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ROCK THIS WHEN YOU'RE INVITED TO A HOLIDAY DINNER
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#TRIBEGOALS
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S2. E1. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH CHEF DUFF GOLDMAN
On today’s episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we catch up with founder of Charm City Cakes and Food Network Host and Judge, Duff Goldman. A favorite of Athleisure Mag and in the NOV ISSUE #71, we talk about him hosting No Kid Hungry’s Thanksgiving Bake-A-Thon which took place this month! Viewers were able to watch Duff as well as noted bakers and celebrities create holiday dishes and answer questions that enthusiasts have when creating their own works of art! We explore why he is so passionate about working with No Kid Hungry and how he has been involved with them for well over a decade! We also talked about The Holiday Baking Championship and how important it is for him to provide feedback to contestants while also taking people through the culinary journey of enjoying a bite of your favorite treats! I promise you will never look at your Reese’s Cup in the same way! We also talk about 3 items that bakers should be gifted or gift themselves, upcoming projects, being a new father and he shares one of our favorite features that our readers enjoy in Athleisure Mag’s issue, 9LIST ROUTIN3S!
You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.
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9LOOKS | TOM FORD
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VANILLA BEAUTY
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PHOTO CREDIT | Unsplash/Brooke Lark
A 5-STEP HEALTH OPTIMIZATION STRATEGY
Have you ever wanted to take total control of your health and make some needed improvements to set your mind at ease? If so, you're not alone. Every day, many adults discover the need to deal with their wellness in order to live longer, fuller, more rewarding lives. The good news is that there are several simple things you can do to achieve this goal.
In addition to starting off with a detailed checklist, make sure you have enough capital to cover all the expenses related to the program. It's not always possible, for example, to rely on health insurance to cover elective procedures and other improvements that are technically considered unnecessary, like cosmetic surgery or liposuction. Here are some details about how to make the checklist, decide what to have done, finance it all, and review the results.
Make a List of Improvement Areas
Begin by making a detailed list of the things you feel are important for your health. Include items that are elective as well as those that are medically necessary, like new glasses or contact lenses, hearing aids, liposuction, cosmetic surgery, weight loss counseling, smoking cessation help, any type of surgery, and more. Try to include everything you can think of, and later on you can pare the list down as the situation demands.
Sell Your Life Insurance to Cover Expenses
Remember that some of the items on your wish list won't qualify for health insurance coverage. That's where a life settlement can help. The process involves selling a term insurance policy for cash. Not only will you never have to make premium payments again, but you'll get your cash in just a few days. Get started by reading an online guidebook that explains all the details. Actually, the entire process is simple and can be done entirely online. Then, you can use the proceeds for whatever you want because there are no restrictions.
Use Health Insurance Coverage When Possible
It's important to go through your wish list and separate the items based on which ones are reimbursable by health insurance and which are not. That's the best way to get a clear idea of how much money you'll need to spend to get everything done. When in doubt, call your health insurance carrier and get specific information about whether they'll cover a particular item. If they say they will cover it, remember to get that promise in writing before you spend your own money up front.
Work on One Item at a Time
Don't overwhelm your brain by trying to do everything at once, this will not support creating success in life overall. People who have used this plan before know that one of the secrets to making it work is to do one thing at a time. There's no rush. The key point is to methodically move down the menu, checking off each numbered item.
Evaluate the Results and Make a Long-Term Plan
When you're done, give yourself a pat on the back and immediately make a long-term version of the same list, this time including ways you'd like to maintain your healthfulness for decades to come. Consider annual physical exams, cancer screenings, and age-appropriate exercise.
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PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette
THE BACHELORETTE S18. E7. | IT'S HOMETOWNS!
Tonight’s episode of ABC’s The Bachelorette continues in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Michelle Young’s for the week that we all look forward to, Hometowns! Tayshia Adams and Michelle talk about what it will be like and the kinds of things that she should ask and look for. Kaitlyn Bristowe lets the guys know that their families are there and it’s time to get ready for everyone to meet.
Brandon is up first. He takes her to his hometown in “Portland” and they’re skateboarding! Although we were expecting some insane tricks, we can see that he’s trying to get the rust off. We also see Michelle get on the board too - shakily. But, it’s a cute date and we can see their connection. She meets his mom, dad and brother. Noah’s brother is the kind of brother that you would want to have. He’s honest and digs in asking Michelle about why she likes him. Seeing Michelle connecting with Brandon’s dad was sweet to see. She won her family over as his mom felt that they were so similar and his dad stated outright that he liked Michelle! Michelle lets him know that she also has strong feelings that she is falling for him as well.
Rodney is up next! Even she says that she didn’t expect that the man dressed like an apple would be here! Their date includes going to the place where an apple known as the First Kiss, only grows in her home state! Their apple date including picking them, throwing them into buckets and just having an easy time with one another. When she meets his family, they are nice to her, but they are hesitant as it’s a tough situation to be in.
Michelle brought Joe to her high school in an earlier episode. On this episode, Michelle is taken to his high school where he can show her his experience through his eyes. The date continues on to Prom! He didn’t go to his and he knows that she was picked last at hers. So it was nice to see them do all the Prom things and to make that memory. Seeing Joe’s family, we see that he gets his quiet nature from his dad, but it’s clear that his family likes her and they draw her in.
The final date for Hometowns is with Nayte. He shows her his love for walking in the park when he is in Austin - so that’s part of her date. But, he lets her know that 3-4 days a week, he likes to kayak. It’s a competitive and fun part of the date. He reminds us that he got the first impression date and he’s still here and they will continue to build on their chemistry.
It’s interesting that Michelle will be the first woman that Nayte has ever brought home to his family! That would make any woman nervous about what that experience will look like. Nayte seems excited, but he doesn’t really know what that means. Michelle feels that it’s a bit of red flag that no one has evermet his parents. She is meeting his mom and step father - who they recently divorced and both are skeptical as this is new territory for everyone. Even his step father says that he will call things out if he does or doesn’t see a fit. Even Nayte talks about how he and his parents never talked about feelings and relationships. His step father was very clear in saying that he doesn’t know the difference between being in love, being married and being engaged and that he questions whether he is ready to take those steps because it is so new. We see Nayte and his step dad connect and say that they love one another for the first time!
As Michelle debates what she should do, Serena and Brie who were on Matt James’ season with her pop by.
The men are at the rose ceremony. Michelle gives roses to Brandon, Nayte and Joe. Rodney is not given a rose and it’s heartbreaking to see him standing there without one. She wants him to know that he is enough and not an underdog, even though she sent him home because her feelings weren’t there in the same way that they were with others. He lets her know that he is still in love with her. The next dew days are going to be interesting. Next week, the Men’s Tell all takes place for The Bachelorette, Clayton will be the next The Bachelor and his season starts in Jan.
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette 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!
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
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ATHLEISURE MAG | #71 NOV 2021
In this month’s issue, our cover story is with Lightweight Boxer 21-0 with 18 knockouts, Ryan Garcia. We talk with him about how he got into boxing, his career, brands he's partnered with and being the Co-Owner and Chief MARLOWE. Officer of skincare brand, MARLOWE. We talked with Chef Duff Goldman about his work with No Kid Hungry that he has been involved in for well over a decade, his passion for baking, how he approaches giving feedback to contestants by taking them on a culinary journey and more. LPGA golfer Lexi Thompson talks about her passion for golf, upcoming tournaments and her skincare line, Lexi Skin. We also sit down with 2X Team USA Olympic Bronze Foil Fencer and World Champion, Miles Chamley-Watson to talk about the sport, why he wants to increase its footprint, his partnership and documentary with Daring Foods and more. We also connect with Food Network Personality and Chef Aarti Sequeira who also tells us about she approaches judging Halloween Wars and Holiday Wars. She also talks about her her new book, My Family Recipe Journal and the importance of keeping recipes passed down from one generation to the next.
This month’s 9PLAYLIST is from one of our favorites, Idris Elba. BMX rider Matthias Dandois as well as Ryan Garcia, shares their 9LIST STORI3S with us. Our 9LIST ROUTIN3S comes from football Super Bowl Champion, Hall of Famer and broadcaster Troy Aikman, Chef Duff Goldman and LPGA golfer Lexi Thompson. We also have our Miles Chamley-Watson sharing his 9DRIP with us. This month’s 9LOOKS shares some of our favorite ensembles from Tom Ford's FW21 collections.
Our monthly feature, The Art of the Snack focuses on Tusca in NY. This month’s Athleisure List comes from Pua Manu Club and Juicery Harlem. As always, we have our monthly roundups of some of our favorite finds.
Read the NOV ISSUE #71 of Athleisure Mag.
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PHOTO CREDIT | Shutterstock/Pixel Shot
5 COOL GIFTS FOR THE HARD-TO-BUY-FOR LOVED ONES ON YOUR LIST
’Tis the season for buying presents for all of the loved ones on your list. And while a few might be easy to choose the perfect holiday gift for, there are sure to be others who are a bit more difficult. Are you stumped on what to get your favorite uncle or your youngest niece? Look no further. These five cool gift ideas are perfect for any hard-to-buy-for loved ones on your list.
1. For You Fidgety Friends
Whether your loved one spends their days sitting in a classroom or sitting in a boardroom, fidget toys are scientifically proven to help improve concentration. The trick to picking the perfect fidget toy is finding one that is small enough to fit in a hand and quiet so as not to cause unneeded distractions. The popular fidget cube is an option that checks all the boxes for both adults and kids eight and up.
2. Pay It Forward
Inspire a loved one by picking the perfect word to represent him or her and gifting it on a key. With styles for men and women of all ages, these are the perfect present for offering hope, inspiration or encouragement. These keys are meant to be held onto as long as they are needed, and then regifted in the future to someone who may need a little inspiration, too. Best of all, the company employs people transitioning out of homelessness, so you can feel extra proud about your thoughtful purchase.
3. Give Them the Stars
For as long as mankind has existed , we have been inspired by the stars. Why not surprise your outdoor-loving friends by giving them zodiac art that can be hung on their wall? Not only will these handmade pieces look wonderful in daylight, at night the stars will light up and provide a sense of night sky wonder, too.
4. Athletic Wear for All
Athletic wear isn’t just for athletes anymore. In fact, its versatility is the reason it has become a staple in everyone’s wardrobes. Whether going shopping, to school, hanging out at home or heading to the gym , the men, women and kids on your list are sure to love the gift of athletic wear. Not sure of their size? No problem. Send them a gift card so they can pick the perfect holiday gifts for themselves.
5. For the Animal Lovers
Does your loved one have an affinity for animals? A symbolic adoption of their favorite critter just might be the perfect gift for them. With options ranging from African Penguins to Zebras , virtually adopting an animal in your loved one’s name will not only help make a difference in the world, but will also be sure to warm the heart of the gift recipient. This is the perfect gift for any age — especially for the people on your list who already have everything they need.
Shopping for the holidays can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming — especially when trying to choose the perfect gift for those hard-to-buy-for loved ones on your list. Does your loved one spend long days trying to sit still or daydreaming about the night sky? Are they in need of inspiration or a new comfortable and versatile outfit for their wardrobe? Or do they simply already have everything? These five gift ideas are sure to be a hit for anyone on your list.
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PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette
THE BACHELORETTE S18. E6. | MICHELLE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR LOVE
Tonight’s episode of ABC’s The Bachelorette continues in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Michelle Young’s hometown. The remaining men talk amongst themselves as there are 8 left and whoever received a rose will be going to Hometowns!
We also see Michelle’s students. 4 of them will get to meet the prospective men. They share insights that they have on her as they see her through the lens of Ms. Young. Michelle feels that a child’s opinion says a lot.
The kids let the men know that they are taking over the week and planning all of the dates. They kick off with questions asking if they have been grounded, whether they have bad breath and if they can do handstands - essential skills. We have to admit that the kids feedback is pretty spot on. They like Olu and see that he’s sweet, but they feel Martin just shows off and they don’t think that he is a good fit. Clayton suggests that they should build a fort and he is hoping that by doing it, he may be able to get a 1-on-1 date.
The date card arrives and the 1-on-1 date goes to Clayton. Michelle’s students are in charge of who is on the group and 1-on-1 dates and they are also planning all the activities. They start off with a limo and they have pizza and candy waiting for them in the car. It’s pretty cute - but then again, they’re in 5th grade so we can imagine that that would be a great idea to them. They make their way to the museum and Michelle knows that she has been there with her students before. A night date at a museum is a pretty cool idea. They run through the museum with their socks on, they catch butterflies with scrolls to get to know more about one another and they go to the planetarium where the students put an audio-visual presentation together which includes facts on the solar system while encouraging the two to be together.
The next date card arrives Rick, Rodney, Nayte, Joe, Martin and Olu are on a group date. That means that Brandon will have a 1-on-1 date. Back on Clayton’s date, they’re not sitting down to dinner and it’s time for them to get to know more about one another. Although they have a great conversation, it seems like Michelle is a bit unsure although she feels that she’s getting to know him more. She lets him know that he checks the box on all of the qualities that she is looking for. But, she feels that something is holding her back and that she can’t give him the rose and take that step to get to know his family. She doesn’t give him a rose. She does tell him that he is enough and that although she feels connected to him, it’s not the right connection for a relationship and he feelings won’t be able to get there. She knows that he is not her person and that there will be an amazing person for him. Clayton meets 2 of the kids and each of them give him a note. Both notes are sweet and they have positive things to say to him as well as saying that they wish he had been a fit for Michelle. Could this mean that he will be The Bachelor?
The kids plan a farm date for the group date. The guys milk cows (Rick is a natural and Rodney looks overwhelmed). Joe and Nayte turn milking a cow into a compeition. They also hang out with the baby cows and feed them. Churning butter is another activity on this date - Joe is an excellent butter churner apparently. Cleaning up the poop from the cows is yet another activity. They also have a nighttime hayride to end the last group date. To end this portion of the evening, everyone gets dressed up and has the afterparty from the group date. Michelle encourages them to have the conversations that need to be said.
Nayte decides that he wants to talk about family. He lets her know that he has never brought a girl home to his family because his dad didn’t want to meet anyone - we’re assuming that he only wants to see the one. Nayte lets her know that he is strongly falling for Michelle and that he has never felt that way before. She tells him that she feels very stronlgy about him as well. She says that she is tumbling down a hill so fast for him.
Michelle compliments Joe on his nurturing behaviour and he tells her that his grandparents ran a dairy farm - thus why he was so good at all of the chores and at home doing them!
Rick wants to make sure that he has left everything on the table and lets her know that if she has questions, she lets him know.
Rodney makes his pitch about why he wants her to see his Hometown and to know why he is the way that he is.
Once again, Martin is talking smack about Michelle and saying that they had a miscommunication because she didn’t get where he was coming from. Olu hears this and you can tell that he’s not having it. When Martin chats with Michelle, he says he wants her to see his friends and family so that she can know more about him. He continues to say that she misunderstands him and they have miscommunications.
Olu comes in hot and tells her about Martin and the red flags that he sees. He references that Michelle’s story and what she went through is perceived by Martin as her not dealing with her issues and being immature. Michelle feels that Olu is trustworthy and she can’t believe that Martin would weigh in on how she felt unseen.
She sees the guys and before giving the group date rose, she asks him to come chat with her. She lets him know that he is two-faced and that his thoughts on her poem, opening up and being vulnerable is immature to him that she hasn’t resolved that. Martin says he didn’t say it, but would like to tell her what he actually did say. He says that there is a difference between being insecure and having insecurities. He talks over her and cuts her off - which we know is a pet peeve of hers. She tells him that he hasn’t been honest and that he doesn’t listen to why she has been hurt. She feels that he is not to be trusted and that she is walking him out. She is hurt by the fact that she has opened up and been vulnerable with him and he has taken that information as a character flaw. He’s not mad that he’s going home, he doesn’t like the way that she handled it and he feels sorry for her and feels she doesn’t deserve his time. Nayte receives the group date rose. Hearing Olu’s take that he was happy to share the information and that he wasn’t upset that he didn’t get the rose.
Brandon is on his 1-on-1 date with Michelle. He’s excited that they’re getting ice cream. It’s one of Michelle’s favorite spots and it’s only open during the summers. They’re having a great date and she takes him to the place where she has the most memories - her home! Brandon is so excited and nervous. But there’s no need because her parents aren’t home, but he can see her childhood home. I think that that’s a special moment for him and one that he cherishes as well. They take a dip in the pool and she gives him her dad’s trunks. Although she didn’t think they were coming, her parents arrive! After the initial awkwardness, they put their clothes back on and they chat together. They have a nice interaction and Brandon has time alone with her parents and asks that should it get to that point as he loves her, that he would want to marry her and wanted their blessing. They said yes before they continue onto their date. They talk and he gives her a bracelet that his mom made for him. His mom said that if she felt that Michelle was the one, that he should give it to her so that they know to give her the same love that they have for him. He received the rose and is going to Hometowns.
Now the remaining 4 Rodney, Rick, Olu and Joe need to optimize their time for the cocktail party. Olu is the only person who has yet to receive a 1-on-1 date. Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams let them know that the cocktail party has been cancelled as she knows what she wants and they will go straight to the rose ceremony. Only 2 roses will be given out tonight. This last group of guys that appeared at the rose ceremony as well as Clayton were a great group of guys and it’s sad to see that Rick and Olu didn’t make it; however, we can see how those with roses are a great fit for her.
Michelle gives a rose to Nayte, Brandon, Joe and Rodney
Michelle sends home Clayton, Martin, Olu and Rick.
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette 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!
