GOVERNORS BALL 2023

As we mentioned last month, Governors Ball settled into it’s new home Jun 9th-11th at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. In our conversation with the founder of NYC’s music festival that kicks off the summer season. Last month Tom Russell shared with us how he created this 3-day festival and how this location is the best one that allows music enthusiasts to enjoy 3 stages of their favorite artists while being surrounded by a park environment! Over 100,00 people got to see the festival's new home completed with the iconic Unisphere. It’s exciting to see what upcoming years will look like as we continue to flock to this destination. This season there were so many options from enjoying the stages that showcased various genres of music, food and beverage that allowed for diverse appetites courtesy of food partners that includes Queen’s Night Market and of course, Instagramable moments that we’ll remember for many years to come.

As soon as we saw the lineup that included 60 artists, we started sketching out what we wanted to listen to as there was something for everyone whether you listen to hip-hop, EDM, and pop. We also knew that we wanted to see this immersive environment that really allowed you to feel that you transported to what we love most about attending music festivals! Here are some of the moments that we were excited about this took place over this weekend.

If you’ve caught Ice Spice perform, you know that she tends to have more of a relaxed presence when she’s on stage, but she definitely had a lot of energy when she hit the GoPuff stage on the 1st day of Governors Ball. As she rapped across the stage, she was in sync with her dancers and had a fluid show that was really a fun experience to watch.

Friday afternoon, we looked forward to hearing Eladio Carrion’s set. We enjoyed hearing his latest release Coco Chanel, as well as Mi Error and No Te Deseo el Mal.

When it comes to bringing drama to her performances with a side of education, Lizzo always makes it a point to take her time on the stage to share songs that we all enjoy while also providing a state of the union of sorts as she talked about anti-LGBT laws, the environment, and diversity.

We also enjoyed when Odesza hit the stage while the large crowd were entertained with this duo's set as well as digital and literal pyrotechnics. This larger than life performance was a perfect way for Saturday night's headliners to take their set to the next level!

Hands down, we were excited about seeing Kendrick Lamar as he closed out the 3rd night of the festival. He took his time on the stage to have a set that included songs that he has created across his career. His cousin, Baby Keem also came out to perform one of our favorites, Family Ties. Of course, at the conclusion of his set, fans were treated to fireworks and pyrotechnics to close out this successful festival.

In addition to these favorites, we're including some of our other favorite acts as well.

IG @govballnyc

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 112, 121 + 123 Roger Ho | PG 114 + 122 Deanie Chen | PG 116 Alive Coverage | PG 118 Charles Reagan | PG 120 Okay Nicolita | PG 124 Nick W NYC |

Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see GOVERNORS BALL 2023 in mag.

WELCOME HOME!

We love attending music festivals and here in NYC, Govenors Ball kicks off our summer season! This 3-day festival has a number of the hottest artists across 3 stages and a number of genres! Over the past few years, we've attended this event on Governors Island, Randall's Island, and Citi Field. This year, it settles into its new home in its 12th year at Flushing Meadow Corona Park in Queens from June 9th - 11th! This year's acts include Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Diplo, Kendrick Lamar, SOFI TUKKER, and Kim Petras to name a few! Over the 3 days, people can celebrate their favorite artists, have Instagram-worthy pictures, enjoy fabulous food and beverages and more!

We caught up Tom Russell, Co-Founder and Partner of Founders Entertainment who puts on Gov Ball from his vision of creating a music festival that also honors the spirit and diversity of NY! We wanted to find out how Tom got into the music festival industry, his passion for music, how Gov Ball was created, and what first-timers and veterans can expect when they come to the show this year! We delve into partnerships and the future of this festival. Make sure you read next month's JUN ISSUE #90 which will have our recap of this 3 days of music!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into Governors Ball, how did you get into the business of music festivals?

TOM RUSSELL: I grew up in NYC and was obsessed with music from a young age and I was going to concerts at a young age starting in middle school. I got really into punk rock going to concerts on St. Marks Place. As I got older, I went to high school, got really into jam bands, went to New Orleans for college and got really into funk music and world music and all of that of course Hip-Hop since I was young.

I went to a festival called Bonnaroo and had the time of my life and I had the best time ever! I said to myself after that weekend, “I need to work in music festivals." This was my passion. I was living in New Orleans going to Tulane and I discovered that the company that did Bonnaroo was based in New Orleans. So, I wrote them an email, wrote them another email, and another one and they finally wrote me back.

I somehow managed to wiggle my way into there and get an internship. I did it for a semester and then they offered me another internship and then Hurricane Katrina happened and they evacuated their offices to NYC which is where I was born and raised. I was in NYC for that semester as well. They offered me a full-time job and I had to make a decision at that time. Did I want to go back to college, or did I want to take a job with the company that I wanted to do more than anything? I decided to drop out of school, drop out of college with 1 semester to go, and take a job with Superfly. I worked with them for 6 years until I hit my ceiling at Superfly, and I decided that it was time for me to leave to pursue my long life goal of bringing my hometown and beloved city a music festival that they could call its own.

At that time, you had Lollapalooza in Chicago, Austin City Limits in Austin, Outside Lands in San Francisco, but there was no cultural institution in NY and I felt that that was just wrong and it didn’t make sense to me. So I left Superfly to start Gov Ball with a couple of friends of mine. It was good timing and we really hit the nail on the head with our programming and we really tapped into this growing festival culture and this demand for really good live music in NYC. It was kind of off to the races from there!

AM: I love that and that is such a great story!

What I love about Governors Ball is that you have different types of genres that are playing in the same space across 3 different stages. You can obviously see artists that you enjoy that you're already fans of as well as other genres and artists that you weren't familiar with and you always leave adding more to your playlist after going which I think is really cool.

TR: Well that was a huge thing for us. We all looked at our Spotify, Apple playlist, iTunes what have you and we saw that we weren’t just listening to Hip-Hop, rock, or pop, we were listening to everything and it was important to us to put together lineups that had artists that we loved and that we knew were amazing live musicians, but also we had something for everybody. People just have tons of different tastes. We carry that on to this day where we’ll have an EDM headliner, a Hip-Hop headliner, and we’ll have a pop headliner, and everything in between. I think that it just speaks to the variety of tastes that not just music lovers have, but also New Yorkers because it’s such a diverse city.

AM: Absolutely.

What is your process like when you’re sketching out a year ahead or whatever in terms of the different types of artists that you’re bringing in?

TR: So we’re always looking for the biggest and the best. We certainly know what bands have new records coming out. We certainly know what bands have a desire to tour around the Gov Ball time. We know what bands we would love to have, but they’re definitely not touring and we kind of go for all of it and see what sticks. We start out with the headliners and there are artists that we have made offers to every single year in the hopes that it will pique their interests and sometimes we just throw something crazy out there and they come back to us and say yes. Other times, it goes nowhere and we just fall back on artists that really want to play the festival and are releasing a record around that time of year. But for us, it’s important to have the biggest and best things. Because one of the beautiful things about NYC is that New Yorkers have access to the best of everything. We have access to the best food, the best music, the best parks, and there’s so much to do, that it's essential for us to put together a lineup that is the best and that people just can’t say no to because there are so many other things to do in this city. We have to stand out. So, it’s always, how do we put together the biggest and best lineup that will get people to have a double take and say, fuck, there’s no way that I am missing that.

