Staff

After announcing that Google Podcasts would be folded, the Silicon Valley giant has added a podcast feature to its music streaming service, YouTube Music.

So far, however, the podcast functionality has left much to be desired. Now, the company has introduced a new function that allows users to subscribe to podcasts.

New Import Feature

The new feature lets users import podcasts via RRS. This means they can add the RSS feed of your favourite podcast to the app. New podcast episodes will then be retrieved and automatically imported. It's far from groundbreaking, as all podcast apps work similarly.

Additionally, YouTube Music also suggests popular podcasts on the platform.

An Attempt To Boost YouTube Music

Integrating podcasts into YouTube Music is certainly an attempt to add further value to the streaming service. Ending Google Podcasts, however, was an admission of failure.

Nevertheless, whether the integration is doing much for YouTube Music remains questionable. A significant investment into podcasts by Spotify proved to be a miscalculation—with revenue far below expectations.

According to Business of Apps, YouTube still reigns king in music streaming, with 2 billion active users. However, this number includes YouTube—not simply its premium service, YouTube Music, which has gathered 80 million paid subscribers. In comparison, YouTube Music's competition, Apple Music and Spotify have around 88 and 188 premium subscribers, respectively.

On the other hand, YouTube Music is still growing and, as its service is more widely available, might soon overtake Apple Music in paid subscriptions.

Then again, the streaming market is already highly saturated, with most people having a premium subscription if they want or can afford one. Despite that, streaming services are still unprofitable.

For years, Swiss pop/rap musician Nemo sang in dialect and celebrated with the single Du a remarkable breakthrough. The single stayed in the Swiss charts for 33 weeks and reached number 4 and platin status in 2017.

Finding Nemo: Switzerland’s Ignorance of Non-binary People

Nemo’s victory at the Eurovision Song Contest with «The Code» highlights Switzerland’s lagging progress in acknowledging non-binary people.

Negative WhiteJanosch Troehler

In recent times, it has become relatively quiet about the rising star. However, on Instagram, Nemo broke their silence during the weekend.

New City, New Language, New Identity

Nemo moved to Berlin and started focussing on English lyrics. The song own sh¡t, released in May 2022, already signified a path towards quirky pop music, away from Nemo's origin in dialect rap sound.

The song's lyrics also hinted at Nemo's personal change and process:

And you want
Something I can’t give
Cause I’ve been lost in the middle of it
I got shit to figure out, figuratively speaking
I just need a minute for me

On Instagram, announcing the new single This Body (Release: November 17), Nemo writes: «I haven’t opened up about it publicly, but some of you already know: I don’t identify as a man or a woman. I’m just Nemo. I love thinking of gender as a galaxy, picturing myself as a little star floating somewhere within. That’s where I feel most like myself.»

Further, Nemo asks the fans for acceptance: «I hope you can accept me as I perceive myself.»

From Rapping in Swiss German to Evocative Singer-Songwriter

The artist, born in 1999, showed early talent in music—playing the violin, the piano, and drums. With a celebrated participation at the SRF Bounce Cypher in 2016, only 16 years old, Nemo jumped into public consciousness.

The Grammys are an annual music awards ceremony honouring outstanding music industry achievements. The awards cover various categories, including pop, rock, jazz, classical, country, and many more.

The Grammys are considered to be one of the most prestigious awards in the music industry, and winning a Grammy is a coveted achievement for many musicians.

Already, the nominations bear a new record for Taylor Swift. With the nomination of her song Anti-Hero in the «Song of the Year» category, Swift became the first songwriter to score seven nominations—beating Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie with six nominations each.

Here are all the categories and nominations for the Grammy Awards 2024:

Record of the Year

Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture “Barbie”]
Boygenius - Not Strong Enough
Jon Batiste - Worship
Miley Cyrus - Flowers
Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire
SZA - Kill Bill
Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero
Victoria Monét - On My Mama

Album of the Year

Boygenius - The Record
Janelle Monáe - The Age of Pleasure
Jon Batiste - World Music Radio
Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Miley Cyrus - Endless Summer Vacation
Olivia Rodrigo - Guts
SZA - SOS
Taylor Swift - Midnights

Song of the Year

Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture “Barbie”]
Dua Lipa - Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album)
Jon Batiste - Butterfly
Lana Del Rey - A&W
Miley Cyrus - Flowers
Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire
SZA - Kill Bill
Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero

