  Norah Jones & Mavis Staples
   
• I REMEMBER EVERYTHING – WINNER
  John Prine

46. Best American Roots Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Americana, bluegrass, traditional blues, contemporary blues, folk or regional roots songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• CABIN
  Laura Rogers & Lydia Rogers, songwriters (The Secret Sisters)
   
• CEILING TO THE FLOOR
  Sierra Hull & Kai Welch, songwriters (Sierra Hull)
   
• HOMETOWN
  Sarah Jarosz, songwriter (Sarah Jarosz)
   
• I REMEMBER EVERYTHING – WINNER
  Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
   
• MAN WITHOUT A SOUL
  Tom Overby & Lucinda Williams, songwriters (Lucinda Williams)

47. Best Americana Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Americana recordings.

• OLD FLOWERS
  Courtney Marie Andrews
   
• TERMS OF SURRENDER
  Hiss Golden Messenger
   
• WORLD ON THE GROUND – WINNER
  Sarah Jarosz
   
• EL DORADO
  Marcus King
   
• GOOD SOULS BETTER ANGELS
  Lucinda Williams

48. Best Bluegrass Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental bluegrass recordings.

• MAN ON FIRE
  Danny Barnes
   
• TO LIVE IN TWO WORLDS, VOL. 1
  Thomm Jutz
   
• NORTH CAROLINA SONGBOOK
  Steep Canyon Rangers
   
• HOME – WINNER
  Billy Strings
   
• THE JOHN HARTFORD FIDDLE TUNE PROJECT, VOL. 1
  (Various Artists)
  Matt Combs & Katie Harford Hogue, producers

49. Best Traditional Blues Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental traditional blues recordings.

• ALL MY DUES ARE PAID
  Frank Bey
   
• YOU MAKE ME FEEL
  Don Bryant
   
• THAT’S WHAT I HEARD
  Robert Cray Band
   
• CYPRESS GROVE
  Jimmy “Duck” Holmes
   
• RAWER THAN RAW – WINNER
  Bobby Rush

50. Best Contemporary Blues Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental contemporary blues recordings.

• HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET? – WINNER
  Fantastic Negrito
   
• LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT
  Ruthie Foster Big Band
   
• THE JUICE
  G. Love
   
• BLACKBIRDS
  Bettye LaVette
   
• UP AND ROLLING
  North Mississippi Allstars

51. Best Folk Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental folk recordings.

• BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN
  Bonny Light Horseman
   
• THANKS FOR THE DANCE
  Leonard Cohen
   
• SONG FOR OUR DAUGHTER
  Laura Marling
   
• SATURN RETURN
  The Secret Sisters
   
• ALL THE GOOD TIMES – WINNER
  Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

52. Best Regional Roots Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental regional roots music recordings.

• MY RELATIVES “NIKSO KOWAIKS”
  Black Lodge Singers
   
• CAMERON DUPUY AND THE CAJUN TROUBADOURS
  Cameron Dupuy And The Cajun Troubadours
   
• LOVELY SUNRISE
  Nā Wai ʽEhā
   
• ATMOSPHERE – WINNER
  New Orleans Nightcrawlers
   
• A TRIBUTE TO AL BERARD
  Sweet Cecilia

REGGAE

53. Best Reggae Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new reggae recordings.

• UPSIDE DOWN 2020
  Buju Banton
   
• HIGHER PLACE
  Skip Marley
   
• IT ALL COMES BACK TO LOVE
  Maxi Priest
   
• GOT TO BE TOUGH – WINNER
  Toots & The Maytals
   
• ONE WORLD
  The Wailers

GLOBAL MUSIC

54. Best Global Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Global Music recordings.

• FU CHRONICLES
  Antibalas
   
• TWICE AS TALL – WINNER
  Burna Boy
   
• AGORA
  Bebel Gilberto
   
• LOVE LETTERS
  Anoushka Shankar
   
• AMADJAR
  Tinariwen

CHILDREN’S

55. Best Children’s Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new musical or spoken word recordings that are created and intended specifically for children.

• ALL THE LADIES – WINNER
  Joanie Leeds
   
• WILD LIFE
  Justin Roberts

SPOKEN WORD

56. Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)

• ACID FOR THE CHILDREN: A MEMOIR
  Flea
   
• ALEX TREBEK – THE ANSWER IS…
  Ken Jennings
   
• BLOWOUT: CORRUPTED DEMOCRACY, ROGUE STATE RUSSIA, AND THE RICHEST, MOST DESTRUCTIVE INDUSTRY ON EARTH – WINNER
  Rachel Maddow
   
• CATCH AND KILL
  Ronan Farrow
   
• CHARLOTTE’S WEB (E.B. WHITE)
  Meryl Streep (& Full cast)

COMEDY

57. Best Comedy Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings.

• BLACK MITZVAH – WINNER
  Tiffany Haddish
   
• I LOVE EVERYTHING
  Patton Oswalt
   
• THE PALE TOURIST
  Jim Gaffigan
   
• PAPER TIGER
  Bill Burr
   
• 23 HOURS TO KILL
  Jerry Seinfeld

MUSICAL THEATER

58. Best Musical Theater Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings. Award to the principle vocalist(s) and the album producer(s) of 51% or more playing time of the album. The lyricist(s) and composer(s) of a new score are eligible for an Award if they have written and/or composed a new score which comprises 51% or more playing time of the album.

• AMÉLIE
  Audrey Brisson, Chris Jared, Caolan McCarthy & Jez Unwin, principal soloists; Michael Fentiman, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Barnaby Race & Nathan Tysen, producers; Nathan Tysen, lyricist; Daniel Messe, composer & lyricist (Original London Cast)
   
• AMERICAN UTOPIA ON BROADWAY
  David Byrne, producer (David Byrne, composer & lyricist) (Original Cast)
   
• JAGGED LITTLE PILL – WINNER
  Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen & Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard, composer; Alanis Morissette, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)
   
• LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
  Tammy Blanchard, Jonathan Groff & Tom Alan Robbins, principal soloists; Will Van Dyke, Michael Mayer, Alan Menken & Frank Wolf, producers (Alan Menken, composer; Howard Ashman, lyricist) (The New Off-Broadway Cast)
   
• THE PRINCE OF EGYPT
  Christine Allado, Luke Brady, Alexia Khadime & Liam Tamne, principal soloists; Dominick Amendum & Stephen Schwartz, producers; Stephen Schwartz, composer & lyricist (Original Cast
   
• SOFT POWER
  Francis Jue, Austin Ku, Alyse Alan Louis & Conrad Ricamora, principal soloists; Matt Stine, producer; David Henry Hwang, lyricist; Jeanine Tesori, composer & lyricist (Original Cast)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

59. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
Award to the artist(s) and/or ‘in studio’ producer(s) of a majority of the tracks on the album.  In the absence of both, award to the one or two individuals proactively responsible for the concept and musical direction of the album and for the selection of artists, songs and producers, as applicable. Award also goes to appropriately credited music supervisor(s).

• A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
  (Various Artists)
  Nate Heller, compilation producer; Howard Paar, Music Supervisor
• BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC
  (Various Artists)
  Jonathan Leahy, compilation producer
• EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA
  (Various Artists)
  Savan Kotecha, compilation producer; Becky Bentham, music supervisor
• FROZEN 2
  (Various Artists)
  Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Tom MacDougall & Dave Metzger, compilation producers
• JOJO RABBIT – WINNER
  (Various Artists)
  Taika Waititi, compilation producer

60. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current legitimate motion picture, television show or series, video games or other visual media.

• AD ASTRA
  Max Richter, composer
   
• BECOMING
  Kamasi Washington, composer
   
• JOKER – WINNER
  Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer
   
• 1917
  Thomas Newman, composer
   
• STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
  John Williams, composer

61. Best Song Written For Visual Media
A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television, video games or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BEAUTIFUL GHOSTS [FROM CATS]
  Andrew Lloyd Webber & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
   
• CARRIED ME WITH YOU [FROM ONWARD]
  Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
   
• INTO THE UNKNOWN [FROM FROZEN 2]
  Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Idina Menzel & AURORA)
   
• NO TIME TO DIE [FROM NO TIME TO DIE] – WINNER
  Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
   
• STAND UP [FROM HARRIET]
  Joshuah Brian Campbell & Cynthia Erivo, songwriters (Cynthia Erivo)

COMPOSING/ARRANGING

62. Best Instrumental Composition
A Composer’s Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year. Singles or Tracks only.

• BABY JACK
  Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra)
   
• BE WATER II
  Christian Sands, composer (Christian Sands)
   
• PLUMFIELD
  Alexandre Desplat, composer (Alexandre Desplat)
   
• SPUTNIK – WINNER
  Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider)
   
• STRATA
  Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly Of Shadows Featuring Anna Webber & Eric Miller)

63. Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BATHROOM DANCE
  Hildur Guðnadóttir, arranger (Hildur Guðnadóttir)
   
• DONNA LEE – WINNER
  John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)
   
• HONEYMOONERS
  Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly Of Shadows)
   
• LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING
  Alvin Chea & Jarrett Johnson, arrangers (Jarrett Johnson Featuring Alvin Chea)
   
• URANUS: THE MAGICIAN
  Jeremy Levy, arranger (Jeremy Levy Jazz Orchestra)

64. Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• ASAS FECHADAS
  John Beasley & Maria Mendes, arrangers (Maria Mendes Featuring John Beasley & Orkest Metropole)
   
• DESERT SONG
  Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (Säje)
   
• FROM THIS PLACE
  Alan Broadbent & Pat Metheny, arrangers (Pat Metheny Featuring Meshell Ndegeocello)
   
• HE WON’T HOLD YOU – WINNER
  Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Rapsody)
   
• SLOW BURN
  Talia Billig, Nic Hard & Becca Stevens, arrangers (Becca Stevens Featuring Jacob Collier, Mark Lettieri, Justin Stanton, Jordan Perlson, Nic Hard, Keita Ogawa, Marcelo Woloski & Nate Werth)

PACKAGE

65. Best Recording Package

• EVERYDAY LIFE
  Pilar Zeta, art director (Coldplay)
   
• FUNERAL
  Kyle Goen & Alex Kalatschinow, art directors (Lil Wayne)
   
• HEALER
  Julian Gross & Hannah Hooper, art directors (Grouplove)
   
• ON CIRCLES
  Jordan Butcher, art director (Caspian)
   
• VOLS. 11 & 12 – WINNER
  Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, art directors (Desert Sessions)

66. Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

• FLAMING PIE (COLLECTOR’S EDITION)
  Linn Wie Andersen, Simon Earith, Paul McCartney & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney)
   
• GIANTS STADIUM 1987, 1989, 1991
  Lisa Glines & Doran Tyson, art directors (Grateful Dead)
• MODE
  Jeff Schulz & Paul A. Taylor, art directors (Depeche Mode)
• ODE TO JOY – WINNER
  Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco)
• THE STORY OF GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL
  Michael Cina & Molly Smith, art directors (Various Artists)

NOTES

67. Best Album Notes

• AT THE MINSTREL SHOW: MINSTREL ROUTINES FROM THE STUDIO, 1894-1926
  Tim Brooks, album notes writer (Various Artists)
   
• THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND: COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WEST, 1940-1974
  Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Various Artists)
   
• DEAD MAN’S POP – WINNER
  Bob Mehr, album notes writer (The Replacements)
   
• THE MISSING LINK: HOW GUS HAENSCHEN GOT US FROM JOPLIN TO JAZZ AND SHAPED THE MUSIC BUSINESS
  Colin Hancock, album notes writer (Various Artists)
   
• OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY
  David Sager, album notes writer (Nat Brusiloff)

HISTORICAL

68. Best Historical Album

• CELEBRATED, 1895-1896
  Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer (Unique Quartette)
   
• HITTIN’ THE RAMP: THE EARLY YEARS (1936 – 1943)
  Zev Feldman, Will Friedwald & George Klabin, compilation producers; Matthew Lutthans, mastering engineer (Nat King Cole)
   
• IT’S SUCH A GOOD FEELING: THE BEST OF MISTER ROGERS – WINNER
  Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Mister Rogers)
• 1999 SUPER DELUXE EDITION
  Trevor Guy, Michael Howe & Kirk Johnson, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Prince)
• SOUVENIR
  Carolyn Agger, compilation producer; Miles Showell, mastering engineer (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark)
   
• THROW DOWN YOUR HEART: THE COMPLETE AFRICA SESSIONS
  Béla Fleck, compilation producer; Richard Dodd, mastering engineer (Béla Fleck)

PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL

69. Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
An Engineer’s Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses.)