AM: Well this year, it’s going to be at Flushing Meadows, Corona Park. What is the thought process behind finding the ideal space because it is 3 massive stages, plus all of these other activations that are also on-site?

TR: I would say that for any great music festival, the venue is almost as important as the artist. It really defines the vibe of the overall event and for Gov Ball over the years, we’ve struggled to be honest. We’ve moved. We started out as a 1-day festival on Governors Island, we moved to Randall’s Island where we grew to a 3 day festival, and we moved over to Citi Field coming out of the pandemic. But we never really had a large greenspace venue that is iconic and lent itself well to live events and that led us to Flushing Meadows at Corona Park. A park that was built and designed for events many many decades ago. It’s easily accessible by subway and LIRR. It is full of iconic structures, museums, and tons of trees. It’s such a unique green space. We’re so excited for this year and for our fans to see it because the festival will take on a whole new life and a whole new vibe and one that we have really wanted to have since our start. You look at Lollapalooza, they’re in Grant Park. Austin City Limits is in Zilker Metropolitan Park. With Gov Ball, we haven’t had that yet. Flushing Meadows is truly an incredible and special place that we just can’t wait to bring it alive!

AM: I’m excited and looking forward to it!

Food is always a huge component of music festivals as well and you guys have incredible vendors such as our favorites: The Halal Guys, and Taqueria Diana as well as food partnerships by bringing in the Queens Night Market. Why was this important to have such a diverse series of foods?

TR: So for us, we wanted to have the best of everything! The best music lineup and of course, the best food. People need to be able to eat and drink and to listen to great music. With us being in Queens, we couldn’t not think of the Queens Night Market which is such an institution. It has such an amazing collection of vendors from all over the world. We reached out to John Wang, founder of Queens Night Market and he’s so brilliant and what he created there and it’s so special. So we said, “look, we’re coming to Flushing Meadows and you’ve been there for so long and we have created this amazing amazing event, we would love for you to be able to help us curate some vendors that really speak to Queens and speak to what you have built and to help us give more variety to what we are offering.” He was kind enough to make a number of introductions and help us to feature food that will really be additive to the festival and to get people super super excited to have food from around the world. From Mao's Bao to Twisted Potato, La Brasa for those folks that go to Queens Night Market like myself, it’s really going to be great. So they’re going to go from seeing one amazing act to having an amazing meal, to seeing another amazing act to having another amazing meal. What do people want in life? Good food, good music, and good drink. That’s all that you need.

AM: It’s a full experiential opportunity to have all of these things together. What are some things that are being added to this year’s event that may be different from last year? For those who go every year or may have missed a few, what can they expect?

TR: I think that the biggest thing this year is our new venue. I mean, this is going to be a Gov Ball experience that’s unlike any other because it's a brand new site which is full of lush trees and iconic elements like the Unisphere. How we’re bringing the park to life with lighting and décor and art installations. What we’re doing to enhance the trees, it’s really going to be super duper special and for those folks that have been to Gov Ball once, twice, 5 times or 10, they truly have no idea what they are in store for because this venue is a whole new ballgame and it’s so exciting. We just can’t wait for people to be able to see it and to experience what Gov Ball has wanted to be since it’s iteration.

AM: In addition to all of the things that take place on Gov Ball’s festival site, it’s great that you also have After Dark. We love the idea of people being able to continue the party and to see a number of the artists that are performing at other venues around the city and to expand your footprint. Why is this an element that you love including with Governors Ball?

TR: Well look, the festival ends at 10pm because the NYC Parks tell us we have to end at 10pm and I don’t want to go to bed at 10pm! It’s way too early, it’s summertime in the city on a Fri., Sat., and Sun. night. So we reach out to the artists that are playing the festival and we tell them that we want to work with them some more, feature them in an After Dark show, keep the party going and we know the fans will like it. So we have events with Saba, Metro Boomin’, SOFI TUKKER, and tons more. So, for us, it’s giving the people the opportunity to keep the party going. We’re predominantly a NY festival because most if the people going are from NYC and the tri-state area. But there are tons of people that come in from around the country and around the world. So we want to give people the opportunity to see the festival at the park, but also to experience these great venues in Manhattan and in Brooklyn and elsewhere.

AM: That’s smart!

TR: Yeah. We just want to be able to have something to fill out there whole weekend.

AM: For those that won’t be able to attend the festival themselves, is there a way that they would be able to listen to the lineup whether you partnered with a streaming platform or anything else like that?

TR: So we aren’t livestreaming the event this year. If you want to get a take on this year’s music, you can hop onto Spotify and look at our official playlist. But that’s what we have in store for this year and I can’t say enough about this venue and what we are doing there. For those folks that are on the fence for going this year, I can’t sell it enough. It’s going to be super special and super new and Gov Ball unlike any other.

AM: You also have an entire philanthropic component to Gov Ball that involves the community which is amazing. Can you tell us more about that and how you’re supporting these particular initiatives?

TR: Since we started the festival, we’ve always wanted to give back to the local community. When we were in Randall’s Island for years in East Harlem, it was important for us to work with local East Harlem institutions because we were impacting that community the most. The flow traffic from the festival was going right through the East Harlem neighborhood. We started to build these relationships with local non-profit partners.

When we moved over to Queens, we brought that same goal in mind. This year, working with super local organizations such as Chhaya and ECRC (Elmhurst/Corona Recovery Collective) we’re giving them the opportunity to expose their amazing causes to a brand new audience and we’re also giving our audience an opportunity to work towards tickets to the festival by volunteering at those organizations. So for a few hours of work and volunteering, you can get a Gov Ball ticket and we’re fundraising for these organizations. These are super small and local that truly need exposure. They truly need funding so for us to be able to give back to them, it’s a really important initiative of ours. Over the years, we have worked with really large organizations too such as Everytown and Planned Parenthood and we’ll continue to work with those bigger organizations, but it is always important for us to be hyperlocal and to help these smaller organizations that have these great causes who have less awareness and to give them a means to benefit.

AM: Just looking at the future, do you ever see Gov Ball to be the same as a Lollapalooza, an EDC or a Tomorrowland that pops up in other cities around the world? Do you ever think that that would be a journey that Gov Ball will take at some point?

TR: I don’t. I think that Gov Ball is NYC born and bread. I think that the ethos of the event is NYC, we feature NYC artists, it’s NYC food vendors, NYC graffiti artists, NYC contractors and vendors and non-profits. The whole vibe of the event is NYC and we don’t really have the desire to stray from that. I think that the NYC works in NYC. I don’t think that you could plop that down anywhere else and we just want to continue to be able to make Gov Ball the best that it can be and now with us at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. I think this is only the beginning and we’re just super excited to go down this path of this incredible new home and new venue that we’re bringing to life and to just continue to bring NYC the very best in lineups whether it’s food, music, or what have you that we can!

IG @govballnyc

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 100 Charles Reagan | PG 102 Aaron Ricketts | PG 105 Roger Ho | PG 106 Carter Khowe | PG 109 Downs |

Read the MAY ISSUE #89 of Athleisure Mag and read Welcome Home! in mag.