Best New Artist

Coco Jones
Gracie Abrams
Fred Again..
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Noah Kahan
Victoria Monét
The War and Treaty

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Daniel Nigro
Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II
Hit-Boy
Jack Antonoff
Metro Boomin

Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical

Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Justin Tranter
Shane McAnally
Theron Thomas

Best Pop Solo Performance

Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture “Barbie”]
Doja Cat - Paint the Town Red
Miley Cyrus - Flowers
Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire
Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Labrinth Featuring Billie Eilish - Never Felt So Alone
Lana Del Rey Featuring Jon Batiste - Candy Necklace
Miley Cyrus Featuring Brandi Carlile - Thousand Miles
SZA Featuring Phoebe Bridgers - Ghost in the Machine
Taylor Swift Featuring Ice Spice - Karma

Best Pop Vocal Album

Ed Sheeran - - (Subtract)
Kelly Clarkson - Chemistry
Miley Cyrus - Endless Summer Vacation
Olivia Rodrigo - Guts
Taylor Swift - Midnights

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

Aphex Twin - Blackbox Life Recorder 21f
Disclosure - Higher Than Ever Before
James Blake - Loading
Romy & Fred Again.. - Strong
Skrillex, Fred Again.. & Flowdan - Rumble

Best Pop Dance Recording

Bebe Rexha & David Guetta - One in a Million
Calvin Harris Featuring Ellie Goulding - Miracle
David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray - Baby Don’t Hurt Me
Kylie Minogue - Padam Padam
Troye Sivan - Rush

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album

James Blake - Playing Robots Into Heaven
The Chemical Brothers - For That Beautiful Feeling
Fred Again.. - Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022)
Kx5 - Kx5
Skrillex - Quest for Fire

Best Rock Performance

Arctic Monkeys - Sculptures of Anything Goes
Black Pumas - More Than a Love Song
Boygenius - Not Strong Enough
Foo Fighters - Rescued
Metallica - Lux Æterna

Best Metal Performance

Disturbed - Bad Man
Ghost - Phantom of the Opera
Metallica - 72 Seasons
Slipknot - Hive Mind
Spiritbox - Jaded

Best Rock Song

Boygenius - Not Strong Enough
Foo Fighters - Rescued
Olivia Rodrigo - Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl
Queens of the Stone Age - Emotion Sickness
The Rolling Stones - Angry

Best Rock Album

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are
Greta Van Fleet - Starcatcher
Metallica - 72 Seasons
Paramore - This Is Why
Queens of the Stone Age - In Times New Roman…

Best Alternative Music Performance

Alvvays - Belinda Says
Arctic Monkeys - Body Paint
Boygenius - Cool About It
Lana Del Rey - A&W
Paramore - This Is Why

Best Alternative Music Album

Arctic Monkeys - The Car
Boygenius - The Record
Gorillaz - Cracker Island
Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
PJ Harvey - I Inside the Old Year Dying

Best R&B Performance

Chris Brown - Summer Too Hot
Coco Jones - ICU
Robert Glasper Featuring Sir & Alex Isley - Back to Love
SZA - Kill Bill
Victoria Monét - How Does It Make You Feel

Best Traditional R&B Performance

Babyface Featuring Coco Jones - Simple
Kenyon Dixon - Lucky
PJ Morton Featuring Susan Carol - Good Morning
SZA - Love Language
Victoria Monét Featuring Earth, Wind & Fire & Hazel Monét - Hollywood

Best R&B Song

Coco Jones - ICU
Halle - Angel
Robert Glasper Featuring Sir & Alex Isley - Back to Love
SZA - Snooze
Victoria Monét - On My Mama

Best Progressive R&B Album

Diddy - The Love Album: Off the Grid
Terrace Martin and James Fauntleroy - Nova
Janelle Monáe - The Age of Pleasure
SZA - SOS
6lack - Since I Have a Lover

Best R&B Album

Babyface - Girls Night Out
Coco Jones - What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe)
Emily King - Special Occasion
Summer Walker - Clear 2: Soft Life EP
Victoria Monét - Jaguar II

Best Rap Performance

Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar - The Hillbillies
Black Thought - Love Letter
Coi Leray - Players
Drake & 21 Savage - Rich Flex
Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane - Scientists & Engineers

