Less than two weeks before the 2026 Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy’s Philadelphia Chapter brought together artists and contributors with local ties at South Restaurant and Jazz Club for an evening recognizing their roles in this year’s nominations. The event was scheduled as a send-off for musicians and collaborators preparing to travel to Los Angeles for the ceremony on Feb. 1.
Artists with ties to Philadelphia appear across multiple Grammy categories, spanning jazz, classical, choral performance, rap, and R&B. Jazz bassist Christian McBride leads the city’s nominees with three selections. His projects received nominations in Best Jazz Performance for “Windows — Live,” Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for “Without Further Ado, Vol. 1,” and Best Jazz Instrumental Album for “Trilogy 3 — Live,” placing him at the center of Philadelphia’s jazz presence on the 2026 ballot.
In R&B, Bilal earned a nomination for Best Progressive R&B Album for Adjust Brightness. Bilal, whose full name is Bilal Sayeed Oliver, is from Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, linking the nomination directly to the city’s local music community.
Hip-hop representation comes through Fridayy featuring Meek Mill, nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Proud Of Me.” Both artists are Philadelphia natives, adding to the city’s presence in contemporary rap categories.
Classical music recognition includes The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, which received a nomination for Best Orchestral Performance for “Still & Bonds.” The nomination connects one of the city’s major cultural institutions to the 2026 awards cycle.
Jazz nominations also include the Branford Marsalis Quartet, recognized in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category for “Belonging.” The quartet’s drummer, Justin Faulkner, is a Philadelphian and an educator at Temple University, linking the nomination to both the city’s performance and education communities.
Choral music from Philadelphia is represented by Donald Nally and The Crossing, nominated for Best Choral Performance for “Lang: Poor Hymnal.” The ensemble is based in Philadelphia, extending the city’s presence into classical vocal categories.
The Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy stated that local involvement extends beyond the names on official nomination lists. “Even beyond the official name nominees, there are so many creators in our region who were contributors to some of those Grammy-nominated projects,” said executive director Ramón Miguel Jones.
The event also functioned as a fundraiser for GRAMMY Camp, an educational program that introduces high school students to careers in the music industry. Among those connected to the program is Sarah Parmet, a University of Pennsylvania freshman pursuing DJ and music production work.
Regional ties to the nominations extend beyond Philadelphia. Sabrina Carpenter, a native of Quakertown, received multiple nominations, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Manchild,” Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for “Man’s Best Friend,” and Non-Classical Songwriter of the Year for “Manchild” and “Tears.”
Additional Philadelphia connections include saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, who appears on Lakecia Benjamin’s Best Jazz Performance nominee “Noble Rise,” along with guitarist Mark Whitfield.
The Grammy Awards ceremony will air Feb. 1 on CBS and Paramount+. The Philadelphia Chapter’s gathering served as a local send-off for nominees and collaborators while documenting the extent of Philadelphia’s involvement across Grammy-nominated projects tied to the 2026 awards cycle.