APPRECIATION FOR THE CRAFT | JASON REMBERT

For years, we've enjoyed seeing the looks created by Celebrity Fashion Stylist, Jason Rembert whether it's for his red carpets with his clients Lizzo, Issa Rae, Mary J Blige, Rita Ora, Odell Beckham Jr; designs from his line Aliette worn by Sheryl Lee Ralph, Quinta Brunson and Regina Hall to name a few, or when he has styling covers for our favorite magazines and been a part of campaigns. Jason's attention to detail and knowing how to dress bodies that want to make an impact is impeccable.

Recently, Jason partnered with Baileys to create a Baileys Marshmallow Puffer that brings his vision and a subtle aesthetic of the brand together. We talked with him about his partnership with the brand, his inspiration to create the jacket and of course how he is navigating the upcoming Awards season as well as the latest collection of his brand.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So tell us about the first ever Baileys Puffer and how this came into being?

JASON REMBERT: Baileys has been part of my entire life. I don’t remember a time like in my adult life where it wasn’t part pf my life. Even as a kid, my mother was such a big fan of Baileys. My mom never drank any hard liquor and Baileys was always her preferred choice. She used to put it in coffee, she drank it by itself and as I became an adult, I started drinking it of my coffee and I always have a bottle of Baileys just sitting in my refrigerator and getting it cold and it has been a part of my life and I like the versatility. I love that I can drink it in my coffee and I remember when Häagen-Dazs had it in their ice cream. I like that I can drink it by myself and it’s something that I can share with my girlfriend, she does the same thing. Now with Baileys, it’s really cool to partner with a company where they don’t limit my creativity. When I came to them with this idea of a couture piece and I had these big ideas, they embraced it. Sometimes, when you work with these big companies, they try to dial it down or dilute your creativity. Baileys was like, we're about it, we're down! Let’s do it! When you have a partner who supports you and is willing to stand behind your creative integrity, that’s the right partner. For me, creating this garment was a push for me as a designer. I have always wanted to create a puffer. I never created a puffer for my collection or even for myself. I’m such a fan of puffers, it’s so pseudonymous with winter and Après ski and just something different. So now, to be able to go somewhere whether it’s the Poconos, Gstaad or wherever I go for ski season, I now have something that is a piece that I created that I have made my own.

AM: Where did you get your inspiration from? It is such a cute jacket, who doesn’t love a puffer as it’s something that we would rock for sure as well as to style it for our shoots.

JR: Thank you! To be honest, I have always been a fan of quilted things and different forms of embroidery. Embroidery has been pseudonymous with me as a designer from my first collection. So, now to be able to bring that into a piece that is pseudonymous with my personal style. I have never made a piece that was so unisex and so fluid. So now to have piece that I can honestly rock, I wanted it to be oversized, I wanted it to have a toughness to it. I wanted it to have details to it. I went to Baileys and I said, honestly, is it possible for me to use your logo to do a subtle but effective quilted embroidery and they were down! I think that my goal for it was to give a marshmallow feel without blatantly being cheesy and putting marshmallows on it. I feel that it still gives that softness of a marshmallow even though it is so tough! That juxtaposition is always so important to me – to have both the fluid approach to design for femininity and masculinity.

AM: Now we’re in the thick of Awards Season and as a fan of those you’ve worked with from Mary J Blige, Sheryl Lee Ralph – how do you approach this time of year? It's a crazy period of time and you’re definitely in the thick of things at the moment!

JR: Thank you! My approach to Awards Season is honestly, trying to be as organized as possible, to maybe schedule fittings as early as possible, making sure that the timeline for alterations are there, making sure that timelines for refitting is there. This Awards Season is a little more unique. The Golden Globes was one of the first really big awards show. I had one client that I had to style and I had another client, Sheryl Lee Ralph which I designed a gown for.

AM: Which was stunning.

JR: Thank you so much. Her daughter, Ivy Coco who’s her stylist, reached out to me to ask if I could design an amazing gown for her mother for Awards Season. Just being honored to do that was great. That balance is hard! I feel good. I have great support, I have a great team. They make my job so much easier to do it, because they are so on point. I think that honestly, that’s how you get through Awards Season, having a great team.

AM: In terms of your label, Aliette, we have loved so many pieces that you have designed! What are some of the new portions of the collection that we should keep an eye out for as we all head into FW23 as well!

JR: Oh wow! Crazy enough, I don’t know why or how but I shot my lookbook earlier this month for my PF23 collection. I shot it in LA because I was stuck here for Awards Season. I’m very very excited and very proud of it. It’s my first time doing a proper pre-Fall collection.

AM: How do you take time for yourself for a bit of self-care because you are incredibly busy and you have so many projects that you’re part of.

JR: Thank you. I do take time for myself. I have a very supportive family. My favorite thing to do in the whole world is play Spades. I do that as often as possible. I try to play Spades once a week with friends and family. I get to enjoy it! Sometimes I just take a Sunday afternoon and just my girl and I and we just watch TV. Right now, we’re binge-watching between White Lotus and BMF. She loves to make new drinks so we get to have some really cool Baileys-infused drinks and she makes Sundays great! So I get to enjoy Sundays!

IG @jasonrembert

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Baileys Irish Cream

Read the JAN ISSUE #85 of Athleisure Mag and see APPRECIATION FOR THE CRAFT | Jason Rembert in mag.

THE SCIENTIST OF MOVEMENT | TANISHA SCOTT

This month's cover is 3X MTV VMA nominated Creative Director, Choreographer, Performance Coach and dancer, Tanisha Scott. You've seen her iconic work as a choreographer with Sean Paul in Gimmie the Light and has continued to work with an array of artists from Beyoncé, Rihanna, Lil Nas X, Drake and more. She currently serves as Creative Director for Lizzo, Cardi B and H.E.R. A number of videos and performances that she created have become part of major cultural moments in Hip Hop and those movements have found their way into memes, Tik Tok videos and on an array of dance floors.

Her ability to bring her love of dancehall, freestyle and knowing what is natural to the body transcends her work for music videos across genres, touring and award show performances. We talk about her love for dance, getting into the industry, those she collaborates with, continuing to add to her skill sets and how she continues to leave her mark.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you realized that you fell in love with and wanted to dance?

TANISHA SCOTT: Honestly, dance has been part of my life and I can literally say this without it being cliché – for forever. My parents are Jamaican , my father loves music and he was actually a DJ on the side – not just house parties, but he would go out with his friends and spin. Before I was even born, music was all around within the family. I knew it was something that was super special to me not only because of my shadow – my brother, my sister and my dad playing, but I just knew how much it helped me feel good. It helped me to really open up. I’ll tell you this, when I was really, really young, I had an issue with stuttering and I found that through dance, I didn’t have to speak that much and I can speak through movement and I can express myself and people would smile and laugh and would want to dance too without me having to actually say something and feeling insecure about it. I knew I loved dance and that dance was actually a part of me and a very important part because of that journey. I didn’t realize that until I got older and saw that it actually made a difference for me in my life.

AM: That’s amazing. You were a background dancer for Mya when you first started. How did you transition from being a dancer to a choreographer and adding that to your body of work?

