CIF-SS girls tennis finals: Mater Dei falls to Westlake in ‘heartbreaker;’ Aliso Niguel wins D1 title

• November 11, 2023

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CLAREMONT — Mater Dei girls tennis coach Debbie Shaffer predicted a close match with Westlake in the CIF-SS Open Division final on Friday.

Shaffer was right, but the Monarchs and Warriors pushed their duel into the extremely close category.

Westlake knocked off No. 1-seeded Mater Dei on the games tiebreaker after the teams ended a nearly 3 1/2-hour clash locked at 9-9 sets at Pomona Pitzer College’s Pauley Tennis Complex. Westlake edged Mater Dei in games won, 82-80.

“It is a heartbreaker,” Shaffer said. “That’s what we tell the girls before they go out on the court — it’s all about games. You got to just try to get every single game. It’s hard. I’m sure all these girls are looking back at a set where they could have got one game or could have done maybe a little bit more.”

“(But) it’s not over,” the coach added. “It’s definitely not over. We will be coming back.”

Mater Dei (20-2) aims to continue its postseason as the defending CIF SoCal Regional champion. The Monarchs lost to San Marino in the Open Division final last season and came back to win the regional title.

This year, the SoCal regional champion advances to the inaugural state championship.

No. 2 seeded Westlake (26-2) rallied from a 4-2 deficit after the first round to win two tiebreakers in the second round to take a 7-5 lead. Mater Dei responded in the third round but the outcome remained in doubt even after the teams finished tied 9-9.

Officials and coaches counted games for several minutes as the anticipation built. Westlake finally broke into a wild celebration.

“You guys are ballers,” Westlake coach Scott Yasgoor told his players. “Three seniors won all those singles matches. … They just showed up big. They won matches today and my doubles got (the) games.”

Westlake’s trio of Allison Lian, Ariana Liu and Megan Sun racked up seven points in singles.

Mater Dei collected seven of its points in doubles, including a sweep from the senior duo of Athena Wardy and Chloe Wu.

The drama of the third round included Mater Dei’s Haley Tran being evaluated by a trainer before playing her singles match.

In other CIF-SS tennis finals Friday:

Division 1: Aliso Niguel def. Los Osos, 9-9, 71-64: Aliso Niguel edged No. 1 seed Los Osos in the games tiebreaker, 71-64, to win the CIF-SS championship.

Division 2: Laguna Beach def. Calabasas 10-8: Jessica and Rebecca MacCallum swept in singles to lead the Breakers to the title at The Claremont Club. It was Laguna Beach’s first section crown since 2005.

Division 4: Crean Lutheran 11, Oxford Academy 7: Top-seeded Crean Lutheran defeated No. 3 seed Oxford Academy in the CIF-SS finals.

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CIF-SS girls tennis polls, Oct. 23

​ Orange County Register 

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12 Disneyland Festival of Holidays foods ranked from best to worst

• November 11, 2023

Disneyland foodies brought their appetites for the kick-off of Disney’s annual Festival of Holidays food fest inspired by cultural traditions tied to Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Navidad and Three Kings Day.

The Disney Festival of Holidays began Friday, Nov. 10 and runs through Jan. 7 at Disney California Adventure.

The 2023 Festival of Holidays returns with eight festival marketplace booths offering small plates highlighting winter holiday eats and drinks. DCA eateries and food stands as well as Downtown Disney restaurants will also serve festival fare.

Sip and Savor passes ($61 for general visitors, $56 for Magic Keyholders) are back again this year that allow visitors to purchase a prepaid card with eight tabs good for individual items at food and beverage stands throughout the event.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland bringing back ‘Fantasmic’ for summer 2024 kickoff

Here’s a rundown of our 12 favorite bites from the Disney Festival of Holidays marketplace booths ranked from best to worst.

Chocolate macaron filled with ganache, peanut butter mousse, and salted pretzels available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

1) Mad Santa Macaron

Favorite Things marketplace booth$7.50

OMG. Disney does sugar better than anybody. And the Mad Santa Macaron at this year’s Festival of Holidays food fest is a sterling example of that sugary excellency.

My expectations were high for this one and somehow the Disney pastry chefs managed to exceed them.

The Mad Santa Macaron is a chocolate lover’s dream come true with a peanut butter mousse surprise in the middle.

The sensible and courteous thing to do would be to share this hockey puck-sized dessert. But tell your friends and loved ones to go get their own macaron filled with chocolate ganache goodness. You and they will both thank me.

Braised pork belly adobo with garlic rice available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

2) Braised Pork Belly Adobo

Favorite Things marketplace booth$8.50

The Braised Pork Belly Adobo had the best flavors I tasted at the Festival of Holiday food fest. And I wasn’t alone in my assessment. The Favorite Things marketplace booth serving the Pork Belly Adobo — along with the Mad Santa Macaron — had the longest line of the food festival.

I’d order the adobo again and recommend it to anybody heading out to the festival. It was the best cut of meat I ate all day.

My favorite thing about the dish was finding little bits of garlic inside the garlic rise. The chicharrones added a surprising crunch every few bites.

Savory kugel mac & cheese with herb breadcrumbs, sour cream and chives available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

3) Savory Kugel Mac & Cheese

A Twist on Tradition marketplace booth$8.50

What I love about a food festival is trying new takes on old standbys. The Kugel Mac & Cheese fits that bill at this year’s Festival of Holidays.

If you like mac and cheese — like I do — and exploring new twists on classic favorites — like I do — then you will love the Kugel Mac and Cheese. A kugel is a traditional Jewish baked casserole — and the perfect platform for mac and cheese exploration.

The Kugel Mac and Cheese was creamy, light and delicate — and the best of the three mac and cheese dishes on the menu at this year’s festival marketplace booths.

I was still picking the herb breadcrumbs out of my teeth as I prepared to move onto the next dish — even though I couldn’t stop thinking about the last one.

IMPOSSIBLE Chorizo Queso Fundido with house-made tortilla chips available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

4) Impossible Chorizo Queso Fundido

Brews & Bites marketplace booth$7.50

The cheesy fundido was one of the best things I tried at the Festival of Holidays food booths. It was easy to share, not super filling and one of those dishes you just can’t stop eating.

I found myself using the crumbs of the house-made tortilla chips to scrape the last of the fundido out of the bottom of the bowl — a true sign of a good dish.

Dropping the “shredded chorizo” into the cheese dip turned out to be an excellent way to hide the Impossible meat. You think about the fakeness less when it’s slathered in cheese.

Esquites carnitas mac & cheese with salsa macha and spiced puffed rice and barbacoa tamal de res available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

5) Esquites Carnitas Mac & Cheese

Holiday Duets marketplace booth$9

There’s lots of carnitas piled on top of this dish if that’s what you’re craving. This was the most satisfying of the three mac and cheese dishes at the festival booths.

The carnitas was juicy, delicious and plentiful. The dried pepper salsa macha gave the dish a bite that will surprise you.

As you’ll see in the next dish on the list, mac and cheese made up a quarter of the 12 food menu items at the festival booths.

Is it time for Disney to throw a cheese-centric food fest? I’d be first in line.

Southern Mac & Cheese with andouille sausage and spiced panko crunch and IMPOSSIBLE chicken curry bites with lemon raita and coriander chutney available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

6) Southern Mac & Cheese

Merry Mashups marketplace booth$9

This is your standard issue mac and cheese with elbow noodles that you simply can’t stop eating.

It was a little smoky and very creamy with just a tiny hint of heat from the andouille sausage and spiced panko crunch. What I like to call Disney spice — just enough heat to make you take notice without offending the most conservative taste buds.

The Southern Mac & Cheese typified the menu at this year’s Festival of the Holidays marketplace booths – a familiar and reliable mix of good old fashion, down home comfort food.

Pumpkin layered cheesecake available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

7) Pumpkin Layered Cheesecake

Making Spirits Bright marketplace booth$6.50

I’m not a pumpkin fan — so I wasn’t looking forward to this one.

Low expectations usually work in my favor — and they did once again this time around.

There’s just the right amount of gooey pumpkin cake here on top of the New York-style cheesecake.

The spiced chantilly and graham cracker add just the right combination of cream and crunch to complete this delightfully dreamy dessert.

Sugar tart filled with caramel and chocolate mousse, topped with TWIX cookie bar pieces and holiday sprinkles, barbacoa tamal de res, esquites carnitas mac & cheese with salsa macha and spiced puffed rice and pumpkin layered cheesecake available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

8) Barbacoa Tamal de Res

Grandma’s Recipes marketplace booth$9

If you’re not at the food festival to try something new, then you should get the barbacoa tamale.

While barbacoa is the “it” meat preparation of the moment, this tamale tastes exactly what you would expect a tamale to taste like. The tomatillo salsa adds a little tang to every bite and the Oaxaca cheese and crema completes the classic presentation.

The Barbacoa Tamal de Res is certainly one of the best values at the festival — stuffed with more meat than most tamales.

