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Internationally acclaimed musician, Jon Batiste, received 11 nominations for the 2022 Grammy Awards, making him the most nominated artist this year.

Birthed during the first wave of the global pandemic and volatile social unrest, Batiste’s latest studio album, WE ARE, represents a body of work characterized by consciousness, rooted in catharsis, and grounded in optimism. The captivating album is a true love letter to Batiste’s southern roots and the heritage of Black music.

LISTEN TO WE ARE NOW!

Batiste has spent his career bringing music back to where it started — with the people. He was born in New Orleans into the legendary Batiste family, and later studied at the world-renowned Juilliard School in New York City. There, he established the Stay Human band which became famous for their musical virtuosity and their signature street performances called “love riots.” Batiste’s skills as a pianist, composer and bandleader quickly made him one of the country’s most sought-out collaborators and performers, with appearances that include the Grammys, Kennedy Center Honors, the US Open and the NBA All-Star Game.

In 2015, Batiste was named bandleader and musical director of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on CBS. In 2018, he received a Grammy nomination for Best American Roots Performance and in 2020, he received two Grammy nods for albums he self-produced: Chronology of a Dream: Live at the Village Vanguard and Meditations (with Cory Wong). In 2020, Batiste won an Academy Award for Best Original Score for the Disney/Pixar film Soul, an honor he shared with fellow composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Batiste’s work on Soul also earned him a Golden Globe, BAFTA, NAACP Image Award and a Critic’s Choice Award. He was the second Black composer in history, after legendary jazz musician Herbie Hancock, to win an Academy Award for composition.

Batiste’s latest studio album, WE ARE, was released in March 2021 to overwhelming critical acclaim. The versatility of the album which was envisioned by Batiste as he processed the tumultuous times of 2020, earned him praise by The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard and more. The deluxe edition of the album, with six additional tracks, was released in October 2021. Batiste’s virtuoso composing skills will soon be showcased in his large-scale, genre-melding symphonic work “American Symphony,” set to premiere at Carnegie Hall in May 2022.

Batiste was nominated for the following Grammy Awards:

Best Traditional R&B Performance – “I Need You,” Jon Batiste

Best R&B Album – “We Are,” Jon Batiste

Best Improvised Jazz Solo – “Bigger Than Us,” Jon Batiste, solois

Best Jazz Instrumental Album – “Jazz Selections: Music From and Inspired by Soul,” Jon Batiste

Best American Roots Performance – “Cry,” Jon Batiste

Best American Roots Song – “Cry,” Jon Batiste and Steve McEwan, songwriters (Jon Batiste)

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media – “Soul,” Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, composers

Record Of The Year – “Freedom” Jon Batiste

Album of The Year – “We Are” Jon Batiste

Best Classical Instrumental Solo – BATISTE: MOVEMENT 11′ – Jon Batiste, composer (Jon Batiste)

Best Music Video – ‘Freedom’ Jon Batiste