TS: Yeah, reluctantly, I can say that I didn’t want to call myself a choreographer for about a year after Gimmie the Light happened. Gimmie the Light happened because my dearest closest friend, Director X (DMX What’s My Name, Sean Paul Gimmie the Light, Drake Hotline Bling) is also from Toronto. He and Taj Critchlow who is his longtime manager have been so close to me! He didn’t ask me to choreograph the video, he told me I had to! I fell into it, I was scared out of my mind not knowing what to do because I felt that I was a freestyle dancer and that’s all I knew – how would I put moves together for other people? He just told me to figure it out. It wasn’t until I reached out to my mentor, Luther Brown (Janet Jackson Dammmn Baby, Lizzo Juice, Ozuna BAILA BAILA BAILA) who is the king of Hip Hop and stepping in Toronto and he mentored me and a bunch of other kids. It wasn’t until I reached out to him and let him know that I didn’t know how to choreograph and how would I do it? He broke it down to me and said what I would do especially is go to the mirror, figure out some moves, see what looked good on me, put it on some people and make sure that it looks good on them and there you go – from the basic aspect of it.

I choreographed the music video and I was like it’s not going to be much. Sean Paul was singing this song which was older at the time when it came out in North America. Being of Jamaican descent, you know that we’ve heard this song for forever. So it was like, I’m going to do this video for Sean Paul – yes. It wasn’t anything that I had to think of when it came to the movement because it’s what we did in the clubs, in the basement parties so I put all of our moves together and felt how it should flow – did the video and that’s it. Nobody knew that Gimmie the Light was going to blow up the way that it did in North America! No one had any clue of it. That’s how it happened and then before I knew it, people were like, you need to get this choreographer. I would say, the dancer, because I danced in that video but I didn’t feel like a choreographer – so reluctantly it happened – blame it on X!

AM: How does your love for dance, dancehall and being from Toronto inspire and infuse your work?

TS: Oh gosh, I think the reason why it inspires my work is that it’s the only thing that I know innately that I wasn’t taught to do. I was not taught in any kind of professional dance when I was younger, we just did dancehall because I come from a Jamaican lineage, music is all around and that’s what we’re going to do right? I just dance the way I knew to dance where it’s already in my blood. So that, no matter what project I do, you’ll always find a piece of it. I find that my choreography is organic and authentic. I don’t do traditional movement for anything that is cool or in, in style or whatever the trend is. I literally follow suit to what the music calls for. If it’s dancehall, then I’m going to give you dancehall, if it’s Hip Hop, I’m going to give you Hip Hop and if it’s something else, then I am going to give you that. I attribute that to the fact that I am a freestyler where I actually watch and I pickup visually a lot easier and do things that makes me feel good in my body as if I’m about to freestyle as opposed to putting together a segment of moves that are regimented in a specific style or technique of a dance. So I think that that’s how I get to flip flop. You’re always going to get a little piece of dancehall, but at the same time, I’m a battler at heart so if I see somebody do something, I’m going to do it and do it better and that’s the way that I choreograph.

AM: I like that and that’s why it’s authentic because you’re freely leaning into fluidity because that’s what you’re feeling.

As a choreographer, what are you looking for when you’re working with an artist or maybe someone who isn’t even a dancer – is it hard to work with someone like that who doesn’t dance, but they’re going to need to dance for that video? How do you go about that process of making that story and making them feel comfortable and let them dance?

TS: You know what? Would you believe me if I said that I actually prefer artists who don’t dance?

AM: I would actually understand why you would like that because you don’t have to breakdown or have someone unlearn what they do and you can just flow!

TS: Exactly! It’s for this one main reason, they end up becoming a little more fearless in what they do. Because I’m not a trained dancer, I understand the fear or being unsure of how to move, what to do and what looks good. Because of that, I find it very easy to look at someone and tell what their strengths and weaknesses are. I work with both to create something that is signature to them.

For instance, Kelis and Bossy – her whole walk thing, Rihanna obviously with her hips, anything that I do with any artist – Alicia Keys with her walk how she does it to the side and plays the piano with the side – using one hand on the piano but doing it while leaning – it’s so much more interesting to create something that is signature to that person.

Honestly, anybody can choreograph – literally. It’s just a series of movements together to express whatever you want to express. Some people just want to have trendy moves, some people want to tell a story, some people are just a little more intrinsic with their movements – there are an array of things. What gives me joy is working with artists and giving them their own signature imprint so that the choreography is not a Tanisha Scott choreography that so and so is doing. It’s what Tanisha Scott has created that is based off of this artist and that it is an imprint so the dancers look like them, they move in a certain way and that’s what I find more interesting is working with someone from the core and being able to build from the ground up – who are you, what is your persona, what is the zhuzh, what is the story that you want to tell. That is more intriguing and satisfying!

Now, artists that can dance, the palette is open – let’s try tap, let’s do jazz, silks – there is an array of things! What pulls at my heart strings where I just become the scientist of movement, is when I’m like, “ooo this will be amazing” and then you see them blossom, it means the absolute world to me. That is much more fulfilling.

AM: Love that! Going back to Gimmie the Light video, what do you think it is about this video that after all of these years, that reaction is still there? The feeling is still there. Since that video, we have seen tons of amazing things and technologically there are different things, but the song and visually there is that feeling that you still get when you see it. How does it have such staying power?

TS: I’ll tell you something, I feel that it’s because it is so organic and it’s so freeing like you can’t even explain or break it down to how everybody moves in that music video. It was just captured in the right way and it was just a vibe! Like, you can’t fuck up a vibe! Like you can’t not feel a feeling – you know what I’m saying? It wasn’t technical at all! It was just people moving and grooving in a way that was just something that felt good naturally in your body that connected to the music perfectly. Individuals captured it and it made it cool. It was swaggy, it was fun! You had PonyTailz doing the Spidermen, you had Dainty Crime which was a crew of guys in there jumping up and down, it was entertaining. It also didn’t feel like you couldn’t do the moves. Everybody at home wanted to try because it felt like, “oh I think I could do this.” That’s what makes it so good and continues to be so.

It’s like YMCA, everyone can do that and you want to jump in – that’s what I think it is.

AM: I think so too and conversely, we were on set shooting one of our covers and Hotline Bling came out. I hadn’t seen the video yet and we’re all prepping for the shoot and I was asked if I had seen the video. We’re watching this video and I knew it was Director X, but the vibe had elements of Gimmie the Light as well. Of course, I find out that you did that and I can see why I felt those homages to the other video. What was it like being on this project and obviously another Toronto connection – and it was fire!

TS: Yo, Hotline Bling, what made it so special from the beginning is because it was Director X, who had me involved and of course, it was Drake. I remember Drake saying, I need that Tanisha Scott/Gimmie the Light moment. So, I’m like, “let’s do it brother” and I had previously worked with him before. He said he just wanted to let loose – almost like not taking anything too seriously and to just move and vibe. So I was like, let’s go – literally. What made the video so amazing is of course it was beautifully shot, but it was that synergy once again. It was the visuals, it was X's understanding what it takes, it’s Drake that’s part of it. Let me tell you one thing, that man has his finger on the pulse of not what’s new or next, but 2 slots or 4 years ahead. He knew more than anybody, he knew that this was something. He is so smart and he said, let’s just vibe and we had fun. We freestyled and we literally just had fun on set joking around and it became what it became.

