Traditional pop? Grammys give odd nomination to Springsteen’s ‘Only the Strong Survive’

by JAY LUSTIG
springsteen grammy only the strong survive

The cover of Bruce Springsteen’s album, “Only the Strong Survive.”

Bruce Springsteen’s November 2022 album of R&B and soul covers, Only the Strong Survive, did not receive any nominations in the R&B categories in the 66th annual Grammy Awards. (The nominees — for music released from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 15, 2023 — were announced today). But oddly, the album has been nominated in the Traditional Pop Vocal Album category. It will compete against Liz Callaway’s To Steve With Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim; Rickie Lee Jones’ Pieces of Treasure; Laufey’ Bewitched; Pentatonix’s Holidays Around the World; and Sondheim Unplugged (The NYC Sessions), Vol. 3, featuring various New York-based cabaret performers.

The Grammys even have a Traditional R&B Performance category, for “new vocal or instrumental traditional R&B recordings,” but Springsteen is not nominated there.

Springsteen has won 20 Grammys, but his last one was in 2010. His only nomination over the last 10 years has been in the Spoken Word Album category, in 2018, for the audiobook of his “Born to Run” autobiography: He received no nominations at all for his High Hopes, Western Stars or Letter to You albums.

For the full list of Grammy nominees, visit grammy.com.

The awards ceremony will take place Feb. 4 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

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