Rest In Peace John Cossette, Statements from Family, The Recording Academy & The Latin Recording Academy

On Tuesday, April 26, 2011 Neil Portnow, President/CEO The Recording Academy® & Gabriel Abaroa President/CEO The Latin Recording Academy® released the following news statement on Producer John Cossette who died at age 54 on April 26th.


“It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our dear friend and colleague, John Cossette. John was a remarkable live television producer — and most recently Broadway musical producer — with many credits and accolades to his name. However, it was his warmth, easygoing nature, passion for music and the arts, and tireless dedication to the GRAMMY Awards^® and Latin GRAMMY Awards^® that was unmatched. We were incredibly lucky to have benefitted from John’s creative guidance and leadership but more importantly, to have called him our friend. Our sincerest condolences and deepest heartfelt sympathiesgo out to his family and friends during this difficult time. He will be terribly missed.”

Also the Cossette Family released ”We are deeply saddened to report that John Cossette, 54, has passed away. We ask that you please respect our privacy during this incredibly emotional time. We appreciate everyone’s love and support, and further details regarding funeral arrangements will be forthcoming in the next few days.” ~Rita Cossette, and daughters Maria and Rose Cossette.


Source: The Recording Academy

2011 Grammy Nominees Official Album Set for Release January 25th

The Grammy Awards are around the corner and The Recording Academy announced on Thursday, January 6, 2010 that The Recording Academy and Jive Records to release the 2011 Grammy Nominees album, this is the 17th edition of the best selling which will included artists and songs of 53rd Annual Grammy Awards Nominees.

“The exceptional mix of recordings contained on this preeminent compilation provides an incredible playlist from some of this year’s remarkable and talented GRAMMY nominees,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. He continue“With 19 diverse selections, the nominees album offers quality recordings for all music fans. We are proud and excited to, for the first time, collaborate with Jive Records on this project and we look forward to another successful chart-topping GRAMMY album.”


The cd will be available for purchase on January 25 and a portion of the proceeds will benefit MusiCares Foundation and the Grammy Foundation, those are two charities established by The Recording Academy. For more information and where to buy the cd http://www.2011grammycd.com

Also Ivan Gavin, COO of the RCA/JIVE Label Group said “The 2011 GRAMMY Nominees album showcases some of the year’s best artists and songs from all genres and we’re honored to partner with The Recording Academy to release this compilation of the signature songs from the past year,” He concluded “In addition to offering great music, the collection also gives music fans the opportunity to support MusiCares and the GRAMMY Foundation — two charities that benefit the artistic community.”

2011 GRAMMY Nominees AlbumTracklist:

1.        CEE LO GREEN “Forget You” Record Of The Year Song Of The Year
2.         B.o.B FEAT. BRUNO MARS “Nothin’ On You” Record Of The Year
3.         KATY PERRY FEAT. SNOOP DOGG “California Gurls” Album Of The Year

4.         LADY GAGA FEAT. BEYONCÉ “Telephone” Album Of The Year
5.         EMINEM FEAT. RIHANNA “Love The Way You Lie” Record Of The Year Album Of The Year Song Of The Year

6.         LADY ANTEBELLUM “Need You Now” Record Of The Year Album Of The Year Song Of The Year

7.          ARCADEFIRE “Ready To Start” Album Of The Year

8.          ADAM LAMBERT “Whataya Want From Me” Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

9.          JOHN MAYER “Half Of My Heart” (with Taylor Swift) Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

10.       MICHAEL BUBLÉ “Haven’t Met You Yet” Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

11.        BRUNO MARS “Just The Way You Are” Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

12.       MICHAEL JACKSON “This Is It” Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

13.       RAY LAMONTAGNE and the PARIAH DOGS “Beg Steal Or Borrow” Song Of The Year

14.      MIRANDA LAMBERT “The House That Built Me” Song Of The Year

15.        SADE “Babyfather” Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

16.       PARAMORE “The Only Exception” Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

17.       TRAIN “Hey, Soul Sister” (Live) Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

18.       MAROON 5 “Misery” Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

19.       GLEE CAST “Don’t Stop Believin’” (Regionals Version) Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals.

The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held Sunday, Feb. 13 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

About The Recording Academy Was established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization’s social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys, and aYouTube channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.