THEY’RE GOING TO HOMETOWNS
SEASON 18 | EPISODE 6
Last week, we felt that Joe, Martin, Nayte and Olu would go to hometowns.
This week, we weren’t surprised that Martin was sent home and we were sad to see that Clayton, Rick and Olu were eliminated. Joe and Nayte have always been in our mix for those would be at Hometowns. But we have also liked Brandon and Rodney so it’s nice to see that they will get to have their families meet with Michelle.
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
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PHOTO CREDIT | Recording Academy/GRAMMYs
AWARDS SEASON | GRAMMYS 2022 NOMINEES
Today, the Recording Academy announced the nominees for the 64th GRAMMY Awards. Recognition was given to artists and recordings that were released between Sept 1, 2020 - Sep 30, 2021. We can see who won on Mon, Jan 31 on CBS and/or streamed live and on demand on Paramount+ from 8-11:30pm EST. Prior to this show, the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will take place at Microsoft Theater 12:30pm EST and will be streamed live on GRAMMY.com and the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel.
We have indicated who will be the winner in bold. On GRAMMY night, those items in bold italic are the ones we got right and those in italics are those that won that we didn’t guess.
GENERAL FIELD
RECORD OF THE YEAR
I Still Have Faith in You
ABBA
Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, producers; Benny Andersson & Bernard Löhr, engineers/mixers; Björn Engelmann, mastering engineer
Freedom
Jon Batiste
Jon Batiste, Kizzo & Autumn Rowe, producers; Russ Elevado, Kizzo & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Michelle Mancini, mastering engineer
I Get A Kick Out Of You
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
Dae Bennett, producer; Dae Bennett & Josh Coleman, engineers/mixers; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers
Peaches
Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
Josh Gudwin, HARV, Shndo & Andrew Watt, producers; Josh Gudwin & Andrew Watt, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
Right On Time
Brandi Carlile
Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Brandon Bell & Tom Elmhirst, engineers/mixers; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer
Kiss Me More
Doja Cat Featuring SZA
Rogét Chahayed, tizhimself & Yeti Beats, producers; Rob Bisel, Serban Ghenea, Rian Lewis & Joe Visciano, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
Happier Than Ever
Billie Eilish
FINNEAS, producer; Billie Eilish, FINNEAS & Rob Kinelski, engineers/mixers; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
Montero (Call Me By Your Name)
Lil Nas X
Omer Fedi, Roy Lenzo & Take A Daytrip, producers; Denzel Baptiste, Serban Ghenea & Roy Lenzo, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
drivers license
Olivia Rodrigo
Daniel Nigro, producer; Mitch McCarthy & Daniel Nigro, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
Leave The Door Open
Silk Sonic
Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II & Bruno Mars, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes & Charles Moniz, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
We Are
Jon Batiste
Craig Adams, David Gauthier, Braedon Gautier, Brennon Gautier, Gospel Soul Children Choir, Hot 8 Brass Band, PJ Morton, Autumn Rowe, Zadie Smith, St. Augustine High School Marching 100 & Trombone Shorty, featured artists; Jon Batiste, Mickey Freedom Hart, King Garbage, Kizzo, Sunny Levine, Nate Mercereau, David Pimentel, Ricky Reed, Autumn Rowe, Jahaan Sweet & Nick Waterhouse, producers; Jon Batiste, Russ Elevado, Mischa Kachkachishvili, Kizzo, Joseph Lorge, Manny Marroquin, David Pimentel, Ricky Reed, Jaclyn Sanchez, Matt Vertere, Marc Whitmore & Alex Williams, engineers/mixers; Andrae Alexander, Troy Andrews, Jon Batiste, Zach Cooper, Vic Dimotsis, Eric Frederic, Kizzo, Sunny Levine, Steve McEwan, PJ Morton, Autumn Rowe & Mavis Staples, songwriters; Michelle Mancini, mastering engineer
Love For Sale
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
Dae Bennett, producer; Dae Bennett, Josh Coleman & Billy Cumella, engineers/mixers; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers
Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)
Justin Bieber
BEAM, benny blanco, Burna Boy, Daniel Caesar, Chance The Rapper, DaBaby, Dominic Fike, Giveon, Jaden, Tori Kelly, Khalid, The Kid LAROI, Lil Uzi Vert & Quavo, featured artists; Amy Allen, Louis Bell, Jon Bellion, Justin Bieber, benny blanco, BMW Kenny, Capi, Dreamlab, Dvlp, Jason Evigan, FINNEAS, The Futuristics, German, Josh Gudwin, Jimmie Gutch, HARV, Marvin "Tony" Hemmings, Ilya, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Stefan Johnson, KCdaproducer, Denis Kosiak, The Monsters & Strangerz, Jorgen Odegard, Michael Pollack, Poo Bear, Shndo, Skrillex, Jake Torrey, Trackz, Andrew Watt & Ido Zmishlany, producers; Cory Bice, benny blanco, Kevin "Capi" Carbo, Edwin Diaz, DJ Durel, Dreamlab, FINNEAS, Josh Gudwin, Sam Holland, Daniel James, Antonio Kearney, Denis Kosiak, Paul LaMalfa, Jeremy Lertola, Devin Nakao, Chris "TEK" O'Ryan, Andres Osorio, Micah Pettit & Benjamin Thomas, engineers/mixers; Amy Allen, Delacey (Brittany Amaradio), Louis Bell, Jonathan Bellion, Chancelor Johnathon Bennett, Justin Bieber, David Bowden, Jason Boyd, Scott Braun, Tommy Lee Brown, Valentin Brunn, Kevin Carbo, Kenneth Coby, Kevin Coby, Raul Cubina, Jordan Douglas, Giveon Dezmann Evans, Jason Evigan, Dominic David Fike, Kameron Glasper, Jacob Greenspan, Josh Gudwin, James Gutch, Scott Harris, Bernard Harvey, Leah Haywood, Gregory Aldae Hein, Marvin Hemmings, Jeffrey Howard, Alexander Izquierdo, Daniel James, Jace Logan Jennings, Rodney Jerkins, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Anthony M. Jones, Antonio Kearney, Charlton Kenneth, Joe Khajadourian, Felisha "Fury" King, Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Matthew Sean Leon, Benjamin Levin, Marcus Lomax, Quavious Keyate Marshall, Luis Manuel Martinez Jr., Sonny Moore, Finneas O’Connell, Jorgen Odegard, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, Tayla Parx, Oliver Peterhof, Whitney Phillips, Michael Pollack, Khalid Donnel Robinson, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Alex Schwartz, Tia Scola, Aaron Simmonds, Ashton Simmonds, Gian Stone, Ali Tamposi, Ryan Tedder, Tyshane Thompson, Jake Torrey, Billy Walsh, Freddy Wexler, Symere Woods, Andrew Wotman, Rami Yacoub, Keavan Yazdani, Bigram Zayas & Ido Zmishlany, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
Planet Her (Deluxe)
Doja Cat
Eve, Ariana Grande, Gunna, JID, SZA, The Weeknd & Young Thug, featured artists; Aaron Bow, Rogét Chahayed, Crate Classics, Digi, Dr. Luke, f a l l e n, Mayer Hawthorne, Mike Hector, Linden Jay, Aynzli Jones, Kurtis McKenzie, Jason Quenneville, Reef, Khaled Rohaim, Al Shux, Sully, tizhimself, Yeti Beats & Y2K, producers; Rob Bisel, Jesse Ray Ernster, Serban Ghenea, Clint Gibbs, Rian Lewis, NealHPogue, Tyler Sheppard, Kalani Thompson, Joe Visciano & Jeff Ellis Worldwide, engineers/mixers; Ilana Armida, Aaron Bow, Rogét Chahayed, Jamil Chammas, Sheldon Yu-Ting Cheung, Antwoine Collins, Amala Zandile Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Ariana Grande, Mayer Hawthorne, Mike Hector, Aaron Horn, Taneisha Damielle Jackson, Linden Jay, Eve Jihan Jeffers, Aynzli Jones, Sergio Kitchens, Carter Lang, Siddharth Mallick, Maciej Margol-Gromada, Kurtis McKenzie, Jidenna Mobisson, Gerard A. Powell II, Geordan Reid-Campbell, Khaled Rohaim, Destin Route, Solána Rowe, Laura Roy, Al Shuckburgh, David Sprecher, Ari Starace, Lee Stashenko, Abel Tesfaye, Rob Tewlow & Jeffery Lamar Williams, songwriters; Dale Becker & Mike Bozzi, mastering engineers
Happier Than Ever
Billie Eilish
FINNEAS, producer; Billie Eilish, FINNEAS & Rob Kinelski, engineers/mixers; Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters; John Greenham & Dave Kutch, mastering engineers
Back Of My Mind
H.E.R.
Chris Brown, Cordae, DJ Khaled, Lil Baby, Thundercat, Bryson Tiller, Ty Dolla $ign, YG & Yung Bleu, featured artists; Tarik Azzouz, Bordeaux, Nelson Bridges, DJ Camper, Cardiak, Cardo, Chi Chi, Steven J. Collins, Flip, Jeff "Gitty" Gitelman, GRADES, H.E.R., Hit-Boy, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Walter Jones, KAYTRANADA, DJ Khaled, Mario Luciano, Mike Will Made-It, NonNative, NOVA WAV, Scribz Riley, Jeff Robinson, STREETRUNNER, Hue Strother, Asa Taccone, Thundercat, Thurdi & Wu10, producers; Rafael Fai Bautista, Luis Bordeaux, Dee Brown, Anthony Cruz, Ayanna Depas, Morning Estrada, Chris Galland, H.E.R., Jaycen Joshua, KAYTRANADA, Derek Keota, Omar Loya, Manny Marroquin, Tim McClain, Juan "AyoJuan" Peña, Micah Petit, Patrizio Pigliapoco, Alex Pyle, Jaclyn Sanchez, Miki Tsutsumi & Tito "Earcandy" Vasquez, engineers/mixers; Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Nasri Atweh, Tarik Azzouz, Stacy Barthe, Jeremy Biddle, Nelson “Keyz” Bridges, Chris Brown, Stephen Bruner, Darhyl Camper Jr., Luis Campozano, Louis Kevin Celestin, Anthony Clemons Jr., Steven J. Collins, Ronald “Flip” Colson, Brittany “Chi” Coney, Elijah Dias, Cordae Dunston, Jeff Gitelman, Tyrone Griffin Jr., Priscilla “Priscilla Renea” Hamilton, H.E.R., Charles A. Hinshaw, Chauncey Hollis, Latisha Twana Hyman, Keenon Daequan Ray Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Dominique Jones, Khaled Khaled, Ron Latour, Gamal “Lunchmoney” Lewis, Mario Luciano, Carl McCormick, Leon McQuay III, Julia Michaels, Maxx Moore, Vurdell “V. Script” Muller, Chidi Osondu, Karriem Riggins, Mike “Scribz” Riley, Seandrea Sledge, Hue Strother, Asa Taccone, Tiara Thomas, Bryson Tiller, Daniel James Traynor, Brendan Walsh, Nicholas Warwar, Jabrile Hashim Willliams, Michael L. Williams II, Robert Williams & Kelvin Wooten, songwriters; Dave Kutch & Colin Leonard, mastering engineers
Montero
Lil Nas X
Miley Cyrus, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, Elton John & Megan Thee Stallion, featured artists; Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, John Cunningham, Omer Fedi, Kuk Harrell, Jasper Harris, KBeaZy, Carter Lang, Nick Lee, Roy Lenzo, Tom Levesque, Jasper Sheff, Blake Slatkin, Drew Sliger, Take A Daytrip, Ryan Tedder & Kanye West, producers; Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, Jon Castelli, John Cunningham, Jelli Dorman, Tom Elmhirst, Serban Ghenea, Kuk Harrell, Roy Lenzo, Manny Marroquin, Nickie Jon Pabon, Patrizio 'Teezio' Pigliapoco, Blake Slatkin, Drew Sliger, Ryan Tedder & Joe Visciano, engineers/mixers; Keegan Bach, Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, John Cunningham, Miley Ray Cyrus, Amala Zandile Dlamini, Omer Fedi, Vincent Goodyer, Jack Harlow, Jasper Harris, Montero Hill, Isley Juber, Carter Lang, Nick Lee, Roy Lenzo, Thomas James Levesque, Andrew Luce, Michael Olmo, Jasper Sheff, Blake Slatkin, Ryan Tedder, William K. Ward & Kanye West, songwriters; Chris Gehringer, Eric Lagg & Randy Merrill, mastering engineers
Sour
Olivia Rodrigo
Alexander 23, Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, producers; Ryan Linvill, Mitch McCarthy & Daniel Nigro, engineers/mixers; Jack Antonoff, Annie Clark, Daniel Nigro, Olivia Rodrigo, Casey Smith & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
Evermore
Taylor Swift
Bon Iver, Haim & The National, featured artists; Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner & Taylor Swift, producers; Thomas Bartlett, JT Bates, Robin Baynton, Stuart Bogie, Gabriel Cabezas, CJ Camerieri, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Scott Devendorf, Matt DiMona, Jon Gautier, Trevor Hagen, Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Josh Kaufman, Benjamin Lanz, Nick Lloyd, Jonathan Low, James McAlister, Dave Nelson, Sean O'Brien, Ryan Olson, Ariel Rechtshaid, Kyle Resnick, Laura Sisk, Evan Smith, Alex Sopp & Justin Vernon, engineers/mixers; Jack Antonoff, William Bowery, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Taylor Swift & Justin Vernon, songwriters; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers
Donda
Kanye West
Baby Keem, Chris Brown, Conway The Machine, DaBaby, Jay Electronica, Fivio Foreign, Westside Gunn, JAY-Z, Syleena Johnson, Kid Cudi, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Lil Yachty, The LOX, Marilyn Manson, Playboi Carti, Pop Smoke, Roddy Ricch, Rooga, Travis Scott, Shenseea, Swizz Beatz, Young Thug, Don Toliver, Ty Dolla $ign, Vory, The Weeknd, Westside Gunn & Lil Yachty, featured artists; Allday, Audi, AyoAA, Roark Bailey, Louis Bell, Jeff Bhasker, Boi-1Da, BoogzDaBeast, Warryn Campbell, Cubeatz, David & Eli, Mike Dean, Dem Jointz, Digital Nas, DJ Khalil, DRTWRK, 88-Keys, E.Vax, FNZ, Gesaffelstein, Nikki Grier, Cory Henry, Ronny J, DJ Khalil, Wallis Lane, Digital Nas, Nascent, Ojivolta, Shuko, Sloane, Sean Solymar, Sucuki, Arron “Arrow” Sunday, Swizz Beatz, Zen Tachi, 30 Roc, Bastian Völkel, Mia Wallis, Kanye West, Wheezy & Jason White, producers; Josh Berg, Todd Bergman, Rashade Benani Bevel Sr., Will Chason, Dem Jointz, IRKO, Jess Jackson, Nagaris Johnson, Shin Kamiyama, Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, James Kelso, Scott McDowell, Kalam Ali Muttalib, Jonathan Pfarr, Jonathan Pfzar, Drrique Rendeer, Alejandro Rodriguez-Dawson, Mikalai Skrobat, Devon Wilson & Lorenzo Wolff, engineers/mixers; Dwayne Abernathy Jr., Elpadaro F. Electronica Allah, Aswad Asif, Roark Bailey, Durk Banks, Sam Barsh, Christoph Bauss, Louis Bell, Jeff Bhasker, Isaac De Boni, Christopher Brown, Jahshua Brown, Tahrence Brown, Aaron Butts, Warryn Campbell, Hykeem Carter Jr., Jordan Terrell Carter, Shawn Carter, Denzel Charles, Raul Cubina, Isaac De Boni, Kasseem Dean, Michael Dean, Tim Friedrich, Wesley Glass, Samuel Gloade, Kevin Gomringer, Tim Gomringer, Tyrone Griffin Jr., Jahmal Gwin, Cory Henry, Tavoris Javon Hollins Jr., Larry Hoover Jr., Bashar Jackson, Sean Jacob, Nima Jahanbin, Paimon Jahanbin, Syleena Johnson, Dominique Armani Jones, Eli Klughammer, Chinsea Lee, Mike Lévy, Evan Mast, Mark Mbogo, Miles McCollum, Josh Mease, Scott Medcudi, Brian Miller, Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr., Michael Mulé, Mark Myrie, Charles M. Njapa, Nasir Pemberton, Carlos St. John Phillips, Jason Phillips, Khalil Abdul Rahman, Laraya Ashlee Robinson, Christopher Ruelas, David Ruoff, Maxie Lee Ryles III, Matthew Samuels, Daniel Seeff, Eric Sloan Jr., Sean Solymar, Ronald O’Neill Spence Jr., David Styles, Michael Suski, Aqeel Tate, Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, Caleb Zackery Toliver, Bastian Völkel, Brian Hugh Warner, Jacques Webster II, Kanye West, Orlando Wilder, Jeffery Williams & Mark Williams, songwriters; Irko, mastering engineer
SONG OF THE YEAR
Bad Habits
Fred Gibson, Johnny McDaid & Ed Sheeran, songwriters (Ed Sheeran)
A Beautiful Noise
Ruby Amanfu, Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Alicia Keys, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Linda Perry & Hailey Whitters, songwriters (Alicia Keys & Brandi Carlile)
drivers license
Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Olivia Rodrigo)
Fight For You
Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
Happier Than Ever
Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Kiss Me More
Rogét Chahayed, Amala Zandile Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Carter Lang, Gerard A. Powell II, Solána Rowe & David Sprecher, songwriters (Doja Cat Featuring SZA)
Leave The Door Open
Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)
Montero (Call Me By Your Name)
Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, Omer Fedi, Montero Hill & Roy Lenzo, songwriters (Lil Nas X)
Peaches
Louis Bell, Justin Bieber, Giveon Dezmann Evans, Bernard Harvey, Felisha "Fury" King, Matthew Sean Leon, Luis Manuel Martinez Jr., Aaron Simmonds, Ashton Simmonds, Andrew Wotman & Keavan Yazdani, songwriters (Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon)
Right On Time
Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
BEST NEW ARTIST
Arooj Aftab
Jimmie Allen
Baby Keem
FINNEAS
Glass Animals
Japanese Breakfast
The Kid LAROI
Arlo Parks
Olivia Rodrigo
Saweetie
POP
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
Anyone
Justin Bieber
Right On Time
Brandi Carlile
Happier Than Ever
Billie Eilish
Positions
Ariana Grande
drivers license
Olivia Rodrigo
BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
I Get A Kick Out Of You
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
Lonely
Justin Bieber & benny blanco
Butter
BTS
Higher Power
Coldplay
Kiss Me More
Doja Cat Featuring SZA
BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
Love For Sale
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
Til We Meet Again (Live)
Norah Jones
A Tori Kelly Christmas
Tori Kelly
Ledisi Sings Nina
Ledisi
That's Life
Willie Nelson
A Holly Dolly Christmas
Dolly Parton
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)
Justin Bieber
Planet Her (Deluxe)
Doja Cat
Happier Than Ever
Billie Eilish
Positions
Ariana Grande
Sour
Olivia Rodrigo
DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC
BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC RECORDING
Hero
Afrojack & David Guetta
Afrojack, David Guetta, Kuk Harrell & Stargate, producers; Elio Debets, mixer
Loom
Ólafur Arnalds Featuring Bonobo
Ólafur Arnalds & Simon Green, producers; Ólafur Arnalds, mixer
Before
James Blake
James Blake & Dom Maker, producers; James Blake, mixer
Heartbreak
Bonobo & Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
Simon Green & Orlando Higginbottom, producers; Simon Green & Orlando Higginbottom, mixers
You Can Do It
Caribou
Dan Snaith, producer; David Wrench, mixer
Alive
Rüfüs Du Sol
Jason Evigan & Rüfüs Du Sol, producers; Cassian Stewart-Kasimba, mixer
The Business
Tiësto
Hightower, Julia Karlsson & Tiësto, producers; Tiësto, mixer
BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC ALBUM
Subconsciously
Black Coffee
Fallen Embers
ILLENIUM
Music Is The Weapon (Reloaded)
Major Lazer
Shockwave
Marshmello
Free Love
Sylvan Esso
Judgement
Ten City
CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
BEST CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Double Dealin'
Randy Brecker & Eric Marienthal
The Garden
Rachel Eckroth
Tree Falls
Taylor Eigsti
At Blue Note Tokyo
Steve Gadd Band
Deep: The Baritone Sessions, Vol. 2
Mark Lettieri
ROCK
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
Shot In The Dark
AC/DC
Know You Better (Live From Capitol Studio A)
Black Pumas
Nothing Compares 2 U
Chris Cornell
Ohms
Deftones
Making A Fire
Foo Fighters
BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
Genesis
Deftones
The Alien
Dream Theater
Amazonia
Gojira
Pushing The Tides
Mastodon
The Triumph Of King Freak (A Crypt Of Preservation And Superstition)
Rob Zombie
BEST ROCK SONG
All My Favorite Songs
Rivers Cuomo, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson & Ilsey Juber, songwriters (Weezer)
The Bandit
Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)
Distance
Wolfgang Van Halen, songwriter (Mammoth WVH)
Find My Way
Paul McCartney, songwriter (Paul McCartney)
Waiting On A War
Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Rami Jaffee, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett & Pat Smear, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
BEST ROCK ALBUM
Power Up
AC/DC
Capitol Cuts - Live From Studio A
Black Pumas
No One Sings Like You Anymore Vol. 1
Chris Cornell
Medicine At Midnight
Foo Fighters
McCartney III
Paul McCartney
ALTERNATIVE
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
Shore
Fleet Foxes
If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power
Halsey
Jubilee
Japanese Breakfast
Collapsed In Sunbeams
Arlo Parks
Daddy's Home
St. Vincent
R&B
BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
Lost You
Snoh Aalegra
Peaches
Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
Damage
H.E.R.
