New music: Seal, The Legal Matters, Mumford & Sons, Gorillaz, Johnny Blue Skies

In this column I review fantastic new titles featuring British soul icon Seal, as well as new studio albums from power pop greats The Legal Matters, British Americana troupe Mumford & Sons, groundbreaking collective Gorillaz and genre-defying Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds; all the releases are available now.

Artist: Seal
Title: Purpose: Celebrating 30 Years of the Classic Albums Seal I and Seal II (Mercury Studios)
You might like if you enjoy: Seal, Trevor Horn
Tell me more: Fans of top-tier artists, immersive concert films and timeless music will all have find plenty to love about Mercury Studios' "Purpose: Celebrating 30 Years of the Classic Albums Seal I and Seal II." The fabulous new concert film featuring four-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Seal was filmed at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas in 2024 and features stunning live versions of the artist's most beloved material. The 10-track concert film also features some insightful thoughts from Seal interspersed along the way: "I think a song can change peoples lives...in a way that is so profound." That is especially true after seeing Seal and his six-piece band soar through stellar hits including "Crazy," "Future Love Paradise," "Prayer For The Dying" and "Kiss From A Rose." Seal's signature vocals come in the service of a timeless sound that blends soul, R&B, pop and dance. In addition to Seal's incredible vocals, his band features the artist's longtime producer, Grammy Award-winning producer/artist Trevor Horn. Highlights abound on the title, including the sumptuous opener "Crazy," dance-fueled "The Beginning" and "Bring It On," bewitching "Prayer For The Dying," and moving "Kiss From A Rose" and "Love's Divine," the latter two selections finding Seal going into the crowd to sing. Released on Feb. 13, the title is available via multiple formats including a 4K UHD+Blu-ray combo pack, Blu-ray+CD combo, and digital audio and video (the 4K UHD+Blu-ray format is reviewed here). Information: mercurystudio.co.

Artist: The Legal Matters
Title: Lost At Sea (Big Stir Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Badfinger, ELO, Fountains Of Wayne, Crowded House, Dada
Tell me more: Michigan-based The Legal Matters have returned with a spectacular new album, the 10-track Lost At Sea. The talented trio comprised of Keith Klingensmith, Andy Reed and Chris Richards have collaborated on their first new batch of ambitious, harmony-filled songs since 2021's Chapter Three. The Legal Matters' fourth album includes the sumptuous opener "Everybody Knows" (which delightfully recalls the magic of classic Badfinger), propulsive "The Message," melodic gem "Temporary Thing," driving psychedelic-tinged "It Doesn't Matter,"  Beatlesque "Let Me Explain," and Baroque ballad "Slow Down." Not only does the album sound fantastic, but the songs are literate and tap into modern-day themes at every turn. Information: bigstirrecords.com.

Artist: Mumford & Sons
Title: Prizefighter (Glassnote Music)
You might like if you enjoy: Mumford & Sons, Chris Stapleton, Hozier
Tell me more: English band Mumford & Sons is back with Prizefighter, another batch of infectious originals bolstered by winning songcraft, shining harmonies, dynamic musicianship and artful arrangements crafted from folk and Americana essentials. Additionally, the group's music making is enhanced by several high-profile names who join along the way on the band's sixth studio LP. The anthemic opener "Here" features country music great Chris Stapleton adding his vocals to the track. On the introspective "Rubber Band Man," Hozier brings his distinctive voice to the cut as he trades verses with Marcus Mumford. There are so many great songs on the disc with the sweeping "Banjo Song," ambitious "Run Together" with its burgeoning arc, the confessional "Shadow Of A Man," soaring "Begin Again" that explores the courage to start over and the gentle closer "Clover" are among this writer's favorites. Information: mumfordandsons.com.

