ATHLEISURE LIST | MINICIRCLE

Minicircle launched in 2019 with the goal of creating safe, accessible gene therapy treatments that could support human healthspan and mitigate suffering from preventable health conditions on a population level. Driven by my own personal experiences observing close friends and family with life-altering, incurable diseases, Minicircle’s primary goal is to improve quality of life for as many people as possible. The ultimate objective is to scale the treatments widely and make them increasingly easy to access in the years to come. We sat down with Mac Davis, CEO and Founder of Minicircle to find out more about them.

Minicircle has created a gene therapy platform that administers the treatment via non-invasive injection. This delivery method employs DNA plasmids, which are small, circular strands of DNA that are easy to inject subcutaneously and cheap to manufacture. These plasmids don’t directly integrate with or alter the recipient’s DNA, but rather add to existing DNA, making them transient, which is a strong differentiator compared to other gene therapy platforms.

Their current gene therapy offering revolves around a protein called follistatin, which has a number of different use cases. Follistatin is naturally occurring in the body and facilitates muscle growth by binding to myostatin, which inhibits muscle growth. Everyone who comes to Minicircle has a different goal in mind, from putting on muscle mass, to enhancing general longevity and healthspan, to mitigating frailty - but it generally boils down to improving quality of life and putting your body in the best position to combat age-related health conditions. Most Minicircle patients report an increase in lean mass, decrease in body fat percentage, lower epigenetic age, and overall improvement in general functioning and well-being. In particular, they’re excited about follistatin’s potential to support those with muscle-wasting conditions like muscular dystrophy, which could have a powerful impact on public health interventions for generations to come.

Thos interested in learning about Minicircle’s therapies and pricing can go to the website and fill out a form with their contact information. They will then be put in touch with one of their partner clinics, who will guide them through the process of getting necessary testing before traveling to the clinic to receive the therapy. The process itself is very quick. The injection takes just a few minutes, with a required 30 minute monitoring period after.

The life cycle of the therapy can vary depending on the individual’s biology and lifestyle habits, but the effects usually last up to a year - sometimes more, sometimes less. Most people who have received the therapy want to get it repeatedly to sustain the effects.

MINICIRCLE

Clinics are located in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Paradise Island, Bahamas; Roatan, Honduras; and Panama City, Panama.

minicircle.io

IG @minicircledna

PHOTOS COURTESY | Minicircle

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Minicircle in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | KEBABISHQ

Kebabishq is the latest venture from Vamshi Adi (Executive Chef & Co-Owner) and Neel Mittal (Co-Owner) opened in August 2025 — they’re behind the Bib Gourmand–recognized restaurant Ishq in NYC.

Their vision involved bringinng a modern, fast-casual kebab concept rooted in deep South Asian (especially Hyderabadi) tradition to New York, with bold spices, live charcoal grilling, and accessible formats (rolls, bowls, loaded fries). The menu emphasizes 100% halal meats, vegetarian options, and house-made paneer.

Their Kebabs are marinated in proprietary spice blends and cooked over a live charbroiler to impart smoky, charred flavor.

Typical spices and aromatics you’ll find include: garam masala, cumin, coriander; ginger, garlic aioli; red chili/chili powder, green chili; turmeric, black pepper, mustard; yogurt or from Ishq, focusing on kebabs, grilled meats, and approachable formats.

The technique of marination + charcoal/open flame is central: the meats absorb the flavor deeply, then get “sealed” by the grill’s heat. Because it sits in the Indian kebab tradition, there is also likely influence from Mughlai, Hyderabadi, North Indian kebab substyles (seekh, tikka, etc.).

The menu is broken out with Kebabs/Grill which has core proteins (chicken, lamb, shrimp, paneer, and soya) in kebab form (skewers, cuts). There are Rolls/Wraps where kebabs or grilled meats wrapped in paratha/flatbreads with chutneys, sauces, salad. There is also a section focused on Bowls/Rice/Salad. There are Kebabs placed over pulao or rice, salad (greens), sometimes “loaded” versions (e.g. fries + toppings). They also have Sides & Small Plates which includes: Chutneys, breads (naan, paratha), crispy/fried items, salads, raita, etc. To complete the meal, there are Desserts & Refreshments. You can enjoy South Asian desserts (kulfi, falooda, etc.), lassi, chai, soft drinks, and other beverages. Finally, there are Custom/Add-ons which includes extra sauces, toppings, spice levels, extra protein, etc.

We suggest their Chicken Kebab Roll (or Paratha Roll with Chicken Kebab). It’s a marinated chicken, grilled, wrapped in soft paratha with chutneys and salad offers contrast in texture, spice, and freshness; Lamb Seekh Kebab Bowl/Over Pulao/Loaded Fries; and Paneer/Soya Kebab Option - a great vegetarian offer. If you prefer more exotic suggestion, we suggest their Shrimp Kebab.

For a side, we enjoyed their Bhel Puri – A classic Indian street food snack made with puffed rice, sev (crispy chickpea noodles), onions, tomatoes, herbs, and tangy tamarind chutney. Their Dahi Puri is a beloved chaat dish consisting of hollow, crispy puris filled with potatoes, chickpeas, chutneys, yogurt, and spices.

KEBABISHQ

128 2nd Ave

NY, NY 10003

kebabishq.com

IG @kebabishqnyc

PHOTO CREDITS | Kebabishq

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Kebabishq in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | MEGAN EUGENIO

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Megan Eugenio in mag.

THE 9LIST 9M3NU

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see THE 9LIST 9M3NU in mag.

9LOOKS | CHANEL

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LOOKS in mag.

THE 9LIST

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see THE 9LIST in mag.

THE PICK ME UP

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see THE PICK ME UP in mag.

AWARDS SEASON | GRAMMYS NOMINATIONS

Today, the GRAMMYs announced the nominations for the 68th award show that will take place on Feb 1st on CBS at 8pm ET and you can stream it live on Paramount+. Music’s biggest night will not disappoint! As we do throughout Awards Season, we share our predictions in bold, the ones we correctly identified as winners are in bold italics and winners that we didn’t predict are in italics. On the night of the event, we will share who we predicted correctly as well as those we didn’t that won.

General Field

Record Of The Year

DtMF
Bad Bunny
Scotty Dittrich, Hydra Hitz, La Paciencia, JULiA LEWiS, MAG & Tyler Spry, producers; Antonio Caraballo, Josh Gudwin, Roberto Rosado & Tyler Spry, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

Manchild
Sabrina Carpenter
Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, producers; Jack Antonoff, Bryce Bordone, Jozef Caldwell, Serban Ghenea, Sean Hutchinson, Oli Jacobs, Michael Riddleberger & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Ruairi O'Flaherty, mastering engineer

Anxiety
Doechii
Doechii, producer; Jayda Love, engineer/mixer; Nicolas De Porcel, mastering engineer

WILDFLOWER
Billie Eilish
FINNEAS, producer; Jon Castelli, FINNEAS & Aron Forbes, engineers/mixers; Dale Becker, mastering engineer

Abracadabra
Lady Gaga
Cirkut, Lady Gaga & Andrew Watt, producers; Bryce Bordone, Serban Ghenea & Paul LaMalfa, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

luther
Kendrick Lamar With SZA
Jack Antonoff, Bridgeway, M-Tech, roselilah, Sounwave & Kamasi Washington, producers; Jack Antonoff, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Hector Castro, Oli Jacobs, Jack Manning, Sean Matsukawa, Dani Perez, Tony Shepperd, Laura Sisk & Johnathan Turner, engineers/mixers; Ruairi O’Flaherty, mastering engineer

The Subway
Chappell Roan
Daniel Nigro, producer; Chris Kaysch, Mitch McCarthy & Daniel Nigro, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

APT.
ROSÉ, Bruno Mars
Rogét Chahayed, Cirkut, Omer Fedi & Bruno Mars, producers; Serban Ghenea

Album Of The Year

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Bad Bunny
Big Jay, La Paciencia, MAG & Tainy, producers; Antonio Caraballo, Josh Gudwin, Luis Amed Irizarry & Roberto José Rosado Torres, engineers/mixers; Benito Antonio Ocasio Martinez, Roberto José Rosado Torres, Marco Daniel Borrero, Jay Anthony Nuñez & Marcos Efrain Masis, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

SWAG
Justin Bieber
Eddie Benjamin, Justin Bieber, Daniel Chetrit, Dijon, Carter Lang & Dylan Wiggins, producers; Felix Byrne & Josh Gudwin, engineers/mixers; Eddie Benjamin, Justin Bieber, Daniel Chetrit, Dijon Duenas, Tobias Jesso Jr., Carter Lang, Jackson Lee Morgan & Dylan Wiggins, songwriters; Dale Becker, mastering engineer

Man's Best Friend
Sabrina Carpenter
Jack Antonoff, Sabrina Carpenter & John Ryan, producers; Zem Adu, Jack Antonoff, Bryce Bordone, Jozef Caldwell, Serban Ghenea, Jeff Gunnell, David Hart, Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Oli Jacobs, Jack Manning, Joey Miller, Michael Riddleberger, John Ryan, Laura Sisk & Evan Smith, engineers/mixers; Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff, Sabrina Carpenter & John Ryan, songwriters; Nathan Dantzler & Ruairi O'Flaherty, mastering engineers

Let God Sort Em Out
Clipse, Pusha T & Malice
Pharrell Williams, featured artist; Pharrell Williams, producer; Mike Larson, Manny Marroquin, Rob Ulsh & Pharrell Williams, engineers/mixers; Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton & Pharrell Williams, songwriters; Zach Pereyra, mastering engineer

MAYHEM
Lady Gaga
Cirkut, Gesaffelstein, Lady Gaga & Andrew Watt, producers; Bryce Bordone, Serban Ghenea & Paul LaMalfa, engineers/mixers; Henry Walter, Mike Lévy, Lady Gaga, Michael Polansky & Andrew Watt, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

GNX
Kendrick Lamar
Jack Antonoff & Sounwave, producers; Jack Antonoff, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Jozef Caldwell, Oli Jacobs, Jack Manning, Dani Perez, Laura Sisk & Johnathan Turner, engineers/mixers; Jack Antonoff, Ink, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Kendrick Lamar, Matthew Bernard & Mark Anthony Spears, songwriters; Ruairi O’Flaherty, mastering engineer

MUTT
Leon Thomas
Freaky Rob, Peter Lee Johnson, D. Phelps & Leon Thomas, producers; Jean-Marie Horvat, engineer/mixer; Lazaro Andres Camejo, Freaky Rob, Peter Lee Johnson, D. Phelps & Leon Thomas, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer

CHROMAKOPIA
Tyler, The Creator
Tyler, The Creator, producer; NealHPogue, Tyler Okonma & Vic Wainstein, engineers/mixers; Tyler Okonma, songwriter; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

Song Of The Year

Abracadabra
Lady Gaga, Henry Walter & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga)

Anxiety
Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)

**APT.**
Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas & Henry Walter, songwriters (ROSÉ, Bruno Mars)

DtMF
Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Hugo René Sención Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry & Roberto José Rosado Torres, songwriters (Bad Bunny)

**Golden [From "KPop Demon Hunters"]**
EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X:EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)

luther
Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solána Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar With SZA)

Manchild
Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)

WILDFLOWER
Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

Best New Artist

Olivia Dean
KATSEYE
The Marias
Addison Rae
sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

Dan Auerbach
Elegantly Wasted (Hermanos Gutiérrez Featuring Leon Bridges) (S)
Harsh & Exciting (Moonrisers) (A)
Holy Ghost Party (Robert Finley) (S)
Love Is Cruel (Miles Kane) (S)
Medium Raw (Early James) (A)
A Million Knives (The Velveteers) (A)
No Rain, No Flowers (The Black Keys) (A)
Our Time In The Sun (Jeremie Albino) (A)

Cirkut
Abracadabra (Lady Gaga) (S)
AEOMG (Coco Jones) (T)
APT. (ROSÉ & Bruno Mars) (S)
Big Sleep (The Weeknd Featuring Giorgio Moroder) (T)
Disease (Lady Gaga) (S)
IT girl (JADE) (S)
A Little More (Ed Sheeran) (S)
Mayhem (Lady Gaga) (A)
Red Terror (The Weeknd) (T)

Dijon
Baby (Dijon) (A)
DAISIES (Justin Bieber) (T)
DEVOTION (Justin Bieber & Dijon) (T)
THINGS YOU DO (Justin Bieber) (T)
YUKON (Justin Bieber) (T)

Blake Mills
For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) (Japanese Breakfast) (A)
Forever Is A Feeling (Lucy Dacus) (A)
Glory (Perfume Genius) (A)
That Wasn't A Dream (Pino Palladino And Blake Mills)(A)

Sounwave
GNX (Kendrick Lamar) (A)

Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical

Amy Allen
APT. (ROSÉ & Bruno Mars) (S)
Bad As The Rest (Jessie Murph) (S)
Hail Mary (Shaboozey, Sierra Ferrell) (T)
Handlebars (JENNIE Featuring Dua Lipa) (S)
Just Keep Watching (Tate McRae) (S)
Lost In Translation (Carín León & Kasey Musgraves) (S)
Manchild (Sabrina Carpenter) (S)
Tears (Sabrina Carpenter) (S)
WHY (Jon Bellion Featuring Luke Combs) (S)

Edgar Barrera
Birthday Behavior (BIA, Young Miko) (S)
Coleccionando Heridas (KAROL G, Marco Antonio Solís) (T)
Ese Vato No Te Queda (Carín León, Gabito Ballesteros) (S)
Me Jalo (Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera) (T)
Me Retiro (Santana, Grupo Frontera) (S)
Milagros (KAROL G) (S)
Sigueme Besando Asi (Manuel Turizo) (T)
Soltera (Shakira) (S)
Una Noche Contigo (Juanes) (S)