Leave The Door Open
Silk Sonic
Pick Up Your Feelings
Jazmine Sullivan
BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
I Need You
Jon Batiste
Bring It On Home To Me
BJ The Chicago Kid, PJ Morton & Kenyon Dixon Featuring Charlie Bereal
Born Again
Leon Bridges Featuring Robert Glasper
Fight For You
H.E.R.
How Much Can A Heart Take
Lucky Daye Featuring Yebba
BEST R&B SONG
Damage
Anthony Clemons Jr., Jeff Gitelman, H.E.R., Carl McCormick & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
Good Days
Jacob Collier, Carter Lang, Carlos Munoz, Solána Rowe & Christopher Ruelas, songwriters (SZA)
Heartbreak Anniversary
Giveon Evans, Maneesh, Sevn Thomas & Varren Wade, songwriters (Giveon)
Leave The Door Open
Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)
Pick Up Your Feelings
Denisia “Blue June” Andrews, Audra Mae Butts, Kyle Coleman, Brittany “Chi” Coney, Michael Holmes & Jazmine Sullivan, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan)
BEST PROGRESSIVE R&B ALBUM
New Light
Eric Bellinger
Something To Say
Cory Henry
Mood Valiant
Hiatus Kaiyote
Table For Two
Lucky Daye
Dinner Party: Dessert
Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Kamasi Washington
Studying Abroad: Extended Stay
Masego
BEST R&B ALBUM
Temporary Highs In The Violet Skies
Snoh Aalegra
We Are
Jon Batiste
Gold-Diggers Sound
Leon Bridges
Back Of My Mind
H.E.R.
Heaux Tales
Jazmine Sullivan
RAP
BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
Family Ties
Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Up
Cardi B
M Y . L I F E
J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray
Way 2 Sexy
Drake Featuring Future & Young Thug
Thot S***
Megan Thee Stallion
BEST MELODIC RAP PERFORMANCE
P R I D E . I S . T H E . D E V I L
J. Cole Featuring Lil Baby
Need To Know
Doja Cat
Industry Baby
Lil Nas X Featuring Jack Harlow
Wusyaname
Tyler, The Creator Featuring Youngboy Never Broke Again & Ty Dolla $ign
Hurricane
Kanye West Featuring The Weeknd & Lil Baby
BEST RAP SONG
Bath Salts
Shawn Carter, Kasseem Dean, Michael Forno, Nasir Jones & Earl Simmons, songwriters (DMX Featuring Jay-Z & Nas)
Best Friend
Amala Zandelie Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Randall Avery Hammers, Diamonté Harper, Asia Smith, Theron Thomas & Rocco Valdes, songwriters (Saweetie Featuring Doja Cat)
Family Ties
Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Hykeem Carter, Tobias Dekker, Colin Franken, Jasper Harris, Kendrick Lamar, Ronald Latour & Dominik Patrzek, songwriters (Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar)
Jail
Dwayne Abernathy, Jr., Shawn Carter, Raul Cubina, Michael Dean, Charles M. Njapa, Sean Solymar, Brian Hugh Warner, Kanye West & Mark Williams, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Jay-Z)
M Y . L I F E
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph & Jermaine Cole, songwriters (J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray)
BEST RAP ALBUM
The Off-Season
J. Cole
Certified Lover Boy
Drake
King's Disease II
Nas
Call Me If You Get Lost
Tyler, The Creator
Donda
Kanye West
COUNTRY
BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
Forever After All
Luke Combs
Remember Her Name
Mickey Guyton
All I Do Is Drive
Jason Isbell
camera roll
Kacey Musgraves
You Should Probably Leave
Chris Stapleton
BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
If I Didn't Love You
Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood
Younger Me
Brothers Osborne
Glad You Exist
Dan + Shay
Chasing After You
Ryan Hurd & Maren Morris
Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)
Elle King & Miranda Lambert
BEST COUNTRY SONG
Better Than We Found It
Jessie Jo Dillon, Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
camera roll
Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
Cold
Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
Country Again
Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Thomas Rhett)
Fancy Like
Cameron Bartolini, Walker Hayes, Josh Jenkins & Shane Stevens, songwriters (Walker Hayes)
Remember Her Name
Mickey Guyton, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram & Parker Welling, songwriters (Mickey Guyton)
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Skeletons
Brothers Osborne
Remember Her Name
Mickey Guyton
The Marfa Tapes
Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall & Jack Ingram
The Ballad Of Dood & Juanita
Sturgill Simpson
Starting Over
Chris Stapleton
NEW AGE
BEST NEW AGE ALBUM
Brothers
Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster & Tom Eaton
Divine Tides
Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej
Pangaea
Wouter Kellerman & David Arkenstone
Night + Day
Opium Moon
Pieces Of Forever
Laura Sullivan
JAZZ
BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO
Sackodougou
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, soloist
Track from: The Hands Of Time (Weedie Braimah)
Kick Those Feet
Kenny Barron, soloist
Track from: Songs From My Father (Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trios)
Bigger Than Us
Jon Batiste, soloist
Track from: Soul (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Various Artists)
Absence
Terence Blanchard, soloist
Track from: Absence (Terence Blanchard Featuring The E Collective And The Turtle Island Quartet)
Humpty Dumpty (Set 2)
Chick Corea, soloist
Track from: Akoustic Band Live (Chick Corea, John Patitucci & Dave Weckl)
BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM
Generations
The Baylor Project
SuperBlue
Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter
Time Traveler
Nnenna Freelon
Flor
Gretchen Parlato
Songwrights Apothecary Lab
Esperanza Spalding
BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Jazz Selections: Music From And Inspired By Soul
Jon Batiste
Absence
Terence Blanchard Featuring The E Collective And The Turtle Island Quartet
Skyline
Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette & Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Akoustic Band LIVE
Chick Corea, John Patitucci & Dave Weckl
Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV)
Pat Metheny
BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM
Live At Birdland!
The Count Basie Orchestra Directed By Scotty Barnhart
Dear Love
Jazzmeia Horn And Her Noble Force
For Jimmy, Wes And Oliver
Christian McBride Big Band
Swirling
Sun Ra Arkestra
Jackets XL
Yellowjackets + WDR Big Band
BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM
Mirror Mirror
Eliane Elias With Chick Corea and Chucho Valdés
The South Bronx Story
Carlos Henriquez
Virtual Birdland
Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Transparency
Dafnis Prieto Sextet
El Arte Del Bolero
Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo
GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC
BEST GOSPEL PERFORMING/SONG
Voice Of God
Dante Bowe Featuring Steffany Gretzinger & Chandler Moore; Dante Bowe, Tywan Mack, Jeff Schneeweis & Mitch Wong, songwriters
Joyful
Dante Bowe; Dante Bowe & Ben Schofield, songwriters
Help
Anthony Brown & Group Therapy; Anthony Brown & Darryl Woodson, songwriters
Never Lost
CeCe Winans
Wait On You
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music; Dante Bowe, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Tiffany Hudson, Brandon Lake & Chandler Moore, songwriters
BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE/SONG
We Win
Kirk Franklin & Lil Baby; Kirk Franklin, Dominique Jones, Cynthia Nunn & Justin Smith, songwriters
Hold Us Together (Hope Mix)
H.E.R. & Tauren Wells; Josiah Bassey, Dernst Emile & H.E.R., songwriters
Man Of Your Word
Chandler Moore & KJ Scriven; Jonathan Jay, Nathan Jess & Chandler Moore, songwriters
Believe For It
CeCe Winans; Dwan Hill, Kyle Lee, CeCe Winans & Mitch Wong, songwriters
Jireh
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music Featuring Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine; Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine, songwriters
BEST GOSPEL ALBUM
Changing Your Story
Jekalyn Carr
Royalty: Live At The Ryman
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition
Maverick City Music
Jonny X Mali: Live In LA
Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music
Believe For It
CeCe Winans
BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM
No Stranger
Natalie Grant
Feels Like Home Vol. 2
Israel & New Breed
The Blessing (Live)
Kari Jobe
Citizen Of Heaven (Live)
Tauren Wells
Old Church Basement
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music
BEST ROOTS GOSPEL ALBUM
Alone With My Faith
Harry Connick, Jr.
That's Gospel, Brother
Gaither Vocal Band
Keeping On
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
Songs For The Times
The Isaacs
My Savior
Carrie Underwood
LATIN
BEST LATIN POP ALBUM
Vértigo
Pablo Alborán
Mis Amores
Paula Arenas
Hecho A La Antigua
Ricardo Arjona
Mis Manos
Camilo
Mendó
Alex Cuba
Revelación
Selena Gomez
BEST MUSICA URBANA ALBUM
Afrodisíaco
Rauw Alejandro
El Último Tour Del Mundo
Bad Bunny
Jose
J Balvin
KG0516
KAROL G
Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros Demonios) 8
Kali Uchis
BEST LATIN ROCK OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
Deja
Bomba Estéreo
Mira Lo Que Me Hiciste Hacer (Deluxe Edition)
Diamante Eléctrico
Origen
Juanes
Calambre
Nathy Peluso
El Madrileño
C. Tangana
Sonidos De Karmática Resonancia
Zoé
BEST REGIONAL MEXICAN MUSIC ALBUM (INCLUDING TEJANO)
Antología De La Musica Ranchera, Vol. 2
Aida Cuevas
A Mis 80's
Vicente Fernández
Seis
Mon Laferte
Un Canto Por México, Vol. II
Natalia Lafourcade
Ayayay! (Súper Deluxe)
Christian Nodal
BEST TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM
Salswing!
Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta
En Cuarentena
El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico
Sin Salsa No Hay Paraíso
Aymée Nuviola
Colegas
Gilberto Santa Rosa
Live In Peru
Tony Succar
AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC
BEST AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE
Cry
Jon Batiste
Love And Regret
Billy Strings
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
The Blind Boys Of Alabama & Béla Fleck
Same Devil
Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile
Nightflyer
Allison Russell
BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG
Avalon
Rhiannon Giddens, Justin Robinson & Francesco Turrisi, songwriters (Rhiannon Giddens With Francesco Turrisi)
Call Me A Fool
Valerie June, songwriter (Valerie June Featuring Carla Thomas)
Cry
Jon Batiste & Steve McEwan, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
Diamond Studded Shoes
Dan Auerbach, Natalie Hemby, Aaron Lee Tasjan & Yola, songwriters (Yola)
Nightflyer
Jeremy Lindsay & Allison Russell, songwriters (Allison Russell)
BEST AMERICANA ALBUM
Downhill From Everywhere
Jackson Browne
Leftover Feelings
John Hiatt with The Jerry Douglas Band
Native Sons
Los Lobos
Outside Child
Allison Russell
Stand For Myself
Yola
BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM
Renewal
Billy Strings
My Bluegrass Heart
Béla Fleck
A Tribute To Bill Monroe
The Infamous Stringdusters
Cuttin' Grass - Vol. 1 (Butcher Shoppe Sessions)
Sturgill Simpson
Music Is What I See
Rhonda Vincent
BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM
100 Years Of Blues
Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite
Traveler's Blues
Blues Traveler
I Be Trying
Cedric Burnside
Be Ready When I Call You
Guy Davis
Take Me Back
Kim Wilson
BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM
Delta Kream
The Black Keys Featuring Eric Deaton & Kenny Brown
Royal Tea
Joe Bonamassa
Uncivil War
Shemekia Copeland
Fire It Up
Steve Cropper
662
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
BEST FOLK ALBUM
One Night Lonely [Live]
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Long Violent History
Tyler Childers
Wednesday (Extended Edition)
Madison Cunningham
They're Calling Me Home
Rhiannon Giddens With Francesco Turrisi
Blue Heron Suite
Sarah Jarosz
BEST REGIONAL ROOTS MUSIC ALBUM
Live In New Orleans!
Sean Ardoin And Kreole Rock And Soul
Bloodstains & Teardrops
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
My People
Cha Wa
Corey Ledet Zydeco
Corey Ledet Zydeco
Kau Ka Pe'a
Kalani Pe'a
REGGAE
BEST REGGAE ALBUM
Pamoja
Etana
Positive Vibration
Gramps Morgan
Live N Livin
Sean Paul
Royal
Jesse Royal
Beauty In The Silence
Soja
10
Spice
GLOBAL MUSIC
BEST GLOBAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Mohabbat
Arooj Aftab
Do Yourself
Angelique Kidjo & Burna Boy
Pà Pá Pà
Femi Kuti
Blewu
Yo-Yo Ma & Angelique Kidjo
Essence
WizKid Featuring Tems
BEST GLOBAL MUSIC ALBUM
Voice Of Bunbon, Vol. 1
Rocky Dawuni
East West Players Presents: Daniel Ho & Friends Live In Concert
Daniel Ho & Friends
Mother Nature
Angelique Kidjo
Legacy +
Femi Kuti And Made Kuti
Made In Lagos: Deluxe Edition
WizKid
CHILDREN’S
BEST CHILDREN’S MUSIC ALBUM
Actívate
123 Andrés
All One Tribe
1 Tribe Collective
Black To The Future
Pierce Freelon
A Colorful World
Falu
Crayon Kids
Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band
SPOKEN WORD
BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM
Aftermath
LeVar Burton
Carry On: Reflections For A New Generation From John Lewis
Don Cheadle
Catching Dreams: Live At Fort Knox Chicago
J. Ivy
8:46
Dave Chappelle & Amir Sulaiman
A Promised Land
Barack Obama
COMEDY
BEST COMEDY ALBUM
The Comedy Vaccine
Lavell Crawford
Evolution
Chelsea Handler
Sincerely Louis CK
Louis C.K.