Artist: Gorillaz
Title: The Mountain (Kong Studios Essex Limited)
You might like if you enjoy: Gorillaz, Blur, Damon Albarn
Tell me more: Singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Damon Albarn has returned with the latest Gorillaz full-length masterwork, The Mountain. The album includes a parade of 15 compelling originals featuring a slew of high-profile guests. Highlights include the instrumental-heavy opener "The Mountain," luxurious trip hop meets hip-hop romp "The Moon Cave," the New Wave-flavored "The Happy Dictator" featuring the iconic duo Sparks, the mesmeric "Orange County," dreamy "The Empty Dream Machine" (the latter featuring guitar great Johnny Marr), electronica sortie "The Plastic Guru," immersive "Delirium" featuring English singer Mark E. Smith, evocative "Casablanca" (featuring Marr and Clash bassist Paul Simonon) and India-minded foray "The Sweet Prince." The album's closing track, "The Sad God," is a wonderful showcase for Albarn's signature vocals and alluring melodic instincts as well as his ability to collaborate with other artists artfully. Information: gorillaz.com.

Artist: Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds
Title: Mutiny After Midnight (High Top Mountain Records/Atlantic Music Group)
You might like if you enjoy: Sturgill Simpson
Tell me more: Following up the release of Johnny Blue Skies' 2024 debut Passage Du Desir, singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson (aka Johnny Blue Skies) and The Dark Clouds are back with the sophomore followup Mutiny After Midnight. The dance-minded disc is filled with left-leaning political-minded originals that simultaneously are aimed at getting everyone out on the dance floor. The rousing opener "Make America Fuk Again," rapid-fire rock-styled "Excited Delirium," Americana-rooted "Don't Let Go" (the latter featuring nuanced sax playing from Raw B), funky "Stay On That" and "Ain't That A Bitch," and country-tinged "Viridescent" all explode out of the speakers. The nine-track album is available on vinyl, as well as via audio CD and on cassette. Information: sturgillsimpson.com.

Robert Kinsler

Mumford & Sons 'Prizefighter' Tour; Tour coming to Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 6

Mumford & Sons has just announced details about the band's "Prizefighter" tour. The group's new album Prizefighter is out today...Robert Kinsler

MUMFORD & SONS’ NEW ALBUM PRIZEFIGHTER OUT TODAY, MASSIVE

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR CONFIRMED

 

KIA FORUM – TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6

 

BAND SET TO RETURN TO ‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’ AS MUSICAL GUEST FOR THE FOURTH TIME

 

Tickets on Sale Friday, February 27, at 10 AM PT

 

 

Mumford & Sons’ anticipated new album, Prizefighter, is out today via Glassnote Records/Gentlemen of the Road. Stream/purchase HERE.

Long celebrated for their electric live performances, touring has defined Mumford & Sons from the beginning, in shaping their sound, building their global fanbase, and fostering their collaborative spirit. Continuing that tradition, the group will kick off their massive North American headline Prizefighter Tour in June, which includes a stop at the Kia Forum on Tuesday, October 6.

Tickets will be available for pre-sale for AGORA members starting Tuesday, February 24, at 10:00 am PT, with general on-sale following on Friday, February 27, at 10:00 am PT. Full details can be found at www.mumfordandsons.com.

The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, access to the pre-show Prizefighter club, exclusive VIP merchandise & more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com.

Co-produced and co-written with The National’s Aaron Dessner, Prizefighter features collaborations with Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Chris Stapleton, and Gigi Perez and finds Mumford & Sons at their most instinctive and open, capturing the sense of community and connection that has influenced them from the start.

Already receiving widespread attention, the band was recently featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, The Zane Lowe Show, Bert Kreischer’s The Bertcast, And The Writer Is… and Brittany Broski’s Royal Court, while NPR Music praises the album, saying, “it’s pretty wonderful…this music is very evolved and intricate and exquisitely produced and performed. They are incredible musicians.”

The official music video for the album track, “The Banjo Song,” is also out now, directed and produced by the Bristol-based events collective, Streets of Soul, who cast the dancers solely from clubbers they met at their Bristol Northern Soul Club nights. Watch/share HERE.

Less than a year from the arrival of RUSHMERE, the band’s long-anticipated #1 album in March 2025, Mumford & Sons take full advantage of a prolific period of songwriting with another full-length record in quick succession. For a band whose unique sound has helped to both influence and inspire countless artists all around the globe, Prizefighter is Mumford & Sons’ finest example of precisely how and why they lead by example.  