Best Melodic Rap Performance

Burna Boy Featuring 21 Savage - Sittin’ on Top of the World
Doja Cat - Attention
Drake & 21 Savage - Spin Bout U
Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole - All My Life
SZA - Low

Best Rap Song

Doja Cat - Attention
Drake & 21 Savage - Rich Flex
Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane - Scientists & Engineers
Lil Uzi Vert - Just Wanna Rock
Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Featuring Aqua - Barbie World [From Barbie the Album]

Best Rap Album

Drake & 21 Savage - Her Loss
Killer Mike - Michael
Metro Boomin - Heroes & Villains
Nas - King’s Disease III
Travis Scott - Utopia

Best Spoken Word Poetry Album

Aja Monet - When the Poems Do What They Do
J. Ivy - The Light Inside
Kevin Powell - Grocery Shopping With My Mother
Prentice Powell and Shawn William - For Your Consideration ’24
Queen Sheba - A-You’re Not Wrong B-They’re Not Either: The Fukc-It Pill Revisited

Best Jazz Performance

Adam Blackstone Featuring The Baylor Project & Russell Ferranté - Vulnerable (Live)
Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding - But Not for Me
Jon Batiste - Movement 18’ (Heroes)
Lakecia Benjamin - Basquiat
Samara Joy - Tight

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Cécile McLorin Salvant - Mélusine
Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding - Alive at the Village Vanguard
Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke - Lean In
Nicole Zuraitis - How Love Begins
Patti Austin Featuring Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band - For Ella 2

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Adam Blackstone - Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn
Billy Childs - The Winds of Change
Kenny Barron - The Source
Lakecia Benjamin - Phoenix
Pat Metheny - Dream Box

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

ADDA Simfònica, Josep Vicent, Emilio Solla - The Chick Corea Symphony Tribute - Ritmo
The Count Basie Orchestra Directed by Scotty Barnhart - Basie Swings the Blues
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society - Dynamic Maximum Tension
Mingus Big Band - The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions
Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest - Olympians

Best Latin Jazz Album

Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band - Vox Humana
Eliane Elias - Quietude
Ivan Lins With the Tblisi Symphony Orchestra - My Heart Speaks
Luciana Souza & Trio Corrente - Cometa
Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo - El Arte del Bolero Vol. 2

Best Alternative Jazz Album

Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily - Love in Exile
Cory Henry - Live at the Piano
Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter, SuperBlue - SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree
Louis Cole - Quality Over Opinion
Meshell Ndegeocello - The Omnichord Real Book

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Bruce Springsteen - Only the Strong Survive
Laufey - Bewitched
Liz Callaway - To Steve With Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim
Pentatonix - Holidays Around the World
Rickie Lee Jones - Pieces of Treasure
Various - Sondheim Unplugged (The NYC Sessions), Vol. 3

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia - As We Speak
Ben Wendel - All One
Bob James - Jazz Hands
House of Waters - On Becoming
Julian Lage - The Layers

Best Musical Theater Album

Kimberly Akimbo
Parade
Shucked
Some Like It Hot
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Country Solo Performance

Brandy Clark - Buried
Chris Stapleton - White Horse
Dolly Parton - The Last Thing on My Mind
Luke Combs - Fast Car
Tyler Childers - In Your Love

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Brothers Osborne - Nobody’s Nobody
Carly Pearce Featuring Chris Stapleton - We Don’t Fight Anymore
Dierks Bentley Furingeat Billy Strings - High Note
Jelly Roll With Lainey Wilson - Save Me
Vince Gill & Paul Franklin - Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)
Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything

Best Country Song

Brandy Clark - Buried
Chris Stapleton - White Horse
Morgan Wallen - Last Night
Tyler Childers - In Your Love
Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything

Best Country Album

Brothers Osborne - Brothers Osborne
Kelsea Ballerini - Rolling Up the Welcome Mat
Lainey Wilson - Bell Bottom Country
Tyler Childers - Rustin’ in the Rain
Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan

Best American Roots Performance

Allison Russell - Eve Was Black
Blind Boys of Alabama - Heaven Help Us All
Jon Batiste - Butterfly
Madison Cunningham - Inventing the Wheel
Rhiannon Giddens - You Louisiana Man