Who would have seen me coming up with dances that actually became a meme, people are doing it and it’s a signature Drake move! It was a blessing because I’m working with my friends and we’re honestly friends where we trust each other so much that there’s no micromanaging of anything. It’s like, I’m going to do this and this makes sense to this and it makes sense to that – so let’s do that. Then Drake is like let’s do this and we just made it happen. So trust and just going with your gut and not just doing things that you think is right or what someone else thinks is right.

AM: Well once again, it’s just beautiful and it will be 20 years from now where there will be those relevant elements that have a different vibe in respect to Gimmie the Light but it still has that warmth –

TS: That simplicity.

AM: It’s so simple and I do love an over the top production as well, but I also like when things are paired down and you can focus. No matter how many times you watch it, there’s something that pops up and it just figures that you were involved as well!

So it’s always fun to see your work as a dancer and a choreographer but it’s interesting to see you as both in the same project. Does it feel like a balanced moment when we get to see you as both the dancer as well as the choreographer?

TS: That to me – being a dancer during doing something that’s choreographed, unless I’m freestyling – doesn’t really feel good. But, if I’m on camera choreographing doing what I do, that feels balanced. But if I’m dancing, I can’t perform to my best when I know that I have choreographed for other people are around me and I’m looking for where they are in their space. I’m still thinking as a choreographer as well as what is my artist doing and I feel like I’m cheating – it doesn’t feel good. Because when I dance, I zone out and I let go to be free. In that moment, I’m not on guard. When I’m choreographing and I’m on camera doing choreography or creative, I feel like I’m at home. I’m able to not just express what it is that I do and get the job done, but I want other people to learn as well. There are other levels to creative direction and different aspects of it as well as even for the dancers. There are a lot of things that we can do because the longevity of a dancer is not that long so you have to think of other things to do that can still play into your love of dance – you don’t lose it, but you just evolve.

AM: You look at a person like Debbie Allen who she can still –

TS: I mean queen, queen, queen!

AM: You just look at her and even when you watch her in something that she isn’t dancing in like when she is in Grey’s Anatomy, she has a flow to her movement that when she crosses over to the other side of the room, you’re transfixed!

TS: Preach Kimmie!

AM: I love flow and it doesn’t just exist in dance, but when you see those who are dancers and they still have that style in other portions of their life, it’s beautiful to see! You can tell the flow and musicality that some people have even when there isn’t anything being played.

TS: She doesn’t know this and I never met her but she is such an inspiration.

AM: She’s amazing! She has that eye and you know she’s watching.

There are so many videos where your fingerprint has graced those productions and moments. How is that for you to do it from a video standpoint versus being on someone’s tour with Rihanna versus doing something for TV like the BET Awards? Do you have to think differently Awards? Do you have to think differently for space or just the mediums that are being used?

TS: I do and I’m glad that you asked that question. I think that that’s what keeps me excited because it’s not the same thing over and over again. It allows me to stay on my toes.

So when we breakdown for a music video, a music video has edits and the primary thing about a music video is centering around the artist. So if there is choreography involved, it’s for a specific section. I always have enough dialogue with the director understanding what the environment is – are we dancing in a box, dancing on platforms, dancing on a wet floor, what are the costumes, what is the vision and go from that. I choreograph in sections that I know will be used. If you were to choreograph the whole song, you already know half of that isn’t even going to be seen or used unless the artist is in it. But even so, there are different things that we have to see. That’s one way and how I deal with music videos.

When it comes to tours, I have to now consider not just what the director of the music video is shooting, the type of frame that it is – is it overhead, is it specifically for the camera. With a tour, I choreograph for the naked eye. The naked eye means the expansion of it – it’s entrances and exits because we see everything. You can’t control what one person is seeing when you have thousands of people watching. So it’s the beginning of the song, the ending of the song and how the next song comes in. So it’s the thread that I use and the bigger purpose and I also choreograph the movement for me which is never little. It’s always a lot bigger because I tend to choreograph for those in the nosebleeds that aren’t so close – they have to have some kind of entertainment so that they can see and feel it and you have a successful show.

For an awards show, it’s a hybrid of both. I actually prefer the awards shows because I get to hone in on the director portions that I went to school for about 6 months at the NY Film Academy to learn music video directing. Not so much to be a music video director, I wanted to know how to choreograph and to speak to actors, actresses and dancers and to know what different frames were so I could be better choreographer. So I get to hone in on that when I am creative directing and choreographing the awards shows, I’m able to set the tone – the feeling of this is The Wiz so it’ll be different colors here and there, we have a yellow brick road and we formulate that. Now, how do we put in the choreography into it – this person enters here, that person enters there. Ok great, now with the camera, what do I need to see first? I need a close up shot of the artists walking on the yellow brick road and now I add a steady cam with a 360 turn to a smaller lens where I see 1 person pop up and then the next. We then go to a jib for a wide so I get to utilize everything that I have learned to put together a piece which hopefully, my next dream or chapter, is to be able to do Broadway. That to me is everything from when I do these awards shows because I get to think outside of the box and actually create a real piece. I have my hands in all aspects from set design to lighting – it’s everything to tell what that story is for what I want in that moment.

AM: I really like getting that insight and I expected a lot of what was said, but I really liked hearing about the hybrid environment of an awards show that is a defined box but still a little more open versus other areas. To hear your process in how you work that makes me think of our photoshoots where we’re creating that set, bringing in the team, sketching out the moodboard, bringing in the styling etc to create this concept. So by the time I arrive to the actual set day, I have played so many things in my mind for those hours.

TS: Prep is no joke!

AM: For sure! At some points as you’re actually seeing it all together, you feel like it already happened because you were so immersed and bringing it life in every way.

TS: Oh my God I swear, I think we’re twins!

AM: When you’ve seen videos that you’ve done that have been given various awards, obviously a video is the culmination of what you’re doing, the talent, creative teams, director etc – with all those things coming together and showing everyone’s versatility and work – what does it mean to you to have that award given to a project you were involved in?

TS: I feel so accomplished, so much more than even if I were personally receiving it for myself. When people hire me, I sign a contract in the air – it’s not a real one but it’s where they trust me to deliver to the best. When they are awarded, the team is awarded and/or the video is awarded – I know that I have done my job and that I have gained the trust. I know that what I set out and put out to do happened. I’m definitely a woman of my word. If I say I’m going to show up, I show up. If I say I am going to make something happen, I’m going to make something happen. With these videos, it’s definitely a collaboration – you have a director at the helm, but nothing is independent from one another. The gaffers, the stylists, the stage PAs, like we’re working and a lot of times, you don't know these people and you have never worked with them before, so you have to get on board and have the same common goal. When that’s achieved and it’s achieved with an award at the highest point, I feel so much more pleased with the job because it’s good and then It’s onto the next! It’s all about hurry up and wait and then on to the next.

AM: So with everything that you have done from a video perspective, you’ve also done other things from campaigns to commercials to even working outside of the genre of Hip Hop. You’ve extended the multi-hyphenate nature of your work beyond creative director, dancer and choreographer, but also performance coach. What is a performance coach as you worked with Sarah Jessica Parker for her campaign with Intimissimi.