• BLACK HOLE RAINBOW
  Shawn Everett & Ivan Wayman, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Devon Gilfillian)
   
• EXPECTATIONS
  Gary Paczosa & Mike Robinson, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Katie Pruitt)
   
• HYPERSPACE – WINNER
  Drew Brown, Julian Burg, Andrew Coleman, Paul Epworth, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, John Hanes, Beck Hansen, Jaycen Joshua, Greg Kurstin, Mike Larson, Cole M.G.N., Alex Pasco & Matt Wiggins, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck)
   
• JAIME
  Shawn Everett, engineer; Shawn Everett, mastering engineer (Brittany Howard)
   
• 25 TRIPS
  Shani Gandhi & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Adam Grover, mastering engineer (Sierra Hull)

70. Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical​

• JACK ANTONOFF

• August (Taylor Swift) (T)
• Gaslighter (The Chicks) (A)
• Holy Terrain (FKA Twigs Featuring Future) (T)
• Mirrorball (Taylor Swift) (T)
• This Is Me Trying (Taylor Swift) (T)
• Together (Sia) (S)

• DAN AUERBACH

• Cypress Grove (Jimmy “Duck” Holmes) (A)
• El Dorado (Marcus King) (A)
• Is Thomas Callaway (CeeLo Green) (A)
• Singing For My Supper (Early James) (A)
• Solid Gold Sounds (Kendell Marvel) (A)
• Years (John Anderson) (A

• DAVE COBB

• Backbone (Kaleo) (S)
• The Balladeer (Lori McKenna) (A)
• Boneshaker (Airbourne) (A)
• Down Home Christmas (Oak Ridge Boys) (A)
• The Highwomen (The Highwomen) (A)
• I Remember Everything (John Prine) (S)
• Reunions (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit) (A)
• The Spark (William Prince) (S)
• You’re Still The One (Teddy Swims) (S)

• FLYING LOTUS

• It Is What It Is (Thundercat) (A)

• ANDREW WATT – WINNER

• Break My Heart (Dua Lipa) (T)
• Me And My Guitar (A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie) (T)
• Midnight Sky (Miley Cyrus) (S)
• Old Me (5 Seconds Of Summer) (T)
• Ordinary Man (Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Elton John) (T)
• Take What You Want (Post Malone Featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott) (T)
• Under The Graveyard (Ozzy Osbourne) (T)

71. Best Remixed Recording
A Remixer’s Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses for identification.) Singles or Tracks only.

• DO YOU EVER (RAC MIX)
  RAC, remixer (Phil Good)
   
• IMAGINARY FRIENDS (MORGAN PAGE REMIX)
  Morgan Page, remixer (Deadmau5)
   
• PRAYING FOR YOU (LOUIE VEGA MAIN REMIX)
  Louie Vega, remixer (Jasper Street Co.)
   
• ROSES (IMANBEK REMIX) – WINNER
  Imanbek Zeikenov, remixer (SAINt JHN)
   
• YOUNG & ALIVE (BAZZI VS. HAYWYRE REMIX)
  Haywyre, remixer (Bazzi)

PRODUCTION, IMMERSIVE AUDIO

72. Best Immersive Audio Album
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Best Immersive Audio Album Craft Committee was unable to meet. The judging of the entries in this category has been postponed until such time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members. The nominations for the 63rd GRAMMYs will be announced next year in addition to (and separately from) the 64th GRAMMY nominations in the category

PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL

73. Best Engineered Album, Classical
An Engineer’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)

• DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUA
  Bernd Gottinger, engineer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)
   
• GERSHWIN: PORGY AND BESS
  David Frost & John Kerswell, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (David Robertson, Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Eric Owens, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
   
• HYNES: FIELDS
  Kyle Pyke, engineer; Jesse Lewis & Kyle Pyke, mastering engineers (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)
   
• IVES: COMPLETE SYMPHONIES
  Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
   
• SHOSTAKOVICH: SYMPHONY NO. 13, ‘BABI YAR’ – WINNER
  David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

74. Producer Of The Year, Classical
A Producer’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)

• BLANTON ALSPAUGH

• Aspects Of America – Pulitzer Edition (Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony)
• Blessed Art Thou Among Women (Peter Jermihov, Katya Lukianov & PaTRAM Institute Singers)
• Dvořák: Symphony No. 9; Copland: Billy The Kid (Gianandrea Noseda & National Symphony Orchestra)
• Glass: The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Joseph Li, Nicholas Nestorak, Madison Leonard, Jonas Hacker, Ben Edquist, Matthew Adam Fleisher & Wolf Trap Opera)
• Kahane: Emergency Shelter Intake Form (Alicia Hall Moran, Gabriel Kahane, Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony)
• Kastalsky: Requiem (Leonard Slatkin, Steven Fox, Benedict Sheehan, Charles Bruffy, Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, The Saint Tikhon Choir, Kansas City Chorale & Orchestra Of St. Luke’s)
• Massenet: Thaïs (Andrew Davis, Joshua Hopkins, Andrew Staples, Erin Wall, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir & Toronto Symphony Orchestra)
• Smyth: The Prison (Sarah Brailey, Dashon Burton, James Blachly & Experiential Orchestra)
• Woolf, L.P.: Fire And Flood (Julian Wachner, Matt Haimovitz & Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)

• DAVID FROST – WINNER

• Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 9 (Jonathan Biss)
• Gershwin: Porgy And Bess (David Robertson, Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Eric Owens, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
• Gluck: Orphée & Eurydice (Harry Bicket, Dmitry Korchak, Andriana Chuchman, Lauren Snouffer, Lyric Opera Of Chicago Orchestra & Chorus)
• Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)
• Muhly: Marnie (Robert Spano, Isabel Leonard, Christopher Maltman, Denyce Graves, Iestyn Davies, Janis Kelly, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
• Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845, D. 894, D. 958, D. 960 (Shai Wosner)
• Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’ (Riccardo Muti, Alexey Tikhomirov, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)

• JESSE LEWIS

• Gunn: The Ascendant (Roomful Of Teeth)
• Harrison, M.: Just Constellations (Roomful Of Teeth)
• Her Own Wings (Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival)
• Hynes: Fields (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)
• Lang, D.: Love Fail (Beth Willer & Lorelei Ensemble)
• Mazzoli: Proving Up (Christopher Rountree, Opera Omaha & International Contemporary Ensemble)
• Sharlat: Spare The Rod! (NOW Ensemble)
• Soul House (Hub New Music)
• Wherein Lies The Good (The Westerlies)

• DMITRIY LIPAY

• Adams, J.: Must The Devil Have All The Good Tunes? (Yuja Wang, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
• Cipullo: The Parting (Alastair Willis, Laura Strickling, Catherine Cook, Michael Mayes & Music Of Remembrance)
• Ives: Complete Symphonies (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
• LA Phil 100 – The Los Angeles Philharmonic Centennial Birthday Gala (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
• Langgaard: Prelude To Antichrist; Strauss: An Alpine Symphony (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony Orchestra)
• Nielsen: Symphony No. 1 & Symphony No. 2, ‘The Four Temperaments’ (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony)

• ELAINE MARTONE

• Bound For The Promised Land (Robert M. Franklin, Steven Darsey, Jessye Norman & Taylor Branch)
• Dawn (Shachar Israel)
• Gandolfi, Prior & Oliverio: Orchestral Works (Robert Spano & Atlanta Symphony Orchestra)
• Singing In The Dead Of Night (Eighth Blackbird)
• Whitacre: The Sacred Veil (Eric Whitacre, Grant Gershon & Los Angeles Master Chorale)

CLASSICAL

75. Best Orchestral Performance
Award to the Conductor and to the Orchestra.

• ASPECTS OF AMERICA – PULITZER EDITION
  Carlos Kalmar, conductor (Oregon Symphony)
   
• CONCURRENCE
  Daníel Bjarnason, conductor (Iceland Symphony Orchestra)
   
• COPLAND: SYMPHONY NO. 3
  Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
   
• IVES: COMPLETE SYMPHONIES – WINNER
  Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
   
• LUTOSłAWSKI: SYMPHONIES NOS. 2 & 3
  Hannu Lintu, conductor (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)

76. Best Opera Recording
Award to the Conductor, Album Producer(s) and Principal Soloists.

• DELLO JOIO: THE TRIAL AT ROUEN
  Gil Rose, conductor; Heather Buck & Stephen Powell; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Odyssey Opera Chorus)
   
• FLOYD, C.: PRINCE OF PLAYERS
  William Boggs, conductor; Alexander Dobson, Keith Phares & Kate Royal; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Florentine Opera Chorus)
   
• GERSHWIN: PORGY AND BESS – WINNER
  David Robertson, conductor; Frederick Ballentine, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
   
• HANDEL: AGRIPPINA
  Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor; Elsa Benoit, Joyce DiDonato, Franco Fagioli, Jakub Józef Orliński & Luca Pisaroni; Daniel Zalay, producer (Il Pomo D’Oro)
   
• ZEMLINSKY: DER ZWERG
  Donald Runnicles, conductor; David Butt Philip & Elena Tsallagova; Peter Ghirardini & Erwin Stürzer, producers (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)

77. Best Choral Performance
Award to the Conductor, and to the Choral Director and/or Chorus Master where applicable and to the Choral Organization/Ensemble.

• CARTHAGE
  Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)
   
• DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUAH – WINNER
  JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers)
   
• KASTALSKY: REQUIEM
  Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Charles Bruffy, Steven Fox & Benedict Sheehan, chorus masters (Joseph Charles Beutel & Anna Dennis; Orchestra Of St. Luke’s; Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, Kansas City Chorale & The Saint Tikhon Choir)
   
• MORAVEC: SANCTUARY ROAD
  Kent Tritle, conductor (Joshua Blue, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Dashon Burton, Malcolm J. Merriweather & Laquita Mitchell; Oratorio Society Of New York Orchestra; Oratorio Society Of New York Chorus)
   
• ONCE UPON A TIME
  Matthew Guard, conductor (Sarah Walker; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)

78. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
For new recordings of works with chamber or small ensemble (twenty-four or fewer members, not including the conductor). One Award to the ensemble and one Award to the conductor, if applicable.

• CONTEMPORARY VOICES – WINNER
  Pacifica Quartet
   
• HEALING MODES
  Brooklyn Rider
   
• HEARNE, T.: PLACE
  Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods, Diana Wade & Place Orchestra
   
• HYNES: FIELDS
  Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion
   
• THE SCHUMANN QUARTETS
  Dover Quartet

79. Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Award to the Instrumental Soloist(s) and to the Conductor when applicable.