Jessie Jo Dillon
Bless Your Heart (Megan Moroney) (T)
Bottomland (HARDY) (S)
Dreams Don’t Die (Jelly Roll) (S)
First Rodeo (Kelsea Ballerini) (T)
Happen To Me (Russell Dickerson) (S)
Hello S—ty Day (Jake Worthington, Miranda Lambert)(S)
If You Were Mine (Morgan Wallen) (T)
Patterns (Kelsea Ballerini) (T)
To The Men That Love Women After Heartbreak (Kelsea Ballerini) (T)

**Tobias Jesso Jr.**
Another Baby! (Dijon) (T)
Baby! (Dijon) (T)
Daisies (Justin Bieber) (T)
From (Bon Iver) (T)
Go Baby (Justin Bieber) (T)
Golden Burning Sun (Miley Cyrus) (T)
Man I Need (Olivia Dean) (S)
Relationships (HAIM) (S)
Walking Away (Justin Bieber) (T)

Laura Veltz
About You (BigXthaPlug Featuring Tucker Wetmore) (T)
Blue Strips (Jessie Murph) (S)
Grand Bouquet (Maren Morris) (T)
Leave Me Too (Josh Ross) (S)
Parallel Universe (Lauren Spencer Smith) (T)
Someone In This Room (Jessie Murph Featuring Bailey Zimmerman) (T)
Touch Me Like A Gangster (Jessie Murph) (S)
What Tomorrow's For (Blessing Offor) (T)
You'll Be OK, Kid - From The Original Documentary “Child Star” (Demi Lovato) (S)

Field 1: Pop & Dance/Electronic

Best Pop Solo Performance

DAISIES
Justin Bieber

Manchild
Sabrina Carpenter

Disease
Lady Gaga

The Subway
Chappell Roan

Messy
Lola Young

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Defying Gravity
Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande

**Golden [From "KPop Demon Hunters"]**
HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI

Gabriela
KATSEYE

**APT.**
ROSÉ, Bruno Mars

30 For 30
SZA Featuring Kendrick Lamar

Best Pop Vocal Album

SWAG
Justin Bieber

Man's Best Friend
Sabrina Carpenter

Something Beautiful
Miley Cyrus

MAYHEM
Lady Gaga

**I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2)**
Teddy Swims

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

No Cap
Disclosure & Anderson .Paak
Disclosure, producer; Guy Lawrence, mixer

Victory Lap
Fred again.., Skepta, & PlaqueBoyMax
Blake Cascoe, Berwyn Du Bois, Fred again.., Darcy Lewis, Dan Mayo & PlaqueBoyMax, producers; Tom Norris, mixer

SPACE INVADER
KAYTRANADA
KAYTRANADA, producer; KAYTRANADA, mixer

VOLTAGE
Skrillex
John Feldmann & Skrillex, producers; Luca Pretolesi, Skrillex & Virtual Riot, mixers

End Of Summer
Tame Impala
Kevin Parker, producer; Kevin Parker, mixer

Best Dance Pop Recording

Bluest Flame
Selena Gomez & benny blanco
benny blanco, Dylan Brady & Cashmere Cat, producers;benny blanco & Cashmere Cat, mixers

Abracadabra
Lady Gaga
Cirkut, Lady Gaga & Andrew Watt, producers; Serban Ghenea, mixer

Midnight Sun
Zara Larsson
Margo XS & MNEK, producers; Tom Norris, mixer

Just Keep Watching (From F1® The Movie)
Tate McRae
Tyler Spry & Ryan Tedder, producers; Manny Marroquin, mixer

Illegal
PinkPantheress
Aksel Arvid & PinkPantheress, producers; Nickie Jon Pabon

Best Dance/Electronic Album

EUSEXUA
FKA twigs

Ten Days
Fred again..

Fancy That
PinkPantheress

Inhale / Exhale
RÜFÜS DU SOL

F— U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3
Skrillex

Best Remixed Recording

**Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix)**
Gesaffelstein, remixer (Lady Gaga, Gesaffelstein)

Don't Forget About Us
FKAYTRANADA, remixer (Mariah Carey & KAYTRANADA)

A Dreams A Dream - Ron Trent Remix
Ron Trent, remixer (Soul II Soul)

Galvanize
Chris Lake, remixer (The Chemical Brothers & Chris Lake)

Golden - David Guetta REM/X
David Guetta, remixer (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)

Field 2: Rock, Metal & Alternative Music

Best Rock Performance

U Should Not Be Doing That
Amyl and The Sniffers

The Emptiness Machine
Linkin Park

NEVER ENOUGH
Turnstile

Mirtazapine
Hayley Williams

Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back To The Beginning
YUNGBLUD Featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II

Best Metal Performance

Night Terror
Dream Theater

Lachryma
Ghost

Emergence
Sleep Token

Soft Spine
Spiritbox

BIRDS
Turnstile

Best Rock Song

As Alive As You Need Me To Be
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)

Caramel
Vessel1 & Vessel2, songwriters (Sleep Token)

Glum
Daniel James & Hayley Williams, songwriters (Hayley Williams)

NEVER ENOUGH
Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory, Meg Mills & Brendan Yates, songwriters (Turnstile)

Zombie
Dominic Harrison & Matt Schwartz, songwriters (YUNGBLUD)

Best Rock Album

private music
Deftones

I quit
HAIM

From Zero
Linkin Park

NEVER ENOUGH
Turnstile

Idols
YUNGBLUD

Best Alternative Music Performance

Everything Is Peaceful Love
Bon Iver

Alone
The Cure

SEEIN' STARS
Turnstile

mangetout
Wet Leg

Parachute
Hayley Williams

Best Alternative Music Album

SABLE, fABLE
Bon Iver

Songs Of A Lost World
The Cure

DON'T TAP THE GLASS
Tyler, The Creator

moisturizer
Wet Leg

Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
Hayley Williams

Field 3: R&B, Rap & Spoken Word Poetry

Best R&B Performance

YUKON
Justin Bieber

It Depends
Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller

Folded
Kehlani

**MUTT (Live From NPR's Tiny Desk)**
Leon Thomas

Heart Of A Woman
Summer Walker

Best Traditional R&B Performance

Here We Are
Durand Bernarr

UPTOWN
Lalah Hathaway

LOVE YOU TOO
Ledisi

Crybaby
SZA

VIBES DON'T LIE
Leon Thomas

Best R&B Song

Folded
Darius Dixson, Andre Harris, Donovan Knight, Don Mills, Kehlani Parrish, Khris Riddick-Tynes & Dawit Kamal Wilson, songwriters (Kehlani)

Heart Of A Woman
David Bishop & Summer Walker, songwriters (Summer Walker)

It Depends
Nico Baran, Chris Brown, Ant Clemons, Ephrem Lopez Jr., Ryan Press, Bryson Tiller, Elliott Trent & Dewain Whitmore Jr., songwriters (Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller)

Overqualified
James John Abrahart Jr & Durand Bernarr, songwriters (Durand Bernarr)

YES IT IS
Jariuce Banks, Lazaro Andres Camejo, Mike Hector, Peter Lee Johnson, Rodney Jones Jr., Ali Prawl & Leon Thomas, songwriters (Leon Thomas)

Best Progressive R&B Album

BLOOM
Durand Bernarr

Adjust Brightness
Bilal

LOVE ON DIGITAL
Destin Conrad

Access All Areas
FLO

Come As You Are
Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon

Best R&B Album

BELOVED
GIVĒON

**Why Not More?**
Coco Jones

The Crown
Ledisi

Escape Room
Teyana Taylor

MUTT
Leon Thomas

Best Rap Performance

Outside
Cardi B

Chains & Whips
Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams

Anxiety
Doechii

tv off
Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay

Darling, I
Tyler, The Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown

Best Melodic Rap Performance

Proud Of Me
Fridayy Featuring Meek Mill

Wholeheartedly
JID Featuring Ty Dolla $ign & 6Lack

luther
Kendrick Lamar With SZA

WeMaj
Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon Featuring Rapsody

SOMEBODY LOVES ME
PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake

Best Rap Song

Anxiety
Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)

The Birds Don't Sing
Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton, Pharrell Williams & Stevie Wonder, songwriters (Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring John Legend & Voices Of Fire)

Sticky
Aaron Bolton, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Dudley Alexander Duverne, Tyler Okonma, Janae Wherry, Gloria Woods & Rex Zamor, songwriters (Tyler, The Creator Featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne)

TGIF
Lucas Alegria, Dillon Brophy, Yakki Davis, Jess Jackson, Ronnie Jackson, Mario Mims, Jorge M. Taveras & Gloria Woods, songwriters (GloRilla)

tv off
Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay)

Best Rap Album

Let God Sort Em Out
Clipse, Pusha T & Malice

GLORIOUS
GloRilla

God Does Like Ugly
JID

GNX
Kendrick Lamar

CHROMAKOPIA
Tyler, The Creator

Best Spoken Word Poetry Album

**A Hurricane in Heels: healed people don't act like that (partially recorded live @City Winery & other places)**
Queen Sheba

Black Shaman
Marc Marcel

Pages
Omari Hardwick & Anthony Hamilton

Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends At Treepeople
Saul Williams, Carlos Niño & Friends

Words For Days Vol. 1
Mad Skillz

Field 4: Jazz, Traditional Pop, Contemporary Instrumental & Musical Theater

Best Jazz Performance

Noble Rise
Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Immanuel Wilkins & Mark Whitfield

Windows - Live
Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade

Peace Of Mind / Dreams Come True
Samara Joy

Four
Michael Mayo

All Stars Lead To You - Live
Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Elemental
Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap

**We Insist 2025!**
Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell

Portrait
Samara Joy

Fly
Michael Mayo

Live at Vic's Las Vegas
Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

**Trilogy 3 (Live)**
Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade

Southern Nights
Sullivan Fortner Featuring Peter Washington & Marcus Gilmore

Belonging
Branford Marsalis Quartet

Spirit Fall
John Patitucci Featuring Chris Potter & Brian Blade

Fasten Up
Yellowjackets

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Orchestrator Emulator
The 8-Bit Big Band

Without Further Ado, Vol 1
Christian McBride Big Band

Lumen
Danilo Pérez & Bohuslän Big Band

**Basie Rocks!**
Deborah Silver & The Count Basie Orchestra

Lights on a Satellite
Sun Ra Arkestra

Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores
Kenny Wheeler Legacy Featuring The Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra & Frost Jazz Orchestra

Best Latin Jazz Album

La Fleur de Cayenne
Paquito D'Rivera & Madrid-New York Connection Band

The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Featuring Pedrito Martinez, Daymé Arocena, Jon Faddis, Donald Harrison & Melvis Santa

Mundoagua - Celebrating Carla Bley
Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yainer Horta & Joey Calveiro

Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard
Miguel Zenón Quartet

Best Alternative Jazz Album

honey from a winter stone
Ambrose Akinmusire

Keys To The City Volume One
Robert Glasper

Ride into the Sun
Brad Mehldau

LIVE-ACTION
Nate Smith

Blues Blood
Immanuel Wilkins

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Wintersongs
Laila Biali

The Gift Of Love
Jennifer Hudson

**Who Believes In Angels?**
Elton John & Brandi Carlile

Harlequin
Lady Gaga

A Matter Of Time
Laufey

The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2
Barbra Streisand

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

Brightside
ARKAI

Ones & Twos
Gerald Clayton

BEATrio
Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez

Just Us
Bob James & Dave Koz

Shayan
Charu Suri

Best Musical Theater Album

Buena Vista Social Club
Marco Paguia, Dean Sharenow & David Yazbek, producers (Original Broadway Cast)

Death Becomes Her
Taurean Everett, Megan Hilty, Josh Lamon, Christopher Sieber, Jennifer Simard & Michelle Williams, principal vocalists; Noel Carey, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Julia Mattison & Scott M. Riesett, producers; Noel Carey & Julia Mattison, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)

Gypsy
Danny Burstein, Kevin Csolak, Audra McDonald, Jordan Tyson & Joy Woods, principal vocalists; David Caddick, Andy Einhorn, David Lai & George C. Wolfe, producers (Jule Styne, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (2024 Broadway Cast)

Just In Time
Emily Bergl, Jonathan Groff, Erika Henningsen, Gracie Lawrence & Michele Pawk, principal vocalists; Derik Lee, Andrew Resnick & Bill Sherman, producers (Bobby Darin, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

Maybe Happy Ending
Marcus Choi, Darren Criss, Dez Duron & Helen J Shen, principal vocalists; Deborah Abramson, Will Aronson, Ian Kagey & Hue Park, producers; Hue Park, lyricist; Will Aronson, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

Field 5: Country & American Roots Music

Best Country Solo Performance

Nose On The Grindstone
Tyler Childers

Good News
Shaboozey

**Bad As I Used To Be [From "F1® The Movie"]**
Chris Stapleton

I Never Lie
Zach Top

Somewhere Over Laredo
Lainey Wilson

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

A Song To Sing
Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton

Trailblazer
Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson

Love Me Like You Used To Do
Margo Price & Tyler Childers

Amen
Shaboozey & Jelly Roll

Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame
George Strait, Chris Stapleton

Best Country Song

Bitin’ List
Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers)

Good News
Michael Ross Pollack, Sam Elliot Roman & Jacob Torrey, songwriters (Shaboozey)

I Never Lie
Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols & Zach Top, songwriters (Zach Top)

Somewhere Over Laredo
Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson & Lainey Wilson, songwriters (Lainey Wilson)

A Song To Sing
Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton)

