Bruce Springsteen, E Street Band's 'Letter to You' snubbed by Grammys - fans are not happy

Chris Jordan, Asbury Park Press
·3 min read

The Recording Academy apparently didn't get the “Letter.”

Bruce Springsteen's critically acclaimed album “Letter to You” was not nominated for a Grammy Award when the Recording Academy unveiled the 2022 nominations on Tuesday, Nov. 23. “Letter” was released Oct. 23, 2020, which made it eligible for the 2022 awards cycle.

“In all honesty, fan or not, ‘Letter To You’ is an impeccable album,” said Howie Chaz of the Spring-Nuts Facebook group via email. “It’s not the fans who are voting. Seemingly a committee of music 'geniuses' are. And that being the case, how they didn’t consider 'Letter' as at least a choice for album of the year begs to question the deciding process. Bruce probably doesn’t care about awards, but just like in the cases of 'Born In The U.S.A.' and 'The Rising,' Bruce’s work does go unappreciated and unrecognized by these so-called award musical geniuses.”

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The Grammy snub of the 2002 album “The Rising” for Album of the Year still stings fans.

Bruce Springsteen as seen in "The Middle," a Jeep ad that filmed during the 2021 Super Bowl.
Bruce Springsteen as seen in "The Middle," a Jeep ad that filmed during the 2021 Super Bowl.

“Norah Jones beat Bruce for best album the year The Rising was nominated. The Grammys have been dead to me since,” tweeted Ed Rakowski on Tuesday.

“Power Up” by AC/DC; “Capitol Cuts: Live From Studio A” by the Black Pumas; “No One Sings Like You Anymore Vol. 1” by the late Chris Cornell; “Medicine At Midnight” by the Foo Fighters; and “McCartney III” by Paul McCartney are the 2022 nominees for Best Rock Album.

“Letter to You” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart, and No. 1 in multiple countries around the world when it was released. The Boss has won 20 Grammy Awards in his career, but he's hit a dry spell as of late, despite putting out what many consider to be strong material. His 2019 solo album “Western Stars” was also shut out.

Springsteen is not the only Jersey rocker to miss out this year. Bon Jovi's “2020” and Bleachers' “Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night” also did not get noms. Jack Antonoff, the New Milford and Hillsdale native who fronts Bleachers, was nominated for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. His producer nomination cited albums for Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent, Taylor Swift, Clairo, and Bleachers' “Sadness.”

Review: Bruce Springsteen, E Street Band glorious on life-affirming 'Letter To You'

Who else from Jersey was nominated? They include Halsey, born in Edison, who scored a nom for her fourth album, “If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power” in the Best Alternative Music Album category.

SZA, aka Solana Rowe of Maplewood, had her “Good Days” nominated for Best R&B Song, and her collab with Doja Cat’s on “Kiss Me More” is up for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Tony Bennett, a long-time Englewood resident, scored five nominations on Tuesday thanks to his collaboration with Lady Gaga on “Love for Sale,” an album of Cole Porter standards. It's nominated for Album of the Year and the single, “I Get A Kick Out Of You,” is up for Record of the Year.

Dae Bennett, Tony's son, is the producer of the album. Tony Bennett won his first Grammy in 1963 for “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

The 2022 Grammy Awards will be broadcast on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022 on CBS.

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Grammy Awards: Bruce Springsteen 'Letter to You' snubbed