• ADÈS: CONCERTO FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA
  Kirill Gerstein; Thomas Adès, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
   
• BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE PIANO SONATAS
  Igor Levit
   
• BOHEMIAN TALES
  Augustin Hadelich; Jakub Hrůša, conductor (Charles Owen; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)
   
• DESTINATION RACHMANINOV – ARRIVAL
  Daniil Trifonov; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
   
• THEOFANIDIS: CONCERTO FOR VIOLA AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA – WINNER
  Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)

80. Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Award to: Vocalist(s), Collaborative Artist(s) (Ex: pianists, conductors, chamber groups) Producer(s), Recording Engineers/Mixers with 51% or more playing time of new material.

• AMERICAN COMPOSERS AT PLAY – WILLIAM BOLCOM, RICKY IAN GORDON, LORI LAITMAN, JOHN MUSTO
  Stephen Powell (Attacca Quartet, William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto, Charles Neidich & Jason Vieaux)
   
• CLAIRIÈRES – SONGS BY LILI & NADIA BOULANGER
  Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang, accompanist
   
• FARINELLI
  Cecilia Bartoli; Giovanni Antonini, conductor (Il Giardino Armonico)
   
• A LAD’S LOVE
  Brian Giebler; Steven McGhee, accompanist (Katie Hyun, Michael Katz, Jessica Meyer, Reginald Mobley & Ben Russell)
   
• SMYTH: THE PRISON- WINNER
  Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)

81. Best Classical Compendium
Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s) and Engineer(s) of over 51% playing time of the album, if other than the artist.

• ADÈS CONDUCTS ADÈS
  Mark Stone & Christianne Stotijn; Thomas Adès, conductor; Nick Squire, producer
   
• SAARIAHO: GRAAL THÉÂTRE; CIRCLE MAP; NEIGES; VERS TOI QUI ES SI LOIN
  Clément Mao-Takacs, conductor; Hans Kipfer, producer
   
• SEREBRIER: SYMPHONIC BACH VARIATIONS; LAMENTS AND HALLELUJAHS; FLUTE CONCERTO
  José Serebrier, conductor; Jens Braun, producer
   
• THOMAS, M.T.: FROM THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK & MEDITATIONS ON RILKE- WINNER
  Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer
   
• WOOLF, L.P.: FIRE AND FLOOD
  Matt Haimovitz; Julian Wachner, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer

82. Best Contemporary Classical Composition
A Composer’s Award. (For a contemporary classical composition composed within the last 25 years, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year.) Award to the librettist, if applicable.

• ADÈS: CONCERTO FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA
  Thomas Adès, composer (Kirill Gerstein, Thomas Adès & Boston Symphony Orchestra)
   
• DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUA
  Richard Danielpour, composer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)
   
• FLOYD, C.: PRINCE OF PLAYERS
  Carlisle Floyd, composer (William Boggs, Alexander Dobson, Kate Royal, Keith Phares, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
   
• HEARNE, T.: PLACE
  Ted Hearne, composer (Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra)
   
• ROUSE: SYMPHONY NO. 5- WINNER
  Christopher Rouse, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM

83. Best Music Video
Award to the artist, video director, and video producer.

• BROWN SKIN GIRL – WINNER
  Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & WizKid
  Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, video directors; Astrid Edwards, Aya Kaida, Jean Mougin, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, video producers
• LIFE IS GOOD
  Future Featuring Drake
  Julien Christian Lutz, video director; Harv Glazer, video producer
• LOCKDOWN
  Anderson .Paak
  Dave Meyers, video director; Nathan Scherrer, video producer
   
• ADORE YOU
  Harry Styles
  Dave Meyers, video director; Nathan Scherrer, video producer
   
• GOLIATH
  Woodkid
  Yoann Lemoine, video director; Horace de Gunzbourg, video producer

84. Best Music Film
For concert/performance films or music documentaries. Award to the artist, video director, and video producer.

• BEASTIE BOYS STORY
  Beastie Boys
  Spike Jonze, video director; Amanda Adelson, Jason Baum & Spike Jonze, video producers
   
• BLACK IS KING
  Beyoncé
  Emmanuel Adjei, Blitz Bazawule, Beyonce Knowles Carter & Kwasi Fordjour, video directors; Lauren Baker, Akin Omotoso, Nathan Scherrer, Jeremy Sullivan & Erinn Williams, video producers
   
• WE ARE FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME
  Freestyle Love Supreme
  Andrew Fried, video director; Andrew Fried, Jill Furman, Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sarina Roma, Jenny Steingart & Jon Steingart, video producers
   
• LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE – WINNER
  Linda Ronstadt
  Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola & James Keach, video producers
   
• THAT LITTLE OL’ BAND FROM TEXAS
  ZZ Top
  Sam Dunn, video director; Scot McFadyen, video producer

The son of Sir John as he is popularly known, Yaw Amoateng Afriyie, has made a donation to the party for the December 7, 2020 election campaign.

Mr Afriyie on Monday handed over the items in support of the NPP’s national campaign at the NPP headquarters in Accra.

The items he donated included 1,500 NPP-designed aprons and 165 bags of rice.

Apart from the donation towards the national campaign, Mr Afriyie also offered 1,000 aprons and 100 bags of rice to his constituency, Kwabre East, in the Ashanti Region.

Mr Afriyie’s donation was received by the National Chairman of the NPP, Freddy Blay, who commended the young man for keeping his father’s legacy alive.

Mr Blay recounted how the late Afriyie, loved the NPP and worked hard towards the good of the party, adding that it was the best for his son to continue from where the father left off.

The NPP Chairman promised that the NPP was ready to offer the needed support to Mr Afriyie, and urged him to offer his maximum contribution towards the growth of the party.

ALSO READ:

• Sir John, Adom TV’s Tima, JHS graduate who manufactured car to be honoured

• Govt delegation storms Sir John’s hometown for his one-week observation [Photos]

Mr Afriyie, on his part, said that he was motivated by the good works of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration to be part of the campaign.

He said that he would endeavour to serve the NPP with zeal and enthusiasm just like his late father did until he exited the world.

He said that he was of the firm conviction that the grassroots were the base of the NPP and thought it wise to donate the rice that would be used to motivate some polling station agents.

The soft-spoken Mr Afriyie said that he would always be part of the NPP to work towards the party’s progress “because it is the only party with the interest of Ghana and Ghanaians at heart.”

Find out who is nominated in each of the 83 categories in the full nominees list below:

MORE:

• Check out full list of winners at 2020 Ghana DJ Awards

• Ghanaians unite to celebrate Kojo Antwi on his birthday

• All the beautiful photos from Adom Praiz 2020

GENERAL FIELD

1. Record Of The Year
Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s), if other than the artist.

• BLACK PARADE
  Beyoncé
  Beyoncé & Derek Dixie, producers; Stuart White, engineer/mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
   
• COLORS
  Black Pumas
  Adrian Quesada, producer; Adrian Quesada, engineer/mixer; JJ Golden, mastering engineer
   
• ROCKSTAR
  DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch
  SethinTheKitchen, producer; Derek “MixedByAli” Ali, Chris Dennis & Liz Robson, engineers/mixers; Susan Tabor, mastering engineer
   
• SAY SO
  Doja Cat
  Tyson Trax, producer; Clint Gibbs, engineer/mixer; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
   
• EVERYTHING I WANTED
  Billie Eilish
  Finneas O’Connell, producer; Rob Kinelski & Finneas O’Connell, engineers/mixers; John Greenham, mastering engineer
   
• DON’T START NOW
  Dua Lipa
  Caroline Ailin & Ian Kirkpatrick, producers; Josh Gudwin, Drew Jurecka & Ian Kirkpatrick, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
   
• CIRCLES
  Post Malone
  Louis Bell, Frank Dukes & Post Malone, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
   
• SAVAGE
  Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé
  Beyoncé & J. White Did It, producers; Stuart White, engineer/mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

2. Album Of The Year
Award to Artist(s) and to Featured Artist(s), Songwriter(s) of new material, Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s), Mixer(s) and Mastering Engineer(s) credited with at least 33% playing time of the album, if other than Artist.

• CHILOMBO
  Jhené Aiko
  Fisticuffs & Julian-Quán Việt Lê, producers; Fisticuffs, Julian-Quán Việt Lê, Zeke Mishanec, Christian Plata & Gregg Rominiecki, engineers/mixers; Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, Julian-Quán Việt Lê, Maclean Robinson & Brian Keith Warfield, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
   
• BLACK PUMAS (DELUXE EDITION)
  Black Pumas
  Jon Kaplan & Adrian Quesada, producers; Adrian Quesada, Jacob Sciba, Stuart Sikes & Erik Wofford, engineers/mixers; Eric Burton & Adrian Quesada, songwriters; JJ Golden, mastering engineer
   
• EVERYDAY LIFE
  Coldplay
  Daniel Green, Bill Rahko & Rik Simpson, producers; Mark “Spike” Stent, engineer/mixer; Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer
   
• DJESSE VOL.3
  Jacob Collier
  Jacob Collier, producer; Ben Bloomberg & Jacob Collier, engineers/mixers; Jacob Collier, songwriter; Chris Allgood & Emily Lazar, mastering engineers
   
• WOMEN IN MUSIC PT. III
  HAIM
  Rostam Batmanglij, Danielle Haim & Ariel Rechtshaid, producers; Rostam Batmanglij, Jasmine Chen, John DeBold, Matt DiMona, Tom Elmhirst, Joey Messina-Doerning & Ariel Rechtshaid, engineers/mixers; Rostam Batmanglij, Alana Haim, Danielle Haim, Este Haim & Ariel Rechtshaid, songwriters; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer
   
• FUTURE NOSTALGIA
  Dua Lipa
  Koz, producer; Josh Gudwin & Cameron Gower Poole, engineers/mixers; Clarence Coffee Jr. & Dua Lipa, songwriters; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
   
• HOLLYWOOD’S BLEEDING
  Post Malone
  Louis Bell & Frank Dukes, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
   
• FOLKLORE
  Taylor Swift
  Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Jonathan Low & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

3. Song Of The Year
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BLACK PARADE
  Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
   
• THE BOX
  Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
   
• CARDIGAN
  Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
   
• CIRCLES
  Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)
   
• DON’T START NOW
  Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
   
• EVERYTHING I WANTED
  Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
   
• I CAN’T BREATHE
  Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
   
• IF THE WORLD WAS ENDING
  Julia Michaels & JP Saxe, songwriters (JP Saxe Featuring Julia Michaels)

4. Best New Artist
This category recognizes an artist whose eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.

• INGRID ANDRESS
   
• PHOEBE BRIDGERS
   
• CHIKA
   
• NOAH CYRUS
   
• D SMOKE
   
• DOJA CAT
   
• KAYTRANADA
   
• MEGAN THEE STALLION

POP

5. Best Pop Solo Performance
For new vocal or instrumental pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.

• YUMMY
  Justin Bieber
   
• SAY SO
  Doja Cat
   
• EVERYTHING I WANTED
  Billie Eilish
   
• DON’T START NOW
  Dua Lipa
   
• WATERMELON SUGAR
  Harry Styles
   
• CARDIGAN
  Taylor Swift

6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.

• UN DIA (ONE DAY)
  J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy
   
• INTENTIONS
  Justin Bieber Featuring Quavo
   
• DYNAMITE
  BTS
   
• RAIN ON ME
  Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
   
• EXILE
  Taylor Swift Featuring Bon Iver

7. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new traditional pop recordings.