About Jive Records Jive Records is a record label within the JIVE Label Group.  The label represents a varied group of internationally renowned artists representing all genres of music including Justin Timberlake, R. Kelly, Usher (LaFace), Tool (Volcano), Ciara (LaFace), P!nk (LaFace), Britney Spears, OutKast (LaFace), Kirk Franklin (Verity), The Days Grace, T-Pain, Marvin Sapp (Verity), Jordan Sparks, JLS, Bullet For My Valentine, Buddy Guy, Anthony Hamilton and more. JIVE Label Group is a unit of Sony Music Entertainment. Sources: The Recording Academy Press Room & Hollywood Events Examiner

Editor’s Corner: Readers what do you think about this compilation? Will you go purchase it? Will you watch the show too? Please leave your comments and feel free to share this story with your friends. Also follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/diversitynewsee and add me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Steven-Escobar/100000054606373

Eminem, Lady Gaga Leads Nominations for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards

On Wednesday, December 1, 2010 The Recording Academy announced the Nominations for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards to be held on February 13, 2011 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.

“This year’s nominations are a true reflection of an exceptional and talented community of music makers that embody some of the highest levels of excellence and artistry in their respective fields,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. “It is most gratifying to see the GRAMMY Awards process once again produce a broad cross-section of diverse and impressive nominees across multiple genres. Coupled with the third year of our primetime nominations special, the road to Music’s Biggest Night, the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards in February, is off to an exciting start.”

The Following is a sampling of nominations in 108 categories from the GRAMMY Awards’ 30 Fields:

GENERAL FIELD

Album Of The Year:

The Suburbs — Arcade Fire

Recovery — Eminem

Need You Now — Lady Antebellum

The Fame Monster — Lady Gaga

Teenage Dream — Katy Perry

Record Of The Year:

“Nothin’ On You” — B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars

“Love The Way You Lie” — Eminem Featuring Rihanna

“F*** You” — Cee Lo Green

“Empire State Of Mind” — Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

“Need You Now” — Lady Antebellum

Best New Artist:

Justin Bieber

Drake

Florence & The Machine

Mumford & Sons

Esperanza Spalding

Song Of The Year:

“Beg Steal Or Borrow” — Ray LaMontagne, songwriter (Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs)

“F*** You” — Cee Lo Green, Philip Lawrence & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Cee Lo Green)

“The House That Built Me” —Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

“Love The Way You Lie” — Alexander Grant, Skylar Grey & Marshall Mathers, songwriters

(Eminem Featuring Rihanna)

“Need You Now” — Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

POP FIELD

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals:

“Don’t Stop Believin’ (Regionals Version)” — “Glee” Cast

“Misery” — Maroon 5

“The Only Exception” — Paramore

“Babyfather” — Sade

“Hey, Soul Sister (Live)” — Train

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals:

“Airplanes II” — B.o.B, Eminem & Hayley Williams

“Imagine” — Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No. 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare

“If It Wasn’t For Bad” — Elton John & Leon Russell

“Telephone” — Lady Gaga & Beyoncé

“California Gurls” — Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg

DANCE FIELD

Best Dance Recording:

“Rocket” — Goldfrapp

“In For The Kill” — La Roux

“Dance In The Dark” — Lady Gaga

“Only Girl (In The World)” — Rihanna

“Dancing On My Own” — Robyn

ROCK FIELD

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals:

“Ready To Start” — Arcade Fire

“I Put A Spell On You” — Jeff Beck & Joss Stone

“Tighten Up” — The Black Keys

“Radioactive” — Kings Of Leon

“Resistance” — Muse

Best Hard Rock Performance:

“A Looking In View” — Alice In Chains

“Let Me Hear You Scream” — Ozzy Osbourne

“Black Rain” — Soundgarden

“Between The Lines” — Stone Temple Pilots

“New Fang” — Them Crooked Vultures

Best Rock Song:

“Angry World” — Neil Young, songwriter (Neil Young)

“Little Lion Man” — Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters

(Mumford & Sons)

“Radioactive” — Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters

(Kings Of Leon)

“Resistance” — Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse)

“Tighten Up” — Dan Auerbach & Patrick Carney, songwriter (The Black Keys)

ALTERNATIVE FIELD

Best Alternative Music Album

The Suburbs — Arcade Fire

Infinite Arms — Band Of Horses

Brothers — The Black Keys

Broken Bells — Broken Bells

Contra — Vampire Weekend

R&B FIELD

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals:

“Take My Time” — Chris Brown & Tank

“Love” — Chuck Brown, Jill Scott & Marcus Miller

“You’ve Got A Friend” — Ronald Isley & Aretha Franklin

“Shine” — John Legend & The Roots

“Soldier Of Love” — Sade

Best Contemporary R&B Album:

Graffiti — Chris Brown

Untitled — R. Kelly

Transition — Ryan Leslie

The ArchAndroid — Janelle Monáe

Raymond V Raymond — Usher

RAP FIELD

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:

