The 2020 Grammy Awards roundup: Aussie and Kiwi Nominees and Contributors

Rufus Du Sol have two Grammy nominations; one for Best Dance Recording and one for Best Electronic Album category

Flume, Sam Teskey and for King and Country also have nominations

Many other Aussies and Kiwis have played a key role, collaborating or contributing to a 2020 nominee

The 2020 Grammy Awards nominations were announced in the wee hours local time Thursday 21 November, and as is the case in recent years, there's a slew of homegrown talent in the mix – from the headliners we know and love to the more under-the-radar influencers.

The nominees

First, we have dual nominee RÜFÜS DU SOL, who have had their biggest year yet with the release of LP number three Solace and major festival and headlining shows around the world.

The trio of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt are nominated for Best Dance Recording for the sublime ‘Underwater' along with fellow Aussie artist/producer Cassian Stewart-Kasimba for his mixing duties, and US producer Jason Evigan.

Best Electronic Album category is two-fifths Aussie, with RÜFÜS DU SOL's Solace nominated along with Flume's Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape). Flume won this category in 2017 for his album Skin.

Sam Teskey of Melbourne's The Teskey Brother’s is a nominee for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for his work on the quartet's brilliant sounding second LP Run Home Slow.

And, Aussie auteur (and APRA AMCOS member) Baz Luhrmann is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album as producer of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, currently playing on Broadway.

Aussie-American brothers for King or Country have garnered two noms: Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance or Song for ‘God Only Knows’, their collaboration with Dolly Parton (!), and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Burn the Ships.

The contributors

These are the folks who played a key role, collaborating or contributing to a 2020 nominee.

New Zealand's Joel Little has shaped the sound of pop music in recent years, and he worked extensively with Taylor Swift on her blockbuster album Lover.

He's co-writer and co-producer on ‘You Need To Calm Down’, which garnered a Best Pop Solo Performance nom for Taylor. Lover is nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album. In addition to ‘YNTCD’, Little also co-wrote/co-produced 'The Man,' 'Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince,' and 'Me!'

Little also contributed to British artist Nao's Best Urban Contemporary Album nominee Saturn, as co-writer/co-producer on the track 'Yellow of the Sun,' as did 2019 APRA Songwriter of the Year Sarah Aarons with a co-write on 'Drive and Disconnect.'

On the Flume mixtape, his 'Hyperreal' collaborator Kučka features on 'Voices.' Celia Pavey - who performs as Vera Blue - is credited on '71m3' as the track samples their collab 'Rushing Back,' which hadn't been released at the time the mixtape came out. And LA-based Australian producer HWLS co-produced and is a writer on the beguiling 'High Beams,' featuring slowthai

James Blake's Assume Form is nominated for Best Alternative Album, with features including André 3000, Travis Scott and Moses Sumney. And nestled within the album's credits is Sydney area resident Sister Irene O'Connor, with a credit on 'Where's the Catch?' O'Connor's 1973 LP Fire of God's Love is an oft-sampled early electronic music gem that continues to influence, and Blake incorporated her 'Fire (Luke 12:49)' into his work featuring Andre 3000.

Melbourne – more precisely Werribee – producer and beat maker Keanu Beats is a co-writer and co-producer on Beyoncé's song 'Nile' (featuring Kendrick Lamar) on The Lion King: The Gift, nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album.

He is also credited as co-writer and co-producer on 'Oh Wow...Swerve' from Revenge of the Dreamers III, a Best Rap Album nominee by J.Cole's Dreamville collective. Keanu spoke to Complex recently about his career and how he came to work with Migos, Denzel Curry, Logic and Skepta.

US violinist Michael Cleveland's Tall Fiddler is nominated for Bluegrass Album of the Year. The album's title is an homage to the track of the same name by the legendary Tommy Emmanuel, who performs on the album's thrilling rendition.

2019 Grammy winner Paul Mabury is a contributor to Best Gospel Album nominee Goshen by Donald Lawrence Presents The Tri-City Singers. He has a writing credit on 'My Revival' originally released by Lauren Daigle.

And in the same category, Mia Fieldes has a writing credit on the powerful 'Chain Breaker,' from William Murphy's Settle Here.

Melbourne songwriter Mitch Wong is co-writer on 'Impact' from Chris Tomlin's Best Contemporary Christian Music Album nominee Holy Roar.

And rounding out the contributors is Sydney bassist and composer Alex Boneham, whose short piece 'Intro: Chrysalis' is on Sara Gazarek's Best Jazz Vocal Album nominee, Thirsty Ghost.