2009 Grammy Nominations
News — By Jim Lochner on December 3, 2009 at 9:57 amFor many film music fans, the Grammys merit even less discussion than the Oscars. The film categories are never handed out on TV, and with such a proliferation of categories, it’s hard to take the Grammys seriously. Out of the 109 categories, you don’t even get to the Film/TV/Visual Media nominees until Category 80.
Thankfully the days of pop song-laden “original score” winners like FLASHDANCE and BEVERLY HILLS COP seem to be over, due in part to additional categories. But there’s always something to guffaw at when talking about the Grammys. And this year is no exception…
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
(Award to the Artist(s) and/or Producer(s) of a majority of the tracks on the album, or to the individual(s) actively responsible for the concept and musical direction and for the selection of artists, songs and producers, as applicable.)
- CADILLAC RECORDS
- QUENTION TARANTINO’S INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (WINNER!)
- TRUE BLOOD
- TWILIGHT
The JUNO soundtrack won this award last year. Since the nominees rarely contains original score tracks, this category isn’t of much interest to a lot of film music fans. However, be glad it’s there so that song “scores” and compilations are no longer muddying up other categories. Give the award to SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. The album was slickly produced and showed off A. R. Rahman’s score far better than it fared in the 16-minute “For Your Consideration” discs that foolishly swayed Oscar voters.
Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other 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 or other visual media.)
- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Disc 1), Alexandre Desplat
- HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, Nicholas Hooper
- MILK, Danny Elfman
- STAR TREK, Michael Giacchino
- UP, Michael Giacchino (WINNER!)
Typing out Nicholas Hooper’s name reminded me just how unimaginative–and how swayed by box office–the Grammy voters are. This sub-par effort for the latest Harry Potter film is far below the level of the other nominees. Now watch the voters pick it since it’s the biggest box office hit out of the five. Whoever wins will be joining last year’s winners, Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard for THE DARK KNIGHT.
In other categories, Michael Giacchino picked up two other nominations from his UP score (that’s three from UP and four total, in case you’re counting):
- “Married Life” is nominated for Best Instrumental Composition (WINNER!)
- “Up With End Credits” is nominated for Best Instrumental Arranging
Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
(A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)
- The Climb (From HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE)
Jessi Alexander & Jon Mabe, songwriters (Miley Cyrus) - Decode (From TWILIGHT)
Josh Farro, Hayley Williams & Taylor York, songwriters (Paramore) - Jai Ho (From SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) (WINNER!)
Gulzar, A.R. Rahman & Tanvi Shah, songwriters (A.R. Rahman, Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, Mahalaxmi Iyer & Vijay Prakash) - Once In A Lifetime (From CADILLAC RECORDS)
Ian Dench, James Dring, Amanda Ghost, Beyoncé Knowles, Scott McFarnon & Jody Street, songwriters (Beyoncé) - The Wrestler (From The Wrestler)
Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)
This is a category that usually contains a mixture of Oscar nominees and other tracks you never would think of. (Peter Gabriel’s “Down to Earth” from WALL-E won the award last year.) Paramore’s “Decode” is just another rock power ballad. “The Climb,” a decent song actually, has already been deemed ineligible for Oscar consideration since it wasn’t written for the HANNAH MONTANA film. So a Grammy is its best shot at recognition. Oscar voters weren’t impressed by the unmemorable “Once in a Lifetime” and “The Wrestler” last year (and rightly so). Their inclusion here speaks to the Grammys’ love for Beyonce and The Boss. So give it to “Jai Ho,” not only by default, but it’s also a damn catchy tune for that end credits dance sequence.
If some of the nominees seem a bit odd from a timing perspective, remember that the eligibility for the Grammys is from October 1 through August 31. The Grammys will be handed out on January 31 on CBS. As usual, don’t expect any of these categories to be seen on the telecast.
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12 Comments
Well, I’ve decided I really like Star Trek as an album. It’s a good listening experience even if, as my recent viewing of the film attested, there’s some good stuff left off the album. Haven’t heard any of the others so, well, guess we know which one I’d vote for.