Thanks For Risking Your Life
Lewis Black
The Greatest Average American
Nate Bargatze
Zero F***s Given
Kevin Hart
MUSICAL THEATER
BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Nick Lloyd Webber & Greg Wells, producers; Andrew Lloyd Webber & David Zippel, composers/lyricists (Original Album Cast)
Burt Bacharach and Steven Sater's Some Lovers
Burt Bacharach, Michael Croiter, Ben Hartman & Steven Sater, producers; Burt Bacharach, composer; Steven Sater, lyricist (World Premiere Cast)
Girl From The North Country
Simon Hale, Conor McPherson & Dean Sharenow, producers (Bob Dylan, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)
Les Misérables: The Staged Concert (The Sensational 2020 Live Recording)
Cameron Mackintosh, Lee McCutcheon & Stephen Metcalfe, producers (Claude-Michel Schönberg, composer; Alain Boublil, John Caird, Herbert Kretzmer, Jean-Marc Natel & Trevor Nunn, lyricists) (The 2020 Les Misérables Staged Concert Company)
Stephen Schwartz's Snapshots
Daniel C. Levine, Michael J Moritz Jr, Bryan Perri & Stephen Schwartz, producers (Stephen Schwartz, composer & lyricist) (World Premiere Cast)
The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical
Emily Bear, producer; Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear, composers/lyricists (Barlow & Bear)
MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA
BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Cruella
(Various Artists)
Dear Evan Hansen
(Various Artists)
In The Heights
(Various Artists)
One Night In Miami...
(Various Artists)
Respect
Jennifer Hudson
Schmigadoon! Episode 1
(Various Artists)
The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
Andra Day
BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Bridgerton
Kris Bowers, composer
Dune
Hans Zimmer, composer
The Mandalorian: Season 2 - Vol. 2 (Chapters 13-16)
Ludwig Göransson, composer
The Queen's Gambit
Carlos Rafael Rivera, composer
Soul
Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, composers
BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Agatha All Along [From WandaVision: Episode 7]
Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez Featuring Kathryn Hahn, Eric Bradley, Greg Whipple, Jasper Randall & Gerald White)
All Eyes On Me [From Inside]
Bo Burnham, songwriter (Bo Burnham)
All I Know So Far [From P!NK: All I Know So Far]
Alecia Moore, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, songwriters (P!nk)
Fight For You [From Judas And The Black Messiah]
Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
Here I Am (Singing My Way Home) [From Respect]
Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson & Carole King, songwriters (Jennifer Hudson)
Speak Now [From One Night In Miami...]
Sam Ashworth & Leslie Odom, Jr., songwriters (Leslie Odom, Jr.)
COMPOSING/ARRANGING
BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION
Beautiful Is Black
Brandee Younger, composer (Brandee Younger)
Cat And Mouse
Tom Nazziola, composer (Tom Nazziola)
Concerto For Orchestra: Finale
Vince Mendoza, composer (Vince Mendoza & Czech National Symphony Orchestra Featuring Antonio Sánchez & Derrick Hodge)
Dreaming In Lions: Dreaming In Lions
Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble)
Eberhard
Lyle Mays, composer (Lyle Mays)
BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTAL OR A CAPPELLA
Chopsticks
Bill O'Connell, arranger (Richard Baratta)
For The Love Of A Princess (From "Braveheart")
Robin Smith, arranger (HAUSER, London Symphony Orchestra & Robin Smith)
Infinite Love
Emile Mosseri, arranger (Emile Mosseri)
Meta Knight's Revenge (From "Kirby Superstar")
Charlie Rosen & Jake Silverman, arrangers (The 8-Bit Big Band Featuring Button Masher)
The Struggle Within
Gabriela Quintero & Rodrigo Sanchez, arrangers (Rodrigo y Gabriela)
BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTS AND VOCALS
The Bottom Lin
Ólafur Arnalds, arranger (Ólafur Arnalds & Josin)
A Change Is Gonna Come
Tehillah Alphonso, arranger (Tonality & Alexander Lloyd Blake)
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)
Eleanor Rigby
Cody Fry, arranger (Cody Fry)
To The Edge Of Longing (Edit Version)
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Vince Mendoza, Czech National Symphony Orchestra & Julia Bullock)
PACKAGE, NOTES, AND HISTORICAL
BEST RECORDING PACKAGE
American Jackpot / American Girls
Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly)
Carnage
Nick Cave & Tom Hingston, art directors (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis)
Pakelang
Li Jheng Han & Yu, Wei, art directors (2nd Generation Falangao Singing Group & The Chairman Crossover Big Band)
Serpentine Prison
Dayle Doyle, art director (Matt Berninger)
Zeta
Xiao Qing Yang, art director (Soul Of Ears)
BEST BOXED OR SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PACKAGE
All Things Must Pass: 50th Anniversary Edition
Darren Evans, Dhani Harrison & Olivia Harrison, art directors (George Harrison)
Color Theory
Lordess Foudre & Christopher Leckie, art directors (Soccer Mommy)
The Future Bites (Limited Edition Box Set)
Simon Moore, art director (Steven Wilson)
77-81
Dan Calderwood & Jon King, art directors (Gang Of Four)
Swimming In Circles
Ramón Coronado & Marshall Rake, art directors (Mac Miller)
BEST ALBUM NOTES
Beethoven: The Last Three Sonatas
Ann-Katrin Zimmermann, album notes writer (Sunwook Kim)
The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia And RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-1966
Ricky Riccardi, album notes writer (Louis Armstrong)
Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology
Kevin Howes, album notes writer (Willie Dunn)
Etching The Voice: Emile Berliner And The First Commercial Gramophone Discs, 1889-1895
David Giovannoni, Richard Martin & Stephan Puille, album notes writers (Various Artists)
The King Of Gospel Music: The Life And Music Of Reverend James Cleveland
Robert Marovich, album notes writer (Various Artists)
BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM
Beyond The Music: Her Complete RCA Victor Recordings
Robert Russ, compilation producer; Nancy Conforti, Andreas K. Meyer & Jennifer Nulsen, mastering engineers (Marian Anderson)
Etching The Voice: Emile Berliner And The First Commercial Gramophone Discs, 1889-1895
Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History Of The World’s Music
April Ledbetter, Steven Lance Ledbetter & Jonathan Ward, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967)
Patrick Milligan & Joni Mitchell, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Joni Mitchell)
Sign O' The Times (Super Deluxe Edition)
Trevor Guy, Michael Howe & Kirk Johnson, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Prince)
PRODUCTION
BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL
Cinema
Josh Conway, Marvin Figueroa, Josh Gudwin, Neal H Pogue & Ethan Shumaker, engineers; Joe LaPorta, mastering engineer (The Marías)
Dawn
Thomas Brenneck, Zach Brown, Elton "L10MixedIt" Chueng, Riccardo Damian, Tom Elmhirst, Jens Jungkurth, Todd Monfalcone, John Rooney & Smino, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Yebba)
Hey What
BJ Burton, engineer; BJ Burton, mastering engineer (Low)
Love For Sale
Dae Bennett, Josh Coleman & Billy Cumella, engineers; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers (Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga)
Notes With Attachments
Joseph Lorge & Blake Mills, engineers; Greg Koller, mastering engineer (Pino Palladino & Blake Mills)
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL
Jack Antonoff
Chemtrails Over The Country Club (Lana Del Rey) (A)
Daddy’s Home (St. Vincent) (A)
Gold Rush (Taylor Swift) (T)
Sling (Clairo) (A)
Solar Power (Lorde) (A)
Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night (Bleachers) (A)
Rogét Chahayed
//aguardiente Y Limón %ᵕ‿‿ᵕ% (Kali Uchis) (T)
Ain't S*** (Doja Cat) (T)
Beautiful (Shelley FKA DRAM) (T)
Blueberry Eyes (MAX Featuring SUGA of BTS) (S)
Fire In The Sky (Anderson .Paak) (T)
Kiss Me More (Doja Cat Featuring SZA) (S)
Lazy Susan (21 Savage With Rich Brian Featuring Warren Hue & Masimwei) (S)
NITROUS (Joji) (T)
Vibez (ZAYN) (S)
Mike Elizondo
Glow On (Turnstile) (A)
Good Day (Twenty One Pilots) (T)
Life By Misadventure (Rag'n'Bone Man) (A)
Mercy (Jonas Brothers) (T)
Mulberry Street (Twenty One Pilots) (T)
Obviously (Lake Street Dive) (A)
Repeat (Grace Vanderwaal) (S)
Taking The Heat (Joy Oladokun) (T)
Hit-Boy
Judas And The Black Messiah: The Inspired Album (Various Artists) (A)
King's Disease II (Nas) (A)
Ricky Reed
//aguardiente y limón%ᵕ‿‿ᵕ% (Kali Uchis) (T)Can't Let You Go (Terrace Martin Featuring Nick Grant) (S)
Damn Bean (John-Robert) (T)
Don't Go Yet (Camila Cabello) (S)
Gold-Diggers Sound (Leon Bridges) (A)
Piece Of You (Shawn Mendes) (T)
Pushing Away (Junior Mesa) (T)
Rumors (Lizzo Featuring Cardi B) (S)
Sing (Jon Batiste) (T)
BEST REMIXED RECORDING
Back To Life (Booker T Kings Of Soul Satta Dub)
Booker T, remixer (Soul II Soul)
Born For Greatness (Cymek Remix)
Spencer Bastin, remixer (Papa Roach)
Constant Craving (Fashionably Late Remix)
Tracy Young, remixer (K.D. Lang)
Inside Out (3SCAPE DRM Remix)
3SCAPE DRM, remixer (Zedd & Griff)
Met Him Last Night (Dave Audé Remix)
Dave Audé, remixer (Demi Lovato & Ariana Grande)
Passenger (Mike Shinoda Remix)
Mike Shinoda, remixer (Deftones)
Talks (Mura Masa Remix)\
Alexander Crossan, remixer (PVA)
BEST IMMERSIVE AUDIO ALBUM
Alicia
George Massenburg & Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineers; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Ann Mincieli, immersive producer (Alicia Keys)
Clique
Jim Anderson & Ulrike Schwarz, immersive mix engineers; Bob Ludwig, immersive mastering engineer; Jim Anderson, immersive producer (Patricia Barber)
Fine Line
Greg Penny, immersive mix engineer; Greg Penny, immersive mastering engineer; Greg Penny, immersive producer (Harry Styles)
The Future Bites
Jake Fields & Steven Wilson, immersive mix engineers; Bob Ludwig, immersive mastering engineer; Steven Wilson, immersive producer (Steven Wilson)
Stille Grender
Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive producer (Anne Karin Sundal-Ask & Det Norske Jentekor)
BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL
Archetypes
Jonathan Lackey, Bill Maylone & Dan Nichols, engineers; Bill Maylone, mastering engineer (Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad & Third Coast Percussion)
Beethoven: Cello Sonatas - Hope Amid Tears
Richard King, engineer (Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Mark Donahue, engineer; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Manfred Honeck, Mendelssohn Choir Of Pittsburgh & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
Chanticleer Sings Christmas
Leslie Ann Jones, engineer (Chanticleer)
Mahler: Symphony No. 8, 'Symphony Of A Thousand'
Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Luke McEndarfer, Robert Istad, Grant Gershon, Los Angeles Children's Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children's Chorus, Pacific Chorale & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, CLASSICAL
Blanton Alspaugh
Appear And Inspire (James Franklin & The East Carolina University Chamber Singers) (A)
Howells: Requiem (Brian Schmidt & Baylor University A Cappella Choir) (A)
Hymns Of Kassianí (Alexander Lingas & Cappella Romana) (A)
Kyr: In Praise Of Music (Joshua Copeland & Antioch Chamber Ensemble) (A)
More Honourable Than The Cherubim (Vladimir Gorbik & PaTRAM Institute Male Choir) (A)
O'Regan: The Phoenix (Patrick Summers, Thomas Hampson, Chad Shelton, Rihab Chaieb, Lauren Snouffer, Houston Grand Opera & Houston Grand Opera Orchestra) (A)
Sheehan: Liturgy Of Saint John Chrysostom (Benedict Sheehan & The Saint Tikhon Choir) (A)
Steven Epstein
Bach And Brahms Re-Imagined (Jens Lindemann, James Ehnes & Jon Kimura Parker) (A)
Bartók: Quartet No. 3; Beethoven: Op. 59, No. 2; Dvořák: American Quartet (Juilliard String Quartet) (A)
Beethoven: Cello Sonatas - Hope Amid Tears (Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax) (A)
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 9 & 17, Arr. For Piano, String Quartet And Double Bass (Alon Goldstein, Alexander Bickard & Fine Arts Quartet) (A)
Songs Of Comfort And Hope (Yo-Yo Ma & Kathryn Stott) (A)
David Frost
Chamber Works By Dmitri Klebanov (ARC Ensemble) (A)
Glass: Akhnaten (Karen Kamensek, J’Nai Bridges, Dísella Lárusdóttir, Zachary James, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra) (A)
Mon Ami, Mon Amour (Matt Haimovitz & Mari Kodama) (A)
One Movement Symphonies - Barber, Sibelius, Scriabin (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony) (A)
Poulenc: Dialogues Des Carmélites (Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Isabel Leonard, Erin Morley, Adrianne Pieczonka, Karita Mattila, Karen Cargill, Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra) (A)
Primavera I - The Wind (Matt Haimovitz) (A)
Roots (Randall Goosby & Zhu Wang) (A)
Elaine Martone
Archetypes (Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad & Third Coast Percussion) (A)
Beneath The Sky (Zoe Allen & Levi Hernandez) (A)
Davis: Family Secrets - Kith & Kin (Timothy Myers, Andrea Edith Moore & Jane Holding) (A)
Quest (Elisabeth Remy Johnson) (A)
Schubert: Symphony In C Major, 'The Great'; Krenek: Static & Ecstatic (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Judith Sherman
Alone Together (Jennifer Koh) (A)
Bach & Beyond Part 3 (Jennifer Koh) (A)
Bruits (Imani Winds) (A)
Eryilmaz: Dances Of The Yogurt Maker (Erberk Eryilmaz & Carpe Diem String Quartet) (A)
Fantasy - Oppens Plays Kaminsky (Ursula Oppens) (A)
Home (Blythe Gaissert) (A)
Mendelssohn, Visconti & Golijov (Jasper String Quartet & Jupiter String Quartet) (A)
A Schubert Journey (Llŷr Williams) (A)
Vers Le Silence - William Bolcom & Frédéric Chopin (Ran Dank) (A)
CLASSICAL
BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE
Adams: My Father Knew Charles Ives; Harmonielehre
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Nashville Symphony Orchestra)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Manfred Honeck, conductor (Mendelssohn Choir Of Pittsburgh & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
Muhly: Throughline
Nico Muhly, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra)
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra; Scriabin: The Poem Of Ecstasy
Thomas Dausgaard, conductor (Seattle Symphony Orchestra)
BEST OPERA RECORDING
Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle
Susanna Mälkki, conductor; Mika Kares & Szilvia Vörös; Robert Suff, producer (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)
Glass: Akhnaten
Karen Kamensek, conductor; J’Nai Bridges, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Zachary James & Dísella Lárusdóttir; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
Janáček: Cunning Little Vixen
Simon Rattle, conductor; Sophia Burgos, Lucy Crowe, Gerald Finley, Peter Hoare, Anna Lapkovskaja, Paulina Malefane, Jan Martinik & Hanno Müller-Brachmann; Andrew Cornall, producer (London Symphony Orchestra; London Symphony Chorus & LSO Discovery Voices)
Little: Soldier Songs
Corrado Rovaris, conductor; Johnathan McCullough; James Darrah & John Toia, producers (The Opera Philadelphia Orchestra)
Poulenc: Dialogues Des Carmélites
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Karen Cargill, Isabel Leonard, Karita Mattila, Erin Morley & Adrianne Pieczonka; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
BEST CHORAL PERFORMANCE
It's A Long Way
Matthew Guard, conductor (Jonas Budris, Carrie Cheron, Fiona Gillespie, Nathan Hodgson, Helen Karloski, Enrico Lagasca, Megan Roth, Alissa Ruth Suver & Dana Whiteside; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)
Mahler: Symphony No. 8, 'Symphony Of A Thousand'
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, Robert Istad, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz & Luke McEndarfer, chorus masters (Leah Crocetto, Mihoko Fujimura, Ryan McKinny, Erin Morley, Tamara Mumford, Simon O'Neill, Morris Robinson & Tamara Wilson; Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Children's Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children’s Chorus & Pacific Chorale)
Rising w/The Crossing
Donald Nally, conductor (International Contemporary Ensemble & Quicksilver; The Crossing
Schnittke: Choir Concerto; Three Sacred Hymns; Pärt: Seven Magnificat-Antiphons
Kaspars Putniņš, conductor; Heli Jürgenson, chorus master (Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir)
Sheehan: Liturgy Of Saint John Chrysostom
Benedict Sheehan, conductor (Michael Hawes, Timothy Parsons & Jason Thoms; The Saint Tikhon Choir)
The Singing Guitar
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Estelí Gomez; Austin Guitar Quartet, Douglas Harvey, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet & Texas Guitar Quartet; Conspirare)
BEST CHAMBER MUSIC/SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Adams, John Luther: Lines Made By Walking
JACK Quartet
Akiho: Seven Pillars
Sandbox Percussion
Archetypes
Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad & Third Coast Percussion
Beethoven: Cello Sonatas - Hope Amid Tears
Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax
Bruits
Imani Winds
BEST CLASSICAL INSTRUMENT SOLO
Alone Together
Jennifer Koh
An American Mosaic
Simone Dinnerstein
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas
Augustin Hadelich
Beethoven & Brahms: Violin Concertos
Gil Shaham; Eric Jacobsen, conductor (The Knights)
Mak Bach
Mak Grgić
Of Power
Curtis Stewart
BEST CLASSICAL SOLO VOCAL ALBUM
Confessions
Laura Strickling; Joy Schreier, pianist
Dreams Of A New Day - Songs By Black Composers
Will Liverman; Paul Sánchez, pianist
Mythologies
Sangeeta Kaur & Hila Plitmann (Virginie D'Avezac De Castera, Lili Haydn, Wouter Kellerman, Nadeem Majdalany, Eru Matsumoto & Emilio D. Miler)
Schubert: Winterreise
Joyce DiDonato; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, pianist
Unexpected Shadows
Jamie Barton; Jake Heggie, pianist (Matt Haimovitz)
BEST CLASSICAL COMPENDIUM
American Originals - A New World, A New Canon
AGAVE & Reginald L. Mobley; Geoffrey Silver, producer
Berg: Violin Concerto; Seven Early Songs & Three Pieces For Orchestra
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer
Cerrone: The Arching Path
Timo Andres & Ian Rosenbaum; Mike Tierney, producer
Plays
Chick Corea; Chick Corea & Birnie Kirsh, producers
Women Warriors - The Voices Of Change
Amy Andersson, conductor; Amy Andersson, Mark Mattson & Lolita Ritmanis, producers
BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION
Akiho: Seven Pillars
Andy Akiho, composer (Sandbox Percussion)
Andriessen: The Only One
Louis Andriessen, composer (Esa-Pekka Salonen, Nora Fischer & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Assad, Clarice & Sérgio, Connors, Dillon, Martin & Skidmore: Archetypes
Clarice Assad, Sérgio Assad, Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin & David Skidmore, composers (Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad & Third Coast Percussion)
Batiste: Movement 11'
Jon Batiste, composer (Jon Batiste)
Shaw: Narrow Sea
Caroline Shaw, composer (Dawn Upshaw, Gilbert Kalish & Sō Percussion)
MUSIC VIDEO/FILM
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Shot In The Dark
AC/DC
David Mallet, video director; Dione Orrom, video producer
Freedom
Jon Batiste
Alan Ferguson, video director; Alex P. Willson, video producer
I Get A Kick Out Of You
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
Jennifer Lebeau, video director; Danny Bennett, Bobby Campbell & Jennifer Lebeau, video producers
Peaches
Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
Collin Tilley, video director
Happier Than Ever
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish, video director; Michelle An, Chelsea Dodson & David Moore, video producers
Montero (Call Me By Your Name)
Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X & Tanu Muino, video directors; Frank Borin, Ivanna Borin, Marco De Molina & Saul Levitz, video producers
Good 4 U
Olivia Rodrigo
Petra Collins, video director; Christiana Divona, Marissa Ramirez & Tiffany Suh, video producers
BEST MUSIC FILM
Inside
Bo Burnham
Bo Burnham, video director; Josh Senior, video producer
David Byrne's American Utopia
David Byrne
Spike Lee, video director; David Byrne & Spike Lee, video producers
Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter To Los Angeles
Billie Eilish
Patrick Osborne & Robert Rodriguez, video directors
Music, Money, Madness...Jimi Hendrix In Maui
Jimi Hendrix
John McDermott, video director; Janie Hendrix, John McDermott & George Scott, video producers
Summer Of Soul
(Various Artists)
Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, video director; David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent & Joseph Patel, video producers
Nominations Livestream Announced: BTS, H.E.R., Jon Batiste, Måneskin, Carly Pearce, Tayla Parx, Gayle King, Nate Bargatze & Special Guests Confirmed
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured
BREATHE IN WITH GUNNAR PETERSON + DR. CEDRIC JAIME RUTLAND
We're always promoting ways of optimizing your health and being able to bring you the best advice and tips on how to reach and push your goals. Each person has their own challenges and paths to getting there. This month we talk with Celebrity Fitness Trainer Gunnar Peterson and pulmonologist Dr. Jamie Rutland about asthma and how this condition affects this community when it comes to them engaging in fitness and sports, how they can approach these activities, the importance of checking in with your doctor and LungZone which both are participating in.
