A Grammy Nomination First: Mom and Son Duo Nnenna and Pierce Freelon Up for Best Albums Each

Mom and son duo Nnenna and Pierce Freelon have been celebrating for the last month since the announcement of the Grammy nominations, and they have every reason to be overjoyed ahead of the actual awards night on Sunday, April 3, as they have already made history.

Nnenna and Pierce are the first mother and son to have been nominated for two different categories at the Grammy Awards. Nnenna's "Time Traveler" has earned a Best Vocal Jazz Album nomination, while Pierce is nominated for the Best Children's Album category for "Black to the Future."

Speaking with Today, Nnenna, who has been nominated five times before, acknowledged that this year's Grammy nod is pretty special because of the double nomination in the family after doing their own thing in music. She said that it's "astounding" to be cited by the award-giving body in the same year together, and they already feel like winners because of this unique honor.

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 A House Filled with Music

Nnenna said that music was always her way of connecting with her three kids since they were babies. She relayed that every night was like a performance in their household because she would sing to her children.

The Grammy experience is not new to Pierce because his mother used to take him to the awards night when he got older. This was one of the reasons why he was inspired to pursue the same path. Pierce also feels that his nomination is extra special because his album contains a duet with his mom.

The nomination also tugs at Nnenna's heartstrings because "Time Traveler" is her love letter to her husband, Phil Freelon, who died in 2019 due to ALS. Phil, who is also a noted musician in the history of America's music culture, was a very important part of both albums, according to Grammy Awards. Phil engineered some of the musical elements he used for his son's projects.

Nnenna knows that her husband is very happy with the double nomination and that she made a new album. The mom and son agree that they still feel Phil's presence and energy everywhere, especially when a song pops up. 

"There have been times when a song popped up in a playlist that I didn't expect, and I'll hear his voice," Pierce said. 

Performing at the Grammy Awards

Nnenna and Pierce are expected to perform in the opening number of the awards pre-show in the afternoon in Las Vagas, which LeVar Burton will host. The actual awards ceremony in the evening will be hosted by Trevor Noah, where the mom and son duo will also be presenters.

This year's other nominees include BTS, Coldplay, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Tony Bennett, and Lady Gaga. According to Billboard, the Grammy pre-show and actual ceremony will be streamed live via the academy's YouTube channel.

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