Best Traditional Country Album

Dollar A Day
Charley Crockett

American Romance
Lukas Nelson

Oh What A Beautiful World
Willie Nelson

Hard Headed Woman
Margo Price

Ain't In It For My Health
Zach Top

Best Contemporary Country Album

Patterns
Kelsea Ballerini

Snipe Hunter
Tyler Childers

Evangeline Vs. The Machine
Eric Church

Beautifully Broken
Jelly Roll

Postcards From Texas
Miranda Lambert

Best American Roots Performance

LONELY AVENUE
Jon Batiste Featuring Randy Newman

Ancient Light
I'm With Her

Crimson And Clay
Jason Isbell

Richmond On The James
Alison Krauss & Union Station

Beautiful Strangers
Mavis Staples

Best Americana Performance

Boom
Sierra Hull

Poison In My Well
Maggie Rose & Grace Potter

Godspeed
Mavis Staples

That's Gonna Leave A Mark
Molly Tuttle

Horses
Jesse Welles

Best American Roots Song

Ancient Light
Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I'm With Her)

BIG MONEY
Jon Batiste, Mike Elizondo & Steve McEwan, songwriters (Jon Batiste)

Foxes In The Snow
Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell)

Middle
Jesse Welles, songwriter (Jesse Welles)

Spitfire
Sierra Hull, songwriter (Sierra Hull)

Best Americana Album

BIG MONEY
Jon Batiste

Bloom
Larkin Poe

Last Leaf On The Tree
Willie Nelson

So Long Little Miss Sunshine
Molly Tuttle

Middle
Jesse Welles

Best Bluegrass Album

Carter & Cleveland
Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter

A Tip Toe High Wire
Sierra Hull

Arcadia
Alison Krauss & Union Station

Outrun
The Steeldrivers

Highway Prayers
Billy Strings

Best Traditional Blues Album

Ain’t Done With The Blues
Buddy Guy

Room On The Porch
Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo'

One Hour Mama: The Blues Of Victoria Spivey
Maria Muldaur

Look Out Highway
Charlie Musselwhite

Young Fashioned Ways
Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Breakthrough
Joe Bonamassa

Paper Doll
Samantha Fish

A Tribute To LJK
Eric Gales

Preacher Kids
Robert Randolph

Family
Southern Avenue

Best Folk Album

What Did The Blackbird Say To The Crow
Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson

Crown Of Roses
Patty Griffin

Wild And Clear And Blue
I'm With Her

Foxes In The Snow
Jason Isbell

Under The Powerlines April 24 – September 24
Jesse Welles

Best Regional Roots Music Album

Live At Vaughan’s
Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet

For Fat Man
Preservation Brass & Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Church Of New Orleans
Kyle Roussel

Second Line Sunday
Trombone Shorty And New Breed Brass Band

A Tribute To The King Of Zydeco
(Various Artists)

Field 6: Gospel & Contemporary Christian Music

Best Gospel Performance/Song

Do It Again
Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter

Church
Tasha Cobbs Leonard, John Legend; Anthony S. Brown, Brunes Charles, Annatoria Chitapa, Kenneth Leonard, Jr., Tasha Cobbs Leonard & Jonas Myrin, songwriters

Still Live
Jonathan McReynolds & Jamal Roberts; Britney Delagraentiss, Jonathan McReynolds, David Lamar Outing III, Orlando Joel Palmer & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters

Amen
Pastor Mike Jr.; Adia Andrews, Michael McClure Jr., David Lamar Outing II & Terrell Anthony Pettus, songwriters

Come Jesus Come
Cece Winans Featuring Shirley Caesar

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

I Know A Name
Elevation Worship, Chris Brown, Brandon Lake; Hank Bentley, Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake & Jacob Sooter, songwriters

YOUR WAY'S BETTER
Forrest Frank; Forrest Frank & Pera, songwriters

Hard Fought Hallelujah
Brandon Lake With Jelly Roll; Chris Brown, Jason Bradley Deford, Steven Furtick, Benjamin William Hastings & Brandon Lake, songwriters

Headphones
Lecrae, Killer Mike, T.I.; Bongo ByTheWay, Clifford Harris, William Roderick Miller, Lecrae Moore, Michael Render & Tyshane Thompson, songwriters

Amazing
Darrel Walls, PJ Morton; PJ Morton & Darrel Walls,songwriters

Best Gospel Album

Sunny Days
Yolanda Adams

Tasha
Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Live Breathe Fight
Tamela Mann

Only On The Road Live
Tye Tribbett

Heart Of Mine
Darrel Walls, PJ Morton

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

CHILD OF GOD II
Forrest Frank

Coritos Vol. 1
Israel & New Breed

King Of Hearts
Brandon Lake

Reconstruction
Lecrae

Let The Church Sing
Tauren Wells

Best Roots Gospel Album

**I Will Not Be Moved (Live)**
The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Then Came The Morning
Gaither Vocal Band

Praise & Worship: More Than A Hollow Hallelujah
The Isaacs

Good Answers
Karen Peck & New River

Back To My Roots
Candi Staton

Field 7: Latin, Global, Reggae & New Age, Ambient, or Chant

Best Latin Pop Album

Cosa Nuestra
Rauw Alejandro

BOGOTÁ DELUXE
Andrés Cepeda

Tropicoqueta
KAROL G

Cancionera
Natalia Lafourcade

**¿Y ahora qué?**
Alejandro Sanz

Best Música Urbana Album

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Bad Bunny

Mixteip
J Balvin

FERXXO VOL X: Sagrado
Feid

NAIKI
Nicki Nicole

EUB DELUXE
Trueno

**SINFÓNICO (En Vivo)**
Yandel

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

Genes Rebeldes
Aterciopelados

ASTROPICAL
Bomba Estéreo, Rawayana, ASTROPICAL

PAPOTA
CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso

ALGORHYTHM
Los Wizzards

Novela
Fito Paez

Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)

MALA MÍA
Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera

Y Lo Que Viene
Grupo Frontera

Sin Rodeos
Paola Jara

**Palabra De To's (Seca)**
Carín León

**Bobby Pulido & Friends Una Tuya Y Una Mía - Por La Puerta Grande (En Vivo)**
Bobby Pulido

Best Tropical Latin Album

Fotografías
Rubén Blades, Roberto Delgado & Orquesta

Raíces
Gloria Estefan

Clásicos 1.0
Grupo Niche

Bingo
Alain Pérez

Debut y Segunda Tanda, Vol. 2
Gilberto Santa Rosa

Best Global Music Performance

EoO
Bad Bunny

Cantando en el Camino
Ciro Hurtado

JERUSALEMA
Angélique Kidjo

**Inmigrante Y Que?**
Yeisy Rojas

**Shrini's Dream (Live)**
Shakti

Daybreak
Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar

Best African Music Performance

Love
Burna Boy

With You
Davido Featuring Omah Lay

Hope & Love
Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin

Gimme Dat
Ayra Starr Featuring Wizkid

PUSH 2 START
Tyla

Best Global Music Album

Sounds Of Kumbha
Siddhant Bhatia

No Sign of Weakness
Burna Boy

Eclairer le monde - Light the World
Youssou N'Dour

**Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live)**
Shakti

Chapter III: We Return To Light
Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar

Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo
Caetano Veloso And Maria Bethânia

Best Reggae Album

Treasure Self Love
Lila Iké

Heart & Soul
Vybz Kartel

BLXXD & FYAH
Keznamdi

From Within
Mortimer

No Place Like Home
Jesse Royal

Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album

Kuruvinda
Kirsten Agresta-Copely

According To The Moon
Cheryl B. Engelhardt, GEM, Dallas String Quartet

Into The Forest
Jahnavi Harrison

NOMADICA
Carla Patullo Featuring The Scorchio Quartet & Tonality

The Colors In My Mind
Chris Redding

Field 8: Children’s, Comedy, Audio Books, Visual Media & Music Video/Film

Best Children's Music Album

Ageless: 100 Years Young
Joanie Leeds & Joya

Buddy's Magic Tree House
Mega Ran

Harmony
FYÜTCH & Aura V

Herstory
Flor Bromley

The Music Of Tori And The Muses
Tori Amos

Best Comedy Album

Drop Dead Years
Bill Burr

PostMortem
Sarah Silverman

Single Lady
Ali Wong

What Had Happened Was…
Jamie Foxx

Your Friend, Nate Bargatze
Nate Bargatze

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording

Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story
Kathy Garver

Into The Uncut Grass
Trevor Noah

Lovely One: A Memoir
Ketanji Brown Jackson

Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama

You Know It’s True: The Real Story Of Milli Vanilli
Fab Morvan

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

A Complete Unknown
Timothée Chalamet

F1® The Album
(Various Artists)

KPop Demon Hunters
(Various Artists)

Sinners
(Various Artists)

Wicked
(Various Artists)

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television)

How To Train Your Dragon
John Powell, composer

Severance: Season 2
Theodore Shapiro, composer

Sinners
Ludwig Göransson, composer

Wicked
John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers

The Wild Robot
Kris Bowers, composer

Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive MediaAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora - Secrets of the Spires
Pinar Toprak, composer

Helldivers 2
Wilbert Roget, II, composer

Indiana Jones And The Great Circle
Gordy Haab, composer

Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate's Fortune
Cody Matthew Johnson & Wilbert Roget, II, composers

Sword of the Sea
Austin Wintory, composer

Best Song Written For Visual Media

**As Alive As You Need Me To Be [From "TRON: Ares"]**
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)

**Golden [From "KPop Demon Hunters"]**
EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)

**I Lied to You [From "Sinners"]**
Ludwig Göransson & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Miles Caton)

**Never Too Late [From "Elton John: Never Too Late"]**
Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Elton John, Brandi Carlile)

**Pale, Pale Moon [From "Sinners"]**
Ludwig Göransson & Brittany Howard, songwriters (Jayme Lawson)

**Sinners [From "Sinners"]**
Leonard Denisenko, Rodarius Green, Travis Harrington, Tarkan Kozluklu, Kyris Mingo & Darius Povilinus, songwriters (Rod Wave)

Best Music Video

Manchild
Sabrina Carpenter
Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia, video directors; Aiden Magarian, Nathan Scherrer & Natan Schottenfels, video producers

So Be It
Clipse
Hannan Hussain, video director; Daniel Order, video producer

Anxiety
Doechii
James Mackel, video director; Pablo Feldman, Jolene Mendes & Sophia Sabella, video producers

Love
OK Go
Aaron Duffy, Miguel Espada & Damian Kulash Jr., video directors; Petra Ahmann, video producer

Young Lion
Sade
Sophie Muller, video director; Aaron Taylor Dean & Sade, video producers

Best Music Film

Devo
Devo
Chris Smith, video director; Danny Gabai, Anita Greenspan, Chris Holmes & Chris Smith, video producers

Live At The Royal Albert Hall
Raye
Paul Dugdale, video director; Stefan Demetriou & Amy James, video producers

Relentless
Diane Warren
Bess Kargman, video director; Peggy Drexler, Michele Farinola & Kat Nguyen, video producers

Music By John Williams
John Williams
Laurent Bouzereau, video director; Sara Bernstein, Laurent Bouzereau, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Meredith Kaulfers, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg & Justin Wilkes, video producers

Piece By Piece
Pharrell Williams
Morgan Neville, video director; Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, Mimi Valdes & Pharrell Williams, video producers

Field 9: Package, Notes & Historical

Best Recording Package

And The Adjacent Possible
Hà Trinh Quoc Bao, Damian Kulash, Jr., Claudio Ripol, Wombi Rose & Yuri Suzuki, art directors (OK Go)

Balloonerism
Bráulio Amado & Alim Smith, art directors (Mac Miller)

Danse Macabre: De Luxe
Rory McCartney, art director (Duran Duran)

Loud Is As
Farbod Kokabi & Emily Sneddon, art directors (Tsunami)

Sequoia
Tim Breen & Ken Shipley, art directors (Various Artists)

**The Spins (Picture Disc Vinyl)**
Miller McCormick, art director (Mac Miller)

Tracks II: The Lost Albums
Meghan Foley & Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)

Best Album Cover

CHROMAKOPIA
Shaun Llewellyn & Luis “Panch” Perez, art directors (Tyler, The Creator)

The Crux
William Wesley II, art director (Djo)

Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, art director (Bad Bunny)

Glory
Cody Critcheloe & Andrew J.S., art directors (Perfume Genius)

moisturizer
Hester Chambers, Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes, Matt de Jong, Jamie-James Medina, Joshua Mobaraki & Rhian Teasdale, art directors (Wet Leg)

Best Album Notes

Adios, Farewell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964-1974
Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Buck Owens And His Buckaroos)

After The Last Sky
Adam Shatz, album notes writer (Anouar Brahem, Anja Lechner, Django Bates, Dave Holland)

Árabe
Amanda Ekery, album notes writer (Amanda Ekery)

The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Alec Palao, album notes writer (Sly & The Family Stone)

**A Ghost Is Born (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)**
Bob Mehr, album notes writer (Wilco)

Miles '55: The Prestige Recordings
Ashley Kahn, album notes writer (Miles Davis)

Best Historical Album

**Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980)**
Patrick Milligan & Joni Mitchell, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Joni Mitchell)

The Making Of Five Leaves Left
Cally Callomon & Johnny Chandler, compilation producers; Simon Heyworth & John Wood, mastering engineers (Nick Drake)

**Roots Rocking Zimbabwe - The Modern Sound Of Harare' Townships 1975-1980 (Analog Africa No.41)**
Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)

**Super Disco Pirata - De Tepito Para El Mundo 1965-1980 (Analog Africa No. 39)**
Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)

You Can't Hip A Square: The Doc Pomus Songwriting Demos
Will Bratton, Sharyn Felder & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Doc Pomus)

Field 10: Production, Engineering, Composition & Arrangement

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

All Things Light
Jesse Brock, Jon Castelli, Tyler Johnson, Nick Lobel, Simon Maartensson, Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell, Anders Mouridsen, Ryan Nasci, Ernesto Olivera-Lapier, Ethan Schneiderman & Owen Stoutt, engineers; Dale Becker, mastering engineer (Cam)

Arcadia
Neal Cappellino & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)

**For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)**
Joseph Lorge, Blake Mills & Sebastian Reunert, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Japanese Breakfast)

That Wasn't A Dream
Joseph Lorge & Blake Mills, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Pino Palladino, Blake Mills)