For avid readers of Athleisure Mag, Gunnar Peterson has shared his insights in a number of our issues. As a trainer to Khloe Kardashian, Kanye West, Hugh Jackman, professional athletes and more, he has always been focused on his clients reaching their fullest potential. It's great to get his perspective when it comes to training and working with those that have asthma and to also provide tips to those he isn't working with and has this condition so that you can set yourself up for the best success when navigating this portion of your journey.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We’ve had the pleasure of interviewing you for Athleisure Mag and I always like getting your insights. What muscles are necessary specifically when it comes to breathing?
GUNNAR PETERSON: When you think about the muscles that are important for breathing, you want to think about the diaphragm, abdominal muscles and those in the chest and back that support lung capacity and postural awareness. The pectoral muscles, for example, are important when inhaling and exhaling. When I say postural awareness, I mean things like sitting up tall with your shoulders back and your chin is up high with an inhale and steady exhale. It's important to focus on deep diaphragmatic breathing, not shallow throat breathing, so that you can get more out of the body whether at rest or play.
AM: What exercises can we do to open our airways and strengthen the muscles that help us to breathe?
GP: Anything that challenges you from a cardiovascular perspective is a good exercise to open your airway and strengthen your muscles. In fact, you can visit JoinLungZone.com for my Get Moving class that provides movements and sequences in a way that will challenge you from a cardiovascular standpoint and help prioritize your lung health. Exercises include a push up with a t-raise – which strengthens your pectoral muscles – or a pull down – which opens you up in the front while you're taxing the latissimus dorsi muscles. All those things can help you to think about steady breathing during your resistance training. I should note that my class on www.JoinLungZone.com is for people living with moderate-to-severe asthma, and they should consult with their doctor before taking any of the classes. Each person should take classes based on their own fitness level -- you don't want to jump in particularly if you are coming in from a completely sedentary lifestyle. Once you get the green light from your doctor, then you can progress accordingly. Listen to your body. It’s something that everyone should learn to do, even those who might consider themselves advanced.
AM: What are routines that one can do to have a great workout while navigating a busy lifestyle?
GP: First, you need to determine your goals. Everyone has different goals. Your goal may just be to get up and get off the couch three times in one day. That’s ok. You must start somewhere. Once you determine your goal, you must create a plan and stick to that plan. You want to do something on a regular basis so that it’s consistent because it’s that consistency that keeps you going. My biggest piece of advice is to find something that you can consistently incorporate into your lifestyle. My “Get Moving” class provides exercises you can consider.
AM: Growing up, my sister had severe asthma that placed her in the hospital many times from the time she was 3 until her middle school years. At that time, going to gym class became a battlefield as the teacher didn’t understand the severity of her ailments or how to create programs that she could do – just recently she started running and was shocked that she could do it. As someone who has trained athletes, celebrities, etc., who live with asthma, are there things that you look out for and lean into so that they are still optimizing what they need to do while being mindful of their condition?
GP: First off, thank you for sharing that with me, and hats off to your sister for not losing interest in running despite what could have been a difficult experience when she was younger. I could easily see her throwing in the towel or checking out, but good for her for pressing on. We certainly have grown to understand how asthma can impact a person and have more resources available to us. Everybody is different and you can't push everybody at the same pace and same level. For many people with asthma, exercise can seem intimidating, especially when you are worried about having an asthma attack. But staying active is important, and certain exercises can help people focus on their breathing in a positive way. As a personal trainer, I’ve spent my life helping people focus on their physical well-being. Getting in shape is not something that happens overnight, and that’s true for lung health, too. That's why we have created a starting point for people at JoinLungZone.com.
AM: How important are personalized workouts to you when you’re working with your clients?
GP: Personalized workouts are everything to me when I'm working with my clients. That’s why they bring me in. They don't want something cookie-cutter. They don't actly what the person before them did, even if they had similar vitals and goals. When you think about sports teams not everybody does the same workout. Individualized workouts are very important to me, but they are also important for people living with moderate-to-severe asthma. Even if you are doing a group workout, there should be levels that fit various needs you should have a way to progress so that each person walks away feeling like they got the most out of it.
AM: Please share tips on how asthmatics and those who may be navigating related lung issues can still get a great workout.
GP: I know I’ve said this a few times now, but I am saying it because it’s important. Before trying a workout class, people living with asthma should speak with their doctor about what is right for them. Don't just jump in on your own. Think about your body as a whole-- don't try to isolate and narrow down to single, small muscle groups or single joint movements. You want to think about the broader picture and overall lung and cardiovascular health because that's what's going to carry you through the demands of your day. — whether that's biking or playing pick-up soccer with your kids or even just getting through the daily tasks of running your household, there are demands in all of those activities. Life is a sport, everybody's an athlete, so train accordingly.
AM: Tell me about LungZone and why you felt that this was something that you wanted to participate in.
GP: LungZone is a program – which you can learn more about at JoinLungZone.com – that aims to guide people with moderate-to-severe asthma toward better lung health. I’m excited to participate in this program and be here today on behalf of Sanofi and Regeneron because this is really all about inclusion. Once people know that they at least have an entry point, the sky's the limit. LungZone gives you everything from mindful breathing practices with Kelley Green who is a meditation expert to common questions about asthma that are answered by Dr. Cedric "Jamie" Rutland, and my Get Moving class so you can start anywhere on that continuum, and you can progress it or regress it as needed.
AM: How can we prioritize our lung health regardless of whether we have issues or not?
GP: The lungs are fundamental organs, and there are steps we can take to focus on better lung health in a very real way. Exercising, meditating for stress reduction, and practicing deep diaphragm breathing to train your body to breathe better are important ways that people can contribute to their lung health.
I believe first and foremost you should find a way to enjoy exercise. If you can find a way to enjoy it, you're more likey to stick to it, and if you stick to it, you're more likely to benefit from it and make it something that you can always build on.
AM: Are there any projects that you have going on that we should keep an eye out for?
GP: In addition to my work on LungZone, I try to always have irons in the fire. I have some upcoming work with F45 Training which is a global workout company. I am really aligned with their philosophies and really like that they design their classes for all levels so anyone can do it. Again, that’s in part why I was excited to also participate in LungZone because it’s that same mentality.
Gunnar shared how he is involved in LungZone and why this is important for those that are living with asthma. We wanted to take a step back and to take a look at asthma. It's important for us to take a step step back and look at what asthma is, how this condition affects the body and the areas that it targets specifically. Dr. Cedric "Jamie" Rutland, a pulmonologist, explains more about this to give us a better understanding about this and what are common triggers. It's impossible to think about asthma and its affects without asking about how COVID can also play into this condition and the importance of receiving the vaccine. He also shares his involvement in LungZone as well.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into asthma, LungZone etc, I’d like to know about your background as you’re a fellow Big 10 alumni. Why did you want to work with those who have pulmonary issues?
DR. CEDRIC "JAMIE" RUTLAND: It's a great question. The way that I ended up at a Big 10 school, University of Iowa for medical school, was really that it just happened to be a top 10 medical school. So when I got accepted, I decided to go there. When you think about a Big 10 school in the Midwest in general, that area of the country is very well educated. All the students within that area of the country are so talented, and so good at being a student that I picked up a lot of different skills from others in the process. That experience truly allowed me to understand what pulmonary and critical care offered me, which was the opportunity to not only specialize in a certain field of medicine, but also experience other parts of medicine that I enjoy because when you're an ICU physician you see everything. I still like to help people with kidney problems, liver problems, and GI tract problems. ICU medicine also gave me the opportunity to communicate with families and patients in critical situations. It allowed me to explain things and teach, which is something that I really like to do, and I think without the help of a Big 10 school, like the University of Iowa, I wouldn't be where I am today.
AM: For our readers that may not be familiar with asthma, can you talk about what it is and the areas of the body that are affected?
DR. CJR: Let’s first talk about the lungs and how it's structured. The lung is essentially a bunch of pipes that lead to a bunch of balloons stacked on top of one another. When you take a deep breath, that air travels down your windpipe and further down into smaller little pipes called the bronchi and bronchioles. Those bronchioles lead to the balloons where oxygen is picked up by your blood and used to keep your body functioning properly.
Asthma is an inflammation of those pipes. More specifically, it's inflammation of the smooth muscle layer of the pipe, which leads to airway narrowing. That means people have trouble taking a deep breath in, and more specifically, even have trouble releasing a deep breath out. We want to calm that inflammation down so people can breathe easier and feel a little bit better.
AM: Are there various categories or groups as I’m sure that not all asthma is the same for those that have it.
DR. CJR: Yes, there are different categories and different treatments depending on the type of asthma you have. If a patient comes in and tells me they are short of breath, I quickly determine what type of inflammation may be present in their body. Those patients might need an inhaler. But, often times, it's not just a localized type of inflammation. It's often a systemic type of inflammation, something we call Type 2 inflammation. When you identify that more systemic type of inflammation, then there are certain treatment options that work to block that inflammation, like Dupixent® (dupilumab). In clinical trials, Dupixent improved lung function in as little as 2 weeks and helped reduce asthma attacks by up to 81% when compared to standard of care alone plus placebo. I should mention that people shouldn’t use Dupixent if they are allergic to it or its ingredients, and it can cause serious side effects, including allergic reactions and inflammation of your blood vessels. So, it’s important to talk to your doctor to see what type of inflammation you have and what type of treatment may be right for you.
AM: What are the symptoms of asthma and are there seasons where it can be more prone to happening?
DR. CJR: Common symptoms of asthma are shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. Those symptoms tend to happen as soon as you're exposed to irritants or anything that you are allergic to. If you go outside and its springtime and all that pollens around, and you start coughing or wheezing, that's going to be your trigger. If you are going outside during the wintertime, and you feel like your airways are narrowing or you start coughing then cold is your trigger. All these things can trigger your airways to become inflamed and that leads to airway narrowing, mucus production, shortness of breath and wheezing which are the classic symptoms of asthma.
AM: For those who are living with asthma, what do you suggest that they should be aware of when it comes to living a 360 life in terms of fitness whether they’re an enthusiast or an athlete?
DR. CJR: I think if you are an athlete or a fitness enthusiast who lives with asthma, then you have to understand your disease and listen to your body when it’s telling you that you don't have your disease under control. It's very important for people to be aware of their symptoms because the last thing you want is for that persistent inflammation to continue which could lead to a hospitalization, severe asthma attack and potentially death. If you're using an inhaler and you're still coughing or short of breath when you do things like going up a flight of stairs, you need to tell your physician – whether it's your primary care physician, your pulmonologist, or your allergist – that your medication isn’t working and see what else is out there.
AM: Can you tell me about what LungZone is, why you wanted to be involved in it and how you’re participating with this program.
DR. CJR: LungZone is a virtual community created by Sanofi and Regeneron to allow patients and their family members the opportunity to become educated about what asthma is, what inflammation is present in your lungs, and potentially how to treat that inflammation appropriately. The reason why I'm involved in LungZone is because as a doctor, it marries two things I'm in love with. One is immunology, which is the study of white blood cells and what they do in the body when there’s inflammation present. And the other thing is communication. I think it's very important for patients and their family members to understand what the body is going through. What I have found, is that people who understand what's going on in their body tend to tolerate their disease a little bit better, and they feel empowered by learning what's going on in their body and understanding how they can help control their disease. I think that that is something that is extremely important, and it's something I'm passionate about.
AM: How can our readers participate?
DR. CJR: Your readers can participate by going to JoinLungZone.com and taking my "Help Manage Your Asthma" class or take the other more dynamic classes from Gunnar Peterson and Kelley Green. I think what's good about these classes is that they truly help people understand what their body is going through, what they maybe need to ask their physician and other ways to strengthen their body and manage their systems.
AM: As we have all been navigating these past months due to COVID-19, can you share any information in terms of those who have actually battled COVID while being asthmatic or for those who have not had COVID but do have asthma how this may affect them?
DR. CJR: What's interesting about asthma is that there are different subcategories of asthma. Depending on the type of asthma, a person might deal with SARS-CoV-2 differently. Asthma leads to airway inflammation, and so does COVID-19. If asthma-related inflammation is uncontrolled, then COVID-related inflammation can be really problematic. If there's one thing that I've learned, it is making sure that a person's asthma symptoms and the inflammation are under control.
AM: Do those who are not asthmatic but have gotten COVID experience some of the issues that are similar to asthma?
DR. CJR: Yes, you can. Again, when you have that inflammation of lungs, whether it's caused by smoke, pollen, or COVID, the symptoms are going to be the same. I have had people who have never been diagnosed with asthma, that now have asthma due to this persistent inflammation in the post-COVID setting.
AM: For those that may not have received the vaccine for COVID and are asthmatic, what is your message to them to encourage them to get it?
DR. CJR: I love this question and I will tell you why. If you're a patient of mine, you're going to understand what asthma is and how it works. We talk a lot about targeting inflammation. The whole point of a vaccine is to calm down inflammation and not allow the immune system to overreact and cause more problems. It’s a lot easier for my patients to understand how and why a vaccine works. We also talked in the earlier questions about what complications COVID can cause when you have asthma, and that’s also what I discuss with my patients.
