Following on from the likes of Courtney Barnett and Jagwar Ma cracking NME’s end-of-year lists, the success of Aussie artists overseas continues with the announcement of the 2014 Grammy Award nominees over the weekend.
Among the long list of big-name international acts up for recognition at the 56th annual Grammy Awards are Perth’s favourite sons of psychedelic rock, Tame Impala, and future soul outfit, Hiatus Kaiyote.
Tame Impala are no strangers to trophies, their cabinet is already brim with recent wins at the ARIAs, claiming Best Rock Album, Album of the Year, and Best Group, after earning four statuettes at the 2013 WAM Awards last month. The band’s much-celebrated second album, Lonerism, now puts Kevin Parker and Co. in the Grammy stakes, nominated for Best Alternative Music Album.
Not only that, but Tame Impala are the only non-American act in the category, pitted against singer-songwriter Neko Case, the ‘revitalised’ Nine Inch Nails, and New York indie royalty, The National and Vampire Weekend (interestingly, all four acts are bound for Australia in upcoming tours).
The more surprising Aussie Grammy nomination (but no less deserved) is for Hiatus Kaiyote, the new version of their neo-jazz fusion cut ‘Nakamarra’ that features Q-Tip has been selected for the Best RnB Performance category.
The Melbourne-bred group have already made major in-roads into America, charming the likes of The Roots, Flying Lotus, Prince, Erykah Badu (who Hiatus Kaiyote are opening for in her Bluesfest sideshows), before their debut album, Tawk Tomahawk, was re-issued for US audiences via Sony, and featuring the Grammy-nominated ‘Nakamarra’, which is up against Snarky Puppy, Tamar Braxton, Anthony Hamilton, and Miguel’s Kendrick Lamar-featured ‘How Many Drinks?’.
Looking across the pond and – surprise, surprise – New Zealand sensation Lorde has scooped up three nominations for her US dominating hit ‘Royals’; for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance.
The 17-year-old was also on hand at the nomination ceremony to perform the song (a strong Triple J Hottest 100 contender), alongside performances from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Robin Thicke and scissor-kicking RnB singer Miguel with Keith Urban for a rendition of ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’.
The 56th Grammy Award Awards will take place on Australia Day (Sunday 26th January) 2014, at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles – which would be a nice little patriotic present should Tame Impala and Hiatus Kaiyote triumph, following in the footsteps of Gotye’s three-for-three win at last year’s Grammys. Fingers crossed.
View the Australian nominees below and view the full list of 2014 Grammy nominees here.
The 56th Grammy Award Nominees 2014
BEST RnB PERFORMANCE
Nakamarra – Hiatus Kaiyote Featuring Q-Tip
Track from: Tawk Tomahawk
Label: Sony Music Ent./Flying Buddha
Love And War – Tamar Braxton
Label: Epic Records/Streamline Records
Best Of Me – Anthony Hamilton
Track from: Back To Love
Label: RCA Records
How Many Drinks? – Miguel Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Label: RCA Records / Bystorm Entertainment
Something – Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway
Track from: Family Dinner Volume One
Label: Ropeadope Records
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You – Neko Case
Label: Anti Records
Trouble Will Find Me – The National
Label: 4Ad
Hesitation Marks – Nine Inch Nails
Label: Columbia Records
Lonerism – Tame Impala
Label: Modular/Interscope
Modern Vampires Of The City – Vampire Weekend
Label: Xl Recordings