Best Engineered Album, Classical

Cerrone: Don't Look Down
Mike Tierney, engineer; Alan Silverman, mastering engineer (Sandbox Percussion)

Eastman: Symphony No. 2; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2
Gintas Norvila, engineer; Jennifer Nulsen, mastering engineer (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra)

Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth Of The Mtsensk District
Shawn Murphy & Nick Squire, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Andris Nelsons, Kristine Opolais, Günther Groissböck, Peter Hoare, Brenden Gunnell & Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Standard Stoppages
Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, Bill Maylone, Judith Sherman & David Skidmore, engineers; Joe Lambert, mastering engineer (Third Coast Percussion)

Yule
Morten Lindberg, engineer; Morten Lindberg, mastering engineer (Trio Mediæval)

Producer Of The Year, Classical

Blanton Alspaugh
All Is Miracle - The Choral Music Of Kyle Pederson (Timothy J. Campbell & Transept) (A)
Heggie: Intelligence (Kwame Ryan, Janai Brugger, Jamie Barton, J'Nai Bridges & Houston Grand Opera) (A)
Marsalis: Blues Symphony (Jader Bignamini & Detroit Symphony Orchestra) (A)
Massenet: Werther (Robert Spano, Matthew Polenzani, sabel Leonard & Houston Grand Opera) (A)
The Mirage Calls (Charles Bruffy & Kansas City Chorale) (A)
Sheehan: Ukrainian War Requiem (Michael Zaugg, Axios Men's Ensemble & Pro Coro Canada) (A)
Sun, Moon, Stars, Rain (Christopher Gabbitas & Phoenix Chorale) (A)

Sergei Kvitko
Biedenbender: Enigma; River Of Time (Kevin L. Sedatole & Michigan State University Wind Symphony) (A)
Chiaroscuro (Vedrana Subotic) (A)
Dancing In A Still Life (Tasha Warren) (A)
Excursions (Vuorovesi Trio) (A)
Four Hands. Two Hearts. One Hope. Ukrainian And American Music For Piano Duo (Mykhailo Diordiiev & Anastasiia Larchikova) (A)
Here And Now - Trumpet Music By Virginia Composers (Jason Crafton, Richard Masters, Annie Stevens & Paul Langosch) (A)
Lansky: Touch And Go (Gwendolyn Dease) (A)
Orbiting Garden (William Hobbs) (A)
Would That Loving Were Enough (Haven Trio) (A)

Morten Lindberg
Fred Over Jorden (Peace To The World) (Elisabeth Holte, Kjetil Bjerkestrand & Uranienborg Vokalensemble) (A)
Stjernebru (Anne Karin Sundal-Ask & Det Norske Jentekor) (A)
Yule (Trio Mediæval) (A)

Dmitriy Lipay
Heggie: Before It All Goes Dark (Joseph Mechavich, Megan Marino, Ryan McKinny & Music Of Remembrance Ensemble) (A)
Odyssey (Jorge Glem, Gustavo Dudamel & Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela) (A)
Ortiz: Yanga (Gustavo Dudamel, Alisa Weilerstein & Los Angeles Philharmonic) (A)

Elaine Martone
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Chopin & Rachmaninoff: Cello Sonatas (Brian Thornton & Spencer Myer) (A)
Dear Mrs. Kennedy (Ryan Townsend Strand) (A)
Eastman: Symphony No. 2; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
LeFrak: Romántico (Sharon Isbin, Lopez-Yañez & Orchestra Of St. Luke's) (A)
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 & Symphony No. 29 (Garrick Ohlsson, Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestrea) (A)
The Poet & The Prodigy (Debra Nagy & Mark Edwards) (A)
Shapes In Collective Space (Tallā Rouge) (A)
Songs Of Orpheus (Kelley O'Connor) (A)

Best Immersive Audio Album

All American F***boy
Andrew Law, immersive mix engineer (Duckwrth)

Immersed
Justin Gray, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Justin Gray, Drew Jurecka & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Justin Gray)

**An Immersive Tribute To Astor Piazzolla (Live)**
Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive mix engineers; Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive producers (Various Artists)

Tearjerkers
Hans-Martin Buff, immersive mix engineer; Hans-Martin Buff, immersive producer (Tearjerkers)

Yule
Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Arve Henriksen & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Trio Mediæval)

Best Instrumental Composition

First Snow
Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Nordkraft Big Band, Remy Le Boeuf & Danielle Wertz)

Live Life This Day: Movement I
Miho Hazama, composer (Miho Hazama, Danish Radio Big Band & Danish National Symphony Orchestra)

Lord, That's A Long Way
Sierra Hull, composer (Sierra Hull)

Opening
Zain Effendi, composer (Zain Effendi)

Train To Emerald City
John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers (John Powell & Stephen Schwartz)

Why You Here / Before The Sun Went Down
Ludwig Göransson, composer (Ludwig Göransson Featuring Miles Caton)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

Be Okay
Cynthia Erivo, arranger (Cynthia Erivo)

A Child Is Born
Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Nordkraft Big Band & Remy Le Boeuf)

Fight On
Andy Clausen, Addison Maye-Saxon, Riley Mulherkar & Chloe Rowlands, arrangers (The Westerlies)

Super Mario Praise Break
Bryan Carter, Charlie Rosen & Matthew Whitaker, arrangers (The 8-Bit Big Band)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

Big Fish
Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick, Nate Smith & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (Nate Smith Featuring säje)

**How Did She Look?**
Nelson Riddle, arranger (Seth MacFarlane)

Keep An Eye On Summer
Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

**Something In The Water (Acoustic-Ish)**
Clyde Lawrence, Gracie Lawrence & Linus Lawrence, arrangers (Lawrence)

What A Wonderful World
Cody Fry, arranger (Cody Fry)

Field 11: Classical

Best Orchestral Performance

Award to the Conductor and to the Orchestra.

**Coleridge-Taylor: Toussaint L’Ouverture; Ballade Op. 4; Suites From '24 Negro Melodies'**
Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)

Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie
Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Ravel: Boléro, M. 81
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela)

Still & Bonds
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)

Stravinsky: Symphony In Three Movements
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)

Best Opera Recording

Heggie: Intelligence
Kwamé Ryan, conductor; Jamie Barton, J'Nai Bridges & Janai Brugger; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Houston Grand Opera; Gene Scheer)

Huang Ruo: An American Soldier
Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Hannah Cho, Alex DeSocio, Nina Yoshida Nelsen & Brian Vu; Adam Abeshouse, Silas Brown & Doron Schachter, producers (American Composers Orchestra; David Henry Hwang)

Kouyoumdjian: Adoration
Alan Pierson, conductor; Miriam Khalil, Marc Kudisch, David Adam Moore, Omar Najmi, Naomi Louisa O’Connell & Karim Sulayman; Mary Kouyoumdjian, producer (Silvana Quartet; The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)

O'Halloran: Trade & Mary Motorhead
Elaine Kelly, conductor; Oisín Ó Dálaigh & John Molloy; Alex Dowling & Emma O'Halloran, producers (Irish National Opera Orchestra; Mark O’Halloran)

Tesori: Grounded
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Ben Bliss, Emily D’Angelo, Greer Grimsley & Kyle Miller; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus; George Brant)

Best Choral Performance

Advena - Liturgies For A Broken World
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Simon Barrad, Emily Yocum Black & Michael Hawes; Conspirare)

Childs: In The Arms Of The Beloved
Grant Gershon, conductor (Billy Childs, Dan Chmielinski, Christian Euman, Larry Koonse, Lyris Quartet, Anne Akiko Meyers, Carol Robbins & Luciana Souza; Los Angeles Master Chorale)

Lang: Poor Hymnal
Donald Nally, conductor (Steven Bradshaw, Michael Hawes, Lauren Kelly, Rebecca Siler & Elisa Sutherland; The Crossing)

Ortiz: Yanga
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, chorus master (Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Master Chorale)

Requiem Of Light
Steven Fox, conductor; Emily Drennan & Patti Drennan, chorus masters (Brian Giebler & Sangeeta Kaur; The Clarion Choir)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

Dennehy: Land Of Winter
Alan Pierson & Alarm Will Sound

La Mer - French Piano Trios
Neave Trio

Lullabies For The Brokenhearted
Lili Haydn & Paul Cantelon

Slavic Sessions
Yuja Wang; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Standard Stoppages
Third Coast Percussion

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

**Coleridge-Taylor: 3 Selections From '24 Negro Melodies'**
Curtis Stewart; Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)

Hope Orchestrated
Mary Dawood Catlin; Jesús David Medina & Raniero Palm, conductors (Venezuela Strings Recording Ensemble)

Inheritances
Adam Tendler

Price: Piano Concerto In One Movement In D Minor
Han Chen; John Jeter, conductor (Malmö Opera Orchestra)

Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos
Yo-Yo Ma; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos; Solo Works
Yuja Wang; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

Alike - My Mother's Dream
Allison Charney, soloist; Benjamin Loeb, conductor (National Symphonia Orchestra)

Black Pierrot
Sidney Outlaw, soloist; Warren Jones, pianist

In This Short Life
Devony Smith, soloist; Danny Zelibor, pianist; Michael Nicolas, artist

Kurtág: Kafka Fragments
Susan Narucki, soloist; Curtis Macomber, artist

Schubert Beatles
Theo Hoffman, soloist; Steven Blier, pianist (Rupert Boyd, Julia Bullock, Alex Levine, Andrew Owens, Rubén Rengel & Sam Weber)

Telemann: Ino - Opera Arias For Soprano
Amanda Forsythe, soloist; Robert Mealy, Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra)

Best Classical Compendium

Cerrone: Don't Look Down
Sandbox Percussion; Jonathan Allen, Victor Caccese, Christopher Cerrone, Ian Rosenbaum, Terry Sweeney & Mike Tierney, producers

The Dunbar/Moore Sessions, Vol. II
Will Liverman; Jonathan Estabrooks, producer

Ortiz: Yanga
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Dmitriy Lipay, producer

Seven Seasons
Janai Brugger, Isolde Fair, MB Gordy & Starr Parodi; Nicholas Dodd, conductor; Jeff Fair, Starr Parodi & Kitt Wakeley, producers

Tombeaux
Christina Sandsengen; Shaun Drew & Christina Sandsengen, producers

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Cerrone: Don't Look Down
Christopher Cerrone, composer (Conor Hanick & Sandbox Percussion)

Dennehy: Land Of Winter
Donnacha Dennehy, composer (Alan Pierson & Alarm Will Sound)

**León: Raíces (Origins)**
Tania León, composer (Edward Gardner & London Philharmonic Orchestra)

Okpebholo: Songs In Flight
Shawn E. Okpebholo, composer (Will Liverman, Paul Sánchez & Various Artists)

Ortiz: Dzonot
Gabriela Ortiz, composer (Alisa Weilerstein, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

ROCK THIS WHEN SWINGING BY YOUR VINEYARD IN THE FALL

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see ROCK THIS WHEN SWINGING BY YOUR VINEYARD IN THE FALL.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S2. E8. | THE FINAL TWO + FANTASY SUITES

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer

This week on The Golden Bachelor, we’ve made it to the Antigua with Cindy and Peg! Although his feelings are getting stronger, he notes that Cindy has said that she is falling in love with him and that Peg isn’t. He also lets us know he is looking forward to the Fantasy Suites as well. We see Mel and Jesse Palmer tossing a football back and forth before chatting and going for a beer.

They talk about both women, dates he went on with him, why he is being careful not to say words that are just said casually and carelessly. Jesse reminds him that these are the last days with them and he needs to let them know where he stands with them. He realizes that he knows he has feelings, but he needs to share it with them as they deserve to know that as well. We know that Cindy has thoughts about the fact that she could still feel his walls up during their Hometowns.

Peg has the first date and she lets us know that he fit in well with her family. She also notes that he needs to communicate his feelings to say what he wants and needs. She is excited to take the time with him to figure this out as it’s important for her to know. They navigate the island and she shares that she has been guarded and knows she needs to connect and be emotionally available. When she asks him about it, he deflects to talk about the dune buggy that they took which catches her off guard. As they continue onto the night portion of their date, she knows she will ask the tough questions to hear more about him prior to going to the Fantasy Suites. They decided to spend additional time with one another back at the suite. We see them the next morning and we can tell that their connection has increased.

We see Cindy waiting for their date and she knows that this is an important date for them to be on. Their date involves them laying out on a boat. He lets her know that they will be swimming with stingrays which she has done before (he thought that he was going to get her out of her comfort zone). She can tell that Mel is a little nervous for this activity, but Cindy is super excited and comfortable in this activity. Eventually Mel gets into it and plays witht he stingrays.

They continue onto dinner and Cindy wants to know how he feels. As they talk, Cindy lets him know that he never has questions for her and that he doesn’t feel free to share. She asks him what is holding him back from truly talking about them, his feelings for her, and more. He says that it is difficult for him to say things when he can’t calculate the costs. She also asked him why he waited later in life to get married.

The finale is next week!

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week, we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

WE’LL SEE THEM NEXT WEEK!

CINDY

PEG

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

AMY

ANDRA

ALEXANDRA

CAROL

CARLA

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

DIANE

GERRI

LILY

LISA

MAIA

MONICA B

MONICA P

MYLENE

NICOLLE

PEG

ROBIN

ROXANNE

SUSIE

TERRI

TRACY

#TRIBEGOALS

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see #TRIBEGOALS in the issue.

ATHLEISURE BEAUTY

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure Beauty in mag.

IN OUR BAG | TAKING IN A WALK IN THE FALL

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see IN OUR BAG | Taking in a Walk in the Fall in mag.

HOW TO DRESS | ENJOYING A SELF-CARE DAY

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see HOW TO DRESS | Enjoying A Self-Care Day in mag.

MAGNOLIA BEAUTY

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see MAGNOLIA BEAUTY in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S2. E7. | THE WOMEN TELL ALL

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer

This week on The Golden Bachelor, we’ve made it to the Women Tell All! You can tell that Jesse Palmer loves the goldens and we connect again with the women from the season (with the exception of those that are still on the journey as well as Diane who is with her family for a wedding).