Best Americana Performance

Allison Russell - The Returner
Blind Boys of Alabama - Friendship
Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile - Dear Insecurity
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - King of Oklahoma
Tyler Childers - Help Me Make It Through the Night

Best American Roots Song

Allison Russell - The Returner
Billy Strings Featuring Willie Nelson - California Sober
Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile - Dear Insecurity
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Cast Iron Skillet
The War and Treaty - Blank Page

Best Americana Album

Allison Russell - The Returner
Brandy Clark - Brandy Clark
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Weathervanes
Rodney Crowell - The Chicago Sessions
Rhiannon Giddens - You’re the One

Best Bluegrass Album

Billy Strings - Me/And/Dad
Michael Cleveland - Lovin’ of the Game
Mighty Poplar - Mighty Poplar
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway - City of Gold
Sam Bush - Radio John: Songs of John Hartford
Willie Nelson - Bluegrass

Best Traditional Blues Album

Bobby Rush - All My Love for You
Eric Bibb - Ridin’
John Primer - Teardrops for Magic Slim Live at Rosa’s Lounge
Mr. Sipp - The Soul Side of Sipp
Tracy Nelson - Life Don’t Miss Nobody

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Bettye LaVette - LaVette!
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram - Live in London
Larkin Poe - Blood Harmony
Ruthie Foster - Healing Time
Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton - Death Wish Blues

Best Folk Album

Dom Flemons - Traveling Wildfire
Joni Mitchell - Joni Mitchell at Newport (Live)
The Milk Carton Kids - I Only See the Moon
Nickel Creek - Celebrants
Old Crow Medicine Show - Jubilee
Paul Simon - Psalms
Rufus Wainwright - Folkocracy

Best Regional Roots Music Album

Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band - New Beginnings
Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers - Live At The 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Lost Bayou Ramblers & Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra - Live: Orpheum Theater Nola
New Breed Bass Band - Made in New Orleans
New Orleans Nightcrawlers - Too Much to Hold
The Rumble Feature Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. - Live at the Maple Leaf

Best Gospel Performance/Song

Erica Campbell - Feel Alright (Blessed)
Melvin Crispell III - God Is
Kirk Franklin - All Things
Stanley Brown Featuring Hezekiah Walker, Kierra Sheard & Karen Clark Sheard - God Is Good
Zacardi Cortez - Lord Do It for Me (Live)

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

Blessing Offor - Believe 
Cody Carnes - Firm Foundation (He Won’t) [Live]
For King & Country Featuring Jordin Sparks - Love Me Like I Am
Lauren Daigle - Thank God I Do 
Lecrae & Tasha Cobbs Leonard - Your Power
Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine - God Problems

Best Gospel Album

Erica Campbell - I Love You
Maverick City Music - The Maverick Way
Jonathan McReynolds - My Truth
Tasha Cobbs Leonard - Hymns (Live)
Tye Tribbett - All Things New: Live in Orlando

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

Blessing Offor - My Tribe
Da’ T.R.U.T.H. - Emanuel
Lauren Daigle - Lauren Daigle
Lecrae - Church Clothes 4
Phil Wickham - I Believe

Best Roots Gospel Album

The Blackwood Brothers Quartet - Tribute to the King
Blind Boys of Alabama - Echoes of the South
Becky Isaacs Bowman - Songs That Pulled Me Through the Tough Times
Brian Free & Assurance - Meet Me at the Cross
Gaither Vocal Band - Shine: The Darker the Night the Brighter the Light

Best Latin Pop Album

AleMor - Beautiful Humans, Vol. 1
Gaby Moreno - X Mi (Vol. 1)
Maluma - Don Juan
Pablo Alborán - La Cuarta Hoja
Paula Arenas - A Ciegas
Pedro Capó - La Neta

Best Música Urbana Album

Karol G - Mañana Será Bonito
Rauw Alejandro - Saturno
Tainy - Data

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

Cabra - Martínez 
Diamante Eléctrico - Leche de Tigre
Fito Paez - EADDA9223
Juanes - Vida Cotidiana
Natalia Lafourcade - De Todas las Flores

Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)

Ana Bárbara - Bordado a Mano
Flor de Toloache - Motherflower
Lila Downs - La Sánchez
Lupita Infante - Amor Como en las Películas de Antes
Peso Pluma - Génesis