Don’t expect any twists, mash-ups or surprises here. This is just a tasty tamale that will fill you up and remind you of grandma’s house during the holidays. And there’s nothing wrong with that — and nothing to complain about and nothing to write home about either.

Beef brisket slider with smoked onions and horseradish ketchup on a pretzel roll available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

9) Beef Brisket Slider

Winter Sliderland marketplace booth$9

I had high expectations for the Beef Brisket Slider, but it let me down big time. The meat looked and tasted more like roast beef than barbecued brisket — more chewy than beefy.

Ketchup — or in this case horseradish ketchup — is not my jam. Especially when I’m looking for that barbecue sweetness to go with the brisket. All the ketchup did was make the whole sandwich sloppy and the meat slimy.

I appreciate the Disney chefs throwing in a twist to the traditional Beef Brisket Slider, but this one just did not work for me.

The pretzel bun was outstanding, but you never want to be looking for the bread to save a sandwich when everything else is a disappointment.

Togarashi Karaage Chicken Slider with furikake mayo slaw on a Hawaiian roll available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

10) Togarashi Karaage Chicken Slider

Winter Sliderland marketplace booth$9

The tangy furikake mayo slaw was the star of the show with this slider when the fried chicken tender should have been front and center.

The Hawaiian roll was a great way to slop up the excess slaw that toppled from the slider as I ate. But I came for the chicken and left unimpressed.

But this is what I enjoy about a food fest. Even when the thing you’re sure you’re going to love lets you down, you still go away happy because there are plenty of other bites on the menu to satisfy and surprise you.

IMPOSSIBLE chicken curry bites with lemon raita and coriander chutney available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

11) Impossible Chicken Curry Bites

Making Spirits Bright marketplace booth$7.50

I love curry on just about anything and these nuggets had a hint of curry flavor with a little bit of heat I could feel on my lips. The drizzled lemon raita and coriander chutney helped cool things down a little bit.

But I couldn’t get past the fact that I was basically eating Chicken McNuggets at twice the cost of McDonald’s.

The flavors were fun and tasty, but the fake chicken nuggets looked a little too flat and uniform to be mistaken for real chicken tenders.

Faking it is a big part of the Impossible food pitch. The fake out is supposed to be so convincing that you don’t even think about the fact that it’s not real chicken. The more I thought about the “chickeness” of the nuggets, the less I liked the consistency of the fake meat.

This would be a great way for a first timer to try curry, but I wouldn’t recommend it to any families looking to satisfy finicky kids with some chicken nuggets. There’s enough curry flavor here to make them turn up their noses and push the tray away.

Chocolate mousse topped with TWIX cookie bar pieces and holiday sprinkles available during Disney Festival of Holidays inside California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

12) Chocolate Tart

Holiday Duets marketplace booth$7.50

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See Disneyland Jungle Cruise boat towed to safety — and the skipper never misses a joke

Talk about complete and utter disappointment. I was expecting this tart to be at the top of my list when I walked into the festival. Instead it ended up at the very bottom.

Chocolate mousse and caramel plus Twix candy bar pieces? What could possibly go wrong?

I love chocolate. The only thing better is double or triple chocolate. But somehow this was just an unsatisfying end to an otherwise enjoyable festival feast.

I pretty much got a mouthful of chocolate mousse with a bit of dry and crumbly crust and was underwhelmed. The Twix pieces were nowhere to be found. It was just not what I wanted with everything else on the menu.

Maybe I was full. Maybe my taste buds were spent. But this Chocolate Tart just didn’t do it for me.

​ Orange County Register 

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NWSL final features Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger farewells

• November 11, 2023

The National Women’s Soccer League couldn’t have scripted a better championship game matchup.

OL Reign’s Megan Rapinoe and Gotham FC’s Ali Krieger will face off in the final professional match for both of the veteran stars on Saturday night in San Diego.

The two-time World Cup winners are both retiring after long club careers. An NWSL title has eluded both of them so far.

“With Ali, we’ve been through so much together. We’ve played in the biggest games together, played in world championship games together while the president was tweeting at us, so I feel in this moment we’re just happy to be together,” Rapinoe said. “I think we both wish each other so well. We’re so happy and proud of each other.”

Rapinoe announced before this summer’s Women’s World Cup that she was stepping away from the game after a career that included two World Cup titles, an Olympic gold medal and an Olympic bronze.

At the 2019 World Cup in France, Rapinoe scored six goals, including a penalty in the final against the Netherlands. Her victory pose at the championship game became one of the most memorable images of the dominant U.S. run.

Krieger was also on that team, which elicited reaction tweets from former President Donald Trump over whether the United States would visit the White House if it won the title. The Americans won and did not visit the White House.

Both players were also on the U.S. World Cup team that won the title in 2015.

Rapinoe played her final match with the U.S. in September, but the NWSL title match will mark her last appearance for the Reign after 11 seasons with the club. She is one of just five players league-wide who have remained with the same team since the NWSL’s launch.

Krieger, 39, announced before the start of the season that it would be her last.

Krieger’s club career has stretched some 16 years, with stops in Germany and Sweden. She won a Champions League title with Frankfurt. On home soil, she played for the Washington Spirit before a lengthy stint with the Orlando Pride from 2016 to 2021.

At the 2011 World Cup quarterfinals, Krieger scored the game-winning penalty kick after a 2-2 draw against Brazil. The Americans went on to lose on penalties to Japan that year. In all, Krieger made 108 appearances for the United States.

“It’s such a Cinderella ending for Krieger, and Pinoe. They have given so much of themselves to this game,” Gotham forward Lynn Williams said. “I think that both of them are so deserving.”

Krieger said Friday she’s most proud of how she is seeing the results of some of the things she advocated for. She said when the NWSL launched in 2013, she was fighting for socks to wear at training.

“To see where it is now, and to see what we have, and to come here and feel like this final is what we deserve, with all the media attention, the social media going on. I mean, just the level of professionalism has definitely been tremendous,” she said.

The league on Thursday announced a new media rights deal worth $60 million a year. The package will put NWSL matches on CBS Sports, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video and Scripps Sports broadcast and streaming platforms for the next four years.

Attendance at NWSL games also grew 36% across the board this season. The San Diego Wave led the league with an average of 20,718 fans per home match.

Gotham finished 8-7-7 this season and earned the final spot in the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. The team eliminated North Carolina and the Portland Thorns — both on the road — to reach the final.

The Reign was the No. 4 seed after finishing 9-8-5, and downed Angel City and the San Diego Wave in the postseason to advance.

POSTSEASON AWARDS

North Carolina Courage forward Kerolin was named the league’s MVP on Friday after a vote by the players, team staffs, media and fans. She scored 10 goals for the Courage this season.

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Other winners of the league’s postseason awards: Gotham’s Jenna Nighswonger (Huntington Beach) was named Rookie of the Year, San Diego’s Naomi Girma was named Defender of the Year, Houston’s Jane Campbell was named Goalkeeper of the Year and Gotham’s Juan Carlos Amorós was named Coach of the Year.

NEW TROPHY

Tiffany & Co. and the league collaborated on a new championship trophy fashioned from 24K gold vermeil and sterling silver to be awarded for the first time this year. The trophy had not been refreshed since the league’s opening season.

Tiffany also designed the league’s MVP trophy.

NWSL Championship

Who: OL Reign vs. Gotham FC

When: Saturday, 5 p.m.

Where: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego

How to watch: CBS (Ch. 2), Paramount+

​ Orange County Register 

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U.S. and Canada renew women’s hockey rivalry at Crypto.com Arena

• November 10, 2023

Many of the most decorated Olympic hockey players in the world will take the ice at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday afternoon when Team USA will confront Team Canada as part of the annual Rivalry Series between the two most elite programs in women’s hockey.

Future Hockey Hall of Fame locks like Marie-Philip Poulin of Canada and Hilary Knight of the American selection will lead their countries, with the United States looking to extend its advantage in the seven-game exhibition series to 2-0 after prevailing 3-1 in Arizona on Wednesday.

Knight, 2023’s player of the year on the international level, scored a goal and assisted on Taylor Heise’s tally before Alex Carpenter provided an insurance marker. Heise could be a successor to Knight as the face of the program. She scored more goals than anyone in the NCAA over the past two seasons combined while attending Minnesota and became the first No. 1 overall pick in the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League draft. Goalie Aerin Frankel was resplendent with 35 saves, beaten only by Brianne Jenner’s putback goal.

“Our team really stacked together a lot of good play,” Knight said.

The captain’s “C” has been sewn onto Knight’s sweater while Kendall Coyne-Schofield has been away from the team as she cared for her and former Chargers offensive lineman Michael Schofield’s first child, son Drew, who was born over the summer.

