Minnesota Acts To Cheer On At This Year's Grammys

UPDATE (Feb. 8, 2014): Two of the artists mentioned in the story below won their categories -- Aaron Sheehan and Craig Hella Johnson. Congratulations to both from WCCO.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- While the majority of this year's big Grammys are expected to go to people as far-flung as British crooners Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, or Australian songstresses Sia and Iggy Azalea, there are a few categories with candidates much closer to home.

The most sentimental nomination for Minnesota observers may well be the nod for best contemporary classical composition. Stephen Paulus is nominated for his "Concerto for Two Trumpets and Band." The Minnesota composer died last October at age 65 of complications from a stroke. Paulus moved to the Twin Cities from New Jersey and received multiple degrees from the University of Minnesota.

A few other Minnesotans are represented in the classical music fields. Tenor Aaron Sheehan is up for best opera recording for his performance of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's "La descente d'Orphée aux enfers." Also, conductor and St. Olaf College graduate Craig Hella Johnson is nominated for best choral performance for leading the group Conspirare in their performance of "The Sacred Spirit of Russia."

The Okee Dokee Brothers are hoping for their second win in the best children's album category. They won two years ago for their album "Can You Canoe?" They are currently up for their LP "Through the Woods."

Also, the liner notes for the retrospective Twin Cities R&B compilation "Purple Snow: Forecasting the Minneapolis Sound," written by Jon Kirby, were also nominated for best album notes.

The Grammy Awards will be broadcast on WCCO on Sunday, Feb. 8.

Here are the full categories for the aforementioned Minnesota contenders:

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

• Become Ocean -- John Luther Adams, composer (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony)
• Prince Of Clouds -- Anna Clyne, composer (Jaime Laredo, Jennifer Koh, Vinay Parameswaran & Curtis 20/21 Ensemble)
• Voices From The Heartland -- George Crumb, composer (Ann Crumb, Patrick Mason, James Freeman & Orchestra 2001)
• Concerto For Two Trumpets & Band -- Stephen Paulus, composer (Eric Berlin, Richard Kelley, James Patrick Miller & UMASS Wind Ensemble)
• Sinfonía No. 4 -- Roberto Sierra, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

Best Opera Recording

• Charpentier: La descente d'Orphée aux enfers -- Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Aaron Sheehan; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble; Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble)
• Milhaud: L'Orestie D'Eschyle -- Kenneth Kiesler, conductor; Dan Kempson, Jennifer Lane, Tamara Mumford & Brenda Rae; Tim Handley, producer (University Of Michigan Percussion Ensemble & University Of Michigan Symphony Orchestra; University Of Michigan Chamber Choir, University Of Michigan Orpheus Singers, University Of Michigan University Choir & UMS Choral Union)
• Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie -- William Christie, conductor; Sarah Connolly, Stéphane Degout, Christiane Karg, Ed Lyon & Katherine Watson; Sébastien Chonion, producer (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; The Glyndebourne Chorus)
• Schönberg: Moses und Aron -- Sylvain Cambreling, conductor; Andreas Conrad & Franz Grundheber; Reinhard Oechsler, producer (SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg; EuropaChorAkademie)
• Strauss: Elektra -- Christian Thielemann, conductor; Evelyn Herlitzius, Waltraud Meier, René Pape & Anne Schwanewilms; Magdalena Herbst, producer (Staatskapelle Dresden; Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden)

Best Choral Performance

• Bach: Matthäus-Passion -- René Jacobs, conductor (Werner Güra & Johannes Weisser; Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin; Rias Kammerchor & Staats-Und Domchor Berlin)
• Dyrud: Out Of Darkness -- Vivianne Sydnes, conductor (Erlend Aagaard Nilsen & Geir Morten Øien; Sarah Head & Lars Sitter; Nidaros Cathedral Choir)
• Holst: First Choral Symphony; The Mystic Trumpeter -- Andrew Davis (conductor); Stephen Jackson, chorus master (Susan Gritton; BBC Symphony Orchestra; BBC Symphony Chorus)
• Mozart: Requiem Mass in D minor -- John Butt (musician), conductor (Matthew Brook, Rowan Hellier, Thomas Hobbs & Joanne Lunn; Dunedin Consort)
• The Sacred Spirit Of Russia -- Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Conspirare)

Best Children's Album

• Appetite For Construction -– The Pop Ups
• I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World -– Neela Vaswani
• Just Say Hi! –- Brady Rymer And The Little Band That Could
• The Perfect Quirk –- Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
• Through The Woods –- The Okee Dokee Brothers

Best Album Notes

• Happy: The 1920 Rainbo Orchestra Sides -- David Sager, album notes writer (Isham Jones Rainbo Orchestra)
• I'm Just Like You: Sly's Stone Flower 1969–70 -- Alec Palao, album notes writer (Various Artists)
• Offering: Live At Temple University -- Ashley Kahn, album notes writer (John Coltrane)
• The Other Side Of Bakersfield: 1950s & 60s Boppers And Rockers From Nashville West -- Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Various Artists)
• Purple Snow: Forecasting The Minneapolis Sound -- Jon Kirby, album notes writer (Various Artists)
• The Rise & Fall Of Paramount Records, Volume One (1917–27) -- Scott Blackwood, album notes writer (Various Artists)