2016 Surround Sound Grammy Nominations

[privateuniverse]

They announced the Grammy nominations this morning. Here's what got nominated for surround sound:

Amdahl: Astrognosia & Aesop
Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Ingar Heine Bergby & Norwegian Radio Orchestra)
Label: 2L (Lindberg Lyd)

Amused To Death
James Guthrie, surround mix engineer; James Guthrie & Joel Plante, surround mastering engineers; James Guthrie, surround producer (Roger Waters)
Label: Columbia/Legacy

Magnificat
Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Øyvind Gimse, Anita Brevik, Nidarosdomens Jentekor & Trondheimsolistene)
Label: 2L (Lindberg Lyd)

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7
Erdo Groot, surround mix engineer; Erdo Groot, surround mastering engineer; Philip Traugott, surround producer (Paavo Järvi & Russian National Orchestra)
Label: Pentatone
Spes

Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Tove Ramlo-Ystad & Cantus)
Label: 2L (Lindberg Lyd)

 

[fredblue]

Umm.. What about all the wonderful STEVEN WILSON surround mixes this year... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????

:howl :flame :nuke

 

[rtbluray]

Umm.. What about all the wonderful STEVEN WILSON surround mixes this year... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????

:howl :flame :nuke

Any surround mix released after 09/30/2015 this year would not have been eligible for nomination, but that still doesn't excuse the fact that albums like "Hand. Cannot. Erase.", "Minstrel in the Gallery", and "Rattle That Lock" (mixed by Andy Jackson) are more deserving of a surround sound nomination than just about anything else on this list.

With all that said though, I do hope that "Amused to Death" wins as that may give Roger Waters and James Guthrie even more of an incentive to remix other albums in surround from Waters and Pink Floyd's catalogues.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Umm.. What about all the wonderful STEVEN WILSON surround mixes this year... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????

:howl :flame :nuke

Don't get me started:zzzzz..instead of Steven we get Mr. Lyp Synch's "pivotal" work..I'm NOT amused:kaboom...we are not only a "niche" segment of the music industry...we are a totally misunderstood group as well

 

[fredblue]

Oh ok I wasn't aware of that cut off point for eligibility, thanks RT.. but still it is faintly daft that the Grammies (while it is great that they have a surround category at all) can overlook all these other highly accomplished surround mixes by hugely talented people in their field.. lord knows how SW, AJ etc must feel.. I know they don't do this stuff to necessarily win awards or whatever but it must be good/encouraging for them to be recognised by the industry at the very least...??

 

[Lute]

2L's Morten Lindberg most certainly deserves to be on that list. 2L's surround recordings are second to none! You guys have got to get out more often.

But I agree that there is plenty of room for Steven Wilson, Andy Jackson and others.

 

[privateuniverse]

Any surround mix released after 09/30/2015 this year would not have been eligible for nomination, but that still doesn't excuse the fact that albums like "Hand. Cannot. Erase.", "Minstrel in the Gallery", and "Rattle That Lock" (mixed by Andy Jackson) are more deserving of a surround sound nomination than just about anything else on this list.

Recordings released between October 1, 2014 & September 30, 2015 are eligible. This means that the following 2014 SW remixes could have been nominated:

Drums & Wires
Relayer
Songs From the Big Chair
War Child
Minstrel in the Gallery
Hand. Cannot. Erase.
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, November 23, 1973 (from the King Crimson Starless box.)

The only nominated title I've heard is Amused to Death, but certainly all of Steven's mixes listed above are more deserving.

I wish the Grammys would do the surround sound field like they do the Producer of the Year field. In that category, producers (not recordings) are nominated. So often times a producer is being nominated based on multiple titles that he had produced in that given year. If they did this for surround sound, someone like Steven could have been nominated for his work on all of the above listed recordings.

 

[Laird_Williams]

With the exception of Hand.Cannot.Erase, all of Steven's 5.1 mixes are re-mixes. I could be wrong - but judging from the list of nominees - these all appear to be new releases rather than remixes. Perhaps remixes are not eligible for this?