Knight has won nine gold medals at the Worlds (tied with Canadian Danielle Goyette for the most all-time), one at the Olympics and two NCAA national championships with the University of Wisconsin. Her 13 medals overall tie for the most ever with arguably the greatest player of all time, Canadian Hayley Wickenheiser. When she was asked about her record at the Worlds, she quipped that she “just wanted to pass [Tom] Brady.” Her wit proved as stealthy as her scoring touch.

“It seems like she comes out of nowhere and scores goals,” said Canada’s Sarah Nurse to reporters in Arizona postgame. “She’s a super talented player around the net and doesn’t miss many.”

This rivalry has been defined more by that sort of mutual respect than by the blood, tears, sweat and political turmoil of the old Czechoslovakia-Russia men’s matches or the 1972 Summit Series, however there has been no equivalent in men’s hockey to the dominance of these two programs. The most recent chapter of their battle for supremacy was at April’s World Championships, where Knight picked up a hat trick for career points Nos. 99, 100 and 101 to power the Americans past Canada 6-3 in the gold-medal game.

That victory drew the U.S. nearer to Canada’s gold-medal count, making it 12-10. The nations have been either the winner or the runner-up in every World Championship except 2019, when the Americans defeated Finland in a final whose controversial ending elicited a circuitous explanation from the International Ice Hockey Federation.

Of the seven Olympic gold medals in the history of women’s hockey, all have been won by either Canada (five) or the U.S. (two), with Canada capturing gold in 2022. As in the Worlds, there has only been one Olympic runner-up from outside North America, Sweden, at the 2006 Turin Olympics where the Swedish men stood atop the medal stand.

In the Rivalry Series last year, Canada had the last laugh, and it was a bellowing one. It trailed the U.S. in the series before managing a pair of victories, including an overtime affair at Crypto.com Arena. Canada proceeded to dismantle the Americans by an aggregate score of 10-1 in the final two games in Quebec, completing the reverse sweep.

Saturday, there will be Southern California connections and some intertwining with the local NHL franchises. Defenseman Cayla Barnes hails from Eastvale and was a member of the Lady Ducks. She has excelled at the collegiate level with Boston College and, this season, Ohio State. The Americans are stewarded by John Wroblewski, who had previously coached the Kings’ top minor-league affiliate, the Ontario Reign.

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After winning gold together earlier this year, he and Knight shared a moment during which she presented him personally with the championship trophy before offering a profound embrace, which Wroblewski said “meant a lot.”

“Personally, being around Hilary has been so invigorating,” he told reporters afterward. “She’s got a presence about her. I’ll follow her anywhere.”

Rivalry Series: USA vs. Canada

When: Saturday, 1 p.m.

Where: Crypto.com Arena

How to watch: NHL Network

​ Orange County Register 

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The Book Pages: Making audiobooks with Henry Winkler and John Stamos

• November 10, 2023

Audiobooks get more popular every year. But that wasn’t the case when Dennis Kao started out.

Back then, he recalls, they were still available on cassette tapes. And some narrators didn’t want it publicized that they were recording books in case it harmed their careers.

“When I started at Time Warner Audiobooks in 2000, audiobooks were definitely not cool. Most people called them ‘books on tape’ … At parties, people turned away from me when I told them what I did for a living,” says Kao, who spoke by phone and a later email follow-up from his Sherman Oaks studio. “But I really loved my job: Getting paid to read, abridge, cast, and record audiobooks didn’t really seem like work.”

Kao recalls coming under the spell of stories early on. “My grandfather told me something once when I was probably 5 years old that I never forgot. He said, ‘Someone can live an incredible 80-year life and have extraordinary experiences, and they will put all their wisdom into a book and all you have to do to absorb their wisdom is to read their book,’” says Kao. “Me and my cousins would jump in his bed every night before bed and he would tell us stories.

“He was a great storyteller and we would sit there with our mouths open,” says Kao. “That’s the magic of storytelling.”

Literati Audio’s Dennis Kao talks about his career of producing audiobooks. (Photo by Alessandro Gentile / Radium 88 Productions / Courtesy of Literati Audio)

Kao got into the audiobook business on a fluke but stuck with it – he recalls turning down a potentially lucrative offer to sell bonds – and it has developed into a lifelong passion. After working for publishers, he started his own company in 2008, which has studios in Hollywood and Sherman Oaks, and he has made audiobooks with Mel Brooks, Viola Davis, Jack Black, Cheech Marin, and Sarah Silverman as well as authors such as Michael Connelly and more.

“I’ve seen the industry evolve over the last 20-plus years, and I’ve had the pleasure of recording a lot of interesting people. This year, I recorded such notable authors as Henry Winkler, John Stamos, Kerry Washington and Rainn Wilson,” says Kao. “The BTS biography was fascinating – learning about the Korean idol factories. Every week, it’s something different; you are constantly learning, and that’s the best part of the job.”

So what was it like working with Winkler, who praised Kao in the New York Times, on the Macmillan Audio version of “Being Henry: The Fonz … And Beyond”?

“We’ve done several books now. So we have this rhythm,” says Kao, who, along with the recording, aims to provide what he calls, “author care,” such as having warm tea on hand – or even a breakfast burrito – to put a narrator at ease.

“Henry talks about his dyslexia,” says Kao, who had the text of Winkler’s book converted to a font better suited for dyslexic readers before they started. “It’s easier for people who are dyslexic to read.”

“I like to work with actors in person, building chemistry. It becomes more of a team effort to get to the end, and the relationships you develop make the project more rewarding. … I see Henry Winkler now and he’s asking about my daughter and I’m asking what’s going on with his grandkids.”  

Kao also enjoyed working with Stamos on the actor’s memoir, “If You Would Have Told Me” (Macmillan Audio).

John Stamos, at Literati Audio, reads his audiobook “If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir.” (Photo by Alessandro Gentile/Radium 88 Productions & Courtesy of Literati Audio / Macmillan Audio)

“John Stamos, by the way, is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met,” says Kao, adding the actor took him to In-N-Out for lunch the first day of recording and invited Kao and his wife to a Beach Boys concert where Stamos performed for some very adoring fans. “They were screaming, ‘I love you, John!’”

(My friend and former colleague Vanessa Franko can attest to Stamos’s nice qualities. Check her out making fasolakia with John Stamos at his house.)

While this all sounds like fun, Kao – without naming names – will admit there have been the occasional challenges: The actor who screamed, “I have to read all these words?!” before slamming down the headphones and storming out. Or the performer who didn’t appreciate pronunciation corrections and complained that no one laughed during the recording of the funny parts.

Then there was the time Kao sent a limosine to pick up an actor for a recording session – and the actor redirected it to the airport and flew out of town instead.

“I was sitting at the studio for a couple of hours before they told me,” says Kao, laughing.

As for the future, Kao says there will be challenges – whether it may be recordings being done overseas or the use of AI to save money – but he hopes to keep doing this work.

“I love my job; I still do. I’ve always loved my job because every week it’s something different, no matter if it’s fiction, nonfiction. memoirs. Every week, I’m learning something new. So I always tell everyone it’s like being paid to be in grad school. Like, literally, it’s the best job because you can learn every week,” says Kao.

“I’ve never regretted not taking that job selling bonds.”

Weekend events

It’s almost the weekend so that can only mean one thing: More book stuff

On Saturday, Nov. 11, The Leimert Park Village Book Fair Presents the Writers’ Symposium with Omar Epps, Eriq La Salle and Gary Phillips from 11-5 p.m. It’s the 16th year for the event, which is partnering with Malik Books, and will feature book signings, panel discussions, writing workshops and more.

Where: Baldwin Hills Crenshaw, 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Los Angeles

For information: leimertparkbookfair.org

On Sunday, Nov. 12, Litlit, The Little Literary Fair returns. Focused on independent publishers from LA and the West Coast, the event is putting on a holiday market at Zebulon with vendors, DJs, small presses and more. I went last year and I really enjoyed it, so I hope this one is just as fun.

Where: Zebulon, 2478 Fletcher Dr., Los Angeles

For info: litlit.org

‘Straw Dogs of the Universe’ author Ye Chun had a dystopian summer

Ye Chun is, most recently, the author of “Straw Dogs of the Universe.” (Photo: Mira Feifei Ye-Flanagan / Courtesy of Catapult)

Ye Chun is a bilingual poet, translator, short-story writer and novelist who teaches at Providence College in Rhode Island. “Hao,” her debut story collection, was much-praised, and she’s written two books of poetry, “Travel Over Water” and “Lantern Puzzle,” and a novel in Chinese, “Peach Tree in the Sea.” She’s a recipient of an NEA Literature Fellowship, a Sustainable Arts Foundation Award and three Pushcart Prizes. “Straw Dogs of the Universe” is her English-language debut novel, and she talked to Michael Schaub for the Book Pages Q&A.

Q. What are you reading now?

I’m rereading Charles Yu’s “Interior Chinatown” for a class I’m teaching. Other books I’m reading are Julie Otsuka’s “Swimmers,” Lisa Damour’s “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers,” and Noa Bellin’s “The Mindful Body.”

