Take note that rap music acquires bigger importance at the awards this year with the addition of the new category of Rap/Sung Collaboration. This award goes out to rappers and singers who choose to work together on a recording as differentiated from collaborations among rap acts. As you will also surely notice, Aaliyah, the young singer who unfortunately perished in a plane crash last year, is a nominee for Best Female R&B Vocals and for R&B Album.
Female R&B Vocals: Rock the Boat by Aaliyah; Family Affair by Mary J. Blige; Hit Em Up Style (Oops!) by Blu Cantrell; Video by India Arie; Fallin’ by Alicia Keys; A Long Walk by Jill Scott.
Male R&B Vocals: Missing You by Case; Lifetime by Maxwell; Love of My Life by Bryan McKnight; Love Musiq by Soulchild; U Remind Me by Usher.
R&B By Duo or Group with Vocals: What Would You Do by City High; Survivor by Destiny’s Child; Can’t Believe by Faith Evans featuring Carl Thomas; Contagious by the Isley Brothers; Peaches & Cream by 112.
R&B Song: Didn’t Cha Know by Erykah Badu; Fallin’ by Alicia Keys; Get Ur Freak On by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot; Hit Em Up Style (Oops!) by Blu Cantrell; Love of My Life by Bryan McKnight; Video by India Arie.
R&B Album: Aaliyah by Aaliyah; No More Drama by Mary J. Blige; Survivor by Destiny’s Child; Acoustic Soul by India Arie; Songs in A Minor by Alicia Keys.
Traditional R&B with Vocals: This is Regina by Regina Belle; An American Original by Lamont Dozier; Three Wishes by Miki Howard; At Last by Gladys Knight; For the Love by The O’Jays.
Rap Solo Performance: Because I Got High by Afroman; Who We Be by DMX; Get Ur Freak On by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot; Izzo (H.O.V.A.) by Jay-Z; Ride Wit Me by Nelly.
Rap /Sung Collaboration: Area Codes by Ludacris and Nate Dogg; Let Me Blow Ya Mind by Eve and Gwen Stefani; Livin’ It Up by Ja Rule with Case; Where the Party At by Jagged Edge and Nelly; W by Mystic and Planet Asia.
Rap Duo or Group Performance: Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz; Put It on Me by Ja Rule featuring Vita; Change the Game by Jay-Z featuring Beanie Sigel and Memphis Bleek; Ms. Jackson by OutKast; Bad Boy for Life by P. Diddy, Black Robb and Mark Curry.
Rap Album: Stankonia by Outkast; Scorpion by Eve; Pain is Love by Ja Rule; The Blueprint by Jay-Z; Back for the First Time by Ludacris.
Contemporary Jazz Album: Cab 2 by Dennis Chambers, Tony MacAlphine, Brian Auger and Bunny Brunel; Soul Insider by Bill Evans; Ethnomusicology Vol. 2 by Russell Gunn; M2 by Marcus Miller; Voices by Mike Stern.
Jazz Vocal Album: The Mose Chronicles, Live in London, Vol.1 by Mose Allison; Ballads, Remembering John Coltrane by Karrin Allyson; Flirting with Twilight by Kurt Elling; You’re My Thrill by Shirley Horn; The Calling by Diane Reeves.
Jazz Instrumental Solo: Fragile by Kenny Barron and Regina Carter; Lost in a Fog by Terence Blanchard; Chan’s Song by Michael Brecker; Move by Gary Burton; All Blues by Pat Martino.
Jazz Instrumental Album: Kindred by Stefon Harris & Jacky Terrasson; Birds of a Feather, a Tribute to Charlie Parker by Roy Haynes with Dave Holland, Roy Hargrove, Dave Kikoski and Kenny Garrett; Not for Nothin’ by Dave Holland Quintet; Live at Yoshi’s by Pat Martino; This is What I Do by Sonny Rollins.
Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Impulsive! by Eliane Elias, Bob Brookmeyer and the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra; Rob McConnell Tentet by Rob McConnell Tentet; Group Theraphy by Jim McNeely Tentet; Homage to Count Basie by Bob Mintzer Big Band; Dear Louis by Nicholas Payton.
Compilation Soundtrack Album: Bridget Jones’ Diary; Moulin Rouge; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Shrek; The Sopranos: Peppers & Eggs.
Musical Show Album: The Full Monty: The Broadway Musical; Mamma Mia! The Musical; The Producers; Seussical, the Musical; Sweeney Todd: Live at the New York Philharmonic.
Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television: Boss of Me from Malcolm In the Middle by They Might Be Giants; A Love Before Time from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Coco Lee; My Funny Friend and Me from The Emperor’s New Groove by Sting; There You’ll Be from Pearl Harbor by Faith Hill; Win from Men of Honor by Brian McKnight.
Short Form Music Video: Fly Away from Here by Aerosmith; One Minute Man by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot featuring Ludacris; Weapon of Choice by Fatboy Slim featuring Bootsy Collins; Don’t Tell Me by Madonna; Ms. Jackson by Outkast.