The album sessions were as much about rediscovery as recording. Days spent writing in Hudson cafés and nights spent around Long Pond’s kitchen table gave rise to songs that feel unpolished in the best sense—alive with first takes and the joy of simply making music together again. Reenergized, rejuvenated, and in the form of their lives, Prizefighter embraces and reflects that full-strength energy and enthusiasm with 14 songs of light, shade, and everything in between.

PRIZEFIGHTER TRACK LIST

1. Here (with Chris Stapleton)
2. Rubber Band Man (with Hozier)
3. The Banjo Song
4. Run Together
5. Conversation With My Son
6. Alleycat
7. Prizefighter
8. Begin Again
9. Icarus (with Gigi Perez)
10. Stay
11. Badlands (with Gracie Abrams)
12. Shadow Of A Man
13. I’ll Tell You Everything
14. Clover

MUMFORD & SONS CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

BOLD on-sale next Friday, February 27 at 10:00am local time

February 20—Tempe, AZ—Innings Festival

April 24—Melbourne, Australia—Rod Laver Arena

April 25—Melbourne, Australia—Rod Laver Arena

April 28—Brisbane, Australia—Entertainment Centre

April 29—Sydney, Australia—Qudos Bank Arena

May 2—Auckland, New Zealand—Spark Arena

June 2—Vancouver, BC—Rogers Arena||

June 4—Bozeman, MT—Bobcat Stadium|| (not a Live Nation date)

June 6—Boulder, CO—Folsom Field† (not a Live Nation date)

June 8—Fort Worth, TX—Dickies Arena‡

June 9—Rogers, AR—Walmart AMP‡

June 11—Chicago, IL—Wrigley Field#

June 13—Toronto, ON—Rogers Stadium#

June 14—Pittsburgh, PA—The Pavilion at Star Lake‡

June 16—Bangor, ME—Maine Savings Amphitheater‡

June 18—Syracuse, NY—Empower FCU Amphitheater‡

June 19—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live‡

June 20—Hershey, PA—Hersheypark Stadium+

June 22—Boston, MA—Fenway Park+ 

July 1—Groningen, Netherlands—Stadspark

July 2—Werchter, Belgium—Rock Werchter Festival

July 4—London, U.K.—BST Hyde Park^

July 5—Dublin, Ireland—Marlay Park

July 7—Rome, Italy—Rock in Roma

July 9—Berlin, Germany—Waldbuhne

July 31—Minneapolis, MN— Mystic Lake Amphitheater~

August 1—St. Charles, Iowa—Hinterland Music Festival

August 2—Kansas City, MO—Morton Amphitheater~

August 4—Atlanta, GA—State Farm Arena~

August 6—Hollywood, FL—Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino~

August 7—Tampa, FL—Benchmark International Arena~

August 9—Charlotte, NC—Spectrum Center~

August 11—New York, NY—Madison Square Garden~

August 15—Gilford, NH—BankNH Pavilion~

August 16—Montreal, QC—Lasso Festival

September 12—Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—Rock in Rio

September 20—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena%

September 22—Grand Rapids, MI—Acrisure Amphitheater%

September 23—Madison, WI—Kohl Center %

September 25—Louisville, KY—Bourbon & Beyond Festival

September 29—Birmingham, AL—Coca-Cola Amphitheater%

October 1—The Woodlands, TX—The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion%

October 3—Albuquerque, NM—First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater||

October 6—Los Angeles, CA—Kia Forum||

||with special guest Sierra Ferrell

†with special guests Sierra Ferrell and Dylan Gossett

‡with special guest Dylan Gossett

#with special guests Caamp and Dylan Gossett

+with special guests Lord Huron and Dylan Gossett

^with special guest The War on Drugs

~with special guest Medium Build

%with special guest Marcus King Band

*Student tickets will be available in Bozeman, Boulder, Chicago, Rogers, Boston, Tampa and Charlottesville

 

www.mumfordandsons.com

 