Q. How do you decide what to read next?

It often has to do with my state of being. This summer, for example, I read a dozen dystopian novels because I was interested in the genre and also wondering where our world was going. But those visions simply felt too real and terrifying, and I started to read parenting books instead. While not knowing what’s going to happen to our world, I can at least try to be a better parent for the time being.

Q. Is there a book you’re nervous to read?

I don’t think I want to read more dystopian or post-apocalyptic novels for a while.

Q. Do you have any favorite book covers?

I admire Na Kim’s work, including the cover she designed for Yiyun Li’s “Wednesday’s Child” and for my own, “Hao.”

Q. Which books do you plan, or hope, to read next?

I’m planning to read Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai’s “The Mountains Sing” and Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Whereabouts.”

Q. Is there a person who made an impact on your reading life – a teacher, a parent, a librarian or someone else?

My mother is a retired librarian. Growing up, I spent much time at her library and had the privilege of checking out more than a couple of books at a time because she was an employee there. My father also loves books. Reading is something always encouraged in my family. Even now, my father would recommend books for me to read.

Q. What’s a memorable book experience – good or bad – you’re willing to share?

I came across Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” at my mother’s library when I was a college student in Luoyang. Back then, the English novels I’d read were mostly Victorian literature. I had no idea who Morrison was, but I thought the book was the most compelling thing I’d ever read. It was a revelation what literature and the English language could do.

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Bookish (SCNG)

Next on ‘Bookish’

The next installment is Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. as authors Sarah Blakley-Cartwright, Tess Gerritsen and David Ulin join host Sandra Tsing Loh and Samantha Dunn to talk about books. Sign up for free now.

• • •

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​ Orange County Register 

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California homeowners bemoan high home/fire insurance costs

• November 10, 2023

While state regulators craft new regulations and consult with the insurance industry, many Californians are paying extra-high premiums — or going without insurance entirely.

In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order for “prompt regulatory action” to address the plight of California homeowners facing availability and affordability problems in home and fire insurance.

But at its present pace — and with doubts from consumers, lawmakers and insurers about the Department of Insurance’s proposals to alleviate the crisis — help for residents may not arrive until 2026, at least according to the most pessimistic outlook by the insurance industry.

Those waiting are Californians like the Smithlines, a retired couple in Forest Hill in Placer County, who actually saw their fire insurance premium balloon to the point that they’ve decided they will have to do without it.

Bobbi Smithline said their premium this year tripled to almost $6,000 from $1,800 in 2020. They were on the FAIR Plan — the last resort for residents who can’t find traditional insurance — because Farmers would not renew their previous policy three years ago.

“Our property taxes and homeowner insurance came at the same time as the FAIR Plan (bill),” Smithline said. “We can’t afford to do all three… that’s going to leave us with no savings.”

The FAIR Plan is mandated and regulated by the state. Premiums under the plan are usually more expensive, and they’re only getting higher. In September, California’s Department of Insurance approved a rate increase long sought by the insurers that finance the plan, for an average 15.7% rate hike.

As more and more people turn to the FAIR Plan because the biggest insurance providers in the state have either paused new policies or left the state altogether, the plan’s total number of policies climbed to more than 330,000 as of September, an almost 21% rise since the beginning of the year.

The Smithlines have lived in their three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom house for 45 years and raised most of their eight children there. They never had a wildfire until last year, when the Mosquito Fire burned more than 76,000 acres in their county and nearby El Dorado County, Smithline said.

Now she and her husband, Mike, have told their children — who will inherit the house — about their decision. If a fire destroys their house, their plan is to put a mobile home on their 7.2-acre property, or maybe live with one of their kids.

The Smithlines are among the many Californians affected by the insurance mess. But at least they have a choice. Because their home is paid off, they are not required to carry fire insurance like homeowners with a mortgage must do.

Another California homeowner, Donna Yutzy in Magalia in Butte County, told CalMatters that she will pay higher premiums — almost $7,000 a year for both fire and home insurance — because she doesn’t want to risk having no fire insurance.

And Rebecca Reis, another homeowner who recently received a non-renewal notice because her San Francisco building was built before 1925, said her homeowners association will have to raise its dues to cover the increase in premiums for their building, from $7,000 to almost $30,000.

Newsom’s September order followed the failure of proposed legislation to address the crisis, and now California’s Department of Insurance is working on new regulations to try to fix the problems.

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The insurance industry cites a combination of inflation, climate change and several devastating and deadly wildfires since 2017, as well as what it calls outdated state regulations, as factors in carriers’ pulling back or pulling out of California.

There were a total of 8.73 million homeowners policies in 2021, and non-renewals of home and fire insurance policies climbed from 11% in 2018 to 13% in 2021, according to the state insurance department’s most recent data.

​ Orange County Register 

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Grammy Awards 2024: Complete list of nominees

• November 10, 2023

STORY: SZA leads 2024 Grammy nominations as women outpace men in leading categories

These are the nominees announced Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

Album of the Year

“World Music Radio,” Jon Batiste

“The Record,” Boygenius

“Endless Summer Vacation,” Miley Cyrus

“Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” Lana Del Rey

“The Age of Pleasure,” Janelle Monáe

“Guts,” Olivia Rodrigo

“Midnights,” Taylor Swift

“SOS,” SZA

Record of the Year

“Worship,” Jon Batiste

“Not Strong Enough,” Boygenius

“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus

“What Was I Made For?” (From the Motion Picture “Barbie,” Billie Eilish

“On My Mama,” Victoria Monét

“Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo

“Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift

“Kill Bill,” SZA

Song Of The Year

“A&W,” Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey & Sam Dew, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)

“Anti-Hero,” Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

“Butterfly,” Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)

“Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album),” Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)

“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Miley Cyrus)

“Kill Bill,” Rob Bisel, Carter Lang & Solána Rowe, songwriters (SZA)

“Vampire,” Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Olivia Rodrigo)

“What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture ‘Barbie’],” Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

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Best New Artist

Gracie Abrams

Fred Again

Ice Spice

Jelly Roll

Coco Jones

Noah Kahan

Victoria Monét

The War and Treat

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

Jack Antonoff

Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II

Hit-Boy

Metro Boomin

Daniel Nigro

Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical

Edgar Barrera

Jessie Jo Dillon

Shane McAnally

Theron Thomas

Justin Tranter

Best Pop Solo Performance

“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus

“Paint The Town Red,” Doja Cat

“What Was I Made For? (From The Motion Picture ‘Barbie’),” Billie Eilish

“Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo

“Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Thousand Miles,” Miley Cyrus Featuring Brandi Carlile

“Candy Necklace,” Lana Del Rey Featuring Jon Batiste

“Never Felt So Alone,” Labrinth Featuring Billie Eilish

“Karma,” Taylor Swift Featuring Ice Spice

“Ghost In The Machine,” SZA Featuring Phoebe Bridgers

Best Pop Vocal Album

“Chemistry,” Kelly Clarkson

“Endless Summer Vacation,” Miley Cyrus

“Guts,” Olivia Rodrigo

“- (Subtract),” Ed Sheeran

“Midnights,” Taylor Swift

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

“Blackbox Life Recorder 21F,” Aphex Twin

“Loading,” James Blake

“Higher Than Ever Before,” Disclosure

“Strong,” Romy & Fred again..

“Rumble,” Skrillex, Fred again.. & Flowdan

Best Pop Dance Recording

“Baby Don’t Hurt Me,” David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray

“Miracle,” Calvin Harris Featuring Ellie Goulding

“Padam Padam,” Kylie Minogue

“One in a Million,” Bebe Rexha & David Guetta

“Rush,” Troye Sivan

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album

“Playing Robots Into Heaven,” James Blake

“For That Beautiful Feeling,” The Chemical Brothers

“Actual Life 3 (January 1 -September 9 2022),” Fred again..

“Kx5,” Kx5

“Quest For Fire,” Skrillex

Best Rock Performance

“Sculptures Of Anything Goes,” Arctic Monkeys

“More Than A Love Song,” Black Pumas

“Not Strong Enough,” Boygenius

“Rescued,” Foo Fighters

“Lux AEterna,” Metallica

Best Metal Performance

“Bad Man,” Disturbed

“Phantom Of The Opera,” Ghost

“72 Seasons,” Metallica

“Hive Mind,” Slipknot

“Jaded,” Spiritbox

Best Rock Song

“Angry,” Mick Jagger, Keith Richards & Andrew Watt, songwriters (The Rolling Stones)

“Ballad Of A Homeschooled Girl,” Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Olivia Rodrigo)

“Emotion Sickness,” Dean Fertita, Joshua Homme, Michael Shuman, Jon Theodore & Troy Van Leeuwen, songwriters (Queens Of The Stone Age)

“Not Strong Enough,” Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers & Lucy Dacus, songwriters (boygenius)

“Rescued,” Dave Grohl, Rami Jaffee, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett & Pat Smear, songwriters (Foo Fighters)

Best Rock Album

“But Here We Are,” Foo Fighters

“Starcatcher,” Greta Van Fleet

“72 Seasons,” Metallica

“This Is Why,” Paramore

“In Times New Roman…,” Queens of the Stone Age

Best Alternative Music Performance

“Belinda Says,” Alvvays

“Body Paint,” Arctic Monkeys

“Cool About It,” boygenius

“A&W,” Lana Del Rey

“This Is Why,” Paramore

Best Alternative Music Album

“The Car,” Arctic Monkeys

“the record,” boygenius

“Did you know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” Lana Del Rey

“Cracker Island,” Gorillaz

“I Inside the Old Year Dying,” PJ Harvey

Best R&B Performance

“Summer Too Hot,” Chris Brown

“Back To Love,” Robert Glasper Featuring SiR & Alex Isley

“ICU,” Coco Jones

“How Does It Make You Feel,” Victoria Monét

“Kill Bill,” SZA

Best Traditional R&B Performance

“Simple,” Babyface Featuring Coco Jones

“Lucky,” Kenyon Dixon

“Hollywood,” Victoria Monét Featuring Earth, Wind & Fire & Hazel Monét

“Good Morning,” PJ Morton Featuring Susan Carol

“Love Language,” SZA

Best R&B Song

“Angel,” Halle Bailey, Theron Feemster & Coleridge Tillman, songwriters (Halle)

“Back To Love,” Darryl Andrew Farris, Robert Glasper & Alexandra Isley, songwriters (Robert Glasper Featuring SiR & Alex Isley)

“ICU,” Darhyl Camper Jr., Courtney Jones, Raymond Komba & Roy Keisha Rockette, songwriters (Coco Jones)

“On My Mama,” Dernst Emile II, Jeff Gitelman, Victoria Monét, Kyla Moscovich, Jamil Pierre & Charles Williams, songwriters (Victoria Monét)

“Snooze,” Kenny B. Edmonds, Blair Ferguson, Khris Riddick-Tynes, Solána Rowe & Leon Thomas, songwriters (SZA)

Best Progressive R&B Album

“Since I Have A Lover,” 6LACK

“The Love Album: Off The Grid,” Diddy

“Nova,” Terrace Martin And James Fauntleroy

“The Age Of Pleasure,” Janelle Monáe

“SOS,” SZA

Best R&B Album

“Girls Night Out,” Babyface

“What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe),” Coco Jones

“Special Occasion,” Emily King

“JAGUAR II,” Victoria Monét

“CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP,” Summer Walker

Best Rap Performance

“The Hillbillies,” Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar

“Love Letter,” Black Thought

“Rich Flex,” Drake & 21 Savage

“SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS,” Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future And Eryn Allen Kane

“Players,” Coi Leray

Best Melodic Rap Performance

“Sittin’ On Top Of The World,” Burna Boy Featuring 21 Savage

“Attention,” Doja Cat

“Spin Bout U,” Drake & 21 Savage

“All My Life,” Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole

“Low,” SZA

Best Rap Song

“Attention,” Rogét Chahayed, Amala Zandile Dlamini & Ari Starace, songwriters (Doja Cat)

“Barbie World,” (From Barbie The Album,” Isis Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr. & Onika Maraj, songwriters (Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Featuring Aqua)

“Just Wanna Rock,” Mohamad Camara, Symere Woods & Javier Mercado, songwriters (Lil Uzi Vert)

“Rich Flex,” Brytavious Chambers, Isaac “Zac” De Boni, Aubrey Graham, J. Gwin, Anderson Hernandez, Michael ‘Finatik’ Mule & Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, songwriters (Drake & 21 Savage)

“SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS,” Andre Benjamin, Paul Beauregard, James Blake, Michael Render, Tim Moore & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future & Eryn Allen Kane)

Best Rap Album

“Her Loss,” Drake & 21 Savage

“MICHAEL,” Killer Mike

“HEROES & VILLIANS,” Metro Boomin

“King’s Disease III,” Nas

“UTOPIA,” Travis Scott

Best Spoken Word Poetry Album

“A-You’re Not Wrong B-They’re Not Either: The Fukc-It Pill Revisited,” Queen Sheba

“For Your Consideration’24 -The Album,” Prentice Powell and Shawn William

“Grocery Shopping With My Mother,” Kevin Powell

“The Light Inside,” J. Ivy

“When The Poems Do What They Do,” Aja Monet

Best Jazz Performance

“Movement 18′ (Heroes),” Jon Batiste

“Basquiat,” Lakecia Benjamin

“Vulnerable (Live),” Adam Blackstone Featuring The Baylor Project & Russell Ferranté

“But Not For Me,” Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding

“Tight,” Samara Joy

Best Jazz Vocal Album

“For Ella 2,” Patti Austin Featuring Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band

“Alive At The Village Vanguard,” Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding

“Lean In,” Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke

“Mélusine,” Cécile McLorin Salvant

“How Love Begins,” Nicole Zuraitis

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

“The Source,” Kenny Barron

“Phoenix,” Lakecia Benjamin

“Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn,” Adam Blackstone

“The Winds Of Change,” Billy Childs

“Dream Box,” Pat Metheny

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

“The Chick Corea Symphony Tribute – Ritmo,” ADDA Simfonica, Josep Vicent, Emilio Solla

“Dynamic Maximum Tension,” Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society

“Basie Swings The Blues,” The Count Basie Orchestra Directed By Scotty Barnhart

“Olympians,” Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest

“The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions,” Mingus Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album

“Quietude,” Eliane Elias

“My Heart Speaks,” Ivan Lins With The Tblisi Symphony Orchestra

“Vox Humana,” Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band

“Cometa,” Luciana Souza & Trio Corrente

“El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2,” Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo

Best Alternative Jazz Album

“Love In Exile,” Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily

“Quality Over Opinion,” Louis Cole

“SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree,” Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter, SuperBlue

“Live At The Piano,” Cory Henry

“The Omnichord Real Book,” Meshell Ndegeocello

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

“To Steve With Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim,” Liz Callaway

“Pieces Of Treasure,” Rickie Lee Jones

“Bewitched,” Laufey

“Holidays Around The World,” Pentatonix

“Only The Strong Survive,” Bruce Springsteen

“Sondheim Unplugged (The NYC Sessions), Vol. 3, (Various Artists)

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

“As We Speak,” Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia

“On Becoming,” House Of Waters

“Jazz Hands,” Bob James

“The Layers,” Julian Lage

“All One,” Ben Wendel

Best Musical Theater Album

“Kimberly Akimbo,” John Clancy, David Stone & Jeanine Tesori, producers; Jeanine Tesori, composer; David Lindsay-Abaire, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

“Parade,” Micaela Diamond, Alex Joseph Grayson, Jake Pedersen & Ben Platt, principal vocalists; Jason Robert Brown & Jeffrey Lesser, producers; Jason Robert Brown, composer & lyricist (2023 Broadway Cast)

“Shucked,” Brandy Clark, Jason Howland, Shane McAnally & Billy Jay Stein, producers; Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)

“Some Like It Hot,” Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks & NaTasha Yvette Williams, principal vocalists; Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Bryan Carter, Scott M. Riesett, Charlie Rosen & Marc Shaiman, producers; Scott Wittman, lyricist; Marc Shaiman, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street,” Annaleigh Ashford & Josh Groban, principal vocalists; Thomas Kail & Alex Lacamoire, producers (Stephen Sondheim, composer & lyricist) (2023 Broadway Cast)

Best Country Solo Performance

“In Your Love,” Tyler Childers

“Buried,” Brandy Clark

“Fast Car,” Luke Combs

“The Last Thing On My Mind,” Dolly Parton

“White Horse,” Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

“High Note,” Dierks Bentley Featuring Billy Strings

“Nobody’s Nobody,” Brothers Osborne

“I Remember Everything,” Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves

“Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold),” Vince Gill & Paul Franklin

“Save Me,” Jelly Roll With Lainey Wilson

“We Don’t Fight Anymore,” Carly Pearce Featuring Chris Stapleton

Best Country Song

“Buried,” Brandy Clark & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (Brandy Clark)

“I Remember Everything,” Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves)

“In Your Love,” Tyler Childers & Geno Seale, songwriters (Tyler Childers)

“Last Night,” John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin & Ryan Vojtesak, songwriters (Morgan Wallen)

“White Horse,” Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)

Best Country Album

“Rolling Up the Welcome Mat,” Kelsea Ballerini

“Brothers Osborne,” Brothers Osborne

“Zach Bryan,” Zach Bryan

“Rustin’ In The Rain,” Tyler Childers

“Bell Bottom Country,” Lainey Wilson

Best American Roots Performance

“Butterfly,” Jon Batiste

“Heaven Help Us All,” The Blind Boys Of Alabama

“Inventing The Wheel,” Madison Cunningham

“You Louisiana Man,” Rhiannon Giddens

“Eve Was Black,” Allison Russell

Best Americana Performance

“Friendship,” The Blind Boys Of Alabama

“Help Me Make It Through The Night,” Tyler Childers

“Dear Insecurity,” Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile

“King Of Oklahoma,” Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit

“The Returner,” Allison Russell

Best American Roots Song

“Blank Page,” Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter, songwriters (The War And Treaty)