Best Tropical Latin Album

Carlos Vives - Escalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así
Grupo Niche y Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia - Niche Sinfónico
Luis Figueroa - Voy a Ti
Omara Portuondo - Vida
Rubén Blades con Roberto Delgado & Orquesta - Siembra: 45° Aniversario (En Vivo en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico, 14 de Mayo 2022)
Tony Succar, Mimy Succar - Mimy & Tony

Best Global Music Performance

Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily - Shadow Forces
Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia - Pashto
Burna Boy - Alone
Davido - Feel
Falu & Gaurav Shah (Featuring PM Narendra Modi) - Abundance in Millets
Ibrahim Maalouf Featuring Cimafunk & Tank and the Bangas - Todo Colores
Silvana Estrada - Milagro y Disastre

Best African Music Performance

Asake & Olamide - Amapiano
Ayra Starr - Rush
Burna Boy - City Boys
Davido Featuring Musa Keys - Unavailable
Tyla - Water

Best Global Music Album

Bokanté - History
Burna Boy - I Told Them…
Davido - Timeless
Shakti - This Moment
Susana Baca- Epifanías

Best Reggae Album

Buju Banton - Born for Greatness
Beenie Man - Simma
Burning Spear - No Destroyer
Collie Buddz - Cali Roots Riddim 2023
Julian Marley & Antaeus - Colors of Royal

Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album

Carla Patullo Featuring Tonality and The Scorchio Quartet - So She Howls
David Darling & Hans Christian - Ocean Dreaming Ocean
Kirsten Agresta-Copely - Aquamarine
Omar Akram - Moments of Beauty
Ólafur Arnalds - Some Kind of Peace (Piano Reworks)

Best Children’s Music Album

Andrew & Polly - Ahhhhh!
DJ Willy Wow! - Hip Hope for Kids!
Pierce Freelon & Nnenna Freelon - Ancestars
Uncle Jumbo - Taste the Sky
123 Andrés - We Grow Together Preschool Songs

Best Comedy Album

Chris Rock - Selective Outrage
Dave Chappelle - What’s in a Name?
Sarah Silverman - Someone You Love
Trevor Noah - I Wish You Would
Wanda Sykes - I’m An Entertainer

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording

Meryl Streep - Big Tree
Michelle Obama - The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times
Rick Rubin - The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Senator Bernie Sanders - It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism
William Shatner - Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

Daisy Jones & the Six - Aurora
Various Artists - Barbie The Album
Various Artists - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Music From and Inspired By
Various Artists - Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix, Vol. 3
“Weird Al” Yankovic - Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film and Television)

John Williams - The Fabelmans
John Williams - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Ludwig Göransson - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Ludwig Göransson - Oppenheimer
Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt - Barbie

Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media

Bear McCreary - God of War Ragnarök
Jess Serro, Tripod & Austin Wintory - Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
Peter Murray, J Scott Rakozy & Chuck E. Myers “Sea” - Hogwarts Legacy
Sarah Schachner - Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare II
Stephen Barton & Gordy Haab - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Best Song Written for for Visual Media

Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture “Barbie”]
Dua Lipa - Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album)
Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Featuring Aqua - Barbie World [From Barbie the Album]
Rihanna - Lift Me Up (From Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Music From and Inspired By)
Ryan Gosling - I’m Just Ken [From “Barbie the Album”]

Best Music Video

The Beatles - I’m Only Sleeping
Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For [From the Motion Picture “Barbie”]
Kendrick Lamar - Count Me Out
Troye Sivan - Rush
Tyler Childers - In Your Love

Best Music Film

David Bowie - Moonage Daydream
Kendrick Lamar - Live From Paris, the Big Steppers Tour
Lewis Capaldi - How I’m Feeling Now
Little Richard - I Am Everything
Tupac Shakur - Dear Mama

Best Recording Package

The Arcs - Eletrophonic Chronic
Brad Breeck - Gravity Falls
Caroline Rose - The Art of Forgetting
Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork
Ensemble Cadenza 21’ - Cadenza 21’
Leaf Yeh - Migration

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package

Bo Burnham - Inside: Deluxe Box Set
Lou Reed - Words & Music, May 1965 - Deluxe Edition
Neutral Milk Hotel - The Collected Works of Neutral Milk Hotel
Ngọt - Gieo
Various Artists - For the Birds: The Birdsong Project