We always enjoy catching up on the storylines, seeing the women react to what took place over the season and to see Mel chat with them so that there is closure. Debbie lets Nicolle know that she was not empowering other women and that she cut them down in the house. In addition to talking about some of the uncomfortable moments in the house, they also talked about lemon bars as well as being in the Mile High Club. We also got to hear from Kathy and Susan from last season which is always nice!

By the time Mel came on stage, he shared his experience as well as answered questions from the women. They also revelaed the rest of the roast that we had not seen.

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

WE’LL SEE THEM NEXT WEEK!

CINDY

PEG

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

AMY

ANDRA

ALEXANDRA

CAROL

CARLA

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

DIANE

GERRI

LILY

LISA

MAIA

MONICA B

MONICA P

MYLENE

NICOLLE

PEG

ROBIN

ROXANNE

SUSIE

TERRI

TRACY

WORLD SERIES 2025

We’re in the thick of the World Series with Game 5 taking place tonight at 8pm in LA with the Toronto Blue Jays vs the LA Dodgers. Both teams are 2-2 in the series. See the highlights from Game 4!

STILL SNOWIN' | JAY "JEEZY" JENKINS

As we settle into the Fall, we know that the weeks ahead will be productive and busy! We’re navigating a number of projects while looking ahead to 2026! This month’s cover is definitely on that same wavelength! Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins is a 4X Grammy nominated artist, New York Times Best Selling Author, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist who is known for a number of songs that have been on rotation on our playlists and more.

We wanted to know more about how he got into the industry, his passion for music, and his creative process. We also wanted to delve into his national TM: 101 Live Orchestra Tour which has been sold out. Due to the success of this tour, he announced his residency in Las Vegas at PH Live at Planet Hollywood with The Masquerade (Oct 31st + Nov 1st) and The Nutcracker (Dec 19th + 21st). On Sept 28th, he dropped his latest album, Still Snowin’! We had to find out this and more from the man himself!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s a pleasure to speak with you as I have been a fan, and I have enjoyed your body of work musically, as well as being an entrepreneur, so we’re thrilled to have you as the cover of Athleisure Mag this month!

JEEZY: I love that! Thank you so much! This is amazing!

AM: So, you’ve said that for you, music was a vehicle for business. When did you fall in love with rap, and when did you realize you wanted to be an entertainer?

J: I fell in love with music at a very young age. I think my mother bought me like a Fat Boy’s tape, EPMD tape, and that’s kind of when I was just like, “okay, this is something I love, and when we moved from abroad and came back to the States right before my parents separated, we moved into this small apartment complex. The lady, her name was Dimitri. She lived next door, she was, you know about my father’s age and she played Supersonic. Like, all day, every day, I mean, like J.J. Fad, Supersonic, and it was like, I heard this song literally from when the sun went up to when the sun went down. Because she would play it, and I would just put my ear to the the wall and just listen to it. I just couldn’t believe, like what I was hearing, because I was feeling it. As I started coming of age and you know, I found the people that I liked, I ended up discovering Tupac and I just felt like he was for me. Like, I just couldn’t believe somebody else had the same views I did, and that’s why I really like fell in love with it. And I was, like, okay, you can learn from this. I can enjoy it. This is it. That was the moment.

As far as the artistry, I think I was forced more into being an artist more than I chose to be. I learned from music like music has always been my teacher. One of the real reasons why, I still, you know, listen to podcasts is that I’m learning something. I feel like I always learn from the people I listen to. But the first entrepreneurs that I ever saw were the local hustlers or when Cash Money or No Limit, when they were taking off. I was, like, okay, I could do that, but I want to be a CEO, so I basically, was grinding up money to be a CEO of a label, so I would put my money into the artists, and it didn’t work, you know. And over time, I kind of left with no money, a studio, and really a dream. And one of my guys said, “man, you might as well, just try it yourself, because, you’re the most dedicated and devoted to it, but also, it’s your life.”

AM: Wow!

J: I thought about it and I was like, you know what, you’re right. And I just started to, you know, get in the booth and it took me 10 years. But I stuck with it and the next thing, you know, I was dropping, Tha Streets Iz Watchin, Trap or Die, and then Thug Motivation. It’s been on ever since then.

AM: I mean, where do you get your inspiration from when it comes to creating new music and what is your creative process like?

J: Hmm, creating new music for me, so I never looked at it as music. It’s almost like a journal. You have to live to journal. Like, if you’re not living, you don’t got nothing to journal about. You’ve gotta go through some good times, some bad times, some setbacks, some adversity.

AM: Yup.

J: For me, my process is living. You know, I go out. I have all these new experiences. I learn all these new things. You know, I’ll take a couple of chances, take some risks and with that, I’m able to basically journal about what I’m going through right or what just happened. I navigate through it, and that’s how I go into albums. They’re more like journals.

It’s like, what happened? How did you deal with it? How you feel? What are you gonna do better? What are you inspired to do? What’s in line with your purpose? That’s how I write the music. Now, as far as like the temperament of it, and the sound just depends on where I’m at. If I’m in a place where I’m in a great space, like, right now and this project that I’m about to release now, the music’s going to feel that way, you know, like, Still Snowin’ it feels like I’m in a good place, but, my last project I Might Forgive ... But I Don’t Forget, I was in a bad place, so the music was darker. The sound was darker, the production was deeper. The tempo was slower. So it just depends on how you feel. So, my process is where I live. It’s about enjoying your life no matter what state you’re in and when you take a break from the world and you start to journal, let that come out in the music. The rest is pretty much art.

AM: Right?

J: It’s almost like, if you’re trying to keep up with the trends or trying to stay on the radio and stuff like that - it might be a little more tricky because you’re not yelling it from a real place.

AM: I love the idea of you saying, you’re coming from a place of when you’re living, and so it is very interesting. When you’re hearing your music, but it’s always so super authentic, which I really appreciate.

J: Mmm yeah I receive that – thank you. I think the key to this game - any game really is to stay true to yourself. Staying true to how you really feel, stay present and stay in your flow. Don’t really get caught up in the noise because as artists, you have a million people to tell you how to do it, but they have never done it. And then you have people telling you what you should do and it’s almost like a recipe you get from your grandmother. She taught you how to do it and you understand it and nobody else can come and tell you how to remix this recipe if it has been a family secret. Culture is like our family secret. Nobody can come in and tell me how to remix culture. I’ve had people try and you know, I made some unpopular decisions to stay in my flow. Of course, I went through some turmoil, but it all came back around because I stayed solid, and I kept the Integrity of who I am, what I’m doing, and what I’m saying. So, I don’t want to be the guy at the park you know, out with my daughters and somebody’s like, “oh, that’s got to make that whack something!”

AM: Right!

You’ve been in the industry for 20 years, which is not only incredible, but it’s a cultural milestone. You’ve been on this live orchestra tour focusing on your debut album and performing in like some insane venues at the Apollo Theater here in New York. How did you come together and decide that you wanted to incorporate a 26 piece orchestra and and really pushing the boundaries of what blending hip-hop and classical music is together?

J: Well, the thing is, growing up, you know, we watched all the mafia movies. So, John Gotti stuff and all that, and we just associated that with the good life, right?

AM: Yeah.

J: You get to that point in life you just us see it through a different lens because you made it to this point, which is why we were always fascinated with the narcos and all of that.

As far as our culture, we just want to get it to a place where - you know, it was once a dream, a hope, and a prayer that you made it past 21 because of the circumstances you were in. As you make it past 21, you start to think, like, “damn, what am I going to do now?” And as I have matured into this, to meet the next level is this or that, and the next level for me is 20 years later. Staying in my truth was something that I always dreamed of doing with an orchestra. I was able to do that in Atlanta at the High Museum. It was the first time at 45 years old that I had even seen an orchestra! So, you know, on top of being, nervous, because I’m like, “okay, how does this work for me?” I wondered whether people would accept it. By the third song, I was, like, “oh my God, I gotta take this around the world because this is aligned with my purpose, It’s inspiring and uplifting my culture.”

There are people that I see in this crowd that have suits on that I’ve never seen in suits, Right?

AM: Right!

J: There’s people here celebrating life and just happy to be here because they feel as good as they look – and that’s a feeling right? I said to myself, for my 20-year anniversary, I’m going to take this around the world because there’s somebody in Kansas City that’s never been to an orchestra before, there’s someone in DC that hasn’t, there’s somebody in Miami, there’s somebody in Detroit and they deserve that! The best thing I could do is bring this experience to them and present it in a way that’s cool. It was a date night to see all these married couples are out having a great time together because they grew up on the music. But now they get to celebrate together.

It’s the first of its kind and to do it as a tour and to do it independently as well!

AM: That’s quite an undertaking to do for you to personally back it yourself. The logistics that are around that, like, how has that been to put all that together?

J: I gotta say, I have an amazing team, you know? We tight, but we’re strong. Everybody believed in the vision, and we hit the ground - boots on the ground, and we hit the ground running. The experience of some of the orchestra members and their dedication. You know, the people that were breaking down the equipment, and like everybody was just in on this, like everybody gave it, they’re all it’s one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever been a part of, especially in the touring world.

I heard a lot of whispers out there, like, “Jeezy, don’t come to the West Coast.” I was, like, “no, we love the West Coast.” So, just for that, we just got a residency in Las Vegas. We’re bringing a 101 piece orchestra - first time to ever do it and we’re doing it at Planet Hollywood. We’re doing The Masquerade on October 31st, and November 1st, and then we’re coming back with The Nutcracker on December 19th and December 21st with that 101 piece orchestra members, Adam Blackstone, Derrick Hodge, DJ Drama, DJ Ace, and we bringing the whole show to the West Coast, and we want to make it a destination, so it’s more of an experience. Now, mind you, everybody else in the world is more than welcome to come. But I wanted to set up in the West Coast, just for the West Coast.

AM: It sounds amazing. We have previously interviewed Adam Blackstone a couple years ago. I find his artistry to be top notch and he is everywhere! Derrick Hodge, DJ Drama, DJ Ace - all of you coming together, creating this. How has that been?

J: It’s been amazing. I mean, I tell them all the time. Man, you know, I’m rocking with the best.

AM: Yup!

J: Adam Blackstone, brilliant. He’s brilliant, Derrick Hodge is phenomenal. Like, I’ve never seen someone that understands the way he understands how to mobilize the orchestra. Color of Noize Orchestra, has been phenomenal. Everything they’ve done doing, this tour has been nothing less than great. DJ Drama is the legend! The records that we have created and the synergy we have to see him open up the show - it’s almost like I’m getting hyped in my dressing room. Me and DJ Ace, we’ve been together almost 12 years now and we’re like Batman and Robin – you can’t have one without the other! We still give people that so you’re really getting 3 shows!

To me, it’s just like seeing everybody go down memory lane and really, just celebrating! By the way, it is not just a celebration of 20 years of Thug Motivation! 20 years ago, they were not in tuxedos listening to this music. That means you’ve done well for yourself to even be here. I’m just the guest of honor, and I’m coming to help you party! What I love is, in the beginning, a lot of people didn’t understand what an orchestra was because they hadn’t been to one before. So they were thinking more like they were going to come and my music would be playing. They didn’t think that I would be there. Once they realized that no, this is still a party, and when you get here and you stand on your feet, you never sit down - it’s been a party ever since!

AM: Wow!

What do you think your takeaway is going to be once the orchestra tour is completed, and obviously, this residency is an immersive environment. What are your takeaways going to be from doing these kinds of shows?

J: So always bet on yourself. To always stick with your vision no matter how many times people will tell you that it won’t work and what people won’t do and just hold your nose and jump in.

AM: Alright now!

J: That’s it! You have to take chances. You’ve gotta do things that are great. You gotta push the envelope and I just feel like, when you’re independent, you can do all those things. You don’t have to go back and forth with someone and try to get them to see what you see – you just take a chance. I hope and I pray that the generation behind being a generation behind them actually get a chance to see that you can evolve in this. You can give yourself permission to evolve. You don’t have to stay in this box that they put you in because that’s the way you came out in the beginning. You don’t have to stay that person you’re allowed to grow in this, you know?

We didn’t get to see Tupac get to his full potential. We didn’t see some of these greats get to their full potential. We didn’t see that from Bob Marley, you know - you get the right to grow in this. You get the right to evolve in this. Just be unapologetic of yourself and lean in and just be present meaning - I know where I’m at in my career, I know it’s been 20 years, but I feel younger than I’ve ever felt.

AM: Yeah.

J: I feel more creative than I have ever felt. I have more wisdom, more knowledge than that, I have more resources as well as relationships. And it’s just like, the thing that I don’t like when it comes to our culture and our music is that they feel like they can put a timeline on you.

AM: Facts.

J: You don’t get that with country music or rock music. Matter of fact, the older you get in rock, the greater you are. You know what I’m saying? Why can’t you be like that for us?

AM: As you know, sometimes we’re harder on ourselves?

J: Right!

AM: You’re absolutely right! I see Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Metallica, The Rolling Stones and it’s like oh my God, iconic – they’re still doing it and killing it, but we have that, too, and that should be respected within the culture.

J: And by the way, Richard Pryor when he was young he was probably cold but, Richard Pryor when he got older ha ha – he was a whole different beast, a whole different monster! He was a whole different animal!

AM: Facts!

J: That’s what I’m saying! For me, we’ve got to grow up as a culture! We have to grow up as a people. We have to grow up as men. We can’t shy away from that. I’m listening to classical music in the morning, I’m not negating that. No more Patron for me, but I’ll take some red wine! That’s my life!

AM: There you go!

J: You know what I’m saying, ain’t nothing wrong with that!

AM: As someone as busy as you are and you’re on the road touring, how do you stay in shape to optimize yourself? Here at Athleisure Mag, we’re always talking about fitness and/or wellness routines. So, what are 3 things that you do, because you’re always on the go?

