Arts & Entertainment
Grammy noms 2018: Brandi Carlile, Janelle Monáe and more LGBT artists
More women were nominated than ever before this year


Janelle Monáe’s album ‘Dirty Computer.’ (Photo courtesy Atlantic)
The Recording Academy announced the nominees for the 61st Grammy Awards on Friday with women and LGBT artists dominating the list.
Out Americana singer Brandi Carlile received six nominations including for Album (“By The Way, I Forgive You”) and Record of the Year (“The Joke”). This makes her the most nominated woman at the Grammys this year. Carlile is up against pansexual artist Janelle Monáe’s “Dirty Computer” which was also nominated for Album of the Year.
Monáe’s music video for“Pynk” was also nominated for Best Music Video.
Queer artist St. Vincent was nominated for Best Alternative Album (“Masseduction”) and Best Rock Song.
Transgender representation was included among the nominees. Songwriter Teddy Geiger was nominated for co-writing “In My Blood” by Shawn Mendes. Transgender musician Sophie’s album “Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides” was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album.
Other notable mentions include the “Call Me By Your Name” soundtrack which was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. Sufjan Stevens’ song “Mystery of Love” from the soundtrack was nominated for Best Song Written For Visual Media.
The nominations kept on rolling in for “A Star is Born,” which received three nominations for the song “Shallow,” performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, including for Record of the Year.
Kendrick Lamar earned the most recognition with eight nominations for his work on the “Black Panther” soundtrack.
Overall, this year’ s Grammy’s saw more women getting nominated as the categories expanded its lists from five to eight nominees.
The Grammys air on Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. on CBS. For a complete list of nominees, visit here.
Record of the Year
“I Like It” — Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile
“This Is America” — Childish Gambino
“God’s Plan” — Drake
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
“All the Stars” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“Rockstar” — Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
“The Middle” — Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Album of the Year
“Invasion Of Privacy” — Cardi B
“By The Way, I Forgive You” — Brandi Carlile
“Scorpion” — Drake
“H.E.R.” — H.E.R.
“Beerbongs & Bentleys” — Post Malone
“Dirty Computer” — Janelle Monáe
“Golden Hour” — Kacey Musgraves
“Black Panther: The Album”— Various artists
Song of the Year
“All The Stars” — Kendrick Duckworth, Solána Rowe, Al Shuckburgh, Mark Spears & Anthony Tiffith (Kendrick Lamar & SZA)
“Boo’d Up” — Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai & Dijon McFarlane (Ella Mai)
“God’s Plan” — Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)
“In My Blood” — Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes & Geoffrey Warburton (Shawn Mendes)
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth (Brandi Carlile)
“The Middle” — Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha & Anton Zaslavski (Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey)
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)
“This Is America” — Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson (Childish Gambino)
Best New Artist
Chloe x Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Colors” — Beck
“Havana (Live)” — Camila Cabello
“God Is A Woman” — Ariana Grande
“Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)” — Lady Gaga
“Better Now” — Post Malone
Best Pop Vocal Album
“Camila” — Camila Cabello
“Meaning Of Life” — Kelly Clarkson
“Sweetener” — Ariana Grande
“Shawn Mendes” — Shawn Mendes
“Beautiful Trauma” — P!nk
“Reputation” — Taylor Swift
Best Dance Recording
“Northern Soul” — Above & Beyond featuring Richard Bedford
“Ultimatum” — Disclosure featuring Fatoumata Diawara
“Losing It” — Fisher
“Electricity” — Silk City & Dua Lipa featuring Diplo & Mark Ronson
“Ghost Voices” — Virtual Self
Best Rock Song
“Black Smoke Rising” — Jacob Thomas Kiszka, Joshua Michael Kiszka, Samuel Francis Kiszka & Daniel Robert Wagner, songwriters (Greta Van Fleet)
“Jumpsuit” — Tyler Joseph, songwriter (Twenty One Pilots)
“MANTRA” — Jordan Fish, Matthew Kean, Lee Malia, Matthew Nicholls & Oliver Sykes, songwriters (Bring Me The Horizon) “Masseduction” — Jack Antonoff & Annie Clark, songwriters (St. Vincent)
“Rats” — Tom Dalgety & A Ghoul Writer, songwriters (Ghost)
Best Rock Album
“Rainier Fog”— Alice in Chains
“M A N I A”— Fall Out Boy
“Prequelle“ — Ghost
“From the Fires” — Greta Van Fleet
“Pacific Daydream” —Weezer
Best Urban Contemporary Album
“Everything Is Love” — The Carters
“The Kids Are Alright” — Chloe x Halle
“Chris Dave And The Drumhedz” — Chris Dave And The Drumhedz
“War & Leisure” — Miguel
“Ventriloquism” — Meshell Ndegeocello
Best Rap Album
“Invasion Of Privacy” — Cardi B
“Swimming” — Mac Miller
“Victory Lap” — Nipsey Hussle
“Daytona” — Pusha T
“Astroworld” — Travis Scott
Best Country Album
“Unapologetically” — Kelsea Ballerini
“Port Saint Joe” — Brothers Osborne
“Girl Going Nowhere”— Ashley McBride
“Golden Hour” — Kacey Musgraves
“From A Room: Volume 2″— Chris Stapleton
Best Jazz Vocal Album
“My Mood Is You” — Freddy Cole
“The Questions” — Kurt Elling
“The Subject Tonight Is Love” — Kate McGarry with Keith Ganz & Gary Versace
“If You Really Want” — Raul Midón with The Metropole Orkest, conducted by Vince Mendoza
“The Window” — Cécile McLorin Salvant
Best Gospel Album
“One Nation Under God” — Jekalyn Carr
“Hiding Place” — Tori Kelly
“Make Room” — Jonathan McReynolds
“The Other Side” — The Walls Group
“A Great Work” — Brian Courtney Wilson
Best Latin Pop Album
“Prometo” — Pablo Alboran
“Sincera” — Claudia Brant Musas
“(Un Homenaje al Folclore Latinoamericano en Manos de los Macorinos), Vol. 2” — Natalia Lafourcade
“2:00 AM” — Raquel Sofía
“Vives” — Carlos Vives
Best Americana Album
“By The Way, I Forgive You” — Brandi Carlile
“Things Have Changed” — Bettye LaVette
“The Tree Of Forgiveness” — John Prine
“The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone” — Lee Ann Womack
“One Drop Of Truth” — The Wood Brothers
Best Comedy Album
“Annihilation” — Patton Oswalt
“Equanimity & The Bird Revelation” — Dave Chappelle
“Noble Ape” — Jim Gaffigan
“Standup for Drummers” — Fred Armisen
“Tamborine” — Chris Rock
Best Song Written For Visual Media
“All The Stars” — Kendrick Duckworth, Solána Rowe, Alexander William Shuckburgh, Mark Anthony Spears & Anthony Tiffith (Kendrick Lamar & SZA), “Black Panther”
“Mystery Of Love” — Sufjan Stevens (Sufjan Stevens), “Call Me By Your Name”
“Remember Me” — Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez (Miguel, featuring Natalia Lafourcade), “Coco”
“Shallow” — Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper), “A Star Is Born”
“This Is Me” — Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, songwriters (Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble), “The Greatest Showman”
Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
Boi-1da
Larry Klein
Linda Perry
Kanye West
Pharrell Williams
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns bigger than ever with two-day WorldPride celebration

The Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier will be extended to a two-day celebration in honor of WorldPride coming to D.C. this year. Taking place on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 at The Wharf, this year’s event promises more entertainment, more community, and more pride than ever before — all set against the stunning waterfront backdrop of our nation’s capital.
With the addition of Friday, the party kicks off at 3 p.m., with the inaugural WorldPride Boat Parade at 7 p.m. As an Official WorldPride Partner event, the boat parade will feature 30 decorated boats parading along the Washington Channel. For information on signing up for the boat parade contact Stephen Rutgers at [email protected].
Saturday’s signature Pier Party kicks off at 12 p.m., featuring a drag show, DJ’s, streaming of the WorldPride Parade, and the iconic Fireworks Show Presented by the Leonard-Litz Foundation — one of D.C. Pride’s most anticipated spectacles.
“We’re expanding Washington Blade Pride on the Pier to reflect the excitement and momentum building for WorldPride in D.C.,” said Blade publisher Lynne Brown. “It’s a celebration of our community’s progress and a powerful reminder of the joy and visibility Pride brings to the heart of our city.”
Now in its seventh year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access, hosted bars, and private viewing areas for the boat parade and the fireworks show. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Friday VIP: 5-9 p.m., enjoy an air-conditioned lounge, private bathroom, cash bar and complimentary drink.
Saturday VIP Session #1: 2-5 p.m., enjoy an air-conditioned lounge, private bathroom, catered food, and an open bar.
Saturday VIP Session #2: 6-9 p.m., enjoy the air-conditioned lounge, private bathroom, catered snacks and dinner, and open bar with a front-row view of the fireworks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq., S.W., Washington, D.C.)
📅 Dates: Friday, June 6 & Saturday, June 7, 2025
🛥️Boat Parade: 7 p.m. (June 6). 🎆 Fireworks Show: 9 p.m. (June 7)
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
Event sponsors include Absolut, Capital Pride, DC Fray, Infinate Legacy, Heineken, Leonard-Litz Foundation, Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, Relish Catering, Washingtonian, and The Wharf. More information regarding activities will be released at www.PrideOnThePierDC.com
Arts & Entertainment
Win a pair of tickets to Grace Jones & Janelle Monáe @ The Anthem on June 5, 2025!


The Cherry Weekend main event party was “Fire” at Betty (1235 W Street, N.E.) on Saturday, April 12. Detox of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” met with fans.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)














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