• BLUE UMBRELLA
  (Burt Bacharach &) Daniel Tashian
   
• TRUE LOVE: A CELEBRATION OF COLE PORTER
  Harry Connick, Jr.
   
• AMERICAN STANDARD
  James Taylor
   
• UNFOLLOW THE RULES
  Rufus Wainwright
   
• JUDY
  Renée Zellweger

8. Best Pop Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new pop vocal recordings.

• CHANGES
  Justin Bieber
   
• CHROMATICA
  Lady Gaga
   
• FUTURE NOSTALGIA
  Dua Lipa
   
• FINE LINE
  Harry Styles
   
• FOLKLORE
  Taylor Swift

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC

9. Best Dance Recording
For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.

• ON MY MIND
  Diplo & SIDEPIECE
  Diplo & SIDEPIECE, producers; Luca Pretolesi, mixer
   
• MY HIGH
  Disclosure Featuring Aminé & Slowthai
  Guy Lawrence & Howard Lawrence, producers; Guy Lawrence, mixer
   
• THE DIFFERENCE
  Flume Featuring Toro y Moi
  Flume, producer; Eric J Dubowsky, mixer
   
• BOTH OF US
  Jayda G
  Fred Again.. & Jayda G, producers; Fred Again.. & Jayda G, mixers
   
• 10%
  Kaytranada Featuring Kali Uchis
  Kaytranada, producer; Neal H. Pogue, mixer

10. Best Dance/Electronic Album
For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.

• KICK I
  Arca
   
• PLANET’S MAD
  Baauer
   
• ENERGY
  Disclosure
   
• BUBBA
  Kaytranada
   
• GOOD FAITH
  Madeon

CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

11. Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
For albums containing approximately 51% or more playing time of instrumental material. For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings.

• AXIOM
  Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah
   
• CHRONOLOGY OF A DREAM: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD
  Jon Batiste
   
• TAKE THE STAIRS
  Black Violin
   
• AMERICANA
  Grégoire Maret, Romain Collin & Bill Frisell
   
• LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
  Snarky Puppy

ROCK

12. Best Rock Performance
For new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative rock recordings.

• SHAMEIKA
  Fiona Apple
   
• NOT
  Big Thief
   
• KYOTO
  Phoebe Bridgers
   
• THE STEPS
  HAIM
   
• STAY HIGH
  Brittany Howard
   
• DAYLIGHT
  Grace Potter

13. Best Metal Performance
For new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative metal recordings.

• BUM-RUSH
  Body Count
   
• UNDERNEATH
  Code Orange
   
• THE IN-BETWEEN
  In This Moment
   
• BLOODMONEY
  Poppy
   
• EXECUTIONER’S TAX (SWING OF THE AXE) – LIVE
  Power Trip

14. Best Rock Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• KYOTO
  Phoebe Bridgers, Morgan Nagler & Marshall Vore, songwriters (Phoebe Bridgers)
   
• LOST IN YESTERDAY
  Kevin Parker, songwriter (Tame Impala)
   
• NOT
  Adrianne Lenker, songwriter (Big Thief)
   
• SHAMEIKA
  Fiona Apple, songwriter (Fiona Apple)
   
• STAY HIGH
  Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)

15. Best Rock Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rock, hard rock or metal recordings.

• A HERO’S DEATH
  Fontaines D.C.
   
• KIWANUKA
  Michael Kiwanuka
   
• DAYLIGHT
  Grace Potter
   
• SOUND & FURY
  Sturgill Simpson
   
• THE NEW ABNORMAL
  The Strokes

ALTERNATIVE

16. Best Alternative Music Album
Vocal or Instrumental.

• FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS
  Fiona Apple
   
• HYPERSPACE
  Beck
   
• PUNISHER
  Phoebe Bridgers
   
• JAIME
  Brittany Howard
   
• THE SLOW RUSH
  Tame Impala

R&B

17. Best R&B Performance
For new vocal or instrumental R&B recordings.

• LIGHTNING & THUNDER
  Jhené Aiko Featuring John Legend
   
• BLACK PARADE
  Beyoncé
   
• ALL I NEED
  Jacob Collier Featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign
   
• GOAT HEAD
  Brittany Howard
   
• SEE ME
  Emily King

18. Best Traditional R&B Performance
For new vocal or instrumental traditional R&B recordings.

• SIT ON DOWN
  The Baylor Project Featuring Jean Baylor & Marcus Baylor
   
• WONDER WHAT SHE THINKS OF ME
  Chloe X Halle
   
• LET ME GO
  Mykal Kilgore
   
• ANYTHING FOR YOU
  Ledisi
   
• DISTANCE
  Yebba

19. Best R&B Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BETTER THAN I IMAGINE
  Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello)
   
• BLACK PARADE
  Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
   
• COLLIDE
  Sam Barsh, Stacey Barthe, Sonyae Elise, Olu Fann, Akil King, Josh Lopez, Kaveh Rastegar & Benedetto Rotondi, songwriters (Tiana Major9 & EARTHGANG)
   
• DO IT
  Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Anton Kuhl, Victoria Monét, Scott Storch & Vincent Van Den Ende, songwriters (Chloe X Halle)
   
• SLOW DOWN
  Nasri Atweh, Badriia Bourelly, Skip Marley, Ryan Williamson & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Skip Marley & H.E.R.)

20. Best Progressive R&B Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded progressive vocal tracks derivative of R&B.

• CHILOMBO
  Jhené Aiko
   
• UNGODLY HOUR
  Chloe X Halle
   
• FREE NATIONALS
  Free Nationals
   
• F*** YO FEELINGS
  Robert Glasper
   
• IT IS WHAT IT IS
  Thundercat

21. Best R&B Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new R&B recordings.

• HAPPY 2 BE HERE
  Ant Clemons
   
• TAKE TIME
  Giveon
   
• TO FEEL LOVE/D
  Luke James
   
• BIGGER LOVE
  John Legend
   
• ALL RISE
  Gregory Porter

RAP

22. Best Rap Performance
For a Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.

• DEEP REVERENCE
  Big Sean Featuring Nipsey Hussle
   
• BOP
  DaBaby
   
• WHAT’S POPPIN
  Jack Harlow
   
• THE BIGGER PICTURE
  Lil Baby
   
• SAVAGE
  Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé
   
• DIOR
  Pop Smoke

23. Best Melodic Rap Performance
For a solo or collaborative performance containing both elements of R&B melodies and Rap.

• ROCKSTAR
  DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch
   
• LAUGH NOW, CRY LATER
  Drake Featuring Lil Durk
   
• LOCKDOWN
  Anderson .Paak
   
• THE BOX
  Roddy Ricch
   
• HIGHEST IN THE ROOM
  Travis Scott

24. Best Rap Song
A Songwriter(s) Award.  A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only..

• THE BIGGER PICTURE
  Dominique Jones, Noah Pettigrew & Rai’shaun Williams, songwriters (Lil Baby)
   
• THE BOX
  Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
   
• LAUGH NOW, CRY LATER
  Durk Banks, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Ron LaTour & Ryan Martinez, songwriters (Drake Featuring Lil Durk)
   
• ROCKSTAR
  Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro IV & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch)
   
• SAVAGE
  Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé)

25. Best Rap Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rap recordings.

• BLACK HABITS
  D SMOKE
   
• ALFREDO
  Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
   
• A WRITTEN TESTIMONY
  Jay Electronica
   
• KING’S DISEASE
  Nas
   
• THE ALLEGORY
  Royce Da 5’9″

COUNTRY

26. Best Country Solo Performance
For new vocal or instrumental solo country recordings.

• Stick That In Your Country Song
  Eric Church
   
• WHO YOU THOUGHT I WAS
  Brandy Clark
   
• WHEN MY AMY PRAYS
  Vince Gill
   
• BLACK LIKE ME
  Mickey Guyton
   
• BLUEBIRD
  Miranda Lambert

27. Best Country Duo/Group Performance
For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative country recordings.

• ALL NIGHT
  Brothers Osborne
   
• 10,000 HOURS
  Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
   
• OCEAN
  Lady A
   
• SUGAR COAT
  Little Big Town
   
• SOME PEOPLE DO
  Old Dominion

28. Best Country Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BLUEBIRD
  Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
   
• THE BONES
  Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
   
• CROWDED TABLE
  Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)
   
• MORE HEARTS THAN MINE
  Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis & Derrick Southerland, songwriters (Ingrid Andress)
   
• SOME PEOPLE DO
  Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Old Dominion)

29. Best Country Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new country recordings.

• LADY LIKE
  Ingrid Andress
   
• YOUR LIFE IS A RECORD
  Brandy Clark
   
• WILDCARD
  Miranda Lambert
   
• NIGHTFALL
  Little Big Town
   
• NEVER WILL
  Ashley McBryde

NEW AGE

30. Best New Age Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental new age recordings.

• SONGS FROM THE BARDO
  Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal & Jesse Paris Smith
   
• PERIPHERY
  Priya Darshini
   
• FORM//LESS
  Superposition
   
• MORE GUITAR STORIES
  Jim “Kimo” West
   
• MEDITATIONS
  Cory Wong & Jon Batiste

JAZZ

31. Best Improvised Jazz Solo
For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter’s name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.

• GUINEVERE
  Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, soloist
  Track from: Axiom
   
• PACHAMAMA
  Regina Carter, soloist
  Track from: Ona (Thana Alexa)
   
• CELIA
  Gerald Clayton, soloist
   
• ALL BLUES
  Chick Corea, soloist
  Track from: Trilogy 2 (Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade)
   
• MOE HONK
  Joshua Redman, soloist
  Track from: RoundAgain (Redman Mehldau McBride Blade)

32. Best Jazz Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal jazz recordings.

• ONA
  Thana Alexa
   
• SECRETS ARE THE BEST STORIES
  Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez
   
• MODERN ANCESTORS
  Carmen Lundy
   
• HOLY ROOM: LIVE AT ALTE OPER
  Somi With Frankfurt Radio Big Band
   
• WHAT’S THE HURRY
  Kenny Washington

33. Best Jazz Instrumental Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new instrumental jazz recordings.

• ON THE TENDER SPOT OF EVERY CALLOUSED MOMENT
  Ambrose Akinmusire
   
• WAITING GAME
  Terri Lyne Carrington And Social Science
   
• HAPPENING: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD
  Gerald Clayton
   
• TRILOGY 2
  Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade
   
• ROUNDAGAIN
  Redman Mehldau McBride Blade

34. Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new ensemble jazz recordings.

• DIALOGUES ON RACE
  Gregg August
   
• MONK’ESTRA PLAYS JOHN BEASLEY
  John Beasley
   
• THE INTANGIBLE BETWEEN
  Orrin Evans And The Captain Black Big Band
   
• SONGS YOU LIKE A LOT
  John Hollenbeck With Theo Bleckmann, Kate McGarry, Gary Versace And The Frankfurt Radio Big Band
   
• DATA LORDS
  Maria Schneider Orchestra

35. Best Latin Jazz Album
For vocal or instrumental albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded material. The intent of this category is to recognize recordings that represent the blending of jazz with Latin, Iberian-American, Brazilian, and Argentinian tango music.

• TRADICIONES
  Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra
   
• FOUR QUESTIONS
  Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
   
• CITY OF DREAMS
  Chico Pinheiro
   
• VIENTO Y TIEMPO – LIVE AT BLUE NOTE TOKYO
  Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola
   
• TRANE’S DELIGHT
  Poncho Sanchez

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC

36. Best Gospel Performance/Song
This award is given to the artist(s) and songwriter(s) (for new compositions) for the best traditional Christian, roots gospel or contemporary gospel single or track.