J: Yeah, I mean, the good thing is, I’ve been busy pretty much 90% of my life, so I have been dialed in. I would say first, you know, you got to start off, you know, with your mental health. For me, that’s waking up meditating, praying about how grateful I am even when things aren’t going well. Taking the time to journal in the morning and step outside to get some fresh air. I’m definitely gonna go to the gym, and sometimes you know you might not have as much time as you would like, but you still got to do something.

AM: Exactly.

J: That’s my thing, just do something every day. And also, you know, of course, your vitamins, your nutrients, and stuff like that. I think eating right is a big part of that, but also like to be honest with you, the biggest thing I’ve learned through all this is like, don’t let none of this stuff stress you.

AM: That part!

J: If it’s not in your control, there’s nothing that you can do, it’s in God’s hand. He can handle everything.

AM: Exactly!

J: There is nothing for you to worry about.

AM: There’s many a time that I’m like, that’s on you, Lord – I know you got that and this.

J: Then just make decisions! Try your best to make decisions, you know, as quick as you can, so you don’t dwell on them. If you can’t make you that decision, just make sure you got some people that you trust that you can run things by just to get some insight.

I would say, you know, eating right, working out, taking care of your mind, taking care of you, and just knowing when it’s enough because you gotta have a work/life balance. I think that’s how you stay young. If you’re just working, and you’re not playing or doing things that charge you or fuel you, then you’ll be depleted.

AM: Absolutely.

J: Start with God first, then start with your mind, and then start with your physical health and just take care of yourself. Just treat yourself how you would treat your best friend!

AM: Pretty much!

You celebrated your birthday by dropping another project Still Snowin’ on your birthday, September 28th with DJ Drama. The live IG with you. hosted by DJ D-Nice was great, The office went nuts!

J: Yes!

AM: Tell me more about this, and why did you want to do this? I mean, you’re putting on a whole orchestra, and you’ve got this going on.

J: I know right? I couldn’t resist it! We were in Miami and I was getting ready for the tour, and I was just like, “you know, come out and put a studio in this bedroom!”

AM: Ha!

J: I know when it’s time. It was time for me and I felt with the orchestra and all of these things inspiring me this time, you know and getting back into my art bag as far as art collecting and stuff like that, which was one of the reasons why I tapped, Dr. Fahamu Pecou to do the cover art and actually paint the painting for the project.

For me, it’s just like, when you feel it, you gotta go. Because when you’re forcing it, it’s when you shouldn’t be doing it. If you’re doing it for money, you definitely shouldn’t be doing it. But if you’re doing it for the love of it, the passion of it, and it happens to come with some kind of monetary gain – absolutely! I’m doing this for the people that have always had love for me. I feel like they deserve it. In the words of the great Andre 3000, “if you want to hear something, make it yourself. He told me that one time, if you like something and you want to hear it, make it yourself.” That’s what I did, and this project is definitely where I’m at and I feel like, culturally, we need this, the fame needs, the people need this. It’s got to be a higher vibration. This is that. I want people to feel good, you know? I want people to feel good while they out here grinding, anybody out here, you know, solving the puzzle of life. I just wanted them to have some theme music!

AM: Well, one of the things I appreciate about you, is that you’re always involved in various projects, and I recently saw that you were in Trap City. What did you enjoy about being in this film and can we expect to see you more in TV /film as an actor?

J: This film to me was really cool because I had a lot of creative control. I was able to play a preacher that has street ties. I had to preach a sermon, so imagine that!

AM: Right!

J: It was actually fun, though it was one of those things where there was some down time. I was like, let’s try this again. Being in front of a camera, shooting music videos and doing this for most of your career, you just get really comfortable in front of the camera. It’s always those things you do when you have time, and you want to push yourself.

To me, it’s like, that’s another challenge - remembering lines, and showing up on time. Capturing those emotions because they told me that I had to cry and I said, I don’t know about that, but we’ll figure it out.

AM: As someone who is an entrepreneur with an ever growing portfolio, you most recently collaborated with Eastside Golf for their limited edition collab this past August. What was that process like, and what do you think the synergy is between hip-hop and golf?

J: I think it’s the synergy between men and golf and Black men in golf? I think that we looked at the sport as if we had no say in it. Shout out to Olajuwon Ajanaku who just went pro and he is the CEO over there at Eastside Golf. He’s one of the best players that I’ve ever seen, but we joke all the time about making golf cool. Golf is a part of my mental health if I’m honest. When you’re out there on that course and you’re able to have that fellowship, deal with people and be out there in that fresh air and listening to great music - it’s really how these meaningful conversations take place that helps your mental health. It brings up a level of peace you wouldn’t believe, and I think that’s what it is, I think us as Black men - we’re in a place right now, where we love peace, and this adds on to it. So I think that’s what people are actually doing, and the love! Golf is like like, you can never beat the course – you just play it. Sometimes you play good and sometimes you play bad. You’re not going to beat the course. You’re not going to go out there and get a hole in one every time you play the ball. The lesson is, every shot sets you up for the next shot. That’s how you have to live life. Every thing sets you up for the next thing.

AM: You also launched EDGE Energy Drink. Love the packaging. Love the can. Why did you want to add this to your diverse portfolio, and what can you tell me about the assortment of beverages?

J: Well, I’ve never been an energy drink guy. But the first time I had a taste of this, I was, like, oh my God, this is amazing. No aftertaste, it’s fresh. I had them bring down the sugar content in it.

AM: Nice.

J: I love the packaging. I love what it stood for, and I’ve had energy drinks and some of them could be really harsh. Some of them could make you really jittery. This was nothing of the sort. What I really love about EDGE is the opportunity to promote it and market it as a mixer as well.

You know, these signature drinks you like these signature cocktails. Instead of putting all this stuff in it with all this sugar and all this caffeine, you can go with something like EDGE and enjoy the taste and still get the energy you want. I like to do things that align with my purpose and my lifestyle.

You know, I might have 1 a day, 2 a day. I want to run it around so that it gives me the energy to get my work done. If I do, you know, ever, ever have a cocktail or something, I’ll just throw some EDGE in there instead of putting all this other stuff in there. It’s an amazing product. I’m actually excited about it. We’re gonna have a great year next year with Edge, for sure!

AM: When you’re not on the road or working on projects, how do you take time for yourself?

J: I really like to take a lot of time to work on myself spiritually, mentally, healthwise and to say grounded. So a lot of my free time, I’m really looking to be the best version of myself and really making sure that I am balancing my life. I know that balance is a word that doesn’t really exist, but you know, at the same time, I think that it is important to make sure that you are pouring into yourself and that you continue to grow so that when it is time for you to share back into the world, you’re more prepared.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for?

J: I mean, as far as right now, my philanthropy is the next thing on my table. My annual Snowball will be on Oct 9th in Atlanta, GA. It’s the gala for my non-profit foundation, Street Dreamz Foundation. This foundation is for at risk inner city youths. It’s a big, big, big, big deal this year. This year, the theme is Forever I Love Atlanta. Ludacris Bridges will be hosting. So it’s going to be amazing! I have some special surprises for all of my Atlanta folks. We’re going to raise a lot of money for a great cause and for some great kids.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be known as? You are a 4X Grammy Nominee, you have sold over 10 million albums worldwide, you’re a profound storyteller, NYT Best Selling Author, you have an impressive portfolio entrepreneurially - what do you want people to feel or say about you when they think about you and your body of work?

J: You know, I want to be a great father and to continue to be a great brother. As far as my legacy, I want to be known as somebody who took all of the risks that he had to take to pour back into his community, to pour back into his culture, to pour back into his people, and also the younger generation that it’s 1,000% ok to evolve. It’s 1,000% ok to be in your truth. It’s 1,000% ok to who you are.

AM: It was so great to sit down and talk with you as I know you have a busy few weeks ahead! As a fan of your music, I’ve enjoyed hearing about your vision, purpose, your com mitment, and your focus on community. I think that’s super important and that you’re a reflection of what people should look for when it comes to someone who is resilient and just doing it.

J: I appreciate that and receive it!

IG @jeezy

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT/BACK COVER Matt Swinsky | PG 16 - 33 + PG 36 -39 JWJ Enterprises | PG 34 Erika Goldring |

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see STILL SNOWIN’ | Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins in mag.

PAIN RECOVERY FOR ATHLETES & FANS

We caught Women’s Soccer Club Gotham FC X Washington Spirit at Sports Illustrated Stadium, NJ, to watch pre-game warm-ups and take in the game in the TYLENOL VIP Suite. It was a fun match to see, ending in a tie-score after some good scoring attempts and excellent defensive efforts.

We asked Jen Gow, US Head of Pain at Kenvue, and Dr. Chang, NWSL Chief Medical Officer, about TYLENOL’s multi-year collaboration with Gotham FC; supporting the team’s health, aid recovery and helping keep elite athletes at the top of their games.

We spoke about TYLENOL’s “Relief Zone,” where NWSL fans can receive branded

recovery kit giveaways, misting fans, and cool towels through the season. Also we explored activations they will have to support athletic trainers, celebrate recovery, and spotlight resilience of NWSL players and women’s sports.

ATHLEISURE MAG: TYLENOL has announced a multi-year collaboration with Women’s Soccer Club Gotham FC, how will it support the team’s elite athlete’s health, aid recovery and help keep them at the top of their game?

JEN GOW: As the Official Pain Reliever of the NWSL, TYLENOL® is so excited to support players throughout the season by equipping league trainers with the tools they need to aid recovery and help keep athletes in the game. We are stocking each trainer’s bag with TYLENOL® products for use with athletes on and off the field, pending their pain relief needs.

AM: Tell us more about the slogan “#TylenolPartner I can love the game without the pain,” and how it promotes pain relief goals for athletes and fans.

JG: We know a tackle can hurt, but also know those stadium seats can cause many aches. As a brand, we’re here for all types of minor aches and pains so that everyone can focus on cheering, supporting and playing the game.

Athletes are constantly undergoing stress on their body during training and performance, often resulting in minor aches and pains. TYLENOL® offers a portfolio of products that can meet each athletes’ individual pain needs, so the result is a personalized recovery routine to help them feel their best on and off the field.

AM: From the TYLENOL PRECISE™ Pain Relieving Patches and Nighttime Cream, to TYLENOL 8HR Muscle Aches and Pain Caplets, Extra Strength TYLENOL Rapid Release Gels, and more, how does TYLENOL provide fast, effective pain relief to athletes to ensure they can stay active and competitive?

JG: The brand is continuously innovating to meet consumer needs when it comes to pain relief. Most recently, we launched TYLENOL® PRECISE™ Pain Relieving Patches. This innovation has 12-hour flexible adhesion technology to stick with you—and they are transparent so you can place them wherever pain hits!

AM: What is TYLENOL Proactive Support for Muscles and Joints and how does it help overall health and well-being? How does this move into reactive and proactive supplements help athletes, fans and consumers with health and pain management support?

JG: Proactive Support from the Makers of TYLENOL® is a new drug-free supplement powered by a blend of turmeric and tamarind to deliver improvement in joint flexibility and comfort. We made this step into the supplement space in partnership with medical professionals to offer an effective supplement for consumers to take a proactive approach in improving their joint comfort.

AM: The TYLENOL® FAN PAIN POINTS Survey with Wakefield Research indicated some very interesting results, including the majority of sports fans (52%) believe they are more active when attending a live sporting event than on a typical day; 43% of fans regularly pack an OTC pain reliever when attending live sporting events; and 70% say going to live sporting events is physically taxing, with nearly 7 in 10 (69%) stating they would go to more games if the experience were less demanding. What are some products, tools and tips to help reduce painful activities for fans attending and cheering on teams in live events?

JG: It’s always a good idea to come prepared to a game – who knows how many stairs you may need to climb to get to your seat or if you’ll be standing longer during overtime cheering on your team. Keep TYLENOL® PRECISE™ in your car for post-game muscle aches or add a travel-sized pack of TYLENOL® Extra Strength to your gameday bag, so you can be prepared should a minor ache or pain occur.

AM: What activations will TYLENOL have at Sports Illustrated Stadium to support athletic trainers, celebrate recovery, and spotlight resilience of NWSL players? What is TYLENOL’s “Relief Zone,” and how have NWSL fans reacted to branded recovery kit giveaways, misting fans, cool towels through the season?

JG: Our multi-faceted collaboration with Gotham FC features comprehensive on-site activations, including equipping the trainers with products they need to aid player recovery and season-long representation at Gotham FC’s pregame Fan Fest. Our branded giveaways have been a huge hit with fans, and the continued growth of the NWSL alongside the amazing fandom at Sports Illustrated Stadium is incredible to see! I took my kiddos a few weeks ago...my 5 year old loved the ball pit and my 3 year old held the “Tylenol #1 Doc Recommended” foam finger the entire game!

AM: Beginning in 2026, what will Gotham FC match theme nights and community programs presented by TYLENOL entail?

JG: We’re actively collaborating with the Gotham FC team to determine how we can continue to meaningfully engage with the fans and support the team in even more ways next season!

AM: How does TYLENOL elevate opportunities in women’s sports and go beyond the medicine cabinet?

JG: Through our sponsorships with the NWSL and Gotham FC, alongside our commitment to the Women’s Sports Foundation with our Athlete Recovery and Care Commitment Grant, TYLENOL® is going beyond our product to meet women athletes with direct support and critical funding so they can continue the game they love.

AM: What are some products and tips for executives and business travelers to stay productive and at the top of their work on long days, commutes and big travel itineraries?

JG: It’s incredibly important to me to get outside and be active after work. I have recently embraced the Pickleball trend and wow, it can cause some pain! My wife and I both take a Proactive Support from the Makers of TYLENOL® supplement every day and it truly has helped our joint comfort after exercise.

