Grammy 2024 nominees include Helsinki Chamber Choir, MD$ and Ruuben
The list of Grammy nominees for 2024 includes Finnish names from classical music field as well as the current global hip hop and r&b scene. Classical and contemporary music nominations range from the Helsinki Chamber Choir (pictured above on the right) to Esa-Pekka Salonen, while hip hop beatmakers MD$ (pictured above on the left), Ruuben and Danitello caught the Recording Academy’s attention this year for their contributions on Burna Boy's hit single and album.
Conductor Nils Schweckendiek and Helsinki Chamber Choir are nominated for their recording "Saariaho: Reconnaissance" (listen on Spotify or Apple Music) on the category for Best Choral Performance. The recording is comprised of choral compositions by recently deceased composer Kaija Saariaho and also features contemporary music ensemble Uusinta Ensemble.
Hip hop producers MD$ (more about him on this feature article), Ruuben and Danitello get their second year of Grammy glory with Burna Boy, as the Nigerian afrobeats star's 7th album "I Told Them..." gets nominated for Best Global Music Album. Also, Burna Boy's single City Boys – solely produced by MD$ and Ruuben – is competing for the Best African Music Performance, a new category debuting this year.
The Recording Academy explain the City Boys nomination as follows: "Produced by MD$ and Ruuben with a sample from Jeremih’s sultry R&B classic "Birthday Sex," the stomping, glamorous track reminiscent of late-’90s Timbaland beats highlights the path of influence from hip-hop to Afrobeats".
Producers MD$, Ruuben and Danitello have worked on a total of three songs on the album, out which two (City Boys, Big 7) were chosen as singles. On the track Big 7, Finnish musician Maria Autio also contributed on violin.
Last year, Burna Boy earned MD$, Ruuben and Danitello their first Grammy nomination on the Best Global Music Performance category with the hit single Last Last, which they co-produced with fellow Finns Off & Out (Mikael and Samuel Haataja) and Nigerian producer Chopstix.
Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen is also nominated in the Best Choral Performance category for György Liget's Lux Aeterna, performed by the San Francisco Symphony Choir. Esa-Pekka Salonen has won a Grammy in 2009 for the Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance with Hilary Hahn and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
View the full Grammy 2024 nominations list here.