• WONDERFUL IS YOUR NAME
  Melvin Crispell III
   
• RELEASE (LIVE)
  Ricky Dillard Featuring Tiff Joy; David Frazier, songwriter
   
• COME TOGETHER
  Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins Presents: The Good News; Lashawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Lecrae Moore & Jazz Nixon, songwriters
   
• WON’T LET GO
  Travis Greene; Travis Greene, songwriter
   
• MOVIN’ ON
  Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music; Darryl L. Howell, Jonathan Caleb McReynolds, Kortney Jamaal Pollard & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters

37. Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
This award is given to the artist(s) and songwriter(s) (for new compositions) for the best contemporary Christian music single or track, (including pop, rap/hip-hop, Latin, or rock.

• THE BLESSING (LIVE)
  Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes & Elevation Worship; Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe Carnes & Steven Furtick, songwriters
   
• SUNDAY MORNING
  Lecrae Featuring Kirk Franklin; Denisia Andrews, Jones Terrence Antonio, Saint Bodhi, Brittany Coney, Kirk Franklin, Lasanna Harris, Shama Joseph, Stuart Lowery, Lecrae Moore & Nathanael Saint-Fleur, songwriters
   
• HOLY WATER
  We The Kingdom; Andrew Bergthold, Ed Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash & Scott Cash, songwriters
   
• FAMOUS FOR (I BELIEVE)
  Tauren Wells Featuring Jenn Johnson; Chuck Butler, Krissy Nordhoff, Jordan Sapp, Alexis Slifer & Tauren Wells, songwriters
   
• THERE WAS JESUS
  Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters

38. Best Gospel Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, traditional or contemporary/R&B gospel music recordings.

• 2ECOND WIND: READY
  Anthony Brown & group therAPy
   
• MY TRIBUTE
  Myron Butler
   
• CHOIRMASTER
  Ricky Dillard
   
• GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PJ
  PJ Morton
   
• KIERRA
  Kierra Sheard

39. Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, contemporary Christian music, including pop, rap/hip hop, Latin, or rock recordings.

• RUN TO THE FATHER
  Cody Carnes
   
• ALL OF MY BEST FRIENDS
  Hillsong Young & Free
   
• HOLY WATER
  We The Kingdom
   
• CITIZEN OF HEAVEN
  Tauren Wells
   
• JESUS IS KING
  Kanye West

40. Best Roots Gospel Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, traditional/roots gospel music, including country, Southern gospel, bluegrass, and Americana recordings.

• BEAUTIFUL DAY
  Mark Bishop
   
• 20/20
  The Crabb Family
   
• WHAT CHRISTMAS REALLY MEANS
  The Erwins
   
• CELEBRATING FISK! (THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM)
  Fisk Jubilee Singers
   
• SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
  Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

LATIN

41. Best Latin Pop or Urban Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new Latin pop or urban recordings.

• YHLQMDLG
  Bad Bunny
   
• POR PRIMERA VEZ
  Camilo
   
• MESA PARA DOS
  Kany García
   
• PAUSA
  Ricky Martin
   
• 3:33
  Debi Nova

42. Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new Latin rock or alternative recordings.

• AURA
  Bajofondo
   
• MONSTRUO
  Cami
   
• SOBREVOLANDO
  Cultura Profética
   
• LA CONQUISTA DEL ESPACIO
  Fito Paez
   
• MISS COLOMBIA
  Lido Pimienta

43. Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new regional Mexican (banda, norteño, corridos, gruperos, mariachi, ranchera and Tejano) recordings.

• HECHO EN MÉXICO
  Alejandro Fernández
   
• LA SERENATA
  Lupita Infante
   
• UN CANTO POR MÉXICO, VOL. 1
  Natalia Lafourcade
   
• BAILANDO SONES Y HUAPANGOS CON MARIACHI SOL DE MEXICO DE JOSE HERNANDEZ
  Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez
   
• AYAYAY!
  Christian Nodal

44. Best Tropical Latin Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new tropical Latin recordings.

• MI TUMBAO
  José Alberto “El Ruiseñor”
   
• INFINITO
  Edwin Bonilla
   
• SIGO CANTANDO AL AMOR (DELUXE)
  Jorge Celedon & Sergio Luis
   
• 40
  Grupo Niche
   
• MEMORIAS DE NAVIDAD
  Víctor Manuelle

AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC

45. Best American Roots Performance
For new vocal or instrumental American Roots recordings.  This is for performances in the style of any of the subgenres encompassed in the American Roots Music field including Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk or regional roots. Award to the artist(s).

• COLORS
  Black Pumas
   
• DEEP IN LOVE
  Bonny Light Horseman
   
• SHORT AND SWEET
  Brittany Howard
   
• I’LL BE GONE
  Norah Jones & Mavis Staples
   
• I REMEMBER EVERYTHING
  John Prine

46. Best American Roots Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Americana, bluegrass, traditional blues, contemporary blues, folk or regional roots songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• CABIN
  Laura Rogers & Lydia Rogers, songwriters (The Secret Sisters)
   
• CEILING TO THE FLOOR
  Sierra Hull & Kai Welch, songwriters (Sierra Hull)
   
• HOMETOWN
  Sarah Jarosz, songwriter (Sarah Jarosz)
   
• I REMEMBER EVERYTHING
  Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
   
• MAN WITHOUT A SOUL
  Tom Overby & Lucinda Williams, songwriters (Lucinda Williams)

47. Best Americana Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Americana recordings.

• OLD FLOWERS
  Courtney Marie Andrews
   
• TERMS OF SURRENDER
  Hiss Golden Messenger
   
• WORLD ON THE GROUND
  Sarah Jarosz
   
• EL DORADO
  Marcus King
   
• GOOD SOULS BETTER ANGELS
  Lucinda Williams

48. Best Bluegrass Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental bluegrass recordings.

• MAN ON FIRE
  Danny Barnes
   
• TO LIVE IN TWO WORLDS, VOL. 1
  Thomm Jutz
   
• NORTH CAROLINA SONGBOOK
  Steep Canyon Rangers
   
• HOME
  Billy Strings
   
• THE JOHN HARTFORD FIDDLE TUNE PROJECT, VOL. 1
  Various Artists

49. Best Traditional Blues Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental traditional blues recordings.

• ALL MY DUES ARE PAID
  Frank Bey
   
• YOU MAKE ME FEEL
  Don Bryant
   
• THAT’S WHAT I HEARD
  Robert Cray Band
   
• CYPRESS GROVE
  Jimmy “Duck” Holmes
   
• RAWER THAN RAW
  Bobby Rush

50. Best Contemporary Blues Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental contemporary blues recordings.

• HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET?
  Fantastic Negrito
   
• LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT
  Ruthie Foster Big Band
   
• THE JUICE
  G. Love
   
• BLACKBIRDS
  Bettye LaVette
   
• UP AND ROLLING
  North Mississippi Allstars

51. Best Folk Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental folk recordings.

• BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN
  Bonny Light Horseman
   
• THANKS FOR THE DANCE
  Leonard Cohen
   
• SONG FOR OUR DAUGHTER
  Laura Marling
   
• SATURN RETURN
  The Secret Sisters
   
• ALL THE GOOD TIMES
  Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

52. Best Regional Roots Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental regional roots music recordings.

• MY RELATIVES “NIKSO KOWAIKS”
  Black Lodge Singers
   
• CAMERON DUPUY AND THE CAJUN TROUBADOURS
  Cameron Dupuy And The Cajun Troubadours
   
• LOVELY SUNRISE
  Nā Wai ʽEhā
   
• ATMOSPHERE
  New Orleans Nightcrawlers
   
• A TRIBUTE TO AL BERARD
  Sweet Cecilia

REGGAE

53. Best Reggae Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new reggae recordings.

• UPSIDE DOWN 2020
  Buju Banton
   
• HIGHER PLACE
  Skip Marley
   
• IT ALL COMES BACK TO LOVE
  Maxi Priest
   
• GOT TO BE TOUGH
  Toots & The Maytals
   
• ONE WORLD
  The Wailers

GLOBAL MUSIC

54. Best Global Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Global Music recordings.

• FU CHRONICLES
  Antibalas
   
• TWICE AS TALL
  Burna Boy
   
• AGORA
  Bebel Gilberto
   
• LOVE LETTERS
  Anoushka Shankar
   
• AMADJAR
  Tinariwen

CHILDREN’S

55. Best Children’s Music Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new musical or spoken word recordings that are created and intended specifically for children.

• ALL THE LADIES
  Joanie Leeds
   
• BE A PAIN: AN ALBUM FOR YOUNG (AND OLD) LEADERS
  Alastair Moock And Friends
   
• I’M AN OPTIMIST
  Dog On Fleas
   
• SONGS FOR SINGIN’
  The Okee Dokee Brothers
   
• WILD LIFE
  Justin Roberts

SPOKEN WORD

56. Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)

• ACID FOR THE CHILDREN: A MEMOIR
  Flea
   
• ALEX TREBEK – THE ANSWER IS…
  Ken Jennings
   
• BLOWOUT: CORRUPTED DEMOCRACY, ROGUE STATE RUSSIA, AND THE RICHEST, MOST DESTRUCTIVE INDUSTRY ON EARTH
  Rachel Maddow
   
• CATCH AND KILL
  Ronan Farrow
   
• CHARLOTTE’S WEB (E.B. WHITE)
  Meryl Streep (& Full cast)

COMEDY

57. Best Comedy Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings.

• BLACK MITZVAH
  Tiffany Haddish
   
• I LOVE EVERYTHING
  Patton Oswalt
   
• THE PALE TOURIST
  Jim Gaffigan
   
• PAPER TIGER
  Bill Burr
   
• 23 HOURS TO KILL
  Jerry Seinfeld

MUSICAL THEATER

58. Best Musical Theater Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings. Award to the principle vocalist(s) and the album producer(s) of 51% or more playing time of the album. The lyricist(s) and composer(s) of a new score are eligible for an Award if they have written and/or composed a new score which comprises 51% or more playing time of the album.

• AMÉLIE
  Audrey Brisson, Chris Jared, Caolan McCarthy & Jez Unwin, principal soloists; Michael Fentiman, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Barnaby Race & Nathan Tysen, producers; Nathan Tysen, lyricist; Daniel Messe, composer & lyricist (Original London Cast)
   
• AMERICAN UTOPIA ON BROADWAY
  David Byrne, principal soloist; David Byrne, producer (David Byrne, composer & lyricist) (Original Cast)
   
• JAGGED LITTLE PILL
  Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen & Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard & Alanis Morissette, lyricists) (Original Broadway Cast)
   
• LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
  Tammy Blanchard, Jonathan Groff & Tom Alan Robbins, principal soloists; Will Van Dyke, Michael Mayer, Alan Menken & Frank Wolf, producers (Alan Menken, composer; Howard Ashman, lyricist) (The New Off-Broadway Cast)
   
• THE PRINCE OF EGYPT
  Christine Allado, Luke Brady, Alexia Khadime & Liam Tamne, principal soloists; Dominick Amendum & Stephen Schwartz, producers; Stephen Schwartz, composer & lyricist (Original Cast)
   
• SOFT POWER
  Francis Jue, Austin Ku, Alyse Alan Louis & Conrad Ricamora, principal soloists; Matt Stine, producer; David Henry Hwang, lyricist; Jeanine Tesori, composer & lyricist (Original Cast)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

59. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
Award to the artist(s) and/or ‘in studio’ producer(s) of a majority of the tracks on the album.  In the absence of both, award to the one or two individuals proactively responsible for the concept and musical direction of the album and for the selection of artists, songs and producers, as applicable. Award also goes to appropriately credited music supervisor(s).