AM: TYLENOL recognizes that pursuing greatness hurts. What is The Care Commitment by TYLENOL? How does this fund and $1M pledge with the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) help injured athletes and their painful physical and financial setbacks on the road to recovery?

JG: This grant was established by TYLENOL® in partnership with the Women’s Sports Foundation® (WSF®) to provide a much-needed recovery fund for injured women athletes who are on their road to recovery post-injury. To date, we’ve awarded grants to 20 deserving athletes, providing financial support as they rehab to get back into the game and continue their pursuit of greatness.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What does it mean for TYLENOL to have a strategic collaboration with Gotham FC, after being named Official Pain Relief multi-year sponsor of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) earlier this year?

DR. CHANG: After being named the Official Pain Reliver of the National Women’s Soccer League this year, TYLENOL® wanted to expand their support of the league and engage more directly with a local team and its fan base. This collaboration also includes on-site activations at Gotham FC’s pregame Fan Fest, where the brand will provide TYLENOL® product giveaways, merchandise and more to prepare fans as they head into the game. The fans have loved it!

AM: How is this collaboration meaningful for supporting player health and women’s sports?

DR. C: As a League, our top priority is protecting the health and well-being of our athletes. The growth of women’s professional soccer has brought greater demands on our Players’ bodies, making recovery resources and medical support more important than ever. Collaborations like this one with Tylenol provide additional support for our medical teams and athletes, and we value partners who share our commitment to Player care.

AM: How can equipping league trainers with TYLENOL products and tools help aid performance, recovery and keep athletes in the game?

DR. C: Athletic trainers are on the front lines of Player health, and having access to reliable tools that support their recovery including safe pain management helps them do their jobs more effectively. While no one product can replace the core fundamentals of injury prevention, training, and rehabilitation, we appreciate having a resource like Tylenol available as part of a broader toolkit for Player care.

AM: How does the partnership with TYLENOL help women athletes and fans embrace the love of the game?

DR. C: Our fan base is the heart of our league, and TYLENOL® recognizes that they deserve care just as much as the players do. By hosting product giveaways for fans during pre-game events and offering product discounts, TYLENOL® is helping ensure that our tremendous fans can be on the sidelines to cheer on the team, without any minor aches and pains slowing them down.

AM: What are the types and how often are there injuries in women’s soccer matches? Are there specific injuries that occur more frequently for female soccer players?

DR. C: In women’s professional soccer, we most often see lower extremity injuries such as ankle sprains, muscle strains, and knee joint injuries. Female soccer players, in particular, face a higher risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears compared with their male counterparts, and that remains an important area of ongoing research and prevention eborts. We also recognize that overuse injuries such as stress fractures, tendinopathies, and muscle strains can occur during our season especially with the competitive balance across our League. Our focus is always on prevention, early recognition and optimal management, and safe return to play.

AM: What are some tips for soccer players and fans for injury prevention in training and playing soccer; promoting resilience; and optimizing recovery?

DR. C: For elite soccer players, injury prevention starts with evidence-based programs that emphasize neuromuscular control and strength training, especially of the core/hips and lower extremities. Monitoring training loads can also help to prevent overuse injuries. Good sleep, adequate hydration, and proper nutrition are essential cornerstones to promote resilience and optimize recovery. Resilience also involves building strong support networks, such as a positive team environment and dedicated medical teams. Recovery also means listening to your body and recognizing early warning signs in order to seek timely professional medical care.

For recreational players or even fans inspired to learn how to play soccer (it’s never too late!), many of the same principles apply: warm up before activity, gradually progress the duration and intensity of play at the beginning of the season, and maintain a fitness routine during the week (especially if you only play one game a week). Injury prevention and recovery strategies are not limited to professional athletes—they can help anyone stay active and enjoy the game for years to come.

AM: We’ve now learned fans can exert themselves too by walking, sitting and intensely cheering on their favorite team and players at the game! Go Gotham FC! How can fans aim to reduce pain themselves before, during and after the big game?

DR. C: Attending an NWSL soccer match can be demanding—standing in lines, climbing stairs, and sitting and standing for long periods cheering. Fans can reduce discomfort by starting adequate hydration and food intake 24 hours before the game and getting a good night’s rest, and then staying hydrated and well fed, and wearing supportive footwear and appropriate clothing and headwear for the weather conditions. Even standing up and stretching and taking breaks to walk around the stadium is beneficial. If minor aches or soreness do occur, over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol’s topical relief or its traditional oral options can also help.

IG @tylenol

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 42 - 45, 49, 51 Gotham FC/Megan Santaniello | PG 46 Getty Images/Tylenol |

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see PAIN RECOVERY FOR ATHLETES & FANS in mag.

NEW DAWN FOR BAGS | JESSY DOVER - DAGNE DOVER

Dagne Dover launched in 2013 and is a brand that form, function, and innovation come together so that you can enjoy rocking a nice bag that allows you to stay organized. Jessy Dover is 1 of the 3 Co-Founders of this brand and we took a moment to talk about how she got into the industry, her design/creative approach, and what is coming up with the brand.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to be a designer in the handbag category?

JESSY DOVER: I always knew I wanted to be a designer because it’s where I light up the most. I love making things and in particular, I love making wearables. I didn’t know that I wanted to be a handbag designer though until I started seeing my successes there. I don’t know who made up this term, but it’s all about greenlights and I kind of live by that term! So when I start getting greenlights, I try and follow that. So the first kick off of that was in my Senior year of Parsons, I was like, I need a job. I’m going to apply for every award, every internship, that I could and I ended up winning the Coach Design Competition and that was the first time that I realized I had fun with that project and I got to really understand how to create a bag. For me, as someone who has more of an athletic body type, I never fit into the fashion body type world, and when I was at school there, I felt out of place. I just fell in love with bags because you didn’t have to consider the body all that much. It is just a tool that you can use every day to make your life work. I was stoked on that!

It kind of led me down this path of eventually meeting my co-founders and creating my first few bags. After we started selling, I would say that after I sold my first 100 bags, I would say “oh, ok other people want really great bags that have pockets and actually support them through their day,” which led me to where I am today, which is deep in bag world and I love it! It definitely wasn’t something growing up where I thought that I would be a bag designer.

AM: I have to say that when I first started working in the fashion industry, I started as a model, then went into design, visual merchandising, wholesale, and then styling before I entered publishing – I would always tell people that I am an Accessory Expert and they would ask why I liked it so much. I would tell them whether you’re bloated or not, the bag is going to fit – the shoe is reasonably going to fit for the most part and the jewelry is generally never going to disappoint you no matter what is going on with your body. When you can do that and enjoy those items, it’s a different level of confidence you can have when you’re wearing them.

JD: Totally!

AM: So I love being accessory first!

JD: Yes! Ok, me too! It also just tops everything off. You can put on your clothes, but when you put on those shoes and that bag, it brings everything together!

AM: What was the first bag ever that you designed?

JD: I really have to think about this one! I would say that the first bag that I ever designed that became an actual bag that someone would want to wear, was the design that I did for the Coach Award. As you can imagine, it takes a lifetime to be a good craftsman and to make a luxury bag.

AM: For sure!

JD: Whenever we go to Asia and we’re with the sample makers, I’m just bowing down because it’s all them. We design, but they create it. But I made this bag with the Coach sample maker and it was my first leather bag, it was a work bag, fairly simple, a camel color, with buckles on the front, computer sleeve, and I looked at it when it was finished and that is when it clicked for me. You need to have a team of people to create something incredible and you can’t be the expert at every single thing. That’s when I realized that I am a designer and I am not a maker.

Then I would say that the first bag that I actually sold that was a success was our Legend – we still sell it and it is still on the site. There was another bag, but we don’t sell it anymore as it has been discontinued, called the Clutch Wallet. But the Legend was our very first work tote and it was made out of coated canvas and it was a solve to the problem that we had originally pinpointed. The problem was that there wasn’t a work bag that was also cute that is a good price point for a working woman that can keep your things safe - that has a computer sleeve, has a key leash, has a spot for your phone and you know all of that good stuff. So that was a big moment for me. I think that the confidence that gave me was that it wasn’t even me, it was like, people want what I want and it gave me that push to keep going. The next bag that I look at as my biggest most favorite success was the Dakota Backpack – that or the Landon, I came out with it at the same time. That was when things started lighting up for the brand and that was a whole other different success than the Legend. Because, all of a sudden we were talking to a whole community that were not just those that were working corporate jobs. They were living!

AM: That’s right!

JD: That was the time that I was really coming into my own as a designer and a person who really prioritizes health and wellness and bringing my self to the world, and I feel that that was the moment for me as a really young designer.

AM: I love when you were talking about the whole designer and the community of makers that support it. My mom was a couture designer for a number of years so I watched her make gowns, suiting, etc.

JD: Goosebumps!

AM: I loved it and she had another person who worked with her. But it wasn’t until I did a collab line with Sebago for a few seasons where I would sell it on HSN and we designed it in the Dominican Republic at the factories there; when I was there you would have generations of people that by hand were sewing and putting the different leathers on the machines. I knew what I knew in terms of leathers, cool colors, and how that should come together, but then I would talk with the teams that would talk about the placements to take my vision to how it could actually come forward, and there was so much knowledge there that I really respected. So when I would go on air to talk about the shoes I was always happy to say that I designed them, but I would always reference the makers and their knowledge over so many years that brought those shoes to life! They would tell me that they had been doing shoes since they were 16 and some of them were in their 80’s.

JD: They knew what they were doing!

AM: They totally did. It’s about the community and taking that feedback and knowledge and making people aware how your favorite items come to be! I think it’s such a great point that you highlighted.

JD: For sure. It’s cool that you got to watch your mom doing that. I didn’t have that level of transparency into fashion and garment making and bag making – but once I did, that’s what hooked me and I knew that that was so cool.

AM: You talked a little bit about how your co-founders came together. What are each of your roles and what does Dagne Dover mean?

JD: Great question! I’m the Chief Creative Officer, I handle all things creative and design. I spend a third of my time designing product, a third of it doing creative marketing, and then a third of my time doing founder stuff.

AM: There’s always founder stuff.

JD: There’s ALWAYS founder stuff! If I let it, it could take 100% of the time.

AM: FACTS!

JD: Oh yeah, I’m always stopping and saying – that can wait until tomorrow.

My Co-Founders, God bless their hearts, because this company could not run without them, they are sort of the business genius behind everything. They do all of the fundraising, they do a lot of the strategic planning for our drops and our buys and our distribution strategy – all of the stuff that goes into running a business. So my partner Melissa Shin Mash, she’s our CEO and my other partner, Deepa Gandhi are COO/CFO –

AM: When you’re Co-Founder you’re always wearing multiple hats!

JD: Oh, we’re all wearing multiple hats! The day that I can just run 1 department is the day that I just die of happiness!

AM: Oh I hear you!

So the name means …

JD: Oh yeah, so Dagne means new dawn. So in Nordic indigenous language it means new dawn and we just love the name Dagne. I’m so obsessed with Scandinavian design because I think that the simplicity, the purposefulness, and the natural elements – it’s the perfect balance from my perspective. So we chose that as our first name, and then Dover is my last name and we just felt that it was a true collaboration. I did not want my name on it to be totally honest. They were like you should have your name on it because you are the creative behind it. So we kind of created this character out of Dagne Dover and we like to look at it as a new dawn for handbags and really in everything that we do, we support the concept that you should expect more from your bag and you should – we’re here to give that to you.

AM: I will say, that I love that your ears are always to the ground, you’re watching and somewhere along the line an innovation is birthed and will fall into a future season. Not everyone does that.

JD: I really appreciate that and I really have that to owe to my partners because I have the space to do it. I’m still very busy, but because of my team and my partners, I’m really fortunate. I have other friends that are designers and I know that you know this, they’re running their business and they are also designing. That is so much! I am super grateful for that and our community is super outspoken! Our community is power women and they’re so great because they will tell you what they want, what they don’t like and they are super honest and I appreciate that!

AM: They truly care and a number of us saw the initial assortment and have had the joy of being along for the ride of the expanded styles, colorways, and innovations! For me, I find that the purpose and intention is there. Whether I may use a specific style or not, I can understand why it is there and who it is servicing.

Many years ago, when I worked in the wholesale division at Lacoste, there would be a large number of SKUs for that particular season and I always thought about how much that could be edited. You could look through and in terms of buyers you knew where a lot of those items would gravitate towards.

JD: I think that that is the difference too between running a product led brand and a brand brand. We’ve all come from the world of brand led brands where you just need stuff to sell. We’re really selling a brand, but we wanted to create something that is product first. We love the brand, the brand has value, but it’s really about the product, because otherwise you’re selling and idea that people are buying into, but I really love product.

AM: What’s an average week like for you? I ask that knowing that there are no average weeks!

JD: I know! I think it’s so funny that you asked this because I really want to nail this down! You’re right! I set a schedule and then it just gets wiped out every week. I do try to stay true to my 1/3 design, 1/3 digital marketing – with all of my emails and photoshoots, and 1/3 founder stuff! I would say that most of my stuff I try to split it between the day, but as a leader of this initiative and how we can be available and make our schedules work, so that we can make it happen and push it forward – what keeps me focused and on point is that at the beginning of the week I write down my top 5 things that must must happen and even if those meetings don’t happen we use Slack, text, and voice notes and all of the other modes of communication to make sure that the ball keeps rolling. It’s about finishing and completing those initiatives. I know that you also know this, but we don’t really have a big team. I don’t even know what size brand to call us! We have a small team, we drive a lot of business, but it is still a hustle every day! It’s a lot of meticulous planning ahead of time. I have all of my workouts slotted in because if I don’t they just won’t happen.

AM: This Summer was a great one for Athleisure Media. We traveled, attended a number of functions, connected with people and have great projects coming up. The IG looks great, but behind the scenes while all that is going on is a lot of controlled chaos.

JD: For sure! I say that all the time my IG looks pretty because it shows my slow paced life, but really it’s not at all because there are a lot of things going on.