ABOUT THE KIA FORUM 

Located in Inglewood, California, the Kia Forum is the only arena-sized venue in the country dedicated to music and entertainment, delivering a superior experience for artists and fans alike. The iconic venue hosts a diverse range of premier events, featuring the biggest names in music and entertainment, award shows, combat sports, and more. Fans at the Kia Forum enjoy approximately 8,000 square feet of event-level hospitality offerings, including merchandise and food and beverage options. A tinted glass wall separates this concession area from the arena, ensuring fans do not miss a moment of the show. A 40,000-square-foot outdoor terrace wraps around the perimeter of the building and offers comfortable furnishings and food and beverage options from some of SoCal’s most celebrated brands. Designed with entertainers and performers in mind, Kia Forum Backstage includes star-caliber dressing rooms that provide unparalleled comfort. The Kia Forum received Pollstar's "Arena of the Decade" award in 2022 and was named the top West Coast arena in 2025 by Pollstar and Billboard magazines. thekiaforum.com. Instagram| Facebook | Twitter

Mumford & Sons’ new album "Prizefighter" out February 13

 Here is the official media release about the forthcoming Mumford & Sons album "Prizefighter," due Feb. 13. Be sure to listen to the great advance single "Rubber Band Man" featuring Hozier too...Robert Kinsler

MUMFORD & SONS’ NEW ALBUM

PRIZEFIGHTER OUT FEBRUARY 13 

CO-PRODUCED AND CO-WRITTEN WITH AARON DESSNER, FEATURES COLLABORATIONS WITH HOZIER, GRACIE ABRAMS, CHRIS STAPLETON AND GIGI PEREZ

FOLLOWS RUSHMERE, THE BAND’S RETURNING ALBUM WHICH DEBUTED AT #1 IN THE U.K. EARLIER THIS YEAR

SOLD-OUT U.K. + EUROPEAN ARENA TOUR KICKS OFF NEXT WEEK

October 29, 2025—Mumford & Sons will release their new album, Prizefighter, February 13 via Glassnote Records. Pre-order/pre-save HERE. The band’s sixth studio album, Prizefighter was co-produced and co-written with The National’s Aaron Dessner at his Long Pond Studio in upstate New York.

The record consists of fourteen tracks including the band’s new single, “Rubber Band Man (with Hozier),” which debuted last week. Listen HERE. 

A mere seven months after the arrival of RUSHMERE, the band’s long anticipated #1 album in March 2025, Mumford & Sons take full advantage of a prolific period of songwriting with another full-length record in quick succession. 

Created alongside Dessner, who the band previously worked with on their third record, Wilder Mind, Prizefighter captures the band at their most open and instinctive. In just ten days, they’d written more than an album’s worth of songs, and a collection that feels both deeply personal, instinctive and unguardedly communal. Marcus Mumford’s lyrics grapple with resilience and striving, singing with a mix of confidence and urgency.

For Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane, the sessions were as much about rediscovery as recording. Days spent writing in Hudson cafés and nights spent around Long Pond’s kitchen table gave rise to songs that feel unpolished in the best sense—alive with first takes and the joy of simply making music together again. Reenergized, rejuvenated and in the form of their lives, Prizefighter embraces and reflects that full-strength energy and enthusiasm with fourteen songs of light, shade and everything in-between.  

That openness extended to the studio door too. Mumford & Sons welcomed collaborators into the studio, calling on the likes of Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Chris Stapleton, Gigi Perez and Dessner himself. Their presence underscored the band’s commitment to community and connection. 

Of the project, Mumford shares, “We feel like we’re hitting our prime as a creative force. We’re putting everything we have into this now, and we’re using everything about our experience so far to embrace exactly who we are. We’re comfortable in our skins these days. And Prizefighter is us going for it—serious and playful, sometimes bruised and always hopeful. We’re nowhere near done yet. I hope and believe we’re in the beginning of something we don’t want to let up on. I’m more excited to be in this band than I’ve ever been.” 