• A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
  (Various Artists)
   
• BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC
  (Various Artists)
   
• EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA
  (Various Artists)
   
• FROZEN 2
  (Various Artists)
   
• JOJO RABBIT
  (Various Artists)

60. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current legitimate motion picture, television show or series, video games or other visual media.

• AD ASTRA
  Max Richter, composer
   
• BECOMING
  Kamasi Washington, composer
   
• JOKER
  Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer
   
• 1917
  Thomas Newman, composer
   
• STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
  John Williams, composer

61. Best Song Written For Visual Media
A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television, video games or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BEAUTIFUL GHOSTS [FROM CATS]
  Andrew Lloyd Webber & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
   
• CARRIED ME WITH YOU [FROM ONWARD]
  Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
   
• INTO THE UNKNOWN [FROM FROZEN 2]
  Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Idina Menzel & AURORA)
   
• NO TIME TO DIE [FROM NO TIME TO DIE]
  Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
   
• STAND UP [FROM HARRIET]
  Joshuah Brian Campbell & Cynthia Erivo, songwriters (Cynthia Erivo)

COMPOSING/ARRANGING

62. Best Instrumental Composition
A Composer’s Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year. Singles or Tracks only.

• BABY JACK
  Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra)
   
• BE WATER II
  Christian Sands, composer (Christian Sands)
   
• PLUMFIELD
  Alexandre Desplat, composer (Alexandre Desplat)
   
• SPUTNIK
  Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider)
   
• STRATA
  Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly Of Shadows Featuring Anna Webber & Eric Miller)

63. Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BATHROOM DANCE
  Hildur Guðnadóttir, arranger (Hildur Guðnadóttir)
   
• DONNA LEE
  John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)
   
• HONEYMOONERS
  Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly Of Shadows)
   
• LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING
  Alvin Chea & Jarrett Johnson, arrangers (Jarrett Johnson Featuring Alvin Chea)
   
• URANUS: THE MAGICIAN
  Jeremy Levy, arranger (Jeremy Levy Jazz Orchestra)

64. Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• ASAS FECHADAS
  John Beasley & Maria Mendes, arrangers (Maria Mendes Featuring John Beasley & Orkest Metropole)
   
• DESERT SONG
  Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (Säje)
   
• FROM THIS PLACE
  Alan Broadbent & Pat Metheny, arrangers (Pat Metheny Featuring Meshell Ndegeocello)
   
• HE WON’T HOLD YOU
  Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Rapsody)
   
• SLOW BURN
  Talia Billig, Nic Hard & Becca Stevens, arrangers (Becca Stevens Featuring Jacob Collier, Mark Lettieri, Justin Stanton, Jordan Perlson, Nic Hard, Keita Ogawa, Marcelo Woloski & Nate Werth)

PACKAGE

65. Best Recording Package

• EVERYDAY LIFE
  Pilar Zeta, art director (Coldplay)
   
• FUNERAL
  Kyle Goen, art director (Lil Wayne)
   
• HEALER
  Julian Gross & Hannah Hooper, art directors (Grouplove)
   
• ON CIRCLES
  Jordan Butcher, art director (Caspian)
   
• VOLS. 11 & 12
  Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, art directors (Desert Sessions)

66. Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

• FLAMING PIE (COLLECTOR’S EDITION)
  Linn Wie Andersen, Simon Earith, Paul McCartney & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney)
   
• GIANTS STADIUM 1987, 1989, 1991
  Lisa Glines & Doran Tyson, art directors (Grateful Dead)
   
• MODE
  Jeff Schulz, art director (Depeche Mode)
   
• ODE TO JOY
  Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco)
   
• THE STORY OF GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL
  Michael Cina & Molly Smith, art directors (Various Artists)

NOTES

67. Best Album Notes

• AT THE MINSTREL SHOW: MINSTREL ROUTINES FROM THE STUDIO, 1894-1926
  Tim Brooks, album notes writer (Various Artists)
   
• THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND: COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WEST, 1940-1974
  Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Various Artists)
   
• DEAD MAN’S POP
  Bob Mehr, album notes writer (The Replacements)
   
• THE MISSING LINK: HOW GUS HAENSCHEN GOT US FROM JOPLIN TO JAZZ AND SHAPED THE MUSIC BUSINESS
  Colin Hancock, album notes writer (Various Artists)
   
• OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY
  David Sager, album notes writer (Nat Brusiloff)

HISTORICAL

68. Best Historical Album

• CELEBRATED, 1895-1896
  Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer (Unique Quartette)
   
• HITTIN’ THE RAMP: THE EARLY YEARS (1936 – 1943)
  Zev Feldman, Will Friedwald & George Klabin, compilation producers; Matthew Lutthans, mastering engineer (Nat King Cole)
   
• IT’S SUCH A GOOD FEELING: THE BEST OF MISTER ROGERS
  Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Mister Rogers)
   
• 1999 SUPER DELUXE EDITION
  Michael Howe, compilation producer; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Prince)
   
• SOUVENIR
  Carolyn Agger, compilation producer; Miles Showell, mastering engineer (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark)
   
• THROW DOWN YOUR HEART: THE COMPLETE AFRICA SESSIONS
  Béla Fleck, compilation producer; Richard Dodd, mastering engineer (Béla Fleck)

PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL

69. Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
An Engineer’s Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses.)

• BLACK HOLE RAINBOW
  Shawn Everett & Ivan Wayman, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Devon Gilfillian)
   
• EXPECTATIONS
  Gary Paczosa & Mike Robinson, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Katie Pruitt)
   
• HYPERSPACE
  Drew Brown, Andrew Coleman, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, Jaycen Joshua & Mike Larson, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck)
   
• JAIME
  Shawn Everett, engineer; Shawn Everett, mastering engineer (Brittany Howard)
   
• 25 TRIPS
  Shani Gandhi & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Adam Grover, mastering engineer (Sierra Hull)

70. Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical​

• JACK ANTONOFF

• August (Taylor Swift) (T)
• Gaslighter (The Chicks) (A)
• Holy Terrain (FKA Twigs Featuring Future) (T)
• Mirrorball (Taylor Swift) (T)
• This Is Me Trying (Taylor Swift) (T)
• Together (Sia) (S)

• DAN AUERBACH

• Cypress Grove (Jimmy “Duck” Holmes) (A)
• El Dorado (Marcus King) (A)
• Is Thomas Callaway (CeeLo Green) (A)
• Singing For My Supper (Early James) (A)
• Solid Gold Sounds (Kendell Marvel) (A)
• Years (John Anderson) (A

• DAVE COBB

• Backbone (Kaleo) (S)
• The Balladeer (Lori McKenna) (A)
• Boneshaker (Airbourne) (A)
• Down Home Christmas (Oak Ridge Boys) (A)
• The Highwomen (The Highwomen) (A)
• I Remember Everything (John Prine) (S)
• Reunions (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit) (A)
• The Spark (William Prince) (S)
• You’re Still The One (Teddy Swims) (S)

• FLYING LOTUS

• It Is What It Is (Thundercat) (A)

• ANDREW WATT

• Break My Heart (Dua Lipa) (T)
• Me And My Guitar (A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie) (T)
• Midnight Sky (Miley Cyrus) (S)
• Old Me (5 Seconds Of Summer) (T)
• Ordinary Man (Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Elton John) (T)
• Take What You Want (Post Malone Featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott) (T)
• Under The Graveyard (Ozzy Osbourne) (T)

71. Best Remixed Recording
A Remixer’s Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses for identification.) Singles or Tracks only.

• DO YOU EVER (RAC MIX)
  RAC, remixer (Phil Good)
   
• IMAGINARY FRIENDS (MORGAN PAGE REMIX)
  Morgan Page, remixer (Deadmau5)
   
• PRAYING FOR YOU (LOUIE VEGA MAIN REMIX)
  Louie Vega, remixer (Jasper Street Co.)
   
• ROSES (IMANBEK REMIX)
  Imanbek Zeikenov, remixer (SAINt JHN)
   
• YOUNG & ALIVE (BAZZI VS. HAYWYRE REMIX)
  Haywyre, remixer (Bazzi)

PRODUCTION, IMMERSIVE AUDIO

72. Best Immersive Audio Album
Due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Best Immersive Audio Album Craft Committee was unable to meet. The judging of the entries in this category has been postponed until such time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members. The nominations for the 63rd GRAMMYs will be announced next year in addition to (and separately from) the 64th GRAMMY nominations in the category

PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL

73. Best Engineered Album, Classical
An Engineer’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)

• DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUA
  Bernd Gottinger, engineer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)
   
• GERSHWIN: PORGY AND BESS
  David Frost & John Kerswell, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (David Robertson, Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
   
• HYNES: FIELDS
  Kyle Pyke, engineer; Jesse Lewis & Kyle Pyke, mastering engineers (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)
   
• IVES: COMPLETE SYMPHONIES
  Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
   
• SHOSTAKOVICH: SYMPHONY NO. 13, ‘BABI YAR’
  David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

74. Producer Of The Year, Classical
A Producer’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)

• BLANTON ALSPAUGH

• Aspects Of America – Pulitzer Edition (Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony)
• Blessed Art Thou Among Women (Peter Jermihov, Katya Lukianov & PaTRAM Institute Singers)
• Dvořák: Symphony No. 9; Copland: Billy The Kid (Gianandrea Noseda & National Symphony Orchestra)
• Glass: The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Joseph Li, Nicholas Nestorak, Madison Leonard, Jonas Hacker, Ben Edquist, Matthew Adam Fleisher & Wolf Trap Opera)
• Kahane: Emergency Shelter Intake Form (Alicia Hall Moran, Gabriel Kahane, Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony)
• Kastalsky: Requiem (Leonard Slatkin, Steven Fox, Benedict Sheehan, Charles Bruffy, Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, The Saint Tikhon Choir, Kansas City Chorale & Orchestra Of St. Luke’s)
• Massenet: Thaïs (Andrew Davis, Joshua Hopkins, Andrew Staples, Erin Wall, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir & Toronto Symphony Orchestra)
• Smyth: The Prison (Sarah Brailey, Dashon Burton, James Blachly & Experiential Orchestra)
• Woolf, L.P.: Fire And Flood (Julian Wachner, Matt Haimovitz & Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)

• DAVID FROST

• Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 9 (Jonathan Biss)
• Gershwin: Porgy And Bess (David Robertson, Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
• Gluck: Orphée & Eurydice (Harry Bicket, Dmitry Korchak, Andriana Chuchman, Lauren Snouffer, Lyric Opera Of Chicago Orchestra & Chorus)
• Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)
• Muhly: Marnie (Robert Spano, Isabel Leonard, Christopher Maltman, Denyce Graves, Iestyn Davies, Janis Kelly, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
• Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845, D. 894, D. 958, D. 960 (Shai Wosner)
• Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’ (Riccardo Muti, Alexey Tikhomirov, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)

• JESSE LEWIS

• Gunn: The Ascendant (Roomful Of Teeth)
• Harrison, M.: Just Constellations (Roomful Of Teeth)
• Her Own Wings (Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival)
• Hynes: Fields (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)
• Lang, D.: Love Fail (Beth Willer & Lorelei Ensemble)
• Mazzoli: Proving Up (Christopher Rountree, Opera Omaha & International Contemporary Ensemble)
• Sharlat: Spare The Rod! (NOW Ensemble)
• Soul House (Hub New Music)
• Wherein Lies The Good (The Westerlies)