AM: You are a busy man without a doubt. You're the founder/ownder of West Coast Lung. Can you tell me more about this and why you wanted to launch your own office?
DR. CJR: When I was a young doctor, I understood that the most important people to be able to communicate with were not my colleagues, it was my patients. There was a particular incident when I was in the hospital, and a colleague of mine couldn't get a patient to open up. This lady looked exactly like my grandma. So, first thing I said to her was, "Good Afternoon Mama." And she just opened up to me. My colleague said to me, "How did you know to call her mama?" I said, "She's an African American female so she's mama, that's just who she is.” That's when I understood that I needed to make certain I knew how to communicate with patients. So, when I started West Coast Lung, I wanted to focus on messaging and education amongst patients and their family members, so they can understand what is going on with their bodies. I think it empowers people and allows them to more easily deal with what they have, and perhaps make some changes to their diet and exercise that helps them feel better in the long run.
AM: You’re also the VP of the Association for Healthcare Social Media. What is this organization and how are you involved?
DR. CJR: We knew that social media was going to be a place where people were going to get health information. We knew that 50% of people got their health information from social media, which was astonishing to us, but we also know with social media that you can post anything. We understand our role with messaging and how to combat misinformation, and that's what we are continuing to do. Our role in social media is continuing to evolve, and we partner with YouTube, Pinterest, and are always looking for other media partners to be able to express our message. We have physicians that discuss gastroenterology, fertility, and obstetrics. So, we really all understand the impact that social media has and as a company you want to be able to deal with it in a very positive way.
AM: You’re also the National Spokesperson of the Lung Association! What do you to bring awareness to lung health and how long have you been in this role?
DR. CJR: I've been involved with the American Lung Association for about four years. What I like about being a spokesperson, is that it gives you the opportunity to show that there are doctors who look like me on a national scale. I think that there's a lot of kids that look like me that may not know that they can be a doctor, or they can become a doctor, so I think that showcasing that was important to me. It also allows me to practice my craft around messaging and teaching on the national stage and explain things in a way that everybody can understand, which again I think is really important. Being in this position allows me to be that bridge between science and your everyday person.
AM: Going through your Instagram, it’s evident that you’re passionate about pulmonary issues and making it approachable through your videos. Why has this been important for you to share this kind of information socially?
DR. CJR: You have to be able to explain it in a way that people can understand. If you can't, you've done nothing. For example, with the COVID vaccines, within a year we went from having nothing to "go get the vaccine." We had a year to teach immunology.
I think in that moment I understood and said, "You know what, I am just going to teach how the body works." If people can understand that, maybe they can get to the conclusion of how a vaccine works. I teach why the vaccine may work, but I also teach about Onesimus, who was the African slave who brought the concept of vaccination to this country in the 1700s. I discuss why Onesimus had this belief in how smallpox should be treated and how that concept came from Africa to Boston during the smallpox pandemic. I want people to understand, and I use their language to make it happen.
AM: In addition to using your platform for health, it also looks like you enjoy having fun like your appearance on Game of Talents this past spring and sharing your wall of Js. How important is it to you that you have that work life balance as well as sharing that doctors come in many forms and can literally be a cool guy that you’d want in your friend group?
DR. CJR: I think it's important for people to be themselves and embrace who you are. I've done game shows with my friends. I'll still go out with my wife and my kids and coach them all the time. I think it’s just doing the things that I enjoy. Being a professional doesn't mean you need to ignore certain aspects of your life. I spent a lot of a lot of time learning that saying no doesn't mean you don't have to be you, it just means that you're focused on what you're trying to gain. I was focused on gaining my medical degree, my fellowship and ultimately my career. I'm just not going to let go of being me.
AM: As we get closer to the end of the year, are there any projects that you'd like to share that we should know about?
DR. CJR: In addition to my partnership with Sanofi and Regeneron on LungZone, another major project I am working on is developing a television program in which we educate people in a barber shop setting. There's a lot of education that happens at the barber shops. You know, I always have a dry erase pen with me so I can draw the science to help people understand, and I think taking that to a broader audience is extremely important. Being able to educate in any setting gives people the power to understand, and exposure to others who made them think about something in a different way. We have some prominent Hollywood producers and musicians involved and I think it’s going to a really positive platform that allows people to ask questions and find answers in an easy-to-understand way.
IG @DrJRutland
PHOTOS COURTESY | LungZone
Read the OCT ISSUE #70 of Athleisure Mag and see Breathe in with Gunnar Peterson + Dr. Cedric James Rutland in mag.
Featured
FITNESS IS A LIFESTYLE WITH HARLEY PASTERNAK
A lot has taken place over the last 20 months. We've learned new skills, become profficient in things that we never knew about, assisted others in their time of need and with all of that activity going on, it's important to make sure that we also keep the focus on our health so that we can continue to be our best selves. We checked in with one of our faves, Celebrity Fitness Trainer, Harley Pasternak, who has worked with Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga to name a few. He talked about how we can maintain our goals no matter the time of year and to make it an ongoing priority. He shares how we can stay on track as well as some healthy hacks along the way!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Now that we’re settling into the fall, how can people stay on track with our fitness and nutrition? It feels like a gateway as we’re coming off of the summer and soon we will be thinking about the holiday season as well and there are those that are also focused on getting rid of their Quarantine 15.
HARLEY PASTERNAK: The principles of being healthy and staying in shape, they hold true regardless of what month or season it is. Number 1, you’ve got trying to hit your step goal every day – that’s at least 12,000 steps a day. The fall is probably my favorite time of year to do that. It’s not too hot, but it’s not too cold. Get those steps in and take in the beautiful weather – rake your leaves, whatever you need to do. I love getting my steps. Number 2, is sleep! I think that it’s actually easier to get sleep come the fall because we fall back. There’s a little less daylight, so we actually get sleepier a little bit earlier and we tend to get a little sleepy. It’s cooler, the clocks change and these contribute to getting the best sleep. Number 3 is cutting back on screentime. I think that you should unplug for at least an hour a day from technology and it’s really important. It affects our health, wellness, wellbeing, our mental state and our physical state. Next is food, protein, fiber and healthy fat for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a little snack in between. Finally, you still need to strength train as little as 1 strength move a day. You can work your way up to 2 – 3 strength moves every other day.
AM: For those looking to round out their workout routines, what are some moves that you think that they should do so that they’re hitting the 360 of their bodies?
HP: I don’t believe in doing a whole body workout. I believe in splitting the body throughout the week. One way that I do it is 1 body part a day, 7 days a week. So each day of the week, you’re doing 1 exercise. Sometimes I will do 5 days a week of 2 body parts a day and sometimes I’ll do 4 days a week of 3 body parts a day.
AM: I know that you’ve partnered with Maple Hill. What is it about the brand that made you want to be involved with them and then what are some good recipes that you can make with their products as I know that you’re a fan of smoothies as we are too.
HP: I met them a few years ago at an event that I was hosting for Goop in Texas. I saw the product, I really liked it and we kept in touch. They reached out to me recently and they said, “would you believe that we figured how to filter out the lactose-sugar from dairy?” All that’s left is 2 different proteins, whey and casein, Vitamin D, calcium, potassium and water. I was like, there’s no way. They sent it to me, it was delicious, my kids love it, I love it! I have been using it for my smoothies in the morning – I have a few smoothies that I use such as the PB&J Smoothie. I also enjoy making an Apple Pie Smoothie and a Pina Colada Smoothie where I use it as the base.
APPLE PIE SMOOTHIE
Per Smoothie
15 raw almonds
1.5 red apples, peeled, cored and chunked
1 small frozen banana, chunked
1 1/4 Maple Hill organic plain Greek yogurt
1 cup Maple Hill Zero Sugar organic milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
PINA COLADA SMOOTHIE
1 medium orange peeled and sectioned
1/3 cup Maple Hill organic plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons whey protein powder
1 frozen banana chopped
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (fresh, not canned!)
My kids will use Maple Hill in their cereals and in the afternoon, I will use their Greek yogurt with a little bit of cinnamon and I take a baked apple and pipette the cinnamon yogurt in the middle of the baked apple where I will core it out and it’s really good!
HARLEY'S FAVORITE BAKES APPLES
8 apples, cored
32oz Maple Hill organic plain Greek yogurt
Cinnamon
Core apples and place in a baking dish in one inch of water, sprinkle cinnamon over everything. Cover with foil and bake at 400 for 2 hours.
Mix 2 tsp cinnamon into yogurt, pipe yogurt & cinnamon mixture into the center of the apples.
I use a high-tech, fancy method of putting the yogurt in a ziplock and cutting the corner off to squeeze the yogurt into the apples!
AM: That sounds very decadent!
HP: It is!
AM: As always, it’s fun to look through your IG whether it’s looking at a fitness routine, seeing you introduce foods to your kids or just meals you’re making for lunch. You had a Cobb Salad with pretzel sticks! We love pretzel sticks and being able to see you present a hi-low meal with a twist really shows this fun food sensibility in terms of balance. How important is it to have these healthy hacks in your food lifestyle?
HP: I think it’s important because if you want to eat well, you want to eat well forever. If you’re too strict, regimented and limited – you can do something for a short time but not for a long time. I think that by adding a little hi-low into your foods, you have a fun time with it. So even when I do cereal with my kids, we’ll use the milk with the sugar removed like we talked about which is amazing and we’ll use a high fiber low cereal with it, but then, I will sprinkle in a little bit of the sugary cereal on top so that my kids don’t feel like we’re giving them weird health food all the time! They feel like there is some fun it and I think that that’s important to do.
AM: What do you suggest for people that splurge on having those extra cocktails or enjoying something that really yummy that’s off of their typical plan? What’s the best way that they can reset their bodies to get back on track?
HP: I wrote The Body Reset Diet which has now been a Number 1 – 3 times! I think that some people may want to jump in and hop in on Phase 1 or Phase 2 if they feel like they are spiraling out of control and it just puts them back in on that 3 meals – 2 snacks a day with protein, fiber and healthy fat at every meal. It tends to be helpful for people!
AM: We know that you’re always working on a number of projects so what should we keeping an eye out that you can share with us?
HP: Yeah! I design all the gyms for the Four Seasons Hotels around the world. I helped to develop a new technology called FORME which is a really cool technology. I’m the global fitness advisor for Alo.
AM: Yes! If we’re not rocking Adidas, we’re in Alo!
HP: I know, right? So all of these brand partnerships of mine are synergistic. Maple Hill for me, is a natural no brainer. I have been a fan of dairy for years. I even visited a number of dairy farms to see how the cows live, how milk is taken from them and what they’re fed. I think that every brand partnership that I have ever had has been very organic and natural and synergistic with the other ones.
PHOTOS COURTESY | Harley Pasternak
Read the OCT ISSUE #70 of Athleisure Mag and see Fitness is a Lifestyle with Harley Pasternak in mag.
Featured
S3. E3 | #TRIBEGOALS WITH STARZ'S POWER BOOK II: GHOST WITH METHOD MAN + LARENZ TATE
On today’s episode of #TRIBEGOALS, I catch up with 2 co-stars from STARZ’s 2nd season of POWER BOOK II: GHOST which premieres on Nov 21st! We sat down with Method Man and Larenz Tate. In the first half of the podcast, we catch up with the legendary performer of the Wu-Tang Clan and actor in a number of TV series and films, Method Man. We talk about his diverse career and what we can expect on the latest season. We delve into the writer’s room and the phenomenal cast which includes his co-stars and musical collaborators – Mary J. Blige and Redman. We also talk about his commitment to fitness and how he continues to increase expanding his business into the cannabis industry and NFTs.
After catching up with Method Man and finding out more about how his character, Davis MacLean ended the last season and what we can expect from this season, we had to talk to Larenz Tate to find out about Councilman Rashad Tate! Larenz joined the original series of POWER in the last 2 seasons of this show. He talks with us about how his character continued in the premiere season and what we can expect in this season! We also talk about what drew him to this show, his character and how he has maintained longevity in this career.
This episode will also be in the NOV ISSUE #71 of Athleisure Mag which will drop on Nov 30th. #TRIBEGOALS is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. Our theme music Rough and Deep is performed by JGRLNG.
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured #TRIBEGOALS Podcast
COMMUNITY IS THE VIBE WITH D-NICE
As we embrace the reopenings that have taken place all over the world, we remember those days when we were in the thick of lockdown and we all found ways to maintain a sense of community and connection with others as we did it apart. For us and millions around the world, we found dance and music through a global couch party that had the biggest celebrities from Madonna, Michelle Obama, Nile Rodgers and more that popped in every night. We were all brought together by DJ D-Nice who created a daily (sometimes marathon sessions) IG Live event known as Club Quarantine!
Even though we're past those dark days of 2020, he continues to lead his virtual parties while also bringing the next phase with his Club Quarantine Live tour that took place to much success and we can't wait to see his Club Quarantine festival that will take place in LA in 2022! Before he brought us Club Quarantine, being a major event DJ for brands such as Hennessey, he is also an artist who has released solo projects and was a founding member of Boogie Down Productions with the legendary KRS-One and the late Scott La Rock.
We're pleased to have D-Nice as this month's cover and with a schedule that is constantly on the go, as we talked with him between soundchecks for his performance at YouTube's Advertising Week Show with Mary J. Blige at The Apollo Theater, he talks music; the creation of Club Quarantine and its continued evolution; the importance of musical accessibility; campaigns and how he continues to push his brand while being mindful of the community.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with music?
D-NICE: I fell in love with music when I was around 6 or 7 years old. I remember where I grew up in the Bronx, my aunts – both of them used to collect a lot of records. It’s so crazy because the artists that they would collect would be Melba Moore and Diana Ross and like Earth, Wind and Fire and obviously, you know, that I'm not lying because that was the thing in like the 70’s.
So when you fast forward to like, Club Quarantine and I’m like hanging out in there in this virtual space with Earth, Wind and Fire and Melba Moore is in there, everyday – it’s kind of full circle to me from my childhood which makes this experience for me so incredible.
AM: For those who may not be familiar with your music career prior to Club Quarantine, can you tell us a bit about your background? You were one of the founding members of the Boogie Down Productions with KRS-One and the late Scott La Rock.
D: I grew up in the Bronx. One of my cousins worked as a security guard at a men’s shelter in the Bronx. He asked me to bring him some food and one night, I walked over to where he was working and he decided to introduce me to his friend that worked there as a social worker, which was DJ Scott La Rock. Scott La Rock introduced me to a homeless guy, which is the legendary KRS-One. From the first meeting, I was 15 and Scott looked at me and he must have felt this energy where he immediately said, “you’re going to be in this group.” That’s how I became part of the Boogie Down Productions crew.
AM: Think back to last year, which in many ways feels like 7 years ago, we were all in this gut-check moment. From a magazine perspective, we shot our last in-person cover 2 days prior to when NY went into lockdown. It was that moment of trying to figure out how we would still do what we do and to still produce everything – in a new way virtually; which we did and it was intensely challenging, but fun and full of artistic growth. So, to do Club Quarantine, how did this come about? It was like the musical and mental health that we so needed to get us through what we didn't even know how much time we'd be going through!
D: The thing about Club Quarantine that’s special is that it was birthed out of the same fear that everyone was experiencing! I was quarantined alone at home in Los Angeles. I was gearing up for a tour with Jill Scott. I was locked in for 10 dates on her tour and when we were forced to quarantine, what was difficult about it, which other people experienced as well, was that none of us were prepared for this – including myself! So, when the quarantine hit, I had to send back deposits because they were cancelling the festivals – they were cancelling Essence Fest, Miami Music Week where I had gigs there, I had SXSW gigs. So all of those gigs, I had to send the money back. I was sitting at home, stressed out, like everyone!
Because I had friends that worked with the former administration, they kept saying, this thing will go on for longer than 2 weeks, man. They said that I should prepare myself. I didn’t even understand how to prepare to not work for a year/year and a half. So that was difficult. CQ was birthed out of the sadness and having a desire to still be connected to people. When I started playing music, I wasn’t even DJing initially. I was just playing music and sharing stories and I started noticing the numbers that were rising on my account from one day being 240 people in there to the next day having 800 people in there. Then, the 3rd day, I did a marathon set with like 2,000 people. Initially, it was a very selfish thing, finding ways to stay connected, but by the 2nd day when I was reading the comments, I knew that it was actually helping people feel connected. I just wanted to continue to do it to keep people inspired.
AM: Speaking back to what we were talking about before with the music, I was born in 1979 and grew up with this music. When I listen to a lot of the songs, it reminds me of cleaning the house with my mom and sister before Soul Train came on. How is it to run the hottest global couch party that has ever existed?
D: Wow yeah, that’s literally it – the hot test global couch party! I mean there were times when I literally didn’t look at it that way. It was one of my buddies, Donnie Wahlberg, every day he would say to me, “dude, I don’t think you understand what’s happening.” I didn’t, because remember, I was home alone! I was playing music, I was at home. I wasn’t dancing with other family members, wasn’t dancing with my mom or kids and I wasn’t having parties on the other end. All I could do was just read comments. I would see hearts and that kept me going. But the other thing that kept me inspired was music! It was the love of music where I felt that I finally had the chance to play music the way that I wanted to hear it anyway from my club days. As a DJ, you kind of lean towards what the promoters wanted, what the fans wanted, but when the world stopped, the fans wanted and needed music that kept them inspired. It just so happened to be the music that I love. To have a chance to play David Bowie and mix David Bowie in with Madonna and all of a sudden, Madonna is in my IG Live. Then I could play a Stevie Wonder record and then throw in a JAY-Z and rock Rihanna and then all of a sudden, Rihanna is in there! There’s no better party then that! Everyone had a chance to feel the music and still be inspired and it was awesome. And it continues to be awesome!