Best Album Notes

Howdy Glenn - I Can Almost See Houston
Iftin Band - Mogadishu’s Finest: The Al Uruba Sessions
John Coltrane - Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy (Live)
Various Artists - Playing for the Man at the Door: Field Recordings from the Collection of Mack McCormick, 1958–1971
Various Artists - Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos

Best Historical Album

Bob Dylan - Fragments - Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17
Lou Reed - Words & Music, May 1965 - Deluxe Edition
Various Artists - The Moaninest Moan of Them All: The Jazz Saxophone of Loren McMurray, 1920-1922
Various Artists - Playing for the Man at the Door: Field Recordings from the Collection of Mack McCormick, 1958–1971
Various Artists - Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Bokanté - History
Boygenius - The Record
Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
Feist - Multitudes
Victoria Monét - Jaguar II

Best Engineered Album, Classical

Gustavo Dudamel, Anne Akiko Meyers, Gustavo Castillo & Los Angeles Philharmonic - Fandango
Manfred Honeck & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra - Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 & Schulhoff: Five Pieces
Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, George Lernis & A Far Cry - Sanlikol: A Gentleman of Istanbul - Symphony for Strings, Percussion, Piano, Oud, Ney & Tenor
Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Contemporary American Composers
Shara Nova & A Far Cry - The Blue Hour

Producer of the Year, Classical

Brian Pidgeon
David Frost
Dmitriy Lipay
Elaine Martone
Morten Lindberg

Best Remixed Recording

Depeche Mode - Wagging Tongue (Wet Leg Remix)
Gorillaz Featuring Tame Impala & Bootie Brown - New Gold (Dom Dolla Remix)
Lane 8 - Reviver (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix)
Mariah Carey - Workin’ Hard (Terry Hunter Remix)
Turnstile & BadBadNotGood Featuring Blood Orange - Alien Love Call

Best Immersive Audio Album

Alicia Keys - The Diary of Alicia Keys
Bear McCreary - God of War Ragnarök (Original Soundtrack)
George Strait - Blue Clear Sky
Madison Beer - Silence Between Songs
Ryan Ylyate - Act 3 (Immersive Edition)

Best Instrumental Composition

Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia - Motion
John Williams - Helena’s Theme
Lakecia Benjamin Feuringat Angela Davis - Amerikkan Skin
Ludwig Göransson - Can You Hear the Music
Quartet San Francisco Featuring Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band - Cutey and the Dragon

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

Hilario Duran and His Latin Jazz Big Band Featuring Paquito D’Rivera - I Remember Mingus
Just 6 - Angels We Have Heard on High
Ludwig Göransson - Can You Hear the Music
The String Revolution Featuring Tommy Emmanuel - Folsom Prison Blues
Wednesday Addams - Paint It Black

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

Cécile McLorin Salvant - Fenestra
Maria Mendes Featuring John Beasley & Metropole Orkest - Com Que Voz (Live)
Patti Austin Featuring Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band - April in Paris
Säje Featuring Jacob Collier - In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
Samara Joy - Lush Life

Best Orchestral Performance

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra - Scriabin: Symphony No. 2; The Poem of Ecstasy
Los Angeles Philharmonic - Adès: Dante
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra - Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Four Pieces
The Philadelphia Orchestra - Price: Symphony No. 4; Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony
San Francisco Symphony - Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

Best Opera Recording

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus - Blanchard: Champion
Boston Modern Orchestra Project & Odyssey Opera Chorus - Corigliano: The Lord of Cries
The Dime Museum; Isaura String Quartet - Little: Black Lodge

Best Choral Performance

The Clarion Choir - Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil
The Crossing - Carols After a Plague
Miró Quartet; Conspirare - The House of Belonging
San Francisco Symphony Chorus - Ligeti: Lux Aeterna
Uusinta Ensemble; Helsinki Chamber Choir - Saariaho: Reconnaissance

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

Anthony McGill & Pacifica Quartet - American Stories
Catalyst Quartet - Uncovered, Vol. 3: Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, William Grant Still & George Walker
Roomful of Teeth - Rough Magic
Third Coast Percussion - Between Breaths
Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax & Leonidas Kavakos - Beethoven for Three: Symphony No. 6, ‘Pastorale’ and Op. 1, No. 3

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

Andy Akiho - Akiho: Cylinders
Curtis Stewart - Of Love
Louisville Orchestra - The American Project
Robert Black - Adams, John Luther: Darkness and Scattered Light
Seth Parker Woods - Difficult Grace