• DMITRIY LIPAY

• Adams, J.: Must The Devil Have All The Good Tunes? (Yuja Wang, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
• Cipullo: The Parting (Alastair Willis, Laura Strickling, Catherine Cook, Michael Mayes & Music Of Remembrance)
• Ives: Complete Symphonies (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
• LA Phil 100 – The Los Angeles Philharmonic Centennial Birthday Gala (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
• Langgaard: Prelude To Antichrist; Strauss: An Alpine Symphony (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony Orchestra)
• Nielsen: Symphony No. 1 & Symphony No. 2, ‘The Four Temperaments’ (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony)

• ELAINE MARTONE

• Bound For The Promised Land (Robert M. Franklin, Steven Darsey, Jessye Norman & Taylor Branch)
• Dawn (Shachar Israel)
• Gandolfi, Prior & Oliverio: Orchestral Works (Robert Spano & Atlanta Symphony Orchestra)
• Singing In The Dead Of Night (Eighth Blackbird)
• Whitacre: The Sacred Veil (Eric Whitacre, Grant Gershon & Los Angeles Master Chorale)

CLASSICAL

75. Best Orchestral Performance
Award to the Conductor and to the Orchestra.

• ASPECTS OF AMERICA – PULITZER EDITION
  Carlos Kalmar, conductor (Oregon Symphony)
   
• CONCURRENCE
  Daníel Bjarnason, conductor (Iceland Symphony Orchestra)
   
• COPLAND: SYMPHONY NO. 3
  Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
   
• IVES: COMPLETE SYMPHONIES
  Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
   
• LUTOSłAWSKI: SYMPHONIES NOS. 2 & 3
  Hannu Lintu, conductor (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)

76. Best Opera Recording
Award to the Conductor, Album Producer(s) and Principal Soloists.

• DELLO JOIO: THE TRIAL AT ROUEN
  Gil Rose, conductor; Heather Buck & Stephen Powell; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Odyssey Opera Chorus)
   
• FLOYD, C.: PRINCE OF PLAYERS
  William Boggs, conductor; Keith Phares & Kate Royal; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Florentine Opera Chorus)
   
• GERSHWIN: PORGY AND BESS
  David Robertson, conductor; Angel Blue & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
   
• HANDEL: AGRIPPINA
  Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor; Joyce DiDonato; Daniel Zalay, producer (Il Pomo D’Oro)
   
• ZEMLINSKY: DER ZWERG
  Donald Runnicles, conductor; David Butt Philip & Elena Tsallagova; Peter Ghirardini & Erwin Stürzer, producers (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)

77. Best Choral Performance
Award to the Conductor, and to the Choral Director and/or Chorus Master where applicable and to the Choral Organization/Ensemble.

• CARTHAGE
  Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)
   
• DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUAH
  JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers)
   
• KASTALSKY: REQUIEM
  Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Charles Bruffy, Steven Fox & Benedict Sheehan, chorus masters (Joseph Charles Beutel & Anna Dennis; Orchestra Of St. Luke’s; Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, Kansas City Chorale & The Saint Tikhon Choir)
   
• MORAVEC: SANCTUARY ROAD
  Kent Tritle, conductor (Joshua Blue, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Dashon Burton, Malcolm J. Merriweather & Laquita Mitchell; Oratorio Society Of New York Orchestra; Oratorio Society Of New York Chorus)
   
• ONCE UPON A TIME
  Matthew Guard, conductor (Sarah Walker; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)

78. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
For new recordings of works with chamber or small ensemble (twenty-four or fewer members, not including the conductor). One Award to the ensemble and one Award to the conductor, if applicable.

• CONTEMPORARY VOICES
  Pacifica Quartet
   
• HEALING MODES
  Brooklyn Rider
   
• HEARNE, T.: PLACE
  Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra
   
• HYNES: FIELDS
  Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion
   
• THE SCHUMANN QUARTETS
  Dover Quartet

79. Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Award to the Instrumental Soloist(s) and to the Conductor when applicable.

• ADÈS: CONCERTO FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA
  Kirill Gerstein; Thomas Adès, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
   
• BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE PIANO SONATAS
  Igor Levit
   
• BOHEMIAN TALES
  Augustin Hadelich; Jakub Hrůša, conductor (Charles Owen; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)
   
• DESTINATION RACHMANINOV – ARRIVAL
  Daniil Trifonov; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
   
• THEOFANIDIS: CONCERTO FOR VIOLA AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
  Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)

80. Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Award to: Vocalist(s), Collaborative Artist(s) (Ex: pianists, conductors, chamber groups) Producer(s), Recording Engineers/Mixers with 51% or more playing time of new material.

• AMERICAN COMPOSERS AT PLAY – WILLIAM BOLCOM, RICKY IAN GORDON, LORI LAITMAN, JOHN MUSTO
  Stephen Powell (Attacca Quartet, William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto, Charles Neidich & Jason Vieaux)
   
• CLAIRIÈRES – SONGS BY LILI & NADIA BOULANGER
  Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang, accompanist
   
• FARINELLI
  Cecilia Bartoli; Giovanni Antonini, conductor (Il Giardino Armonico)
   
• A LAD’S LOVE
  Brian Giebler; Steven McGhee, accompanist (Katie Hyun, Michael Katz, Jessica Meyer, Reginald Mobley & Ben Russell)
   
• SMYTH: THE PRISON
  Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)

81. Best Classical Compendium
Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s) and Engineer(s) of over 51% playing time of the album, if other than the artist.

• ADÈS CONDUCTS ADÈS
  Mark Stone & Christianne Stotijn; Thomas Adès, conductor; Nick Squire, producer
   
• SAARIAHO: GRAAL THÉÂTRE; CIRCLE MAP; NEIGES; VERS TOI QUI ES SI LOIN
  Clément Mao-Takacs, conductor; Hans Kipfer, producer
   
• SEREBRIER: SYMPHONIC BACH VARIATIONS; LAMENTS AND HALLELUJAHS; FLUTE CONCERTO
  José Serebrier, conductor; Jens Braun, producer
   
• THOMAS, M.T.: FROM THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK & MEDITATIONS ON RILKE
  Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer
   
• WOOLF, L.P.: FIRE AND FLOOD
  Matt Haimovitz; Julian Wachner, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer

82. Best Contemporary Classical Composition
A Composer’s Award. (For a contemporary classical composition composed within the last 25 years, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year.) Award to the librettist, if applicable.

• ADÈS: CONCERTO FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA
  Thomas Adès, composer (Kirill Gerstein, Thomas Adès & Boston Symphony Orchestra)
   
• DANIELPOUR: THE PASSION OF YESHUA
  Richard Danielpour, composer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)
   
• FLOYD, C.: PRINCE OF PLAYERS
  Carlisle Floyd, composer (William Boggs, Kate Royal, Keith Phares, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
   
• HEARNE, T.: PLACE
  Ted Hearne, composer (Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra)
   
• ROUSE: SYMPHONY NO. 5
  Christopher Rouse, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM

83. Best Music Video
Award to the artist, video director, and video producer.

• BROWN SKIN GIRL
  Beyoncé
  Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, video directors; Lauren Baker, Astrid Edwards, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, video producers
   
• LIFE IS GOOD
  Future Featuring Drake
  Julien Christian Lutz, video director; Harv Glazer, video producer
   
• LOCKDOWN
  Anderson .Paak
  Dave Meyers, video director; Nathan Scherrer, video producer
   
• ADORE YOU
  Harry Styles
  Dave Meyers, video director; Nathan Scherrer, video producer
   
• GOLIATH
  Woodkid
  Yoann Lemoine, video director

84. Best Music Film
For concert/performance films or music documentaries. Award to the artist, video director, and video producer.

• BEASTIE BOYS STORY
  Beastie Boys
  Spike Jonze, video director; Amanda Adelson, Jason Baum & Spike Jonze, video producers
   
• BLACK IS KING
  Beyoncé
   
• WE ARE FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME
  Freestyle Love Supreme
  Andrew Fried, video director; Andrew Fried, Jill Furman, Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sarina Roma, Jenny Steingart & Jon Steingart, video producers
   
• LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE
  Linda Ronstadt
  Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola & James Keach, video producers
   
• THAT LITTLE OL’ BAND FROM TEXAS
  ZZ Top
  Sam Dunn, video director; Scot McFadyen, video producer

 
In an address, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Dr S.K. Frimpong indicated that the late former Veep was an inspiration to many and his memories will ever live on as he instilled good training and great family values into all and sundry who he came across.
 
Dr Frimpong, who is also the technical advisor to the Vice President, H.E. Dr Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia, explained that the event was to celebrate the life and legacies of the late Alhaji Mahama. The late Alhaji Mahama was  Ghana’s first Muslim Vice President between 2001 and 2009 under the Kufuor New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
 
The Aliu Mahama Foundation is a Non-Governmental-Organisation established on the beliefs and principles of the late Former Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Mahama. The foundation, which focuses on skills development and poverty alleviation, has over the years supported over 10,000 Ghanaians through initiatives such as Zongo Lafia, My Health Behind Bars and Entrepreneurial Skills Development among others.

 
Farouk Aliu Mahama, son of the late Aliu Mahama and NPP parliamentary candidate for Yendi, in a brief statement, expressed the desire of the foundation to make a positive impact in the country through various social interventions
 
Delivering the keynote address, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Information Minister, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, spoke extensively on the theme ‘From Dagbon to the world, the example of Alhaji Aliu Mahama.’

As part of activities to mark the anniversary, a photo exhibition was held at the Dagbon State Senior High School to highlight visual experiences of the late Alhaji Mahama during his time in office.
 
Other activities that took place to mark the week-long celebration included the launch of ‘Zongo Laafia’, a health and wellness programme which was graced by Samira Bawumia, wife of the Vice President. It was followed by a courtesy call on the overlord of Dagbon, Yaa-Naa Abukari II at the Gbewaa, the launch of McDan Skill Development Centre, a donation to the Nyani Witch camp as well as soccer games in that order.
 
The 66-year-old late Veep died on November 16, 2012. He was Ghana’s first Muslim Vice-President and the first and only Dagomba to have risen to that political height. 

As part of her homecoming ceremony to officially introduce herself to the community, she made a stop at her maternal hometown, Alavanyo Vudidi, where her late mother hails from.

Traditional authorities of the Fiakpui Clan performed some traditional rites to welcome her back home to the community where she spent some time of her early days and had her basic education.

They prayed to the gods to grant her heart desire and that of her party.

Prof Naana Opoku-Agyemang and her entourage thereafter proceeded to participate in a durbar at Alavanyo Kpeme.

The Paramount Chief of the Alavanyo Traditional Area, Togbega Tsedze Atakora VII, in welcoming the team, applauded former President John Mahama on selecting a ”Professor and a daughter of the soil” as his Vice Presidential Candidate in the December polls.

”We have chalked first again in the sense that the first female vice-presidential candidate is a daughter of Alavanyo”, he said.

He extolled the former administration on its development agenda for the area adding it was under the Mahama-led-government that the Kpando-Alavanyo-Wegbe road network was constructed.

“A few years ago, the road from Kpando Konda to Wegbe was a dusty one. If you ride from Alavanyo to Kpando, someone will have to dust your hair for you. The same way if you have to drive from Hohoe to Alavanyo, they will have to use a rag to duster your hair for you.”

“But it was during the time of President Maham that the road from Kpando Konda to Wegbe had been tarred. And that is why you see all these vehicles using the Alavanyo road. So if President Mahama has done this, is it a crime to say it?” he quizzed.