“Nothin’ On You” — B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars

“Deuces” — Chris Brown, Tyga & Kevin McCall

“Love The Way You Lie” — Eminem & Rihanna

“Empire State Of Mind” — Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

“Wake Up! Everybody” — John Legend, The Roots, Melanie Fiona & Common

Best Rap Song:

“Empire State Of Mind” — Shawn Carter, Angela Hunte, Burt Keyes, Alicia Keys, Jane’t “Jnay” Sewell-Ulepic &

Alexander Shuckburgh, songwriters (Sylvia Robinson, songwriter) (Jay-Z & Alicia Keys)

“Love The Way You Lie” — Alexander Grant, Skylar Grey & Marshall Mathers, songwriters

(Eminem & Rihanna)

“Not Afraid” — M. Burnett, J. Evans, Marshall Mathers, L. Resto & M. Samuels, songwriters (Eminem)

“Nothin’ On You” — Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Bobby Simmons Jr., songwriters

(B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars)

“On To The Next One” — Shawn Carter, J. Chaton & K. Dean, songwriters (G. Auge & X. De Rosnay,

songwriters) (Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz)

Best Rap Album:

The Adventures Of Bobby Ray — B.o.B

Thank Me Later — Drake

Recovery — Eminem

The Blueprint 3 — Jay-Z

How I Got Over — The Roots

COUNTRY FIELD

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals:

“Bad Angel” — Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert & Jamey Johnson

“Pride (In The Name Of Love)” — Dierks Bentley, Del McCoury & The Punch Brothers

“As She’s Walking Away” — Zac Brown Band & Alan Jackson

“Hillbilly Bone” — Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins

“I Run To You” — Marty Stuart & Connie Smith

Best Country Song:

“The Breath You Take” — Casey Beathard, Dean Dillon & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (George Strait)

“Free” — Zac Brown, songwriter (Zac Brown Band)

“The House That Built Me” — Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

“I’d Love To Be Your Last” — Rivers Rutherford, Annie Tate & Sam Tate, songwriters (Gretchen Wilson)

“If I Die Young” — Kimberly Perry, songwriter (The Band Perry)

“Need You Now” — Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

Best Country Album:

Up On The Ridge — Dierks Bentley

You Get What You Give — Zac Brown Band

The Guitar Song — Jamey Johnson

Need You Now — Lady Antebellum

Revolution — Miranda Lambert

AMERICAN ROOTS FIELD

Best Americana Album:

The List — Rosanne Cash

Tin Can Trust — Los Lobos

Country Music — Willie Nelson

Band Of Joy — Robert Plant

You Are Not Alone — Mavis Staples

Best Traditional Blues Album:

Giant — James Cotton

Memphis Blues — Cyndi Lauper

The Well — Charlie Musselwhite

Joined At The Hip — Pinetop Perkins & Willie “Big Eyes” Smith

Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites — Jimmie Vaughan

This year’s Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical nominations go to: Rob Cavallo, Danger Mouse, Dr. Luke, RedOne, and The Smeezingtons (Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine).

For the complete Official Nominations list you can visit http://www.grammy.com/nominees

About The Recording Academy:

LA Grammy Block Party Raises $30.000 For Musicares Nashville Flood Relief Fund

On August 2, 2010 The Recording Academy reported that their Los Angeles Chapter’s first-ever GRAMMY Block Party® was a big success in its effort to raise money for the MusiCares® Nashville Flood Relief Fund.

The Grammy Block Party was held on July 31, 2010 at the Academy headquarter office in Santa Monica, CA from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. 

More than 900 people attended the picnic-style concert with performances from akaCassidy, Charice, Raphael Saadiq, La Santa Cecila and Chuck Wicks. Musician Rickey Minor served as the musical director. Pop singer Charice came out to support the cause and Country recording artist Chuck Wicks (whose tour bus was affected by the floods thanked the audience for supporting Nashville) . “It is inspiring and gratifying to witness the generosity of spirit, support and resources that the music community has contributed in response to this tragedy. We are immensely proud to be the ‘heart’ of the music industry during this sobering moment, and we will continue to be there for those who require assistance for as long as the need remains.” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and MusiCares.

The fundraiser brought in more than $30,000 to help those in the music community that are victims of the floods.

“MusiCares, our corporate partners, and people from every corner of the music community are once again coming together to respond to an urgent need for help. It is a testament to the belief in giving back that is a hallmark of members of the music industry.” said Paul Caine, MusiCares Board Chair.

Photos Courtesy of The Recording Academy®. Photo by Maury Phillips/WireImage.com © 2010

Sources: http://www.grammy.com