Photo credit: Conor Cunningham

PRIZEFIGHTER TRACK LIST

1. Here (with Chris Stapleton)

2. Rubber Band Man (with Hozier)

3. The Banjo Song

4. Run Together

5. Conversation With My Son

6. Alleycat

7. Prizefighter

8. Begin Again

9. Icarus (with Gigi Perez)

10. Stay

11. Badlands (with Gracie Abrams)

12. Shadow Of A Man

13. I’ll Tell You Everything

14. Clover

MUMFORD & SONS CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

November 6—Stockholm, Sweden—Avicii Arena#

November 8—Copenhagen, Denmark—Royal Arena#

November 10—Berlin, Germany—Uber Arena#

November 12—Cologne, Germany—LANXESS Arena+

November 13—Antwerp, Belgium—Antwerps Sportpaleis+

November 14—Paris, France—Adidas Arena#

November 16—Luxembourg, Luxembourg—Rockhal+

November 17—Amsterdam, Netherlands—Ziggo Dome#

November 19—Bologna, Italy—Unipol Arena+

November 20—Zurich, Switzerland—Hallenstadion+

November 21—Milan, Italy—Unipol Forum+

November 23—Barcelona, Spain—Palau Sant Jordi+

November 25—Lisbon, Portugal—Sagres Campo Pequeno+

November 29—Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.—Utilita Arena* (SOLD OUT)

November 30—Leeds, U.K.—First Direct Arena* (SOLD OUT)

December 2—Glasgow, U.K.—OVO Hydro* (SOLD OUT)

December 3—Manchester, U.K.—Co-op Live* (SOLD OUT)

December 5—Sheffield, U.K.—Utilita Arena* (SOLD OUT)

December 7—Birmingham, U.K.—Utilita Arena Birmingham* (SOLD OUT)

December 8—Cardiff, U.K.—Utilita Arena Cardiff* (SOLD OUT)

December 10—London, U.K.—The O2* (SOLD OUT)

December 11—London, U.K.—The O2* (SOLD OUT)

December 27—San Diego, CA—Wild Horses Festival

January 8-11—Cancun, Mexico—Out of the Blue Festival

February 20-22—Tempe, AZ—Innings Festival

#with special guests The Vaccines + The Barr Brothers
+with special guest The Vaccines

*with special guest Sierra Ferrell

www.mumfordandsons.com

Jade Bird confirms U.S. tour with Hozier in March 2019

Jade Bird definitely impressed me when I caught her earlier this year as the opener for First Aid Kit at The Observatory in Santa Ana (you can read my review of that concert here). Today comes word she is set to support Irish singer-songwriter Hozier on a U.S. tour beginning in March 2019...

Jade Bird confirms U.S. tour dates with Hozier in March

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DEBUT LP COMING EARLY 2019

Jade Bird performing at The Observatory in Santa
Ana,  CA on April 17, 2018.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

Breakout singer, songwriter and performerJade Bird has confirmed U.S. shows supporting Hozier next March. See below for more details. The newly announced dates follow a hugely successful debut U.S. headline tour, dates with Brandi Carlile, First Aid Kit, Anderson East and Colter Wall as well as festival appearances at Bonnaroo, Stagecoach, Firefly, Mountain Jam, Bumbershoot, Grandoozy, Pilgrimage and more. 

The tour anticipates Jade’s debut full-length—the follow up to the much laudedSomething American EP—due for release early next year on Glassnote Records. The album will feature Jade’s latest track “Love Has All Been Done Before,” her current single “Uh Huh,” as well as“Lottery”(which spent three weeks at #1 on Triple A Radio—the first new artist to reach the top of the Triple A chart in 2018) and “Furious”.

In anticipation of the new LP, Jade has already been featured amongst YouTube’sU.K. Ones To Watch for 2019, Vevo’s DSCVR Artists to Watch for 2019, and Pandora’s Artists to Watch for 2019.

The forthcoming LP will culminate a breakthrough year for Jade who won the Anchor Award for most promising international emerging talent at Reeperbahn Festival, the 2018 Grulke Prize for developing non-U.S. act at SXSW and was selected for the BBC Sound of 2018. Jade made her national television debut on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” followed by a standout performance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” She was featured as a Rolling Stone “Artist You Need To Know,” selected as one of PAPER’s “100 Women Revolutionizing Pop” and most recently, Jade was featured in the Top 10 ofNPR Music’s “Slingshot’s Best New Artist Of 2018.”