TS: Ok Kimmie, I like you, I swear you’re asking all the questions. Ok, so a performance coach is involved when there are no specific movements given. But it is having somebody portraying the emotion that they want them to portray through their body through movement. So it can be anything that you do, but it’s just narrowing it down to 10 beats. Now they have the freedom to choose which beat they want to use at this time. They may switch at another time. But it’s always showing you the vein or the box that you need to be within. Like, here are all the treats, you have 20 treats and this is the box. It allows them to be more individuals in that sense.

AM: That’s very interesting. I think it’s great to have those that are multi-hyphenates because they are able to pull from a range of skill sets and that it can be applied to a fuller spectrum so that you’re able to do more than one thing and you have longevity in other places too. The touchpoints that you have crossed by being able to take those skills and to work with George Clooney and large brands etc – it was interesting to see the research and how you have really optimized your talents and why it’s important for people to do more than just one thing.

You’ve been the creative director for Cardi B and H.E.R. which is amazing and what does that role involve for those that may not know what that means in this part of the industry?

TS: I work very closely with both of them and Lizzo is a new client of mine as well in this role. I basically sit with them and it starts off with a conversation about what it is and how they want their music and themselves to translate visuallly numbers that we wanted to add in. It was only supposed to be 1 episode and it ended up being more and it just happened that way.

AM: We saw her recent hosting and performances on SNL. Were you involved in that choreography?

TS: Yes!

AM: Loved it!

TS: It was cute right?

AM: I was watching it and was like, that’s her too.

TS: Yaaas! I did that and I did the creative for it. You know, it’s a new album, it’s going to be a dope album and really good. She is singing, the vibe is so fun – it’s funky. So we’re like, what do we do? SNL is one of the most iconic running shows in the world and I’m like we just need to have people hear and listen to the song. So instead of making a big dramatic set, let’s keep it simple, but golden and sparkly with lights. We just needed to give what the song gives. It was good and a good time and with her hosting too!

AM: Such a fan of her work but to have her hosting and performing on SNL while her series is streaming on Prime Video was amazing.

We’re living in a number of moments right now and in this body inclusivity time we’re in to give space to everyone that has an interest and the talent to do so, I think Lizzo’s show to have someone such as yourself who has worked with so many people to work with these women, really drives home the point that it’s not cool to identify those based on their race, gender, sexuality, body type etc and to dismiss them from opportunities where they can be present and own their gifts. This show is a great way to draw awareness to the opportunities that do exist for people.

TS: I love that! To me, what am I doing this job for – for what? When I think of what my legacy is, I just want everybody to have an opportunity and a moment to have what they want to have and then it’s up to them to continue with it. So give people the tools to be great to do what they want. It’s literally limitless. You’re right, it’s not cool to tell someone that they are not the right look for something. If you have the capability and the chops to do something – absolutely you should. Who is making the decision to defining what the perfect look is for something that is specific. You can have it in your box for what you do, but it should never be generalized.

With the girls, I said listen, we’re going to open up this door and you need to kick it down because I can only do so much for you. There is that aspect of being real and of course, it’s a sisterhood and we’re not here to put anybody down. We’re here to motivate and to uplift but at the same time, I’m very real and I know the kinds of circumstances that I have been through. I’ve been the dark-skinned girl where there was no makeup for you so before for those young kids that didn’t know, there was nothing. So I’d come in with my hat down low because X is calling me and Hype is calling me and telling me to get to set. I’m the first one in the makeup chair and the last one getting my makeup done. So, I’d put on a hat so that no one could see that I didn’t have makeup on. Or the fact that I’m chocolate, you can only have 1 of the 4 girls in the audition that will be chosen. Half the time that I’m auditioning, I’m like, "hey girl, hey girl” who is it going to be this time – well you got the last one so I’m going to be picked this time. You know what I’m saying? I’m not a Size 0 so having to get sample sizes was never the thing so my outfit was always the other outfit. My butt is big. Not being a trained dancer, I couldn’t do pirouettes, leaps and jumps. To this day, I still put myself in class learn and I am in beginners’ classes.

I’m not afraid to learn and that’s also what I tried to teach the girls. You control what happens to you in your life. Regardless of what people want to say and doors that have closed. We have all heard the stories about what happened to Tyra Banks and getting so many doors closed and then of course look at her now. We’ve all had that! But you have to keep pushing and once you push and that door opens, then you have to make sure that you stomp so hard that your foot is cemented into the ground and that they cannot deny you.

That’s what I got, I said don’t look at my face, I put my hat down, I didn’t need makeup, I’ll be there on time, I’ll wear my own outfit – I wasn’t doing choreography, so I was doing freestyle and every time out of those 100 music videos that I did, I freestyled that. I made sure that every single time I freestyled that I would get a standing ovation that would make them clap to make myself memorable. People would say, who was that girl that did this or who is that girl that did that and that’s how I made my mark. I think that that is the reason that I am where I am now because of all the no’s, I took them like a champ and I’m not saying that I never cried or wanted to give up, but I just kept going and every time there was an opportunity, I just said yes and let me figure it out when I get there.

AM: Tell me about the B Project campaign with Good American.

TS: Ok, yaaas! That was so fly to me Baroline Diaz is a VP of A&R at Interscope Records. We had never met before and she reached out to me and a few other women in her network that she didn’t know but admired and wanted all 12 of us to be part of her campaign. It was strictly for boss women that were self-made who didn’t have anything easy but are doing their damn thing. She just wanted to celebrate us and to be able to recognize others. Honestly before I even met her, I thought this sounds fire and when I met her, we had dinner and had some drinks and I’m like, “you are like everything that we need as a network for women that really do truly empower one another.” She doesn’t just say it, she lives it. We even have a chat that we still everyday talk with one another. Baroline is on it! She’s on our Instagram and our socials and she lets us know about so and so who does this and we say, “yes.” Or someone will say that they have something and will ask to get our addresses and they send it out. I’m going to help out someone else in the group with one of her artists. There are a couple of people in that group where we’re all super connected and we’re going to work with each other and help lift each other as well. There are just a lot of convos that go on in the group chat whether we’re helping one another out, sending scriptures or just getting projects going. It is such a great good sisterhood and it’s such a great campaign that I was able to be part of!

AM: It feels like you’re someone who is always flowing from one project to the next project or maybe it’s 80 projects that are all running at the same time! What do you have coming up that you are able to share that you’re excited about?

TS: I can share 2 things – 1 halfway. I am doing something with Disney and in NY so that should be cool! It’s kind of like wowzers and then another thing that is coming soon is that I’m working with Tom Holland and Sasha Lane on this Apple+ TV show, The Crowded Room. I can’t give anything away with this show, but I am so excited! I have the BET Awards coming up with Lizzo! H.E.R. right now is on tour opening up for Coldplay as well as her own tour. I did the creative direction for that. And working with Coldplay too!

AM: Saw that, I’m a huge Coldplay fan. I was like look at her rocking more spaces then just her spaces!

TS: RIGHT! And then Lizzo’s tour is coming and we’ll be announcing soon!

AM: In looking at other things that you have done, I know that at one time you were the choreographer for the Brooklyn Nets Kids dance team! How long were you with them and why did you want to do be involved in this?