“California Sober,” Aaron Allen, William Apostol & Jon Weisberger, songwriters (Billy Strings Featuring Willie Nelson)

“Cast Iron Skillet,” Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit)

“Dear Insecurity,” Brandy Clark & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile)

“The Returner,” Drew Lindsay, JT Nero & Allison Russell, songwriters (Allison Russell)

Best Americana Album

“Brandy Clark,” Brandy Clark

“The Chicago Sessions,” Rodney Crowell

“You’re the One,” Rhiannon Giddens

“Weathervanes,” Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

“The Returner,” Allison Russell

Best Bluegrass Album

“Radio John: Songs of John Hartford,” Sam Bush

“Lovin’ Of The Game,” Michael Cleveland

“Mighty Poplar,” Mighty Poplar

“Bluegrass,” Willie Nelson

“Me/And/Dad,” Billy Strings

“City Of Gold,” Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Best Traditional Blues Album

“Ridin’,” Eric Bibb

“The Soul Side Of Sipp,” Mr. Sipp

“Life Don’t Miss Nobody,” Tracy Nelson

“Teardrops For Magic Slim Live At Rosa’s Lounge,” John Primer

“All My Love For You,” Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album

“Death Wish Blues,” Samantha Fish And Jesse Dayton

“Healing Time,” Ruthie Foster

“Live In London,” Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram

“Blood Harmony,” Larkin Poe

“LaVette!,” Bettye LaVette

Best Folk Album

“Traveling Wildfire,” Dom Flemons

“I Only See The Moon,” The Milk Carton Kids

“Joni Mitchell At Newport [Live],” Joni Mitchell

“Celebrants,” Nickel Creek

“Jubilee,” Old Crow Medicine Show

“Seven Psalms,” Paul Simon

“Folkocracy,” Rufus Wainwright

Best Regional Roots Music Album

“New Beginnings,” Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band

“Live At The 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival,” Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers

“Live: Orpheum Theater Nola,” Lost Bayou Ramblers & Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

“Made In New Orleans,” New Breed Brass Band

“Too Much To Hold,” New Orleans Nightcrawlers

“Live At The Maple Leaf,” The Rumble Featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.

Best Gospel Performance/Song

“God Is Good,” Stanley Brown Featuring Hezekiah Walker, Kierra Sheard & Karen Clark Sheard; Stanley Brown, Karen V Clark Sheard, Kaylah Jiavanni Harvey, Rodney Jerkins, Elyse Victoria Johnson, J Drew Sheard II, Kierra Valencia Sheard & Hezekiah Walker, songwriters

“Feel Alright (Blessed),” Erica Campbell; Erica Campbell, Warryn Campbell, William Weatherspoon, Juan Winans & Marvin L. Winans, songwriters

“Lord Do It For Me (Live),” Zacardi Cortez; Marcus Calyen, Zacardi Cortez & Kerry Douglas, songwriters

“God Is,” Melvin Crispell III

“All Things,” Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

“Believe,” Blessing Offor; Hank Bentley & Blessing Offor, songwriters

“Firm Foundation (He Won’t) [Live],” Cody Carnes

“Thank God I Do,” Lauren Daigle; Lauren Daigle & Jason Ingram, songwriters

“Love Me Like I Am,” for KING & COUNTRY Featuring Jordin Sparks

“Your Power,” Lecrae & Tasha Cobbs Leonard

“God Problems,” Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine; Daniel Bashta, Chris Davenport, Ryan Ellis & Naomi Raine, songwriters

Best Gospel Album

“I Love You,” Erica Campbell

“Hymns (Live),” Tasha Cobbs Leonard

“The Maverick Way,” Maverick City Music

“My Truth,” Jonathan McReynolds

“All Things New: Live In Orlando,” Tye Tribbett

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

“My Tribe,” Blessing Offor

“Emanuel,” Da’ T.R.U.T.H.

“Lauren Daigle,” Lauren Daigle

“Church Clothes 4,” Lecrae

“I Believe,” Phil Wickham

Best Roots Gospel Album

“Tribute To The King,” The Blackwood Brothers Quartet

“Echoes Of The South,” Blind Boys Of Alabama

“Songs That Pulled Me Through The Tough Times,” Becky Isaacs Bowman

“Meet Me At The Cross,” Brian Free & Assurance

“Shine: The Darker The Night The Brighter The Light,” Gaither Vocal Band

Best Latin Pop Album

“La Cuarta Hoja,” Pablo Alborán

“Beautiful Humans, Vol. 1,” AleMor

“A Ciegas,” Paula Arenas

“La Neta,” Pedro Capó

“Don Juan,” Maluma

“X Mí (Vol. 1),” Gaby Moreno

Best Música Urbana Album

“SATURNO,” Rauw Alejandro

“MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO,” Karol G

“DATA,” Tainy

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

“MARTÍNEZ,” Cabra

“Leche De Tigre,” Diamante Eléctrico

“Vida Cotidiana,” Juanes

“De Todas Las Flores,” Natalia Lafourcade

“EADDA9223,” Fito Paez

Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)

“Bordado a Mano,” Ana Bárbara

“La Sánchez,” Lila Downs

“Motherflower,” Flor de Toloache

“Amor Como en las Películas de Antes,” Lupita Infante

“GÉNESIS,” Peso Pluma

Best Tropical Latin Album

“Siembra: 45* Aniversario (En Vivo en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico, 14 de Mayo 2022),” Rubén Blades Con Roberto Delgado & Orquesta

“Voy A Ti,” Luis Figueroa

“Niche Sinfónico,” Grupo Niche Y Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia

“VIDA,” Omara Portuondo

“MIMY & TONY,” Tony Succar, Mimy Succar

“Escalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así,” Carlos Vives

Best Global Music Performance

“Shadow Forces,” Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily

“Alone,” Burna Boy

“FEEL,” Davido

“Milagro Y Disastre,” Silvana Estrada

“Abundance In Millets,” Falu & Gaurav Shah (Featuring PM Narendra Modi)

“Pashto,” Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia

“Todo Colores,” Ibrahim Maalouf Featuring Cimafunk & Tank And The Bangas

Best African Music Performance

“Amapiano,” ASAKE & Olamide

“City Boys,” Burna Boy

“UNAVAILABLE,” Davido Featuring Musa Keys

“Rush,” Ayra Starr

“Water,” Tyla

Best Global Music Album

“Epifanías,” Susana Baca

“History,” Bokanté

“I Told Them…,” Burna Boy

“Timeless,” Davido

“This Moment,” Shakti

Best Reggae Album

“Born For Greatness,” Buju Banton

“Simma,” Beenie Man

“Cali Roots Riddim 2023,” Collie Buddz

“No Destroyer,” Burning Spear

“Colors Of Royal,” Julian Marley & Antaeus

Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album

“Aquamarine,” Kirsten Agresta-Copely

“Moments Of Beauty,” Omar Akram

“Some Kind Of Peace (Piano Reworks),” Ólafur Arnalds

“Ocean Dreaming Ocean,” David Darling & Hans Christian

“So She Howls,” Carla Patullo Featuring Tonality And The Scorchio Quartet

Best Children’s Music Album

“Ahhhhh!,” Andrew & Polly

“Ancestars,” Pierce Freelon & Nnenna Freelon

“Hip Hope For Kids!,” DJ Willy Wow!

