And the 2020 Grammy for Best Immersive Audio Album goes to....

[splinter7]

NOBODY!

This was posted on the Grammy site today (11/24/20)

Best Immersive Audio Album
N/A: Due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Best Immersive Audio Album Craft “Committee was unable to meet. The judging of the entries in this category has been postponed until such time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members.”

Seems to be the only category with that problem.

That sucks even as I believe that label support (does that mean $s ?) is needed to be considered. What a great year in surround in all aspects and yet to go unrecognized.

 

[popshop]

Maybe we should do our own QQ award? @rtbluray?
Indeed, for the surround stuff, they do get people together in the same room to listen to and judge all the releases. Pretty cool.

 

[splinter7]

I did not realize that. That is pretty cool.
Do they all take turns in the sweet spot?

 

[popshop]

I called a few years ago asking about submission dates and the listeners were actually there at that moment listening to the albums.
This is an interesting document, I would assume the listeners are many of the people who put the document together, listed on page 2:
https://media.uaudio.com/downloads/SurroundRecommendations.pdfIn it it actually says to not mix for a sweet spot
Also worth noting is that streaming and downloadable immersive content is eligible.

 

[humprof]

I called a few years ago asking about submission dates and the listeners were actually there at that moment listening to the albums.
This is an interesting document, I would assume the listeners are many of the people who put the document together, listed on page 2:
https://media.uaudio.com/downloads/SurroundRecommendations.pdfIn it it actually says to not mix for a sweet spot
Also worth noting is that streaming and downloadable immersive content is eligible.

Wow! Thanks for posting this. I've been wondering who the actual members of that committee were. Talk about a Murderers' Row!

I wonder who the current members are--and whether there's a new "guiding principles" document since the category was changed to "Immersive."

 

[splinter7]

That was an interesting read.
Thank you so much @popshop

 

[esimms86]

Wow! Thanks for posting this. I've been wondering who the actual members of that committee were. Talk about a Murderers' Row!

I totally agree. I wonder if Steve Wilson and QQ favorites are on the 2020 list? I would assume that mixing engineers must abstain from voting on their own projects.

 

[humprof]

I totally agree. I wonder if Steve Wilson and QQ favorites are on the 2020 list? I would assume that mixing engineers must abstain from voting on their own projects.

Just as you replied, @esimms86, I was editing my post to wonder out loud who the current members of the committee are. (The document that @popshop posted was from 2004.)

 

[esimms86]

Just as you replied, @esimms86, I was editing my post to wonder out loud who the current members of the committee are. (The document that @popshop posted was from 2004.)

And, sadly, the great Phil Ramone has since passed away.

 

[popshop]

Shoot. Members of the academy can see who the voters are, if I recall. I am not a member currently.

 

[humprof]

Hearing a Grammy-related story on the radio this morning reminded me of this thread. What I don't get is: under the circumstances, why does the committee need to meet and listen in the same room at the same time?

I get it: ordinarily, you'd want to ensure that everyone was hearing the music on the same equipment, at the same volume & EQ, etc., for the sake of objectivity (or something). But surely every committee member has access to their own surround system. And since ears are different and no one will hear exactly the same thing in the same way anyway, what does it matter whether those systems are identical? As long as each person auditions every nominee in the same way on their own system, then their judgments should be valid, no?

 

[4-earredwonder]

Hearing a Grammy-related story on the radio this morning reminded me of this thread. What I don't get is: under the circumstances, why does the committee need to meet and listen in the same room at the same time?

I get it: ordinarily, you'd want to ensure that everyone was hearing the music on the same equipment, at the same volume & EQ, etc., for the sake of objectivity (or something). But surely every committee member has access to their own surround system. And since ears are different and no one will hear exactly the same thing in the same way anyway, what does it matter whether those systems are identical? As long as each person auditions every nominee in the same way on their own system, then their judgments should be valid, no?

And the VERY fact THERE IS ONLY ONE ACTUAL SWEET SPOT in any given listening space sort of puts a questionable damper on the proceedings.

And unless I'm delusional, it does seem in any given year there is a definite bias towards the classical repertoire in deference to the many wonderful and discrete Pop/Rock/Jazz multichannel releases/reissues!

Maybe it's time they deivided the Grammy for Best Surround Mix into different categories......probably unlikely!

 

[esimms86]

Hearing a Grammy-related story on the radio this morning reminded me of this thread. What I don't get is: under the circumstances, why does the committee need to meet and listen in the same room at the same time?

I get it: ordinarily, you'd want to ensure that everyone was hearing the music on the same equipment, at the same volume & EQ, etc., for the sake of objectivity (or something). But surely every committee member has access to their own surround system. And since ears are different and no one will hear exactly the same thing in the same way anyway, what does it matter whether those systems are identical? As long as each person auditions every nominee in the same way on their own system, then their judgments should be valid, no?

I 100% agree. Can you imagine the Oscars, Golden Globes or Emmys requiring that everyone with a vote watch in the same room? And will there be no surround Grammy auditions for 2020 given social distancing restrictions?

 

[4-earredwonder]

I 100% agree. Can you imagine the Oscars, Golden Globes or Emmys requiring that everyone with a vote watch in the same room? And will there be no surround Grammy auditions for 2020 given social distancing restrictions?

As far as a 2020 Award for Best Surround Mix ever transpiring, Mr. E. at the rate this country is going the Oscars will be VIRTUAL, as well!

VIRTUAL REALITY?

 

[Wagonmaster_91]

An album winning a Grammy has zero influence on me in making a decision to buy an album. I rarely agree on the nominations, much less the winners. In the case of the best surround recordings category, the winner is usually something I have never heard of or have no interest in. When it is not a Classical piece with mostly rear ambience channels it is usually a mellow Adult Contemporary artist.
I suppose I do give the Grammys a bit more credence than the multiple award shows for movies and TV shows. I have wasted too many hours watching terrible "best picture award winners". These days I mainly use the results to know what movies to avoid.

 

[privateuniverse]

Well, right now it's all moot. It's being reported that the Grammy's are postponed.

 

[Voodooman]

If anybody has any serious technical surround questions I am good friends with Jeff Levison (one of those listed). He was the lead mix engineer and designer at DTS for years. he loves to talk tech.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Well, right now it's all moot. It's being reported that the Grammy's are postponed.

Until March 14, 2021!

 

[humprof]

No word--that I've heard--on whether the (presumably vaccinated?) judges for this category have finally found a "time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members.”

But over at IAA, QQ's own @sjcorne is already looking ahead to next year:
https://immersiveaudioalbum.com/202...ntenders/?mc_cid=4123ca4651&mc_eid=5e0ce96fec

 

[J. PUPSTER]

No word--that I've heard--on whether the (presumably vaccinated?) judges for this category have finally found a "time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members.”

But over at IAA, QQ's own @sjcorne is already looking ahead to next year:
https://immersiveaudioalbum.com/202...ntenders/?mc_cid=4123ca4651&mc_eid=5e0ce96fec

Sweet!
- somehow I've missed "likelike" - WTH... has that been released ???