That Neil Guy´s last blog ..Man From Atlantis
Dude, how can you not have seen UP? You even have kids! LOL Go get that DVD and prepare to be enchanted. By the movie AND the score.
Wow. Look how that last comment automatically added a link to my (rather lame) blog. Interesting!
That’s the “Comment Luv” plugin you see with the little heart underneath the “Submit Comment” button. It’s a nifty little plugin that helps publicize the blogs of all of you who comment. Hopefully it will generate more traffic for you guys. :)
The UNMEMORABLE “The Wrestler”?! Jim, can I see you for a minute?..
Bland melody, dull lyrics. A real snoozer IMO. Though I will admit it fit the tone of Aranovsky’s overrated film (with two excellent lead performances).
Overrated, I agree, although I deeply admire Aronosfsky’s talent. I haven’t loved all of his films, and at least one I’ve loathed (“Pi,” in case you’re wondering), but anyone with talent like his, and specifically vision enough to create “Requiem for a Dream,” gets about as many free passes in my book as he’d like.
However, “The Wrestler” didn’t require my complete dispensation. Rourke was fearless and Tomei was solid, and the entire affair was itself a rather moving requiem of sorts. If you didn’t buy it, then I can understand an impartiality to the song, but it was so simple and so weary and spoke so precisely to the narrative that I should be surprised that the Music Branch didn’t nominate it, but alas, I no longer am with their recent track record.
Thank goodness that NARAS is around to rectify the error.
Let’s not even get started on REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, which I think is an overrated, pretentious waste of celluloid. That’s for another blog post. :)
No matter what I think of the song, like I said above, it did fit the tone of the film. Part of the problem with AMPAS’s voting procedure is the song bakeoff where voters are forced to sit through a couple of hours of snippets of songs taken from their exact places within the film. If I had to watch a black and white credit scroll while listening to 2-1/2 minutes (or whatever it is) of that Springsteen song, I wouldn’t have voted for it either. (I’m not sure I’m a big fan of credit or title songs being up either. But if they weren’t, there wouldn’t be ANY nominees.)
If you’re watching one clip after another, of course you’re more apt to vote for songs and musicals numbers that actually happen in the film (hence recent multiple nominations for DREAMGIRLS and ENCHANTED, and probably a couple from THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG this year). Since AMPAS doesn’t list songwriters on the initial ballot, voters can’t be swayed by seeing someone’s name (a practice I’m not totally behind). (Though could they NOT tell who was singing?!) Without that visual on paper, you’re left with the song.
And ignoring my opinion, which ultimately doesn’t matter a damn to anyone but me, they apparently weren’t impressed enough to give it the 8.25 average score. (That’s a whole problem in and of itself. Let the top five songs be the nominees, period.)
I still think “Jai Ho” stands the best chance at a Grammy. SLUMDOG is a far more popular film than THE WRESTLER, with or without Springsteen.
The AMPAS voting procedures suck, but “Requiem for a Dream” is one of the films of the decade.
I love you/I hate you. Where did we go wrong/right?
I’ll be at my mother’s.
Steve, I guess my threaded comments in Wordpress only thread so far. I’ll grant you that the AMPAS voting procedures suck. I won’t take the “Requiem” bait. I love you/hate you too. LOL And we didn’t go anywhere. We allow each other our opinions. And as a Leo, mine are right, yours are wrong. The sooner you realize that, the easier this will all be. ;) Say hi to mom for me.
Leo. Should have known. Got one of those at home. But nobody messes with Cancer. We don’t bait. Just pinch and scuttle sideways, if that. (Some of us ARE rational.) Unfortunately, Mom’s an Aries, so she’ll make me regret my momentary lapse of reason and come back.
But back to the Grammys. NIcholas Hooper? Nicholas Hooper?! And if Giacchino doesn’t win Instrumental Composition for “Married Life,” I’ve got some voters in my crosshairs. But it’ll likely go to one of the other Jazz or Big Band nominees. Ah, well.
I agree about Hooper. I think it’s strictly because it’s the movie. You’re probably right about “Married Life.” That category occasionally goes to a film score track, but your name usually has to be Williams to win.