Michael Bublé and Drake win Grammys as songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. takes home new award

Canadian pop favourites Michael Bublé and Drake each have a shiny new Grammy for their shelves.

Both homegrown stars earned trophies at this year’s Grammy Awards on Sunday during a pre-broadcast ceremony where most categories were handed out.

Drake won best melodic rap performance for his appearance on Future’s “Wait for U,” while Vancouver crooner Michael Bublé’s “Higher” was named best traditional pop vocal album.

Neither of them attended, in Bublé’s case because he was on tour overseas.

“I honestly feel this is the best album I’ve ever made, making the recognition from the Academy members that much more meaningful,” he tweeted after the fifth win of his lifetime.

Other big Canadian winners included Montreal conductor and pianist Yannick Nézet-Séguin who added two Grammys to his collection.

Nézet-Séguin took home best opera recording for “Blanchard: Fire Shut Up In My Bones,” and best classical solo vocal album for “Voice Of Nature – The Anthropocene.”

He had to skip the Grammys, however, because of a previously scheduled performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra on Sunday afternoon. But he still managed to sneak away after his concert to celebrate bringing his career tally to three wins.

“Of course there were bubbles,” he said.

“It was not a huge party, but it’s always special to feel like your work is noticed and recognized this way.”

Singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. picked up the inaugural songwriter of the year, non-classical award which celebrates creators who penned some of the year’s best-loved pop tunes.

The North Vancouver native won for writing tracks that included “Can I Get It” from Adele, “Boyfriends” sung by Harry Styles and “Careless,” performed by FKA Twigs and Toronto’s Daniel Caesar.

Jesso Jr. took the opportunity on stage to celebrate the introduction of the new songwriting award at the Grammys.

“I think this is a big win for everyone — this is not just for me, this is for them,” he told the audience of industry players at the pre-telecast.

And two Canadians were part of the team that pocketed a best jazz instrumental album Grammy for “New Standards Vol. 1.”

Matthew Stevens, a Toronto-born guitarist and co-producer on the project, shared the win with jazz pianist and composer Kris Davis, who was born in Vancouver and grew up in Calgary.

Davis, a first-time winner, called the accomplishment “surreal” personally, but also “monumental” for the project, which is an effort by the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, where she teaches.

She said the goal of “New Standards” was to “give space to women composers and performers through the book and album.”

“It’s very meaningful for women at this moment,” Davis added.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2023.

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