Addressing the gathering, emotional Prof Naana Opoku-Agyemang, explained that the NDC’s aim of running an all-inclusive government where every single citizen of the country equally benefits from policies and programs that would be implemented.

She underscored the John-Mahama-led-administrations motive of providing skill development for the teeming youth, enhancing the country’s educational sector, while ensuring there is improved and accessible healthcare delivery to the citizenry.

She, therefore, urged the people of Alavanyo not to vote skirt and blouse but vote for both the Presidential and Parliamentary candidates of the NDC to enable the party to deliver its development agenda for the constituency.

She, however, assured of making the entire Alavanyo area proud when she eventually becomes the Vice President of Ghana.

The Hohoe NDC Parliamentary candidate, Prof Margaret Kwaku, promised to ensure the construction of an organic fertilizer factory and completion of the construction of the military training center in Alavanyo started under the Mahama administration.

”We will lay the second bitumen coating on the Kpando-Alavanyo-Hohoe road and complete the police station we started”, she stressed.

Hundreds of people, including mourners from all political divides, state agencies and the media  all thronged the Sakora Wonoo township to commiserate with the family.

READ ALSO:

Check out Obaapa Christy’s emotional tribute song for late Sir John [Video]

First photos from Sir John’s ‘One Week’ Commemoration

Mr Afriyie, also known as Sir John, passed on at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in June after succumbing to coronavirus.

The vigil is in collaboration with the Wonoo Youth Association in the Ashanti region, the hometown of the late Forestry Commission boss born Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.

The ceremony is scheduled to take place at 7:00 pm ahead of his one-week observation in his hometown on Wednesday, July 22, 2020.

ALSO READ:

• Read Kwabena Agyepong’s touching tribute in memory of Sir John [Photos]

• You made our politics interesting – Mahama mourns Sir John

This follows the former NPP General Secretary’s demise on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Read details of the vigil below:

Charles Owusu claims such a report, which went viral shortly after his death, was just a figment of someone’s imagination.

“Sir John didn’t die of COVID-19; we are still waiting for the autopsy report,” he stated in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday.

The former Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission died on July 1, 2020 after testing positive for Covid-19.

According to reports, he succumbed to complications of the disease while undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

ALSO READ:

• NPP’s Sir John has died
• Social media reacts to Sir John’s death
• Late Sir John tops twitter trends
• Listen: Sir John’s last words

A member of Parliament for Tema West, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, who shared a ward with the late Sir John, also confirmed he died of coronavirus.

But a livid Mr Owusu insists his godfather did not die of the novel disease as has been speculated.

He explained that Sir John, who tested positive for COVID-19, was treated and recovered before his admission at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

“When Sir John was at the hospital, the doctors were still running other tests because they couldn’t diagnose his ailment,” he said.

Mr Owusu disclosed that the former NPP General Secretary did not have any underlying condition to die from COVID-19.

“Sir John was stronger than me a young man so his death came to me as a shock. Let’s stop the speculation when people die,” he fumed.

Mr Owusu said they are still waiting for the autopsy report to know the cause of death of Sir John.

Meanwhile, a memorial service will be held for Sir John in his hometown on Wednesday July 22, 2020.

Former Ashanti Regional Deputy Minister, Joseph Yamin, has recounted how Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as ‘Sir John,’ advised him to settle a matter out of court.

According to him, Hopeson Adorye in 2012 assaulted one Donkor Fuseini of the National Democratic Congress in the studios of Kessben FM.

He, then being the regional minister, reported the assault to the police and the issue was sent to court.

READ ALSO:

• Tears flow as mourners throng Sir John’s hometown [Video]

• Prof Gyampo reveals Sir John’s message to him after NPP primaries

• What I sacrificed for Sir John – Asiedu Nketia reveals [Audio]

After court proceedings, Mr Yamin said Sir John approached him and pleaded with him to settle the issue out of court to the benefit of both parties.

 “Sir John asked me why I took such a small matter to court and that this was a political case. He said Hopeson had used his big head to assault Donkor and then I dragged him in court. ‘How can you do that my friend?’ Just forget about it and settle the matter out of court,” Mr Yamin said on Accra based Hello FM, monitored by Adomonline.com.

Mr Yamin said although he was from the opposing political party, he headed to his advice.

The former Deputy Regional Minister said he would always remember Sir John for his selfless lifestyle and his ability to bring people together regardless of their political race.

This, he said, would make him miss Sir John.

Listen to him in audio above:

READ ALSO:

Scenes from Sir John’s hometown as sympathisers throng his house [Photos]

Oti Region: Security deployment destroys newly-constructed footbridge; Togolese counterparts angry [Video]

He added that the news came to him as a shock because he had not heard from his brother for almost two months after their last engagement.

“It has been over two months since my late brother told me he was going to Accra to make some arrangements towards the burial of our late dear mother and sister but I never heard from him, only for me to be called yesterday by a friend to watch TV, they are confirming the demise of my brother,” he said.

When asked about what killed his brother, Father Boateng replied that the family as it stands now can’t confirm the exact cause of his death but they are sending a delegation to Accra to find out what killed him.

Some media houses have reported that the late Sir John tested Positive for COVID-19 and was admitted at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

Sir John recently lost a sister of his and went to perform the one-week rites at his hometown, Wonoo in the Ashanti region.

There is a solemn atmosphere at the Forestry Commission after Sir John’s death

His promise comes a day after the former NPP stalwart passed on at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.

I want his family to know that if he is gone I am here to take over his responsibilities, so they can call on me for anything they need and I will be there for them, an emotional Mr Nketia said in an interview monitored by ABC News.

Mr Nketia, alias General Mosquito, speaking further in the interview, said despite the sharp political differences between them, Sir John was like a brother to him, adding that they did a lot of things together in their private lives.

According to him, he and Sir John took a decision never to allow their political differences to affect their personal relationship and it never did.

THIS ALSO:

• Scenes from Sir John’s hometown as sympathisers throng his house [Photos]

• What Sir John told Asiedu Nketia in their last conversation [Audio]

When we both became General Secretaries of the two leading political parties, we both decided to maintain our relationship and not allow anything to come between us. So, he was a brother to me, a very sad General Mosquito said.

General Mosquito, who struggled to hide his emotions about the death of his friend, therefore extended his sympathies to the family, wife and children of the former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Forestry Commission, promising to take up the role of Sir John in his family.

Callers into radio stations on Thursday morning expressed shock at the news of the death of Mr Afriyie, who was the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission.

Some of the callers openly cried on radio and said they were deeply saddened by the sudden death of Sir John, who had touched many hearts because of his philanthropic nature.

Mr Afriyie, a native of Sakora-Wonoo in the Kwabre East District, had been an embodiment of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti region.

He rose through the ranks to become the General Secretary of the party.

On his contribution to the course of Asanteman, Mr Afriyie led a group of Asante students to form the Asante Students Union in 1979, to protest against the harassment and intimidation of the Asante people by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, led by former President Rawlings.

In May this year, Mr Afriyie, through the Forestry Commission, distributed quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all health facilities in the Kwabre East and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Frederick Fredua Anto, first Vice Chairman of NPP, in his tribute on Thursday morning said: “Sir John would be missed by many people, who had close contact, especially in his professional, political and social lives.”

He said Mr Afriyie’s contribution to the development of democracy and respect for the dignity of all manner of people dated back to his school days at Legon, where he joined forces with other colleagues to protest against coup d’ etat in the country.

Samuel Pyne, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP, said the party had lost a courageous personality who stood for the right principles in all that he did.

Dr Oheneba Owusu-Danso, Chief Executive of KATH, said the hospital was deeply indebted to Mr Afriyie, who supported the facility with huge quantities of PPE to support the fight against the coronavirus.

Sakora-Wonoo, Mr Afriyie’s hometown, was said to have been thrown into a state of mourning on Wednesday night, when the news of his death reached the family and town folks.

Scores of people were said to have rushed to his house wailing uncontrollably over the bad omen that had befallen the community.

The veteran politician, who was said to be at the Intensive Care Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, is currently under observation.

Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah, who shared a ward with Mr Mac Manu said there is no cause for alarm.

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Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday, he said the health condition of the former National Chairman of the NPP has not deteriorated as is being speculated in the media.

“Mr Mac Manu is not on a ventilator, he is very fine and under observation. We should stop spreading fear and panic,” he admonished.

The Member of Parliament for Tema West said as he was being discharged on Thursday, Mr Mac Manu was very fit and in good health.

Mr Ahenkorah is certain Mr Mac Manu would be discharged given the progress his witnessed at the isolation centre.

Carlos Ahenkorah, who was discharged and asked to self-isolate at home, said he toured some registration centres in the Tema West constituency on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, to see how the process was going after knowing his status.

His conduct, which many have described as reckless, he explained was based on advice given by his doctors.

In an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday, the Tema West Member of Parliament said he was extremely careful during his interactions with people at the centres.

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“I decided to see how some of the centres were just operating. So, I stepped out into town a bit. It didn’t mean I couldn’t go out. My test results had shown I was positive a week ago and after one week, my doctors said I could step out,” he explained.

“They [doctors] said I could go out, except that I needed to wear my mask and observe social distancing. I was very careful and very mature about it,” he said.

The Deputy Minister, who is asymptomatic, said he has not suffered any serious breakdown.

“I’m very strong so I was shocked when people said I was in Intensive Care Unit,” he stressed.

Mr Ahenkorah is hoping to fully recover and help retain President Nana Akufo-Addo in power.

Ghanaians were hit with the news of the death of the former Ghana Forestry Commission boss on Wednesday evening after contracting Covid-19.

Sir John reportedly succumbed to complications of the disease while undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

The mourners turned up clad in red and black attires with their nose masks amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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The mourners, who could not control their tears, continuously mentioned his name as they wailed.

Family members have described the death of their son as a big blow to the entire community and the nation at large.

It has emerged that former Ghana Forestry Commission boss, Kwadwo Owusu Afiriyie’s was preparing to bury two relatives whose details have popped up after his death.

Reports indicate it was a joint funeral for the mother and sister of the late politician which was scheduled for August 27, 2020.

According to sources, the duo was his biological sister and aunt who took care of him after his biological mother died when he was just at a tender age.

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Joy News’ Ohemeng Tawiah reports that family members have described Sir John’s death as a big blow to the entire community and the municipality at large.

Sir John passed on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra after reportedly testing positive for coronavirus and succumbing to complication at the ICU.

Below are photos Sir John’s relatives he was preparing to bury:

Relatives and residents have gathered in front of his house to wail and cry as they mourned their hero.

From the young to the aged, everyone is seen clad in red or black.

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His family told Joy News they have not just lost an industrious son but a big blow to the entire community and the municipality in general.

Sarfo-Adu Bernard, nephew of the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, says it will take decades for Sakora Wonoo to get over the loss.

Family and friends have gathered at the hometown to pay their last respect to the former MP.

President Akufo Addo is yet to arrive at the funeral grounds.

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His final funeral rites will follow immediately at the Zimmerman Presbyterian School Park at Odumase-Krobo.

He will finally be laid to rest at the Presbyterian Cemetery at Labour, Odumase-Krobo.

Mr Agyarko, whose remains arrived in the country last Thursday, died on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 in the United States of America (USA) after a short illness.

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The late MP died on November 21, 2018 at the Yale University Hospital after an ailment from a complication with his ball gladder.

Last Friday, a vigil and a candlelight procession were organized for him through the principal streets of Odumase-Krobo in honour of Mr Agyarko, who was a former Presiding Member of the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly.

Below are some photos: