Could we draw some sort of inference from the inability of the GRAMMYs to get their complete list of nominations up until a good 20-25 minutes after they were promised? Some broad reluctance to get into the digital age? Probably not. But still annoying for the multitudes of folks who wanted to see the winners at 11 PM East Coast time as promised.
Anyway, I'm over that now. The nominees, with some thoughts, after the jump. The main GRAMMY awards are Sunday night, Feb. 13 -- most of the awards (including this category) are typically awarded that afternoon.
Best Musical Album For Children (For albums consisting of predominantly music or song vs. spoken word)
Here Comes Science - They Might Be Giants [Disney Sound]
Jungle Gym - Justin Roberts [Carpet Square Records]
Sunny Days- Battersby Duo [TBD 2010]
Tomorrow's Children - Pete Seeger With The Rivertown Kids And Friends [Appleseed]
Weird Things Are Everywhere! - Judy Pancoast [Mamanook Music]
An hour or so before the nominees were announced, I said on Facebook, "For what it's worth, my Grammy predictions: TMBG, Justin Roberts, Pete Seeger, maybe Dan Zanes (he's got 2 disks in, so possible confusion), and... Rhythm Train?" There were over 100 albums on the list, and folks don't get to choose too many, so a not-totally small but dedicated crowd can pull off a nomination, and I think that's the result with the Battersby Duo and Judy Pancoast, both of whom have decades of experience in the genre and must be very pleased with their nominations (as I would be were I in their shoes). Neither has a chance of winning in February.
That may sound dismissive, but look at the other 3 nominees. The race for the winner in February is really down to They Might Be Giants (a previous GRAMMY winner for Here Come the 123s along with another GRAMMY, not to mention millions of albums sold), Justin Roberts (a longtime favorite who's having increasing mainstream recognition), and Pete Seeger (legend). The TMBG and Roberts albums are nothing but excellent, and Seeger's album, while not an essential recording like those he made 50 years ago, is a worthy nominee. At this point, my money's on Pete -- he won a GRAMMY two years ago, so why shouldn't he win another one again?
Best Spoken Word Album For Children (For albums consisting of predominantly spoken word vs. music or song)
Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl: The Definitive Edition - Selma Blair [Random House Audio/Listening Library]
The Best Candy In The Whole World - Bill Harley [Round River Records]
Healthy Food For Thought: Good Enough To Eat - Various Artists, Jim Cravero, Paula Lizzi & Steve Pullara, producers [East Coast Recording Company]
Julie Andrews' Collection Of Poems, Songs, And Lullabies - Julie Andrews & Emma Walton Hamilton [Hachette Audio]
Nanny McPhee Returns - Emma Thompson [Macmillan Audio With Universal Studios]
Two notes:
1) Bill Harley is a really strong candidate and previous winner, but I think he'll have a tough time beating out Julie Andrews.
2) The Healthy Food disk features a ton of folks, including Bill Childs. I think Bill would've preferred a nomination for Many Hands, but as consolation prizes go, it's not a bad one.