“Taste The Sky,” Uncle Jumbo

“We Grow Together Preschool Songs,” 123 Andrés

Best Comedy Album

“I Wish You Would,” Trevor Noah

“I’m An Entertainer,” Wanda Sykes

“Selective Outrage,” Chris Rock

“Someone You Love,” Sarah Silverman

“What’s In A Name?,” Dave Chappelle

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording

“Big Tree,” Meryl Streep

“Boldly Go: Reflections On A Life Of Awe And Wonder,” William Shatner

“The Creative Act: A Way Of Being,” Rick Rubin

“It’s Ok To Be Angry About Capitalism,” Senator Bernie Sanders

“The Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times,” Michelle Obama

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

“AURORA,” (Daisy Jones & The Six)

“Barbie The Album,” (Various Artists)

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From And Inspired By,” (Various Artists)

“Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix, Vol. 3,” (Various Artists)

“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” Weird Al Yankovic

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

“Barbie,” Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, composers

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Ludwig Goransson, composer

“The Fabelmans,” John Williams, composer

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” John Williams, composer

“Oppenheimer,” Ludwig Göransson, composer

Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media

“Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II,” Sarah Schachner, composer

“God Of War Ragnarok,” Bear McCreary, composer

“Hogwarts Legacy,” Peter Murray, J Scott Rakozy & Chuck E. Myers ‘Sea’, composers

“Star Wars Jedi: Survivor,” Stephen Barton & Gordy Haab, composers

“Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical,” Jess Serro, Tripod & Austin Wintory, composers

Best Song Written For Visual Media

“Barbie World [From Barbie The Album],” Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr. & Onika Maraj, songwriters (Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Featuring Aqua)

“Dance The Night [From Barbie The Album],” Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)

“I’m Just Ken (From Barbie The Album),” Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Ryan Gosling)

“Lift Me Up [From Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From And Inspired By],” Ryan Coogler, Ludwig G*ransson, Robyn Fenty & Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Rihanna)

“What Was I Made For? [From Barbie The Album],” Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

Best Music Video

“I’m Only Sleeping,” (The Beatles) Em Cooper, video director; Jonathan Clyde, Sophie Hilton, Sue Loughlin & Laura Thomas, video producers

“In Your Love,” Tyler Childers; Bryan Schlam, video director; Kacie Barton, Silas House, Nicholas Robespierre, Ian Thornton & Whitney Wolanin, video producers

“What Was I Made For,” Billie Eilish; Billie Eilish, video director; Michelle An, Chelsea Dodson & David Moore, video producers

“Count Me Out,” Kendrick Lamar; Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar, video directors; Jason Baum & Jamie Rabineau, video producers

“Rush,” Troye Sivan; Gordon Von Steiner, video director; Kelly McGee, video producer

Best Music Film

“Moonage Daydream” (David Bowie); Brett Morgen, video director; Brett Morgen, video producer

“How I’m Feeling Now,” Lewis Capaldi; Joe Pearlman, video director; Sam Bridger, Isabel Davis & Alice Rhodes, video producers

“Live From Paris, The Big Steppers Tour,” Kendrick Lamar; Mike Carson, Dave Free & Mark Ritchie, video directors; Cornell Brown, Debra Davis, Jared Heinke & Jamie Rabineau, video producers

“I Am Everything” (Little Richard); Lisa Cortés, video director; Caryn Capotosto, Lisa Cortés, Robert Friedman & Liz Yale Marsh, video producers

“Dear Mama” (Tupac Shakur); Allen Hughes, video director; Joshua Garcia, Loren Gomez, James Jenkins & Stef Smith, video producers

Best Recording Package

“The Art Of Forgetting,” Caroline Rose, art director (Caroline Rose)

“Cadenza 21′,” Hsing-Hui Cheng, art director (Ensemble Cadenza 21′)

“Electrophonic Chronic,” Perry Shall, art director (The Arcs)

“Gravity Falls,” Iam8bit, art director (Brad Breeck)

“Migration,” Yu Wei, art director (Leaf Yeh)

“Stumpwork,” Luke Brooks & James Theseus Buck, art directors (Dry Cleaning)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

“The Collected Works Of Neutral Milk Hotel,” Jeff Mangum, Daniel Murphy & Mark Ohe, art directors (Neutral Milk Hotel)

“For The Birds: The Birdsong Project,” Jeri Heiden & John Heiden, art directors (Various Artists)

“Gieo,” Duy Dao, art director (Ngot)

“Inside: Deluxe Box Set,” Bo Burnham & Daniel Calderwood, art directors (Bo Burnham)

“Words & Music, May 1965 – Deluxe Edition,” Masaki Koike, art director (Lou Reed)

Best Album Notes

“Evenings At The Village Gate: John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy (Live),” Ashley Kahn, album notes writer (John Coltrane & Eric Dolphy)

“I Can Almost See Houston: The Complete Howdy Glenn,” Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Howdy Glenn)

“Mogadishu’s Finest: The Al Uruba Sessions,” Vik Sohonie, album notes writer (Iftin Band)

“Playing For The Man At The Door: Field Recordings From The Collection Of Mack McCormick, 1958-1971,” Jeff Place & John Troutman, album notes writers (Various Artists)

“Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos,” Robert Gordon & Deanie Parker, album notes writers (Various Artists)

Best Historical Album

Fragments – Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17,” Steve Berkowitz & Jeff Rosen, compilation producers; Steve Addabbo, Greg Calbi, Steve Fallone, Chris Shaw & Mark Wilder, mastering engineers (Bob Dylan)

“The Moaninest Moan Of Them All: The Jazz Saxophone of Loren McMurray, 1920-1922,” Colin Hancock, Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer; Richard Martin, restoration engineer (Various Artists)

“Playing For The Man At The Door: Field Recordings From The Collection Of Mack McCormick, 1958-1971,” Jeff Place & John Troutman, compilation producers; Randy LeRoy & Charlie Pilzer, mastering engineers; Mike Petillo & Charlie Pilzer, restoration engineers (Various Artists)

“Words & Music, May 1965 – Deluxe Edition,” Laurie Anderson, Don Fleming, Jason Stern, Matt Sulllivan & Hal Willner, compilation producers; John Baldwin, mastering engineer; John Baldwin, restoration engineer (Lou Reed)

“Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos,” Robert Gordon, Deanie Parker, Cheryl Pawelski, Michele Smith & Mason Williams, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Michael Graves, restoration engineer (Various Artists)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

“Desire, I Want To Turn Into You,” Macks Faulkron, Daniel Harle, Caroline Polachek & Geoff Swan, engineers; Mike Bozzi & Chris Gehringer, mastering engineers (Caroline Polachek)

“History,” Nic Hard, engineer; Dave McNair, mastering engineer (Bokanté)

“JAGUAR II,” John Kercy, Kyle Mann, Victoria Monét, Patrizio ‘Teezio’ Pigliapoco, Neal H Pogue & Todd Robinson, engineers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer (Victoria Monét)

“Multitudes,” Michael Harris, Robbie Lackritz, Joseph Lorge & Blake Mills, engineers (Feist)

“The Record,” Owen Lantz, Will Maclellan, Catherine Marks, Mike Mogis, Bobby Mota, Kaushlesh ‘Garry’ Purohit & Sarah Tudzin, engineers; Pat Sullivan, mastering engineer (boygenius)

Best Engineered Album, Classical

“The Blue Hour,” Patrick Dillett, Mitchell Graham, Jesse Lewis, Kyle Pyke, Andrew Scheps & John Weston, engineers; Helge Sten, mastering engineer (Shara Nova & A Far Cry)

“Contemporary American Composers,” David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

“Fandango,” Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel, Anne Akiko Meyers, Gustavo Castillo & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

“Sanlikol: A Gentleman Of Istanbul – Symphony For Strings, Percussion, Piano, Oud, Ney & Tenor,” Christopher Moretti & John Weston, engineers; Shauna Barravecchio & Jesse Lewis, mastering engineers (Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, George Lernis & A Far Cry)

“Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 & Schulhoff: Five Pieces,” Mark Donahue, engineer; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Manfred Honeck & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)

Producer Of The Year, Classical

David Frost

Morten Lindberg

Dmitriy Lipay

Elaine Martone

Brian Pidgeon

Best Remixed Recording

“Alien Love Call,” BADBADNOTGOOD, remixers (Turnstile & BADBADNOTGOOD Featuring Blood Orange)

“New Gold (Dom Dolla Remix),” Dom Dolla, remixer (Gorillaz Featuring Tame Impala & Bootie Brown)

“Reviver (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix),” Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, remixer (Lane 8)

“Wagging Tongue (Wet Leg Remix),” Wet Leg, remixers (Depeche Mode)

“Workin’ Hard (Terry Hunter Remix),” Terry Hunter, remixer (Mariah Carey)

Best Immersive Audio Album

“Act 3 (Immersive Edition),” Ryan Ulyate, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Ryan Ulyate, immersive producer (Ryan Ulyate)

“Blue Clear Sky,” Chuck Ainlay, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Chuck Ainlay, immersive producer (George Strait)

“The Diary Of Alicia Keys,” George Massenburg & Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineers; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Alicia Keys & Ann Mincieli, immersive producers (Alicia Keys)

“God Of War Ragnarok (Original Soundtrack),” Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Kellogg Boynton, Peter Scaturro & Herbert Waltl, immersive producers (Bear McCreary)

“Silence Between Songs,” Aaron Short, immersive mastering engineer (Madison Beer)

Best Instrumental Composition

“Amerikkan Skin,” Lakecia Benjamin, composer (Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Angela Davis)

“Can You Hear The Music,” Ludwig Goransson, composer (Ludwig G*ransson)

“Cutey And The Dragon,” Gordon Goodwin & Raymond Scott, composers (Quartet San Francisco Featuring Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)

“Helena’s Theme,” John Williams, composer (John Williams)

“Motion,” Edgar Meyer, composer (Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

“Angels We Have Heard On High,” Nkosilathi Emmanuel Sibanda, arranger (Just 6)

“Can You Hear The Music,” Ludwig Goransson, arranger (Ludwig Goransson)

