Here
Outstanding New Artist
Committed
Epic
Diggy Simmons
Atlantic Records
Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.
Columbia Records
Mindless Behavior
Streamline/Conjunction/Interscope Records
Wynter Gordon
Big Beat/Atlantic Records
Our take: Diggy has the pedigree to pretty much do anything he wants in the music business. What is surprising is that despite this leg up, this kid seems like he’s here to stay because of his talent.
Outstanding Male Artist
Anthony Hamilton
RCA Records
Bruno Mars
Elektra Records
Cee Lo Green
Elektra Records
Chris Brown
Jive Records
Common
Warner Bros. Records
Our take: We love this pick. Since leaving Goodie Mob and moving onto Gnarles Barkley, this brother has been killing it. He is single-handedly transforming the music industry with flare and power. We love and support his music and his message.
Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé
Columbia Records
Jennifer Hudson
Arista Records
Jill Scott
Warner Bros. Records
Ledisi
Verve Forecast
Mary J. Blige
Geffen
Our take: We absolutely love Jill Scott but really believe her album was not as good as Ledisi’s Peaces of Me or even Beyonce’s album, which features one of last year’s best songs, Love on Top. We believe either of these artists would be a better representation of this past year’s performance.
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
Boyz II Men
Benchmark Entertainment/MSM Music Group
Cee Lo Green feat. Melanie Fiona
Elektra Records
Mary J. Blige feat. Drake
Geffen
Sounds of Blackness
Malaco Music Group
The Roots
Island Def Jam Music Group
Our Take: We love Mary J. and Drake, but the winner in this category has to be Cee-Lo and Melanie Fiona, who clearly owned the airways with “Fool For You”, one of the best songs of last year.
Outstanding Jazz Album
Chano y Dizzy
Terence Blanchard and Poncho Sanchez
Concord Music Group, Inc.
Friends
Stanley Jordan
Mack Avenue Records
Guitar Man
George Benson
Concord Jazz
Legacy
Gerald Wilson
Mack Avenue Records
Road Show Vol. 2
Sonny Rollins
Emarcy
Our Take: We love GB and he deserved this. His guitar work enchants.
Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)
Becoming
Yolanda Adams
N House Music Group
Church on the Moon
Deitrick Haddon
Verity Gospel Music Group
Hello Fear
Kirk Franklin
Verity Gospel Music Group
Something Big
Mary Mary
Columbia Records
The Journey
Andraé Crouch
RiverPhlo Entertainment
Our Take: We could not get away from this record this year. It was everywhere, particular on the Steve Harvey Morning Show, which still plays it nearly everyday. This brother has not always been our favoriate but we are warming to his uplifting message.
Outstanding World Music Album
Afrodiaspora
Susana Baca
Luaka Bop
Carnival Fever
Brother B
King Chero Records
Live at 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Boukman Eksperyans
MunckMix, Inc.
Sounds of Blackness
Sounds of Blackness
Malaco Music Group
The First Grader
Alex Heffes
Varese Sarabande
Our Take: We’ve loved Sounds of Blackness since their chart topping debut “Optimistic,” which still makes us misty when we hear it.
Outstanding Music Video
25/8
Mary J. Blige
Geffen
Hear My Call
Jill Scott
Warner Bros. Records
I Was Here
Beyoncé
Columbia Records
Someone Like You
Adele
Columbia Records
Where You At
Jennifer Hudson
Arista Records
Our Take: We would have actually given the award to Adele given the power in this song and video. However, given the show is an NAACP show, we’re not sure this would have really happened.
Outstanding Song
Best Thing I Never Had
Beyoncé
Columbia Records
Fool for You feat. Melanie Fiona
Cee Lo Green
Elektra Records
I Smile
Kirk Franklin
Verity Gospel Music Group
So In Love feat. Anthony Hamilton
Jill Scott
Warner Bros. Records
Someone Like You
Adele
Columbia Records
Our Take: We’re sorry Kirk Franklin, but Beyonce or Adele clearly deserved this more in our opinion.
Outstanding Album
4
Beyoncé
Columbia Records
F.A.M.E.
Chris Brown
Jive Records
I Remember Me
Jennifer Hudson
Arista Records
Lasers
Lupe Fiasco
1st & 15th/Atlantic Records
The Light of the Sun
Jill Scott
Warner Bros. Records
Our Take: We are not mad at this one and we can live with it, but it had to be tough to look past Beyonce’s daring “4” album which, despite being initially critically panned, was actually one of B’s best efforts.