TS: I started once Barclays opened up and the Brooklyn Nets became a thing. So I started working with the kids for about 5 years and then I passed it onto the assistant of mine at the time only because I started traveling for work and I couldn’t physically be there! I actually got the job through Jay-Z and my friend who is one of the directors for the female dancer’s entertainment group. For me, I chose to work with the kids because honestly for me, it’s not work for me when I work with children. Because they’re so fearless and they want to try everything, because they’re always so ready to go – I get a lot from them. I just feel really good being one of their first teachers to show them direction on how to learn, how to be, how to respect choreographers, how to walk in and just being part of their journey and helping to help them find who they are whether they want to do this or don’t want to do this as a career. Whether they want to continue or not, to me, that’s the world. I love working with kids.

AM: It’s so important to have a positive influence for dance. I remember growing up that I started in ballet and tap at a really young age. I liked ballet and I remember that the teacher told me that due to my body type there wasn’t a place for me in that arena and that there weren’t any Black ballerinas and that I shouldn’t do it. So, we’re talking the early 80s, I didn’t do it and I just did tap instead. The teacher, I thought at the time, was super nice and I believed what she said.

So to have a teacher that makes sure that you feel seen and allows you to go after something if that is your interest without putting barriers up, made me think that what you did for those kids was amazing.

Now do we know if I would have really done ballet – but I know you shouldn’t tell a 3 or 4 year old that they shouldn’t.

TS: No that’s absolutely right! That shouldn’t have happened. You said it perfectly, we need voices that allow people to be seen and to encourage them and to let them know you’re good enough. You should hone in on what you have and what you want. Golly, you need a second opinion sometimes.

AM: I know! But it was back then, so I didn’t know that there would be a Misty Copeland that would come along and at the time and where I grew up, there was no reference. But it did make me realize from then on that when I would go in whatever space, I fought for myself and place there and if it was something I wanted to do, I would make it happen regardless of what was said.

You also worked for a program with the Block Institute for Autism. Why did you want to be involved in this?

TS: Because I realized that there are things that are bigger than me and that there are things that are more rewarding than the biggest celebrity and the biggest brand. Does it even matter if you can’t enrich the lives of those that are not seen. People are important and if there is a need and especially with dance and what it has done for me and how it makes me feel, I want to be able to work with and teach and empower those that are in my reach. When I got the opportunity it was through a friend of mine that I talked with who worked with the Block Institute. I asked what they did and he explained that they provide extracurricular activities and I asked about dance. He explained that sometimes they would go in the gym and I let them know that I would come in and help and I did it for 3 years.

Life is short. God gave me a gift and it’s not for myself and it’s not for the riches or the popularity – it’s to enrich and to give hope, love and acceptance to others. I’m not keeping this to myself. I don’t like to dance alone! I want everybody to come and dance with me! It was pretty easy and a very quick yes from me. I actually miss doing it and I do want to start something up like that again. I really really do and I just have to make time for it. Thanks for reminding me about it! It’s important.

AM: I liked seeing that. We have been covering various autism stories from Autism Speaks Gala which included noted chefs and Andrew Zimmern was one of the hosts of the night, his son is autistic. It was a beautiful gala at Cipriani’s downtown and then Prime Video has a series streaming now, ‘As We See It’ which focuses on autistic adults and how they engage in the world and their relationship to one another, their families and they aid. It showed the depth of what it means to be autistic and how that can be from one person to the other as it’s not a monolithic experience. So to have someone such as yourself to give of your time in addition to everything you do, to infuse something you love to them is pretty awesome.

TS: Thank you. I really need to do more and it’s not enough.

AM: You do what you can in the hours of a day and I have taken 1 24 hour clock and made it 72 hours!

TS: Ha yes you’re right – let me stop!

AM: So when you’re not doing projects, how do you take time for yourself to have a reset? Because when you’re working with so many people and playing checkpoint, you’re doing 72 hours in a 24 hour cycle and you’re being 25 people!

TS: I’ve never heard it so eloquently stated like that! I literally when I have that time and I’m searching for it right now, I drop everything and go to Jamaica. I’m gone – the beach, the sand, the air – that’s what I need. If I can’t get away, then I’m in my bed watching any type of reality TV – like Love Island!

AM: Have you watched The Ultimatum yet?

TS: I just started! Because I just finished –

AM: Love is Blind!

TS: Yes, I’m still in the first episode, are you watching it?

AM: I already watched it. I am a queen binger because that is how I decompress! I love reality shows for a number of reasons – obviously it’s interesting to be able to see the people, you’re seeing designers coming through and there’s a lot of education that you can learn from the area that’s being covered, regional knowledge, restaurants etc and to know that that’s not you watching it all go down! Because I’m here for the drama as long as it’s not my own!

TS: Yes, same here!

AM: Who are 3 people that assisted you to be where you are today in your career?

TS: Director X, like I said, I’ve never met her before but Debbie Allen. She mentors me from afar there are things that she has done that are just so impressive. I’ll also say, my closest friends that are like my family and my brother and sister. They’re always like, how did you do this – this is great – keep going! Do t his and do that. They also ignite my fire. They give a lot of reassurance from them.

IG @tanishascott

PHOTO CREDIT | FRONT + BACK COVER, PG 18, 21, 26 Carey Bradshaw | PG 22, 25, 29, 30, 32 Courtesy Tanisha Scott | PG 35 + 36 Amazon/Watch Out For the Big Grrrls | PG 39 Ali Page Goldstein/HBO Max | PG 40 HBO MAX/Legendary | 9LIST STORI3S PG 180 Mohamed Sadek/GapFit |

Read the APR ISSUE #77 of Athleisure Mag and see THE SCIENTIST OF MOVEMENT | Tanisha Scott in mag.

SHE EMPOWERS WITH CHESLIE KRYST

We enjoyed talking to Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst who recently crowned Miss USA 2020 Asya Branch. During her reign, she competed at the Miss Universe 2019 competition and finished in the top 10 repre- senting the United States. She was also a part of a historic period where for the first time, all 4 major US based pagent holders were black women including Miss Universe 2019's Zozibini Tuni of South Africa, Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin and Miss Teen USA 2019 Kaliegh Garris.

We talked to the longest reigning Miss USA on how she got into the pageant world, her platform, being an attorney and her work as a correspondent on EXTRA.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So what drew you to wanting to be in the pageants?

CHESLIE KRYST: My mom actually was Mrs North Carolina US 2002. She won this pageant for married women and I was 10 or 11 years old. I just remember feeling like my mom was famous. There were kids in my middle school who would ask me for my autograph. People who didn’t know my name before or who I was – I just remember saying that there was something cool about this. I knew at some point that I would compete.

AM: What drew you into wanting to stay in the pageant system in terms of initially competing and whether you plan on still being involved in activities that took place during your reign after the crown?

CK: Yeah! I think what kept me involved was seeing that pageantry could be a springboard into other places and that it could be a platform that you wouldn’t have otherwise had access to. I remember seeing photos of Halle Berry for years competing and she was the first runners up and then she was Miss USA and I was like, “oh my God. She’s an Academy Award-winning actress, I want to be that one day. How cool would that be?" Or seeing careers that people like Kenya Moore has had and to see how people who have been in this system, competed and how they have gone on to be these incredible public figures and I wanted that. I continue to compete not only because I wanted to reap the benefits, but because I was reaping the benefits. You prepare for interviews so your skills in that area are sharpened. You're thinking about what to wear on stage so you’re constantly thinking about styling so you have that more than someone else who may not be focused on what they’re wearing like that. It’s a big high-level goal that even if you don’t win you don’t lose either.