AM: Which I think is awesome and I love the versatility of the music. I mean, I love all kinds of genres, my great uncle was the late tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson so I have my jazz elements that I love and I love EDM. I remember when you had David Bowie to Madonna and then you had Nile Rodgers that popped in which I had styled him a few years ago for a project which was awesome to see him come through.
D: I mean, Nile Rodgers, when he came in it was beautiful!
AM: I’ll never forget when I was in his apartment on the UWS and he was showing me his music sheets of his work with Madonna and he was like, "I did this and I did that." I just remember feeling that I was standing in the room of greatness at that moment.
D: Yes absolutely.
AM: The fact that we have actually been able to see how you have evolved CQ from the at home sessions to performing to major moments that you were part of from encouraging people to register to vote, having people vote, social justice movements and then moving that into bringing it live in person such as launching at the Hollywood Bowl and being on the tour for that too, what’s it like to evolve the brand?
D: I felt that it was my job to protect the brand. Protecting the brand meant not keeping the platform to myself and to include other people. It was about authenticity and making sure that what I did online translated well into the live space. My desire to play the Hollywood Bowl was birthed out of seeing so many people in there. Early on in the pandemic, I was trying to figure out what place that this would feel like and would make sense. I wanted to give everyone something to imagine and look forward to when the world opened up again. I just threw it out there and said, “one day, I’m going to play the Hollywood Bowl and be the first show!”
A year and a half later when I received the offer to play the Hollywood Bowl, I was excited! But it didn’t really hit me until the morning that I announced that the tickets were on sale on IG Live and I said, “I have something to share with everyone. My gosh, we got the Hollywood Bowl, tickets are on sale in one hour.” Within that first hour, we sold 10,000 tickets. It was very emotional. To know that something that I did just out of the love of music that started in my kitchen – literally in the kitchen, went on to become something where we sold out 15,000 people in the Hollywood Bowl in 3 days! It's a very humbling feeling and it's beautiful to know that people want to listen to music the way that I do. You have to want to be there to hear the music, the fans want to be there, the art ists want to be there – there were fans that bought tickets to all of the CQ Live shows and we kept it limited. Obviously, we’re still dealing with this pandemic so we didn’t want to be reckless by doing a full on tour. But for all of the shows, there are people like hundreds of people that attended all 3 of them. It’s something special that’s happening right now. The music is secondary when it comes to Club Quarantine. It wasn’t just about the music, it was about community. To me, that’s number one – about people staying connected. By the way, there’s some cool music being played right now and we’re going to dance together as well!
AM: It’s undeniable that live shows have an amazing vibe to them. What are your plans on the virtual side of things as we continue over the next few months, will this still be part of your portfolio or are you looking to segue completely to back where we were prior to 2020 where we could comfortably be together in person?
D: I want to continue to have the virtual space to be part of it. It’s an important element because not everyone can afford to travel to these cities, not everyone can afford to buy tickets. Let’s be realistic. People lost jobs and people are still trying to recover from that. To me, it would be a little bit unfair to just pull that away from everyone and I want to continue to share my love of music with people and to inspire community, so it’s important for me to do this for at least another 6 months or as long as social media will allow me to play. You know, things change, people are outside now so it may not be as exciting, but for me, it’s always important that whenever I return to Los Angeles, I need to play 1 or 2 sets to at least get it in. By the way, I’m not just doing it for the people, I happen to like playing music!
AM: You can tell!
D: Yes! I love playing music, so if I can share music when I log on and there are 30,000 - 50,000 people at the end of the set, that means there is still a need and desire to hear music that way. I just want to be able to fill that need and to continue to keep people inspired.
AM: I love music festivals and it was great to see that here in NY, Governors Ball and Electric Zoo came back. Do you envision CQ having a physical festival?
D: Oh no – it’s not even about envisioning it, it’s actually happening! It’s happening Aug of 2022. We’re literally in the planning stages right now, planning the artists that I want to perform with. That’s happening. August of 2022, the festival happens in Los Angeles.
AM: Earlier this year, you dropped “No Plans For Love” with Ne-Yo and Kent Jones. How was that working on this single and are you working on an album?
D: Releasing the single was fun. It was a different process because we were doing everything remotely with Kent and Ne-Yo was interesting. I wasn’t in the studio with Ne-Yo when he recorded his vocals. It was almost like, when he finished the demo of the song, by the time I heard it, they said Ne-Yo had cut the song. I listened to it and I was excited about it. That song did well, top 5 for R&B for the single. I’m deep on working on the album right now. It was important to me that when we put the record out, we had something to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of Club Quarantine and that’s why we didn’t have an album to follow it up. It was just about putting that single out for people to have a song that they would remember during the quarantine. I’m really happy that the single did well and I am looking forward to completing this project.
AM: You’ve amassed an amazing platform and I’m sure that you are constantly wading through offers of things that you want to do. What's your process in terms of thinking about brand synergies. I loved the Band-Aid campaign that you were part of. What are you thinking of when you know that the brands are interested in D-Nice?
D: Everything that I have done has been important for the synergy to be there. I have to be mindful of a couple of things right? 1. I’m not just a DJ that’s happening right now. I do have history and I have to be respectful of my history. Everything that I participate in, you want it to resonate with the younger generation, but I am respectful of the legacy that was already built and the people that listened to my music back in the day who are still jamming to my music right now. The first project that I worked on during the quarantine was the Apple commercial and that was great because it had Oprah and all of these celebrities in there.
The 2nd campaign I worked on was for Budweiser which was based on the old commercial of “What’s Up” and people checking in on each other. So it was me, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Candace Parker. That was great!
Then I did the Ford Commercial and what made that so authentically me was that, not only was I DJing in the commercial, did the voiceover for it, I was in it – but my record from back in the day was also a tie in. I thought it was an awesome thing for people to see the evolution of me being a recording artist in 1990 and here we are in 2021 with a commercial that’s updated but still using the essence of who I am which was great.
With Band-Aid, I thought it was awesome to be a person of color and never having Band-Aids that could match our skin tone! It was great to be part of that campaign and to be able to show! But on the other side for me, to see that Corporate America and these big brands actually trust me to be part of what they’re doing and I didn’t take that lightly either.
Throughout my career, what I did was to be able to sustain in terms of how dedicated I have been to do the right thing with people. To work with Michelle Obama and to raise awareness with voter rights and voter registration. Raising money for the Apollo Theater, Breast Cancer Awareness, raising 100s of thousands for HBCUs – it’s important to always use that platform to do some good. Even with those campaigns, I always have to be part of something that wouldn’t just be a good look for me, but to be a good look for people in general.
AM: What is the best piece of business advice that you have received?
D: Honestly, it wasn’t based on any advice that one person gave me, it was based on what I felt in my heart. In the beginning of quarantine, people were offering me millions of dollars and I didn’t accept any of it and it’s because it didn’t feel good to me. It's not that I didn't want to make money, let’s be honest, I am a business man and this is my business, I am an artist. But in that moment, in those very early weeks of the quarantine, to all of a sudden monetize something right before everyone’s eyes when it was something that people needed – it didn’t feel right to me and it didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t want that on my conscious. I wanted to do something that was truly about keeping people inspired and I remember that one of my DJ friends called and he’s a huge DJ, he’s globally known. He called me and said, “hey man, this is the first time that I could actually dance with my family and I appreciate you!” I’ll never forget conversations like that and there were multiple ones like that. I knew that this was something special and all I wanted to do was to play music.
Now, it did become a business months later. We can’t deny that! But even in terms of it being a business, it was important to do things that didn’t push success into anyone’s face. It wasn’t about the money. It wasn’t about diamonds and cars – it wasn't about buying things. It was about keeping people inspired.
AM: You recently became an investor at Maison Marcel. Why did you want to enter this space and will you do anything that is outfaced with the brand?
D: I invested in it because obviously, I’m a wine drinker and I have been looking to get into the space for years. Even before working with Maison Marcel, I was a brand ambassador for Hennessey for nearly a decade of being involved with them. The natural progression would be to own your spirits company or to one day own your wine company. When the opportunity presented itself to be a part of it, I jumped on it. I was first introduced to the brand by my buddy Hassan Smith, who works with John Legend. It wasn’t even about investing, it was, “hey, would you like a glass of wine.” I enjoyed it and he was like, “I invested in this.” Then 2 years later, I became an investor. I’m not sure what we will do in terms of forward facing involvement. I didn’t want to be a spokesperson because I didn’t want the brand to be about me. I enjoy my wine, so I am always going to talk about it. I enjoy the product – so we’ll see.
AM: How do you take time for yourself when you’re not in the midst of playing music, creating music building your brand and all of the things that you do?
D: Honestly, I have to figure that out! The one thing that I am doing is spending more time with my kids. Especially now that school is back. I have 2 daughters. One graduated from law school and I have a younger daughter she’s in the 4th grade so that’s important. Other than that, I enjoy – I mean people think that I’m exhausted. There are times that I am, but I don’t feel burnt out because I truly love what I do!
AM: Your impact on this global pandemic that you gave to people and the impact on the culture throughout your career has been immense! Over the past few months, you have received a number of accolades from Webby Artist of the Year, Shine A Light Award from BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards for Entertainer of the Year and an ASCAP Voice of the Culture Award – what do you want your legacy to be?
D: That’s a tough one. You know, when I think about it, I just want people to know that it’s ok to be a nice guy, no pun attended. It’s ok to be a good guy. What’s happened my entire life over my career was not solely based on talent. It was based on being kind to people and being there for people. So when you think about Club Quarantine, none of this happens overnight. You’re talking about 35 years of relationships in the music industry. Michelle Obama wasn’t on my IG because she heard that I was DJing. That was because I made a phone call and the only reason why I could make that phone call is because I have worked with them and I have been kind to people. In that moment, that was the first time that I recognized that
people came to something because I was doing it. For decades, I was always there doing things for them. To me, it was important that I make sure that I put kindness into everything that I am doing and with one another. Hopefully, that will be part of my legacy.
AM: For #TRIBEGOALS, we talk to trailblazers in the industry and ask them who are 3 people that have influenced you to be where you are today.
D: The 1st person would be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for obvious reasons. Obviously, he was Black and dealt with the plight of Black people, but it was also important for him to represent human beings period and that has always been an important part of growing up for me.
The 2nd person would be Stevie Wonder. His music, the storytelling in his music and the feeling in his music has always been an important part of my growing up and even including him in my sets now. Even knowing Stevie and having dinner with him, it's been one of the highlights of my career.
The third person would be, Barack Obama. From the moment that I met him, I'll share a story. One day I was DJing an event that he was hosting, he was still President at the time and we were on Martha's Vineyard. We were in a small tent, maybe 50 people people in total were attending. I was a guest and also DJing and there was this one moment, which was in his last year of his presidency, where I saw him sitting in a corner by himself, people were dancing and I looked over at him. I remember thinking that to see someone who probably had the weight of the world on his shoulders in that very moment, but he was still able to be present with his family and friends was inspiring to see that no matter how much work you have going on in your life, it’s still important to maintain that love and respect for your family and friends. I never forgot that moment and I’m truly inspired by Barack Obama!
IG @dnice
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | D-Nice
Read the OCT ISSUE #71 of Athleisure Mag and see Community is the Vibe with D-Nice in mag.
Hear DJ/Producer D-Nice on our show, #TRIBEGOALS - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.
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PHOTO CREDIT | Unsplash/Wesual Click
TOP 8 FOODS TO BREAK YOUR MUSCLE FAT!
In order to obtain a Greek God-like physique, you need to work out to break down your muscle fat. Muscle fat is composed of several layers of muscle fibers and to decompose these layers you need to burn some extra calories at the gym.
Burning fat at the gym requires lots of energy that needs to add calories. However, not all calories are equal in the eyes of the muscle-man. In an attempt to help you realize your full buff-ness potential while burning your muscle mass. Today, there are many online stores that give you a huge range of non-fat, nongluten, or vegan foods with a great deal of Discount Codes for MuscleFood.
This blog is all about adding 8 best foods for all gym buddies that can help them stay fit and get the best out of your fitness schedule. For that, you need to go shopping today and get these foods in my opinion.
1. But Why Meat?
PHOTO CREDIT | Unsplash/James Kern
Number two is lean beef. This is probably the best time to mention that this meal plan or the list of top 10 foods does not necessarily include everything for vegetarians or vegan-friendly. But, according to my experience (MY EXPERIENCE), these foods as a great source of protein, are the best among all.
2. Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner
PHOTO CREDIT | Unsplash/Mark DeYoung
Next on my list is chicken. This is one food that has a great digestion level as well as the main protein pecked option. One of the things that I really liked about chicken is that a medium sized chicken breast is really the right amount for a one-time meal and will give you the right amount of energy to get back to normal after an extreme workout.
3. What Are These Oval Shapes Called? – Eggs!
PHOTO CREDIT | Pexels/Karolina Grabowska
Eggs are the number one in fact the best bank to meet your fitness goal. Since, they are not only affordable but they are a great snack after your workout session.
Eggs have 9 essential amino acids that are really fruitful for our body to stay active and meet the overall criteria at the gym.
When you are working out, you are really tearing, breaking or damaging those muscle fibers, the protein from the eggs that contain all essential amino acids shoots them, sends them to the restless muscles, to rebuild or help heal those damaged muscles, resulting in bigger, stronger and better rebuilt muscles without any fat.
4. Grab On Some Cottage Cheese
PHOTO CREDIT | Unsplash/Katka Pavlickova
Eeeh! Cottage cheese is delicious. One of the fats containing food items on my list that can give your muscles a good pump up. However, cottage cheese is not just about fats but also made from casein protein that is a slow digesting protein. Thus, if you are out and about and you have no access to food, you can have it.
People on a strict diet such as keto-diet which is mostly the intake of different kinds of fats are preferably using cottage cheese in their diet plan because of its slow digesting capability.
5. Oh Fish!
PHOTO CREDIT | Unsplash/Adrien Sala
Fish is an incredible, incredible source of protein when it comes to people who want to stay fit or are on a diet. All fish are good for a diet, but salmon fish is simply amazing. Other than that Cod, Tilapia are also good sources of protein with an incredible taste.
Most fitness trainers recommend gym enthusiasts to make fish as a significant part of their meal since it is a great source of protein and essential amino acids.
6. Well Avocadoes…
PHOTO CREDIT | Pexels/Thought Catalog
Avocadoes, for fitness freaks, are best friends. You eat avocado after a workout is like you’ve got a friend to get your back. Avocados contain fats which are actually, like, literally great for your body.
Your body needs fats to perform basic activities every day and several functions such as producing hormones and testosterone production, you need it, at all cost. For that, you need to start up by incorporating this fat into your strict but healthy diet plan.
7. Whey Protein, It Is….
Another one on the list is protein powder which I actually very love since it’s my after-gym workout shakes to have. It gives me quick energy and restores the lost proteins during the workout. You can have it in low-fat milk or water or in fact with an ingredient that is next on the list – Oats. Get great on different protein snacks and muscle building food…
8. OatMeal – To The Rescue
So, you can have oats with the whey protein or simply with low fat milk. Oats are a great source of carbs that your body needs to have energy to perform actions for the rest of the day. They are low on the glycemic index scale and an amazing source of energy with a sufficient quantity of fibers in it.
You can have oatmeal after the gym or one hour before you plan on going to your workout place as it may give you a certain quick boost in your energy and keep you active throughout the gym session.
Make delicious recipes with oatmeal by adding different kinds of fruits, cocoas, butter, etc. Make it different and worth dying for.
Try adding these ingredients in your list and see the difference in your fitness routine then… These will help you soothe your muscles during workout and avoid sore muscles in your body. Also, this blog doesn’t mean that you only have to eat this during the whole day. These are essentials, the rest of the meal remains the same as per your schedule. You need to make a few amendments and that is it. You are all ready to take off and start up by reaching your fitness goals this year.
If you want, you can also check out more such blogs on fitness that may give you ample knowledge on your food product and happy working-out!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
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THE ART OF THE SNACK | TUSCANY STEAKHOUSE
We're hitting one of the favorite times of year which is the perfect time to check off a few more restaurants off of our list. This month's The Art of the Snack is Tuscany Steakhouse. We take some time to find out more about this restaurant with restaurateur, Steve Haxhiaj. We talk about his expertise in the industry, his Executive Chef Jamie Chabla and what we should order the next time we dine in with friends and family.
ATHLEISURE MAG: As a veteran restaurateur and alumnus of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, can you tell us about your career in the industry and what led you to creating Tuscany Steakhouse?
STEVE HAXHIAJ: With my 28+ years in the industry between Italian restaurants and steakhouses, I have combined my experiences and came up with the menu at Tuscany Steakhouse which marries flavors of Italian American fare and the classic American steakhouse, creating the perfect menu for our guests to have plenty of choices for steaks, seafood, and other Italian dishes.
AM: Tell me about Executive Chef Jamie Chabla's, culinary background and how he came to Tuscany Steakhouse.
SH: Our Executive Chef Jaime Chabla has more than 35 years experience in the industry. Chef Chabla had worked for about 20+ years at Manhattan Café & Portofino's as a chef. He also worked for 8+ years at Wolfgang's Steakhouse which is where I met him and we got the idea to get together open up Tuscany Steakhouse.