 

[privateuniverse]

With the exception of Hand.Cannot.Erase, all of Steven's 5.1 mixes are re-mixes. I could be wrong - but judging from the list of nominees - these all appear to be new releases rather than remixes. Perhaps remixes are not eligible for this?

Amused to Death is a remix. The album was originally released in 1992. Also, in the past several remixes have been nominated (Roxy Music, Elton John, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Bonnie Raitt....) Two (Brothers in Arms & Layla) have even won the award.

 

[Neil Palfreyman]

2L pretty much set the standard for hi resolution recording and surround mixing. Their releases have to be heard to be believed. But I'm rather surprised and disappointed that such an incredible year for surround releases isn't better reflected in the nominations.

 

[rtbluray]

Amused to Death is a remix. The album was originally released in 1992. Also, in the past several remixes have been nominated (Roxy Music, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt....) Two (Brothers in Arms & Layla) have even won the award.

Quite right. It definitely doesn't need to be a new recording in order for an album to be nominated (or win) the Grammy for Best Surround Sound album.

The question that we all need to ask the relevant powers that be (i.e. the record labels, both big and small) is are you even putting forth some of these amazing surround mixes to be considered and voted upon by the Grammy voters for nomination? I'm not going to say which albums they are (or who mixed them), but I will say that I know for a fact that two stellar surround mixes by the same engineer were not even entered into this category to be voted on for nomination a year ago, and the engineer wasn't that thrilled about it either. (And no, before everyone asks, it wasn't Steven Wilson. He could honestly care less about the Grammys.)

 

[ar surround]

Haven't watched the show in decades. Won't this year either. The only thing that matters about an album/song is if YOU like it.

 

[edisonbaggins]

How do they even audition surround albums? Is there an official surround listening room? Do they make an intern do it, then read the notes?
You can't audition them on an iPod, so the convenience factor is much lower.

 

[grill]

Jon, Admins, Folks,

We are the customers, therefore we are right. I suggest to establish a QQ Award for best surround sound album of the year. I also suggest to "officially" inform the artists and their management of the nominated and won albums about our awards. I know that our true votes lie in our purchases but our QQ Award might be appreciated by the artists, too.

 

[von kulper]

Jon, Admins, Folks,

We are the customers, therefore we are right. I suggest to establish a QQ Award for best surround sound album of the year. I also suggest to "officially" inform the artists and their management of the nominated and won albums about our awards. I know that our true votes lie in our purchases but our QQ Award might be appreciated by the artists, too.

I think this is an excellent idea! With so many incredible, and relatively high-profile releases this year, I can't even begin to guess which title would win.

 

[Jim the Oldbie]

Jon, Admins, Folks,

We are the customers, therefore we are right. I suggest to establish a QQ Award for best surround sound album of the year. I also suggest to "officially" inform the artists and their management of the nominated and won albums about our awards. I know that our true votes lie in our purchases but our QQ Award might be appreciated by the artists, too.

Hey, this is a great idea! Granted I need to take Lute's advice (I don't get out much), but I for one certainly haven't found a more concentrated, dedicated group of multichannel enthusiasts anywhere else than right here! Surely our appreciation would be appreciated?

-- Jim (first and second runners-up too, hee!)

 

[seilerbird]

I second that idea. Only there should at least be two categories, classical and popular. It is not a level playing field having only one category.

 

[DuncanS]

I would also split them both into Live and Studio recordings.

I second that idea. Only there should at least be two categories, classical and popular. It is not a level playing field having only one category.

 

[jaap74]

(And no, before everyone asks, it wasn't Steven Wilson. He could honestly care less about the Grammys.)

He COULD care less or he COULDN'T care less ?

 

[Neil Palfreyman]

Didn't "Deadwing" win in the year of it's release and I'm pretty sure "Fear of a Blank Planet" (or as I prefer to call it "Fear of a Blank Wallet") was nominated on it's release?