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

Reginald Mobley, soloist; Baptiste Trotignon, pianist - Because
Julia Bullock, soloist; Christian Reif, conductor (Philharmonia Orchestra) - Walking in the Dark
Karim Sulayman, soloist; Sean Shibe, accompanist - Broken Branches
Laura Strickling, soloist; Daniel Schlosberg, pianist - 40@40
Lawrence Brownlee, soloist; Kevin J. Miller, pianist - Rising

Best Classical Compendium

Aaron Diehl & The Knights - Zodiac Suite
Andy Akiho, Omaha Symphony & Ankush Kumar Bahl - Sculptures
Chick Corea & Orchestra da Camera della Sardegna - Sardinia
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel, Anne Akiko Meyers & Gustavo Castillo - Fandango
Peter Herresthal, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, James Gaffigan, Arctic Philharmonic & Tim Weiss - Missy Mazzoli: Dark With Excessive Bright
Various Artists - Passion for Bach and Coltrane
Wild Up & Christopher Rountree - Julius Eastman Vol. 3: If You’re so Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Andy Akiho, Ankush Kumar Bahl & Omaha Symphony - Akiho: In That Space, at That Time
Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry & Roomful of Teeth - Montgomery: Rounds
Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic - Adès: Dante
Peter Herresthal, James Gaffigan & Bergen Philharmonic - Mazzoli: Dark With Excessive Bright
Roomful of Teeth - Brittelle: Psychedelics

With Songs Of Homecoming, the Swiss band The Beauty of Gemina announces their next album, four years after their last release, Skeleton Dreams, in 2020. The new record is set to be released in late summer 2024. It will be their 8th studio album with all new material.

The band’s frontman and mastermind, Michael Sele, writes: «I want to create an album that captures the essence of coming home and the magic of reunion. The songs are like a diary of my own journey home.»

Potential For Political Commentary

In their announcement, the band also writes about how the past four years have been dominated by the pandemic, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and a global climate and environmental crisis.

So, while the title and the previous work by The Beauty of Gemina suggest an intimate, personal album, much like Skeleton Dreams, the statement also hints at the possibility that Michael Sele explores his relationship with current affairs. In the past, the band often took on political commentary in songs like June 2nd, Kings Men Come, or Galilee Song alongside their emotional, introspective facet.

Acoustically Enhanced Wave

The Beauty of Gemina’s origin was the end of the Wave band Nuuk. Guitarist Michael Sele and drummer Mac Vinzens continued working together and released their first single, Suicide Landscape, in 2006 to wide acclaim.

Their unique and dense sound was a refreshed approach to dark wave and gothic rock, dominated by repetitive lyrics, delivered almost priest-like by Michael Sele’s deep voice. However, the band’s direction changed drastically in 2013 when they released The Myrrh Sessions, featuring acoustic interpretations of their songs.

5 Songs that inspired Michael Sele

The Beauty of Gemina’s mastermind presents five tracks that influenced his art.

Negative WhiteJanosch Troehler

Since then, they fuse acoustic elements, often rooted in blues, country, or Americana, with wave-inspired compositions. Although The Beauty of Gemina’s shift in sound distanced the band further from their gothic scene roots, their music remains highly melancholic.

The band went through several different bass players and live guitarists but found a more steady member in Andi Zuber, who joined in 2014. In 2020, keyboarder Daniel Manhart became a fixed part of the line-up.

According to an Instagram post, the Zurich-based indie label BlauBlau Records cuts ties with one of its artist collectives. The label has removed the collective and two of its albums from its catalogue after allegations of sexual harassment were raised against one man of the duo.

BlauBlau Records management writes in its statement:

«The public disclosure of a years-long practice of power abuse and sexualised boundary crossing by a person who has also released music under our symbolic umbrella continues to concern us.»

Swiss public broadcaster SRF first raised the allegations publicly at the end of August as the suspect is also a praised and prize-winning journalist who was lastly employed by the young member-funded outlet «Republik». Investigations into the allegations are underway.

The now-former BlauBlau Records artist has been featured once in our curation format Weekly5. Nevertheless, we chose neither to explicitly disclose the artist's name nor to remove the feature from the website. Instead, we added contextual information about the allegations in the article, which will be updated in case of further development.