GRAMMYAWARDS
Album Of The YearBrad Cook, Chris Messina, Justin VernonZach Hansen, Chris MessinaENGINEERS/MPRODUCERSBon Iveri, i IXERS
BJ Burton, Brad Cook, Justin VernonMASTERING ENGINEERSONGWJagjaguwarGreg CalbiLABELRITERS
Justin Vernon became an unlikely Grammy darling in 2012, when his indie-folk project, Bon Iver, earned four nominations and two wins with its self-titled sopho-more album, including the best
ing into more electronic territory new artist trophy. After detour-with 2016’s Iver’s hushed songwriting style fourth album, and experimental production 22, A Mi,i, synthesizes Bon illion, their
techniques. Several of Vernon’s contemporaries from the indie-rock community — including James Blake, MThe National’s Aaron Dessner — contributed to i,ioses Sumney and , while heartland-
rock legend Bruce Hornsby guests on standout track “U (MWalbum to debut in the top 40 of the Billboard 200, indie label Jagjaguwar has scored its first ith i,i, Bon Iver’s third straight an Like).”
album of the year Grammy nomi-nation in its 23-year history.
Norman Fucking Rockwell!Jack Antonoff, Lana Del ReyJack Antonoff, Lana Del ReyENGINEERS/MLana Del ReyPRODUCERSIXERS
MJack Antonoff, Lana Del ReyASTERING ENGINEERPolydor/Interscope/IGASONGWChris GehringerLABELRITERS
The sixth studio album from alt-pop auteur Lana Del Rey marks her most complete body of work to date, full of the singer-songwriter’s wry observations of modern Ameri-can life, with a balance of piano bal-
ladry and psych-tinged instrumen-tation. As such, Rockwell! full-length nominated for album of the year. (The singer was previously nominated in the category for her has become Del Rey’s first Norman Fucking
contributions to The Walbum, conceived of the album as “a folk this year that she had originally nessrecord with a little surf twist,” .) Del Rey told Beauty Behind the MBillboardeeknd’s 2015 ad- earlier
co-producing it with Jack Antonoff and Rick Nowels. Thanks in part to his work on both Del Rey’s lat-est LP and Taylor Swift’s Antonoff is nominated for producer of the year, non-classical, while Del Lover,
Rey and Antonoff are nominated together for song of the year as co-writers of the title track to Fucking Rockwell! NormanWhen We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?ENGINEERS/MFinneas O’ConnellPRODUCERBillie EilishIXERS
Billie Eilish O’Connell, Finneas O’ConnellRob Kinelski, Finneas O’ConnellMASTERING ENGINEERSONGWJohn GreenhamLABELRITERS
Billie Eilish had been a growing presence on streaming platforms before releasing a debut album: Darkroom/Interscope/IGA
Her 2017 EP, Do WYet introduced her combination of grim storytelling and bass-heavy alt-pop. breakthrough of the 17-year-old We Go?hen W marked the mainstream e All Fall Asleep, WDon’t Smile at Me, here
singer-songwriter, who co-wrote the 14-song project with her older brother, Finneas O’Connell, and guided it to a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 upon its Mrelease. The album title comes from arch
the lyrics of the sparse, sinister sin-gle “Bury a Friend,” which peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100; the propulsive follow-up “Bad Guy” soared even higher, reaching the top of the chart and also scoring
Grammy nods for record and song of the year. Eilish would be the youngest album-of-the-year winner in the category’s history — Taylor Swift holds the record, when she won for Fearless at 20 years old.Tommy Brown, Ilya, Max Martin, ENGINEERS/MThank U, NextAriana GrandePRODUCERSVictoria MonetIXERS
Kotecha, Max Martin, Victoria Monet, Tommy Brown, Ariana Grande, Savan Serban Ghenea, Brendan MorawskiMTayla Parx, Ilya SalmanzadehASTERING ENGINEERSONGWRandy MerrillRITERS
Since making her musical debut in 2013 as a Nickelodeon star-RepublicLABEL
turned-powerful pop-R&B voice, Ariana Grande has been one of the most consistent presences on top 40 radio in the United States. Thank U, Nextsix months after 2018’s — released less than Sweetener,
which won a Grammy for best pop vocal album — marks her first entry in the Big Four category. Grande’s latest album finds the superstar exploring loss and inner strength — the title track reflects
ing one with rapper Mrelease. Rhythmic production Wfrom Mwho died months before the song’s on her past relationships, includ-ansel pushes her sound forward. ax Martin, Ilya and Pop ac Miller,
Thank U, Nextbiggest No. 1 album debuts of the year, and spawned the first Hot 100 chart-toppers of Grande’s career, including record-of-the-year nomi-nee “7 Rings.” scored one of the
56 BILLBOARD • DECEMBER 7, 2019