AM: Impossible. Just looking at your drops of new products, you do a number of events outside of NYC and dealing with communities in other cities, the planning that goes behind introducing colorways and new styles – there is constant movement going on there and a lot of planning.

I know especially with my wholesale background that yes your brand is small, but the amount of output, the footprint etc – there is a lot of working going on perpetually.

So how do you get inspired and where do you go for your inspiration for the collections and the colorways?

JD: I love this question! I have a lot of different places where I get inspired and mainly it comes from my every day life! For product, I look at what I am struggling with and where is there white space? An example of that is not being able to find my keys for 10mins in my bag at my front door – I don’t have 10 extra minutes, that’s my break time in between meetings!

AM: So true!

JD: Then I designed the key leash and we put it in every single bag! So now it is super quick to find them. So things like that – but then also for seasonal drops that are a lot more conceptual, I learned to design with a method that is very traditional due to going to Parsons with an inspiration and everything fitting within that so that you have the guardrails. For me those inspirations come from travel. Our SS drop this year was called Lakehouse and we had come up with this whole dream world of a lakehouse and we pulled colors, textures, color names, from that theme and so that happens a lot. I will go on trips and be like, “guys let’s just dive into this world.” A lot of times, it becomes place.

AM: Always a good place to start.

JD: Yeah, it’s inspiring. It’s fun and gives me energy. I love a natural landscape. I wanted to go to the Scottish Highlands this Summer, but I didn’t have time. There was no way that that was going to happen so I went to Chat GPT an asked if there was anywhere in the US that was like the Scottish Highlands. It spit out that in Virginia, there are areas that look like that in the Appalachian trail. It’s a small portion of it, but I flew down and there were cows and ponies and it was so crazy. I didn’t know it existed so close to us, but things like that get me really excited.

Then being outdoors – I love being outdoors whether it’s hiking, backpacking, snowboarding. I grew up in Colorado so being in NY, I don’t really get access to that so every chance I get, I go. Often times, I’m inspired by technical gear that I’m getting or buying because those are super high functioning and they are not used in traditional fashion a lot. They are great and they look professional if they are done with the right silhouette.

AM: In those early days, I have been a Dark Moss girl from the start. For me, I feel that it is one of those new neutrals. I don’t want to just have black but somehow, that Dark Moss it just hits different.

How did you guys identify that these were going to be core colors, what would oscillate in terms of colorways throughout seasons, and those that are limited editions? Even now you have those core colors that still find their way there.

JD: I kind of shot myself in the foot with that one if I’m honest. Those colors sell and I’m like, “please, let’s get new ones.” But people love them! They have become iconic to the brand in a way. If I’m totally honest, I made colors that I totally wanted to wear.

AM: Which is fair.

JD: I was working a lot, I wanted to make sure that whatever core colors we dropped, it would go with my friends and families existing wardrobe. They were picked to be complimentary, but exactly what you said, I didn’t want them to be plain and dull and boring and in the exact same colors that everybody else drops. There are limitless colors so can we pick a brownish/purple that other people don’t do? Really when we look at it, we want it to feel good – color is such a powerful tool with the psychology behind it. This has always been interesting to me. There are people who love purple, they only wear purple, and when I do a purple – I know who will buy it and it will sell through really fast, but I can’t make it a core color because it won’t continuously sell. Digging into these people’s minds, there are similarities of how they think because they will choose purple. Green, the Dark Moss green is exactly what you said. They don’t want to wear black every day. They have their own flair and they still need to fit into some kind of societal structure where maybe they are going to the office or they don’t want to be super flashy, but they want to be cool and fun – a little bit interesting. Then there is the navy people. So I just tried to hit on the buckets of those things and to give the best version of those things.

AM: Wow!

When I first started getting pieces from you guys. I came to love the leather collections and it was the oxblood. From the tote bags to this beautiful large clutch/cosmetic base that I use to hold items I use for wine when I am traveling ha! That part of the collection reminded me of 1970’s Etienne Aigner – that was my jam!

JD: Yes! It was! Fun fact, I worked on that brand for awhile!

AM: I am not surprised! My parents in the 70s had matching Etienne Aigner oxblood leather jackets and then my mom gave me hers and I used to wear it all the time and I had the bag to match!

Then neoprene came and I was like, this is not even a fabrication that I would ever think that I would want for my bags, but I got the versatility of it immediately. I love how it is squishy.

JD: Squishy!

AM: Super expandable, and I was there for it. So how did neoprene make its way in there? I knew from the first one that every part of my bag needed this fabrication.

JD: I’m so glad you like it! I love it too! My life changed. I went from a corporate design job to being a founder. I’m running around the city – I’m not seeing people except for my factory and my teammates. We were working in basically a closet and I was in gym clothes every day. I wanted something that felt like me – sporty, needs to move with me throughout the day, but still where I look put together to be neat and presentable. I was in Vietnam working to set up another factory and I was swimming and I had this neoprene bathing suit. I was like, this is rad! So I said to Deepa, do you think that we could make bags out of this? She’s like, “dude, I don’t know but why don’t you try?” She’s always like try it and we’ll see what happens. We did it and it turned out really cool. Before we dropped it, I didn’t know if people would like it.

To me, I felt that it might be a world where people didn’t understand it. In Colorado, I knew people where I’m from would understand the fabrication, but they don’t really need a bag that is tailored as much as those are. They are wearing Patagonia and gear – it’s not like they are wearing something that needs to go into the boardroom also. So I thought, they will get it, but they may not buy it.

My people in NY, they might get the silhouette but this may be too sporty for them!

It was a passion and a random idea that we thought could be really cool and it turned out really great.

AM: The other side of that is the bags that were made completely out of mesh! Again, I was like ok now we’re taking something that is usually inside of the bag as a pocket or a pouch and we’re taking that to the next level!

JD: I know! That was said by people too and they loved it and the fact that it was so lightweight! We ended up dropping the Air Mesh. Ultimately, that one did great, but it was a fun learning experience because it was so sporty, people felt that they couldn’t wear it to the office.

AM: Sustainability has always been something key and core to the brand. I love that now the neoprene bags are made out of x amount of bottles. You also have other environmental innovations as well. Why is that so important to you and being transparent about it because a lot of times you don’t know when someone is saying that something is that – to what end?

JD: Right – what? It could mean anything. I try to stay away from the word sustainable because I am afraid that it doesn’t mean anything anymore. What I try to do is to infuse as many conscious materials that I can find that is trackable. Part of being in a new wave of something is figuring out what is legit and what it’s not. The systems aren’t there, the regulation isn’t there yet and quite frankly, the US doesn’t have a lot of rules around that in the same way that Europe and other places do. It was a process of finding out which manufacturers were making eco-friendly materials.

What do they have that we can already utilize for the products that we have created and what do they have that we can use in the future to make even more sustainably minded products. It’s important to me because I love bags, I love making things and if you saw my apartment – there is stuff everywhere. I understand that when you make things, there is a lot of waste. There is a lot of testing and you’re making a physical thing so as much as you can be conscious about wastage and where it is coming from and where it is going to after, I think is fantastic and hopefully my wish and hope is that we live in a world where there are companies that are offering sustainable materials that we can use that are also durable. I think one of the biggest challenges for us is finding durable sustainable materials that can also be produced in a way that is timely and consistent – a lot of it is experimental!

What people don’t talk in terms of sustainability is affordability and that is a big one.

AM: It’s a huge barrier.

In terms of the travel collection. How long did it take to create that? You know I love it, for years I had asked members of your team why you were not adding it to your assortment and once it came out, I switched over my travel as well as my styling kit – including the carry-ons, duffles, garment bags, cubes to these products and love how they play well with the other Dark Moss pieces that I do have from the eyeglass case, toiletry bags as well.

I will also say the wheels on those bags work so well. Here in NYC, you know we have like 80 types of streets/concrete.

JD: Ha! Thank you for noticing. We put a ton of time into those wheels. I told them that we were not dropping until we had nice wheels because that is the key to the whole thing. I guess it took 3 years, but I was thinking about it a long time prior to that. It was a meticulous process. Luggage is not forgiving! There are a lot of regulations from any number of airlines from around the world that you have to hit so you are boxed into these being the sizes that you have to do or else people will not be able to carry them on the flight – so there’s that. It has to be incredibly durable because of course, we don’t know what they do behind those curtains, but every time that a bag comes out – you’re like what happened here? It has to be durable, dense material – I was really on my sustainability quick when we were designing this. They are 100% recycled and I was not willing to make any compromises on that. We were developing into this custom material and then I really wanted the interior organizational system to match what they were expecting from us. So we designed a ton of pieces, we tested them for a really long time, ultimately narrowed it down and the process took a long time. So we manufacture in Asia so we get the best products and it takes time for them to make every single sample set and we could be waiting 1 month or 2 between sample sets while we’re waiting for the next one to make changes and to evolve them. So it took about 3 years and to be totally honest, I was learning on the fly. Luggage is a whole other category.

AM: It is a whole other beast!

JD: That was very fun, but I am super happy with where they landed and I’m so glad you love your Dark Moss! I need a picture of your set.

AM: I’m constantly taking pictures of it in every photoshoot when I’m on set. I mean yes they are great travel bags but when I am bringing them to set or we’re sketching out what is coming as each shoot is a snowflake with different needs there may be a series of luggage and related accessories to support the needs and I’m always happy how smooth it is or how the compartments work or how I use it for a set versus going on a vacation.

I will also say that the long garment bag which I know is really great for weddings. It’s awesome for pulls because I can fit quite quite a few things in there and it’s still streamlined. When we shot our cover with Bozoma Saint John back in the Fall last year, I literally walked into 2 different bridal showrooms as they had evening wear and I must have fit 8-10 pieces in there easily.

JD: So glad you love it because we made that bag for gowns. My partner Deepa is Indian and we need an extra extra long bag for her gowns and people started loving it for all sorts of things. We have a bunch of designers that are using it for Fashion Week. Garment bags are great, but again, there are not a lot of cute options that are also lightweight and all the things that we as people in the industry need. I am so glad that you love The Capri.

AM: Oh yeah, I use the Carpi bag. I think that day I had that as well as the Air Mesh XL tote in Dark Moss that way folded could go there and everything else was in the other because I was hopping in and out of the subway that day for that cover shoot and I wanted to keep it light and agile haha!

Each showroom was talking about how co-ordinated it was and it didn’t matter if you were in a luxe space or something more functional the bags never looked out of place.

JD: I love hearing that and am glad you’re working those bags!

AM: Without question!

How many drops a year would you say that you guys have?

JD: It depends. I don’t have a specific numbers that I have to or feel that I need to hit. We always have a SS and a FW drop. Depending on what strategically we are trying to achieve, I will drop a product based collection or sometimes just new products if I feel they are needed and I’m working on it.

For example, last year in 2024, we had 4 drops. For 2026, I’ll have 7+ drops planned. So it really depends. I would say that I like to try and stay on a schedule. Things are ready when they are ready. For me, it’s about doing it and the dropping it the right way. That’s why some years we’re making it rain and then in other years it feels like we’re pulling it back a little.

Sometimes I just want to move on and create something new so you have to replace something. Something better is coming and I want to get ahead of it. Sometimes it’s also that something is too expensive to create for what we can sell it for. Being transparent is important about that. People will ask if we can make something and we can, I want to, but it will not be affordable!

AM: If someone is new to the brand, what would be 3 items that they should have to start their collections?

JD: Love this question! I would say that they must have the 23.5 Carry On Luggage that is the larger sized because there are 2. The Landon in the Medium Size. I love it because it goes from duffle to tote and it’s just the most versatile bag ever. I would say the Bennie Sling that we just dropped this past Spring and it’s like our old Morris Sling, but on steroids. We know that our slings are awesome, how can we make it even better and to address every pain point that people have? Everyone needs one. So that is my third pick! Those three you can rule the world!

AM: You guys always do fun events. My favorite event you guys threw was a few years ago and it was a twist on a Field Day/Olympics day.

JD: Oh yeah!

AM: It was like you literally felt you were living with the bags and it was fun. It’s also fun when you have done things with Sloane Stephens and she did a fun collab with you guys for Doc + Glo. We’ve had her as a previous cover, have interviewed her a few times, and I had lunch with her earlier this Spring. She’s just a good human.

JD: She really is! I feel like I’m best friends with her, but I don’t know her like that that well.

AM: You can sit with her and you just feel like you’ve known her for awhile.

Are there any partnerships or event collaborations that you can share?

JD: We have our FW assortment that is dropping in Oct this year. We’re really excited and we have some awesome prints and new colors.

I would say stay tuned for 2026 because we have a big year planned out! I’m very excited about it.

I mean, Sloane, we just love her. She is part of the team at this point so it comes from things like that – synergistic connections that we can create something really cool together.

AM: When you’re not doing all of the things that you do as a co-founder, how do you take time for yourself? This work is consuming and you do love it, but you do have to take at least half a second.

JD: For me it is very physical. My nervous system will crash and I always feel it coming. I will call my mom and I tell her I can feel it coming. When I get to that and some people call it burnout mode, I will take a little trip whether it is 1 night or 5 nights. I was actually able to take a trip for the month of August to Steamboat which is where I’m from and I worked from there for a month. When I tell you that it changed everything for me, I can’t suggest enough about taking a beat and it can be as simple as skipping the commute. Just that, working from home for a week can do that. For me, it’s about working out. I have to get that in and really think about the fact that we have a body too! We’re always up here in our mind and stuff, but when my body is in motion, it’s when I feel the best – hiking and biking – that’s when the ideas come to me. I have 2 dogs and honestly getting the dogs was the best because it forces me to go out and walk them.

AM: They have to do their business!

JD: They have to do their business and they are not going to wait!

IG @dagnedover

PHOTOS COURTESY | Dagne Dover

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see NEW DAWN FOR BAGS | Jessy Dover - Dagne Dover in mag.