“Folsom Prison Blues,” John Carter Cash, Tommy Emmanuel, Markus Illko, Janet Robin & Roberto Luis Rodriguez, arrangers (The String Revolution Featuring Tommy Emmanuel)

“I Remember Mingus,” Hilario Duran, arranger (Hilario Duran And His Latin Jazz Big Band Featuring Paquito D’Rivera)

“Paint It Black,” Esin Aydingoz, Chris Bacon & Alana Da Fonseca, arrangers (Wednesday Addams)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

“April In Paris,” Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Patti Austin Featuring Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)

“Com Que Voz (Live),” John Beasley & Maria Mendes, arrangers (Maria Mendes Featuring John Beasley & Metropole Orkest)

“Fenestra,” Godwin Louis, arranger (Cécile McLorin Salvant)

“In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning,” Erin Bentlage, Jacob Collier, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (saje Featuring Jacob Collier)

“Lush Life,” Kendric McCallister, arranger (Samara Joy)

Best Orchestral Performance

“Ades: Dante,” Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

“Bartók: Concerto For Orchestra; Four Pieces,” Karina Canellakis, conductor (Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra)

“Price: Symphony No. 4; Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony,” Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)

“Scriabin: Symphony No. 2; The Poem Of Ecstasy,” JoAnn Falletta, conductor (Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)

“Stravinsky: The Rite Of Spring,” Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)

Best Opera Recording

“Blanchard: Champion,” Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Ryan Speedo Green, Latonia Moore & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

“Corigliano: The Lord Of Cries,” Gil Rose, conductor; Anthony Roth Costanzo, Kathryn Henry, Jarrett Ott & David Portillo; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project & Odyssey Opera Chorus)

“Little: Black Lodge,” Timur; Andrew McKenna Lee & David T. Little, producers (The Dime Museum; Isaura String Quartet)

Best Choral Performance

“Carols After A Plague,” Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)

“The House Of Belonging,” Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Miró Quartet; Conspirare)

“Ligeti: Lux Aeterna,” Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony Chorus)

“Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil,” Steven Fox, conductor (The Clarion Choir)

“Saariaho: Reconnaissance,” Nils Schweckendiek, conductor (Uusinta Ensemble; Helsinki Chamber Choir)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

“American Stories,” Anthony McGill & Pacifica Quartet

“Beethoven For Three: Symphony No. 6, ‘Pastorale’ And Op. 1, No. 3,” Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax & Leonidas Kavakos

“Between Breaths,” Third Coast Percussion

“Rough Magic,” Roomful Of Teeth

“Uncovered, Vol. 3: Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, William Grant Still & George Walker,” Catalyst Quartet

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

“Adams, John Luther: Darkness And Scattered Light,” Robert Black

“Akiho: Cylinders,” Andy Akiho

“The American Project,” Yuja Wang; Teddy Abrams, conductor (Louisville Orchestra)

“Difficult Grace,” Seth Parker Woods

“Of Love,” Curtis Stewart

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

“Because,” Reginald Mobley, soloist; Baptiste Trotignon, pianist

“Broken Branches,” Karim Sulayman, soloist; Sean Shibe, accompanist

“40@40,” Laura Strickling, soloist; Daniel Schlosberg, pianist

“Rising,” Lawrence Brownlee, soloist; Kevin J. Miller, pianist

“Walking In The Dark,” Julia Bullock, soloist; Christian Reif, conductor (Philharmonia Orchestra)

Best Classical Compendium

“Fandango,” Anne Akiko Meyers; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Dmitriy Lipay, producer

“Julius Eastman, Vol. 3: If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?,” Christopher Rountree, conductor; Lewis Pesacov, producer

“Mazzoli: Dark With Excessive Bright,” Peter Herresthal; Tim Weiss, conductor; Hans Kipfer, producer

“Passion For Bach And Coltrane,” Alex Brown, Harlem Quartet, Imani Winds, Edward Perez, Neal Smith & A.B. Spellman; Silas Brown & Mark Dover, producers

“Sardinia,” Chick Corea; Chick Corea & Bernie Kirsh, producers

“Sculptures,” Andy Akiho; Andy Akiho & Sean Dixon, producers

“Zodiac Suite,” Aaron Diehl Trio & The Knights; Eric Jacobsen, conductor; Aaron Diehl & Eric Jacobsen, producers

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

“Ades: Dante,” Thomas Ades, composer (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

“Akiho: In That Space, At That Time,” Andy Akiho, composer (Andy Akiho, Ankush Kumar Bahl & Omaha Symphony)

“Brittelle: Psychedelics,” William Brittelle, composer (Roomful Of Teeth)

“Mazzoli: Dark With Excessive Bright,” Missy Mazzoli, composer (Peter Herresthal, James Gaffigan & Bergen Philharmonic)

“Montgomery: Rounds,” Jessie Montgomery, composer (Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry & Roomful Of Teeth)

​ Orange County Register 

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Astronaut Frank Borman dies at 95; Apollo 8 commander helped pave way for 1969 moon landing

• November 10, 2023

Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. — Astronaut Frank Borman, who commanded Apollo 8’s historic Christmas 1968 flight that circled the moon 10 times and paved the way for the lunar landing the next year, has died. He was 95.

Borman died Tuesday in Billings, Montana, according to NASA.

Borman also led troubled Eastern Airlines in the 1970s and early ’80s after leaving the astronaut corps.

But he was best known for his NASA duties. He and his crew, James Lovell and William Anders, were the first Apollo mission to fly to the moon — and to see Earth as a distant sphere in space.

“Today we remember one of NASA’s best. Astronaut Frank Borman was a true American hero,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement Thursday. “His lifelong love for aviation and exploration was only surpassed by his love for his wife Susan.”

Launched from Florida’s Cape Canaveral on Dec. 21, 1968, the Apollo 8 trio spent three days traveling to the moon, and slipped into lunar orbit on Christmas Eve. After they circled 10 times on Dec. 24-25, they headed home on Dec. 27.

On Christmas Eve, the astronauts read from the Book of Genesis in a live telecast from the orbiter: “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.”

Borman ended the broadcast with, “And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you — all of you on the good Earth.”

The Apollo 8 crew — Commander Frank Borman, from left, Command Module Pilot James Lovell and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders — appear on the USS Yorktown after their return to earth in 1968. They were the first Apollo mission to fly to the moon​, and to see Earth as a distant sphere in space.

Lovell and Borman had previously flown together during the two-week Gemini 7 mission, which launched on Dec. 4, 1965 — and, at only 120 feet apart, completed the first space orbital rendezvous with Gemini 6.

“Gemini was a tough go,” Borman told The Associated Press in 1998. “It was smaller than the front seat of a Volkswagen bug. It made Apollo seem like a super-duper, plush touring bus.”

In his book, “Countdown: An Autobiography,” Borman said Apollo 8 was originally supposed to orbit Earth. The success of Apollo 7’s mission in October 1968 to show system reliability on long duration flights made NASA decide it was time to take a shot at flying to the moon.

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But Borman said there was another reason NASA changed the plan: the agency wanted to beat the Russians. Borman said he thought one orbit would suffice.

“My main concern in this whole flight was to get there ahead of the Russians and get home. That was a significant achievement in my eyes,” Borman explained at a Chicago appearance in 2017.

It was on the crew’s fourth orbit that Anders snapped the iconic “Earthrise” photo showing a blue and white Earth rising above the gray lunar landscape.

Borman wrote about how the Earth looked from afar: “We were the first humans to see the world in its majestic totality, an intensely emotional experience for each of us. We said nothing to each other, but I was sure our thoughts were identical — of our families on that spinning globe. And maybe we shared another thought I had, This must be what God sees.”

After NASA, Borman’s aviation career ventured into business in 1970 when he joined Eastern Airlines — at that time the nation’s fourth-largest airline. He eventually became Eastern’s president and CEO and in 1976 also became its chairman of the board.

Borman’s tenure at Eastern saw fuel prices increase sharply and the government deregulate the airline industry. The airline became increasingly unprofitable, debt-ridden and torn by labor tensions. He resigned in 1986 and moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico.

In his autobiography, Borman wrote that his fascination with flying began in his teens when he and his father would assemble model airplanes. At age 15, Borman took flying lessons, using money he had saved working as a bag boy and pumping gas after school. He took his first solo flight after eight hours of dual instruction. He continued flying into his 90s.

Borman was born in Gary, Indiana, but was raised in Tucson, Arizona. He attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in 1950. That same year, Borman married his high school sweetheart, Susan Bugbee. She died in 2021.

Borman worked as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, operational pilot and instructor at West Point after graduation. In 1956, Borman moved his family to Pasadena, California, where he earned a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from California Institute of Technology. In 1962, he was one of nine test pilots chosen by NASA for the astronaut program.

He received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor from President Jimmy Carter.

In 1998, Borman started a cattle ranch in Bighorn, Montana, with his son, Fred. In addition to Fred, he survived by another son, Edwin, and their families.

​ Orange County Register 

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