JADE BIRD LIVE:

March 10—Buffalo, NY—Shea’s Performing Arts Centre*

March 11—Albany, NY—Palace Theatre*

March 13—Baltimore, MD—Hippodrome Theatre*

March 14—Norfolk, VA—Chrysler Hall*

March 16—Raleigh, NC—Raleigh Memorial Auditorium*

March 17—Charlotte, NC—Oven’s Auditorium*

March 19—Miami Beach, FL—The Fillmore Miami Beach-The Jackie Gleeson Theatre8

March 20—St. Petersburg, FL—Mahaffey Theater*

March 21—Orlando, FL—Walt Disney Theatre*

March 23—Atlanta, GA—Coca Cola Roxy Theatre*

March 24—Nashville, TN—Grand Ole Opry House*

March 26—Memphis, TN—Orpheum Theatre*

March 27—New Orleans, LA—The Fillmore New Orleans-Music Hall*

March 29—Dallas, TX—Southside Ballroom*

March 30—Houston, TX—Revention Music Centre*

March 31—Austin, TX—ACL Live at the Moody Theatre*

April 2—Oklahoma City, OK—The Criterion*

April 3—Tulsa, OK—Brady Theatre*

April 5—Denver, CO—Bellco Theatre*

April 6—Salt Lake City, UT—The Union Event Centre*

April 9—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Forever Cemetery*

April 10—Santa Barbara, CA—Arlington Theatre*

April 12—Reno, NV—Grand Sierra Resort & Casino-Grand Theatre*

April 13—Boise, ID—Knitting Factory Concert House*

April 14—Spokane, WA—First Interstate Center for the Arts*

*with Hozier

www.jade-bird.com

57th Annual Grammy Awards update: performances set

COLLABORATIONS AND SPECIAL SEGMENTS SET THE STAGE FOR INCREDIBLE GRAMMY^® MOMENTS ON THE 57TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS^®

PROMISING UNFORGETTABLE PERFORMANCES ARE GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING NOMINEES TONY BENNETT AND LADY GAGA; NOMINEES HOZIER AND GRAMMY WINNER ANNIE LENNOX; NOMINEE JESSIE J AND GRAMMY WINNER TOM JONES; AND GRAMMY WINNERS ADAM LEVINE AND GWEN STEFANI

Music's Biggest Night^® — Hosted By LL COOL J — Airs Live On CBS, Feb. 8, 2015

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Jan. 28, 2015) — The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards^® continues its tradition of producing standout musical collaborations, universally known as "GRAMMY^® Moments." This year's series of unique pairings includes current nominees Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, a musical couple whose respective songbooks have entertained audiences for a combined 70-plus years; nominees Hozier and Annie Lennox; nominee Jessie J and vocal legend Tom Jones; and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine with singer/songwriter Gwen Stefani in a never-before-seen performance. They join previously announced performers AC/DC, Eric Church, Common with John Legend, Ariana Grande, Miranda Lambert, Madonna, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Usher, and Pharrell Williams. Entertainment icon and two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J returns as host. Taking place at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Music's Biggest Night^® will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). 

"Throughout the years, the GRAMMY Awards has paired musical icons with new, upcoming artists to give fans remarkable performances that can only be seen on our stage," said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "This year is no different and, once again, promises to bring together unique musical worlds in innovative ways that blend genres and create new artistic boundaries."

"Musical collaborations have become a GRAMMY staple, and the best part is that artists now suggest many of these duets themselves," said executive producer Ken Ehrlich of AEG Ehrlich Ventures. "I'm very excited about this year's special segments, and believe they'll be talked about for a long time to come."

Sixteen-time GRAMMY winner and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Tony Bennett and five-time GRAMMY winner Lady Gaga are nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Cheek To Cheek.

Hozier is up for Song Of The Year for "Take Me To Church."

Jessie J is up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Bang Bang" (with Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj).

Four-time GRAMMY winner Annie Lennox is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Nostalgia.

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer, Louis J. Horvitz is director, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy^® is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visitwww.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on Google+, Instagram,Tumblr and YouTube.