New Orleans and Louisiana artists eked out a handful of wins during the pre-telecast portion of the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday.
Jon Batiste, the Kenner native and St. Augustine High School and New Orleans Center for the Creative arts graduate, added to his extensive Grammy collection. His “Big Money” was named Best Americana Album.
Batiste didn’t fare as well in the Best American Roots Performance or American Roots Song categories. He lost to Mavis Staples in the former and I’m With Her in the latter.
The Best Regional Roots Music Album category was guaranteed to produce a local winner, as all five nominees were Louisiana affiliated.
The winner turned out to be “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” an all-star tribute to Clifton Chenier pegged to the 100th anniversary of his birth.
The cover of the 2025 Clifton Chenier tribute album “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” released by Valcour Records. The guest stars on the album include the Rolling Stones.
Released via southwest Louisiana musician Joel Savoy’s Valcour Records, the album consists of songs written by or associated with Chenier, all redone by Louisiana musicians collaborating with special guests, including the Rolling Stones.
The Stones contributed their take on the zydeco standard “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés.” Mick Jagger sings in Creole French atop a foundation laid down by a band of Cajun and zydeco musicians, including accordionist Steve Riley and Chenier’s old drummer, Robert St. Julien.
The Stones contribution was produced by southwest Louisiana guitarist C.C. Adcock; he also produced Lucinda Williams’ collaboration with 85-year-old swamp pop legend Tommy McLain. Joel Savoy and Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin produced the album’s other 10 tracks.
The other nominees in the Regional Roots Music category included Preservation Hall Jazz Band keyboardist Kyle Roussel for “Church of New Orleans”; Corey Henry & the Treme Funktet for “Live At Vaughan’s”; Preservation Brass & Preservation Hall Jazz Band for “For Fat Man;” and Trombone Shorty & the New Breed Brass Band for “Second Line Sunday.”
New Orleans-based guitarist Samantha Fish didn’t take home the Best Contemporary Blues Album for her “Paper Doll.” Instead, the award went to Robert Randolph’s “Preacher Kids.”
“Young Fashioned Ways,” a cross-generational Louisiana blues summit from 91-year-old Bobby Rush and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, lost out in the Best Traditional Blues Album category to fellow Louisiana native Buddy Guy’s “Ain’t Done With the Blues.”
PJ Morton, the St. Augustine High School graduate who is a member of Maroon 5 as well as a solo R&B/gospel artist, received multiple nominations for his collaboration with Houston-based contemporary gospel artist Darrel Walls. Their “Heart of Mine” album won Best Gospel Album but their “Amazing” didn’t win Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
The singer Ledisi, who spent her childhood in New Orleans before moving with her family to California, was nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Love You Too.” Leon Thomas won that award for his “Vibes Don’t Lie.”
Thomas’ “Mutt” also bested Ledisi’s “The Crown” for Best R&B Album.
Saxophonist Branford Marsalis, who moved back to New Orleans in 2024 after decades of living in North Carolina, received a Best Jazz Instrumental Album nomination for his quartet’s “Belonging,” a reimagining of the 1974 Keith Jarrett album of the same name. Sullivan Fortner’s “Belonging” won.
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