The Grammy Awards are here. These musicians with NC ties could win.

Jessica Banov
·4 min read
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The 64th Grammy Awards ceremony is Sunday, and nominees have waited months to hear whether they will take home the music industry’s biggest awards.

That includes many North Carolina musicians and groups who were nominated for awards in November and expected to attend the ceremony Jan. 31.

But a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations postponed the ceremony to April 3.

Sunday, awards in 86 categories will be presented with a select group given out during the broadcast at 8 p.m. The ceremony will air live from Las Vegas on CBS and the Paramount+ streaming service with Trevor Noah as host.

North Carolina will be well represented with some repeat nominees, winners and a well-known mother and son nominated in two different categories.

Durham jazz singer Nnenna Freelon, who has been nominated for several Grammys before, is nominated this year for “Time Traveler” in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category. The nomination is the sixth in her career with the first in 1996.

Pierce Freelon, her son, is nominated for Best Children’s Album for “Black to the Future.” He also contributed a song on the Grammy-nominated album, “All One Tribe,” in the same category.

Durham jazz singer Nnenna Freelon is nominated for a Grammy Award for “Time Traveler” in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category. Pierce Freelon, her son and an outgoing member of the Durham City Council, is nominated for Best Children’s Album for “Black to the Future.” He also contributed a song on the Grammy-nominated album, “All One Tribe,” in the same category.

Durham singer Rissi Palmer also contributed a song to the nominated children’s albums, “All One Tribe,” by the 1 Tribe Collective as well as a song to “Activate” by 123 Andrés.

Durham duo Sylvan Esso was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for “Free Love.” This is their second nomination, following 2017’s “What Now” in the same category.

Triangle-based producer 9th Wonder is nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album for his work on the collaborative EP, “Dinner Party: Dessert.”

J. Cole, who grew up in Fayetteville and lives in the Triangle, is up for three awards: Best Rap Album for “The Off-Season.” Cole earned his first Grammy Award in 2020 after several nominations.

Roots musician Rhiannon Giddens, who grew up in Greensboro and went to the N.C. School of Science and Math in Durham, is nominated for two awards. She is nominated for Best Folk Album with Francesco Turrisi for “They’re Calling Me Home.” Both are nominated alongside songwriter Justin Robinson for Best American Roots Song for “Avalon.”

Country superstar Luke Combs nabbed a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for “Forever After All.”

Grammy nominees with N.C. ties

▪ Best Dance/Electronic Music Album: “Free Love,” Sylvan Esso

▪ Best Progressive R&B Album: “Dinner Party: Dessert,” Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Kamasi Washington

▪ Best Rap Performance: “M Y . L I F E,” J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray

▪ Best Melodic Rap Performance: “P R I D E . I S . T H E . D E V I L,” J. Cole Featuring Lil Baby

▪ Best Rap Song: “M Y . L I F E,” Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph & Jermaine Cole, songwriters (J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray)

▪ Best Rap Album: “The Off-Season,” J. Cole

▪ Best Country Solo Performance: “Forever After All,” Luke Combs

▪ Best Jazz Vocal Album: “Time Traveler,” Nnenna Freelon

▪ Best American Roots Song: “Avalon,” Rhiannon Giddens, Justin Robinson & Francesco Turrisi, songwriters (Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi)

▪ Best Folk Album: “They’re Calling Me Home,” Rhiannon Giddens With Francesco Turrisi

▪ Best Children’s Music Album:

  • “Black To The Future,” Pierce Freelon

  • “Activate,” 123 Andrés (Durham singer Rissi Palmer contributed “I Just Can’t Sit Down.”)

  • “All One Tribe,” 1 Tribe Collective (Pierce Freelon contributed “Cootie Shot” and Palmer contributed “Little Black Boy, Little Black Girl.”)

Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony

Hosted by: LeVar Burton

With performances by: Jimmie Allen, Ledisi, Mon Laferte, Allison Russell, Curtis Stewart, Madison Cunningham, Falu, Nnenna Freelon, Kalani Pe’a, John Popper, and The Isaacs

When: 3:30 p.m. Sunday (awards will be presented in more than 70 of the 84 Grammy categories)

Where: Online at live.grammy.com and youtube.com/grammy

64th annual Grammy Awards

Hosted by: Trevor Noah

With performances by: Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, BTS, Brandi Carlile & Brothers Osborne, Jack Harlow, Jon Batiste, Foo Fighters, H.E.R., Nas, Chris Stapleton, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Ben Platt and Rachel Zegler

Where to watch: 8 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS, airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and on the Paramount+ streaming service

The San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this story.

Country music artist Rissi Palmer stands for a portrait outside her home, on March 29, 2021, in Durham, N.C. She is part of two Grammy-nominated albums. She contributed a song to “All One Tribe,” by the 1 Tribe Collective as well as “Activate” by 123 Andrés.
Country music artist Rissi Palmer stands for a portrait outside her home, on March 29, 2021, in Durham, N.C. She is part of two Grammy-nominated albums. She contributed a song to “All One Tribe,” by the 1 Tribe Collective as well as “Activate” by 123 Andrés.
Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath of Durham, NC, are nominated for a Grammy Award for “Free Love.” It’s their second career nomination.
Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath of Durham, NC, are nominated for a Grammy Award for “Free Love.” It’s their second career nomination.
Patrick Douthit, better know as 9th Wonder, laughs as he talks with students while teaching the History of Hip Hop at North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C., Thursday, October 24, 2019.
Patrick Douthit, better know as 9th Wonder, laughs as he talks with students while teaching the History of Hip Hop at North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C., Thursday, October 24, 2019.
J. Cole performs at the Dreamville Music Festival at Raleigh, N.C.’s Dix Park Saturday, April 6, 2019.
J. Cole performs at the Dreamville Music Festival at Raleigh, N.C.’s Dix Park Saturday, April 6, 2019.
Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi are nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Folk Album for “They’re Calling Me Home.” Both are nominated alongside songwriter Justin Robinson for Best American Roots Song for “Avalon.”
Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi are nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Folk Album for “They’re Calling Me Home.” Both are nominated alongside songwriter Justin Robinson for Best American Roots Song for “Avalon.”