AM: How would you define the cuisine and menu that is offered at Tuscany Steakhouse?
SH: Our menu is really different from other steakhouse menus in New York City. We provide an Italian experience and flavors in our cooking and many of our dishes.
AM: What can guests expect when they come to dine here?
SH: Guests who dine with us can expect top-quality food, great ambiance, and excellent service.
AM: Can you tell me about the interior of the restaurant and what you have available for patrons who wish to eat outside?
SH: The interior of the restaurant features whitewashed brick and creates a rustic look. With large mirrors and Italian music, we also have a private room and semi-private room available for private events or business functions.
AM: What are 3 appetizers that you suggest we should order when visiting?
SH: I would highly suggest the thick-cut, sizzling Canadian bacon, cold seafood tower and the fried calamari.
AM: What are 3 main dishes that we should enjoy when visiting?
SH: Our USDA prime and dry aged steaks are highlighted by the Porterhouse Steak. Also, our fantastic Pollo Parmesan and delicious seafood pasta are other dishes that everybody really loves.
AM: What are 3 cocktails that you suggest?
SH: I would highly suggest our Midtown Mule, the Pear-tini, and the Salted Margarita.
AM: Tuscany Steakhouse has a vast wine list – can you tell us about some of the wines/regions that are available?
SH: Our wine selection is very generous; one of the most popular choices are the Californian Cabernets like Caymus, Faust, Robert Mondavi, and then also our Super Tuscany wines like Solaia and Sassicaia.
AM: To complete our meal, what are 3 desserts that you suggest?
SH: I would suggest the Tiramisu, Crème Brûlée and also the apple strudel.
AM: As we begin to enter the fall and holiday season, are there special dishes or events that will be available during that time?
SH: Yes, we will have special dishes moving into the fall and holiday season. Each night we have different specials available from off the menu including a bone-in filet mignon, pasta specials, fish specials and also a soup special. Additionally, we do have a couple different menus that we recommend for groups of larger than 10 people or for private events.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Tuscany Steakhouse
Read the OCT ISSUE #71 of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | Tuscany Steakhouse in mag.
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PHOTO CREDIT | Pexels/Daria Sannikova
OUTDOOR FITNESS THROUGH THE WINTER
One of the best aspects of fitness is the ability to combine your cardio with fun and adventurous activity, and there’s no better way to accomplish this than by getting outside the gym and enjoying the great outdoors.
Can I Really Survive in the Cold?
While some people consider the winter season as the time when you should move your fitness routine indoors, those who regularly enjoy getting a cardio boost outside often claim this to be the best time of year for outdoor exercise. Some of the reasons for this include:
● Don’t Get Overheated by High Temperature
● Crisp, Refreshing Air
● Beautiful Snowy Landscapes
● Less Risk of Dehydration
Like any other physical fitness routine, exercising outdoors during the winter may seem daunting at first. Still, all it takes is a few experiences to realize it can be fun and stimulating. You might even end up preferring to get your winter exercise this way from now on.
Safety Matters
While outdoor exercise is not uncommon and is mostly painless, that doesn’t mean you should take it lightly when it comes to your safety. As long as you keep a few tips in mind, you’ll be able to ensure you stay safe and keep focused on your exercise goals.
● Rather than overdress with one think layer, wear appropriate clothing in layers so you can easily adjust once your body heat goes up.
● Protect your extremities like your head, hands and feet with protection like Heat Holders women's original socks and a hat and gloves.
● Check the weather forecast, including windchill, to determine what to wear.
● Wear reflective clothing so that you can easily be seen by motorists, especially at night.
● Wear sunscreen and lip balm to protect your skin.
● Carry water and drink plenty of fluids.
Options in Winter Exercise
People have been eager to find fun activities to do outside during the winter for centuries, but the significant part about this history is that it has resulted in many options to choose from. If you’re looking to get a cardio workout, in particular, it doesn’t take much to get going. Some of the most popular options for winter fitness include:
● Skating
● Cross-country Skiing
● Jogging
● Snowshoeing
● Snowboarding or Downhill Skiing
● Playing Hockey
As always, the great thing about playing sports for exercise is that they make it easier to convince a friend to join you to help pass the time in a more engaging way.
Get ‘er Done
If you’re the kind of person that likes combining a useful purpose with your exercise routine, then winter also provides plenty of physically demanding chores. Some of the things you might consider accomplishing around your home to help you get into shape include:
● Raking Leaves
● Shovelling Snow
● Chopping and Stacking Firewood
● Prep Your Garden for Spring
All it takes is a bit of bravery to find out that there’s no reason to fear outdoor exercise in the winter. As long as you follow the advice mentioned here, you’ll be able to get more sunlight and fresh air this season. There’s no time like the present to get prepared by buying a pair of warm socks and a few other necessities.
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SKY'S THE LIMIT WITH NOAH NEIMAN
This month, we've been sharing a number of people that have been focused on building their brands that impact the lives of others. Joining this group is Noah Neiman, who is known for his successful studio fitness gyms that include RUMBLE Boxing and Rumble Training. He's known for his dynamic personality and pushing people beyond their limit while also empowering them to believe in themselves. We took some time to talk about how he came to the industry, building his gyms, how he continues to grow his brand as well as his recent partnership with EASTBAY.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We remember the first time we saw you when Work Out New York premiered. How did you come to fitness and when did you decide to work in the industry?
NOAH NEIMAN: Wow! Not the Bravo throwback! Do you remember when Andy Cohen had me half naked on his show!? Sorry mom! My start in the fitness industry was one of those stories that was a lifetime in the making; I just didn’t realize it at the time.
I was one of those overweight kids that would always try to finesse my way onto the shirts team instead of skins playing pickup ball. T-Shirt on in the pool type. So early on, I started to study and learn all I could about physical fitness and nutrition. I had a lot of behavioral problems as a kid, and I found the more that I trained, the less likely I was to act a fool running around the streets of Pittsburgh, Pa. Fast forward to post-college, where I went to Hofstra and got my degree in accounting, a series of unfortunate events led me to leave NYC and returning to my hometown of Pittsburgh.
During my stint in Pittsburgh, I was being incredibly self-destructive again. I was heavily depressed, suffering panic attacks regularly, and forgot how training my physical body helped me keep me emotionally in control. I let myself spiral into a pretty dark place. I remember being in the hospital after a hard night of partying and seeing the concerned and disappointed look on my parent’s faces as they rushed to see me. Seeing that look is one I will never forget. That night, I stopped doing drugs! Now over 13 years ago!
That following week I happened to be driving by a new jiu-jitsu studio that was opening up near my hood: Warren Stouts Renzo Gracie Training Studio. I traded the drugs for jiu-jitsu. I trained with those guys for a year while going through on and off again anxiety issues; 'til finally my parents told me that I needed to head back to NYC. They conveyed in me the belief that I was destined to accomplish great things, but I had to do so in New York.
So I returned back to NYC with very little money and no real purpose. A friend asked me to attend a workout class with him at the newly opened Barrys BootCAMP; and that ended up being the serendipitous moment that most underdogs stories have at the beginning.
I was in that class cheering on my friend and losing myself in that workout. Fortuitously, the now CEO of Barrys, Joey Gonzalez, was the trainer leading the class. He approached me and asked if I wanted to become a trainer there. All my football, strength, conditioning, jiu jitsu, training and a lifetime of studying was about to pay off!! I was READY for a moment, I didn’t even know was coming; but you know the old saying “if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”
I found my purpose. For those hours I was training people and leading these big group classes; all my anxiety and all my depression seemed to just melt away. I had to focus on OTHERS. Making sure they were hustling and making sure they were having a great time. It was therapeutic to me. So I THREW every ounce of effort and energy into it. The world quickly responded; and I became one of the most talked about and featured trainers. Finding myself featured in everything to Vanity Fair to the New York Times, then ultimately landed that show on BRAVO!
Fast forward a few years of building my reputation, my now business partner Eugene Remm; the founder of iconic CATCH restaurants (CATCH HOSPITALITY GROUP) and I got together and started planning what our own gym experience would look like. We wanted to bring an elevated experience to the group fitness game; one the was highly effective, but highly FUN. One that had the aesthetic and vibes that only we could create because of our unique lenses built by decades of our own tastes…. and so RUMBLE was born.
AM: If we wanted to train like you do in an average week, what are your workout routines and what are the foods/meals that you are eating throughout the day?
NN: I actually take RUMBLE Boxing and Rumble training for a majority of my workouts each week. That’s why I created the space! For my body; strength training coupled with conditioning via running and boxing has always had me feeling and looking my best; and the MENTAL benefits of punching things, hard, throughout the week are immense! I try to eat as healthy as I can so I normally hit up my go-to spot HONEYBRAINS to eat fresh whole foods. Throughout the week I eat a lot of fish, steak, eggs, and chicken coupled with potatoes, white rice, spinach, salads, beans. Then when I feel like it, it’s burgers and fries..pizza and ice cream. I try not to be one of those holier than thou trainers. I like to keep it real, eat sloppy when I want, and then get right back to eating clean when I want.
AM: I remember a few years ago I took a class led by you at Barry's Bootcamp and then when Rumble Training opened, I attended an editor event that was led by you. As a well-known group fitness instructor, your passion for motivating and empowering people is so impactful regardless of your workout level - what is your approach to working out with your celeb as well as daily clients and why is this important?
NN: I call fitness the great equalizer! It doesn’t matter who you are, how many followers you have, I treat everyone the same! I keep that same energy like Teyana Taylor (coincidentally also one of our investors). My passion and energy is the driving force of what I do, and I treat every class like it’s Jay Z's My First Song; I treat my first class, like my last class, and my last class, like my first class, so my thirst and energy is the same as when I came!
Everyone is the same at the end of the day. You either do the work and get better by it, or you don’t. I think that’s one of the most refreshing things about training with me, and our philosophy at Rumble. We treat every like Jason Derulo, or Justin Bieber…you just might also happen to work out next to them one day.
AM: Boxing is one of my favorite sports to watch and I know you are passionate about it. Why is this your preferred workout method?
NN: The efficacy of boxing is undisputed as the champ! There’s a reason they call fighters “Lean mean fighting machines,” but to be honest, boxing was always mediative for me. I had a lot of problems growing up. ADHD, getting kicked out of schools. So training to me became therapeutic. It was an outlet for a lot of anger and the vast well of energy I had. Meditation comes in many forms, and this one is mine!
AM: You’re the Co-Founder of RUMBLE Boxing. When you were in the early days of launching this brand, what was it like to know that you had people such as Sylvester Stallone and Justin Bieber as investors?
NN: When you open a boxing gym, and have Rocky believe in you; the provides you with a certain level of confidence. However, at the end of the day, if the experience and workout doesn’t live up to that level of hype, you’re going to fail. It was important for us to come correct, especially knowing we had so many powerful and renowned personalities backing us!
AM: Tell us about RUMBLE Boxing, Rumble Training and Rumble TV and why you wanted to create this universe. For Rumble Boxing and Rumble Training, what cities are you located in and are there new cities you will open in?
NN: Plainly put, I wanted to bring boxing to the masses. Polish and package it in a way that I thought our clients would love! So Rumble Training, Rumble TV, and our OG RUMBLE Boxing were just ways we could positively impact our already highly engaged customers. We’re in NYC, DC, Philly, San Francisco, LA, Chicago; and with our new partnerships with Xponential; you’re going to see Rumbles popping up from Alaska to Australia with 100’s of locations opening up across the world.
AM: In terms of working on the Rumble brand, what is an average day like for you?
NN: As an entrepreneur in general, there are no average days. Especially living in NYC! My role is to really make sure our brand is staying just that; OUR brand. To ensure consistency and clarity in delivery; and making sure our trainers and staff have the discipline and help they need to execute. I’ve never been a great boardroom leader. I need to be in the mix with my team. Teaching classes, seeing how the front desk engages with clients, cleaning the benches and studio if need be! I try and keep that Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines approach; don’t tell. Show! Be there for your team and they’ll be there for you. It requires a tremendous amount of energy to lead in that manner; which is why I’m so passionate about health and mental wellness. It provides you with that unlimited well to tap into. You said you responded to my energy when you were at my classes long ago; and I told you I have to keep that same energy. So when I can; I’m investing in myself, so I can better serve others!
AM: What is the best piece of business advice that you received that has allowed you to navigate the industry as a fitness entrepreneur?
NN: I’d like to think I’m just an entrepreneur; working and consulting with companies in a variety of spaces; but my number one rule of thumb is 'chase relationships, not checks”. Everything I have been able to achieve has been a collaborative effort. I’ve earned my spot at the table by freely giving my energy and skills to whoever engages with me. You’d be surprised the return you get on an energy investment when you invest in PEOPLE.
AM: Recently you partnered with EASTBAY with the release of their new line EASTBAY Performance. You were a team captain for a flag football game in McCarren Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We heard that your team was impressive through 3 of your games and you just missed out on the championship game. Why did you want to participate in this event?
NN: I’m on that Peter Pan! I was so honored to get the call to participate it was a no brainer. Thinking back on my childhood; running home to check out the EASTBAY catalogue, or taking a girl on the date to the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh to check out the FOOTLOCKER, is super nostalgic. To be surrounded by such iconic brands, in iconic Brooklyn, and most importantly surrounded by such positive and powerful PEOPLE; I HAD to be a part of this. I'm still rocking scabs on my knees as I answer this question. I look at it as a badge of honor. Young me would be so proud that I’ve worked hard enough to be recognized by EASTBAY and Footlocker; and to be honest, old me is too! Plus, that new EASTBAY line is fire, had to be one of the first to cop!
AM: What are your 3 favorite products from the Eastbay Performance line?
NN: The t-shirt, tights, and shorts combo is a trifecta. Deion Sanders said “if you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they PAY good!" I took that to heart as a child, so rocking the new line it not only LOOKS fresh, but it’s functional to enhance you playing good too...and you know what happens when you PLAY good. Ka-ching $$$!!!!!
AM: In looking at your IG, beyond your passion for fitness and style, we know that you love your dog Oz. How has he been impactful in your life especially when we were all going through the craziness of quarantine?
NN: I’m gonna go super mayonnaise corny on you now; Oz saved my life. He taught me firsthand what it was like to care about something, and have to take care of something other than myself. I learned not to be selfish from him. This dog has been with me from first blood; through thick and thing. Through happiness, depression, poor, rich; Oz has been by my side. During the pandemic I actually rescued two more dogs that look exactly like Oz from Buddy’s Rescue. I may be biased, but I have the sweetest and best-looking trio of dogs on the island of Manhattan.
During the pandemic, I was feeling very anxious and uncertain like the rest of us; so once again I found myself needing to get out of my own head. Who better to escape with than with two little puppies and one sage old pitbull. The puppies even earned a little money over the pandemic shooting for brands like KITH and PETCO.
AM: When you’re not working out, focusing on your business, appearing on TV etc, how do you take time for yourself?
NN: I’m an ambivert so to contrast the extreme extroverted nature of my job, I like to spend a lot of time by myself. I love to walk the dogs through Washington Square Park, read a book, going to ZERO BOND which is my friend’s members-only club. I like to ride my Ducati motorcycle around NYC like the island-ordered Batman on WISH! Sorry mom, I won’t sell it! It’s also meditative to me. The correlation between boxing and riding a motorcycle is strong. In both pursuits, you have to be present. You have to live in the moment. You can’t think about the past or the future; you have to live in the now. I think more people would be better served if they could find those things they love that ground them and bring them home to the present moment.
Growing up, I was never ok to be by myself, because I didn’t love the person I was spending time with; so as I get older, I’m learning to love and invest in that person more. To contrast all that; when I’m really trying to get after it. I will 100 percent get a table at CATCH and hit that dance floor full up on a belly full of the best steak, sushi, and tequila. The perks of being in business with Eugene Remm are numerous; but that is definitely one of the best!
AM: As someone who is always on the go and working on the next thing, are there any projects that you can share that you are working on?
NN: The universe provides if you know how to harvest, so I keep working on my universal agricultural skills. I’ve been fortunate to work with brands across a variety of industries, from NIKE, to BOSE, to Tag Heuer, to Vital Proteins, to MCLAREN to name a few, and each one has been a great learning experience. Its enabled me to spot opportunities across a wide spectrum.
The biggest things I’m focusing on now is helping EMERALD EQUITY GROUP create a brand around their new high end luxury rental building they just purchased 2 COOPER SQUARE. Helping create that elevated living experience people have come to expect from me, albeit in a different arena, with Rumble.
I'm a longtime fan and investor in HONEYBRAINS, the restaurant I mentioned before where I eat 80 percent of my meals. I used to just be a customer and ending up striking up a conversation with one of the owners. Now I’m an investor and helping them grow the brand! All because of giving off that welcoming energy that created the environment for me and the co-owner to strike up a conversation. Remember what I said about chasing relationships! You have to be open, aware, and receptive to the early stages of them!
I’m working with my boy Louis Denaples who owns Ducati New York City on some branding projects for his motorcycle shops; and helping him create a retail line around the Ducati lifestyle.
I’ve been in talks with SIRIUS and other networks about my own show which is something I’m extremely passionate about now. At the end of the day, I just want to impact people. I want people to engage with me, through a variety of platform; yet always know that they are going to get that positive energy and support they need to unlock the greatness within themselves. I pitched a lifestyle travel show with my own unique twist pre-pandemic that is picking up some attention and steam; so stay tuned for announcements on that!
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PHOTOS COURTESY | Noah Neiman
Read the OCT ISSUE #71 of Athleisure Mag and see Sky’s The Limit with Noah Neiman in mag.
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