AM: You were recently the co-host of the Miss USA Competition as well as being able to crown the winner, what was that like especially as we’re navigating things in this time of COVID-19 that you were still able to put on a great show that people enjoy watching – especially with it being Graceland in Nashville as well as knowing your reign was over as you passed the baton?

CK: It was so much fun and it was a great transition out of my role into what my new life would be. For the final Miss USA Competition, I was an analyst and it was really cool to be able to go back and forth between the co-host interviewing me on stage and then back of house to talk about what we just saw on stage as well as to hear who I thought would continue to advance. It was so much fun and it was a literal translation of what my transition would be from being on stage and being a titleholder to being the person who assesses what is happening on stage guiding the viewers through what is happening. That was incredible for me and it took away those feelings of what would be sadness for the end of my reign.

AM: You have had the longest reign. What was the platform that you focused on during your time that you wanted people to be aware of?

CK: I focused on Social Justice and also became the Global Impact Ambassador for Dress for Success. I talked about on one hand as Dress for Success as an organization and on the other hand, criminal justice reform as a topic and continuing to advance on this issue obviously on the criminal federal level as well as the state level. Both of these topics were important to me. For Dress for Success, I got to go on a nationwide tour where I would meet with local affiliates and their clients, talk to professional women and to attendees about how important this organization is and how they could continue to support it. I got to see first hand the people that were being benefited by it and that was really important to me.

AM: Clearly you had a lot on your plate. How were you able to do the duties of Miss USA, you’re an attorney as well and also being a correspondent on Extra! How were you able to do all of that at the same time? Doing the prep for this interview, busy for you was an understatement!

CK: I was busy and it was quite a year and a half. Lucky for me, Miss USA is a full time job. So as soon as I won, I took a leave of absence from my law firm so I wasn’t actively practicing law while I was fulfilling my duties as Miss USA. I think that if I had been doing both, it would have been impossible for me to do both well. I did take the time away and now that I have ended my reign, I have decided to refocus on my career as a correspondent in working with EXTRA full time and have been placed on inactive status in North and South Carolina where my licenses were previously active so I’m not practicing law right now.

I mean, it was craziness when I was trying to go from appearances for Miss USA and then sprinting to red carpets to cover for celebrities for EXTRA like Gayle King.

AM: How did EXTRA come about as that’s such a fun show and you’ve been there for over a year!

CS: One of the producers for the show saw me win and she saw some of my interviews and had formed a close relationship with the President of the Miss Universe Organization, Paula Shugart as well as knowing others in the organization and she had served as a judge for us as well. She talked to them about being able to meet me and we talked about being able to do special correspondence. My first 3 interviews were Zendaya, Lizzo and Millie Bobby Brown. I just remember thinking, “wow you guys couldn’t start me off with someone that was less famous?” But Iike that they had confidence and me and in those interviews, they went well and kept bringing me on for assignments and eventually brought me on as a regular correspondent.

AM: What have been some of the most engaging things that you have done in your time as an EXTRA correspondent?

CK: There’s so many! Some of the red carpets have been really cool with actors and celebrities. I think it can be overwhelming sometimes when it’s your first one. I remember my first red carpet it was for a television show that had been turned into a movie. I just remember that there were so many celebrities and I remember Martha Stewart being on the carpet and she was randomly taking a picture on her phone in my direction while I was interviewing someone and I thought, “Martha Stewart is aware of my existence possibly.” That was a cool moment. I have been able to interview some great people like Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Henry Golding a couple of times and he was so sweet. I remember asking him who he was wearing and he said, “my wife dressed me.” She was literally standing behind me and I said, “thank you, you did a great job.” I’ve learned that the celebrities that I meet, they’re just real people and a lot of them are so kind and giving of their time and cool to talk to.

AM: How is it for you to prepare when it’s a one on one interview where you have a set period of time with someone versus something like a red carpet scenario where it’s one right after the other?

CK: For sure. You still try to research on the red carpet and to be aware of celebrities who could possibly be on the red carpet from background information, the movie that they are involved in etc. If it’s an event or a release, you want to know that as well so that you have that general knowledge. For smaller one on one interviews, I have more time to just focus on that person which I like. You don’t have to worry about having that publicist who grabs their client to get them into the next interview or that they’re really really tired after doing 7 interviews on a red carpet. It’s always great when you get a relaxed environment and people feel that they can take their guard down to talk to you. There’s also junkets where they are more like to red carpet and you have that back to back. So you just always have to do that prep.

AM: Tell us about White Collar Glam. It’s such an interesting concept and our readers would love to know more.

CK: It’s a blog that I started years ago as workwear fashion for women. I started it because I remember being in law school and there was a competition that I was preparing for trial bar. We made it through our regional competition and made it to nationals. I made it to nationals for this multiday competition and I brought 3 suits with me and one by one they were ruined while I was there. There was no air conditioning in one court room so I sweated through my suit and you could see the sweat marks from the outside.

The next day, I wore a different suit and it ripped while I walked to the court! So I was left with my last suit which was a little too big for me and it was drowning me. I remember just being frustrated and I was like, “I have this important competition and I need to focus on that, but I’m thinking about this suit and I don’t even know where to get another one.” My trial coach offered to take me to Brooks Brothers to get another one. I didn’t know a lot about it at the time except that it was expensive. My coach offered to buy it for me and I was like, “you can’t buy me a $600 suit.”

Luckily, my fellow competitors who were on my team from my school had banded together and fixed my first suit and we ended up winning the competition. After law school, I wanted to think of a way to create a resource to other women who may have been in my situation. You ruined a suit and didn’t know where to shop, you didn’t know where to get a suit that was affordable, accessories questions etc – I researched this and started to put together my blog. I wrote articles to answer questions that I think every woman has had at some time.

AM: It’s very cool – unfortunate that you ruined your 3 suits!

CK: Right? But it had a happy ending!

AM: Right and it’s something that people definitely could use!

What do you look at in terms of the legacy that you want to leave behind not just with your involvement in the Miss Universe Organization but also just what you’re doing with people?

CK: I hope that people remember that women are multidimensional. This can’t be hammered into society enough! We constantly have to be reminded that just because a woman is beautiful doesn’t mean that they can’t be smart and have an interest to do business ventures. For some people they look at Kim Kardashian who is a beautiful woman and a reality TV star and she built from that but she is incredibly business savvy. She has built this empire because she is driven, works hard and wants to provide for her family. Women are these beautiful creatures who have varied interests and it shouldn’t be limited because society can’t broaden their own perspective! That’s what I hope people will remember about me. I am an attorney but I also like walking around in swimsuits and competing in pageants. It’s one of my favorite areas of competition but in my free time, I will advocate for Dress for Success and love spending time with my family. Women are multidimensional and shouldn’t be limited.

AM: Are there other projects that you have going on that you are able to share?

CK: For sure! Besides working with EXTRA, I have also signed with a few Speaker’s Bureaus that I really love doing. With Miss USA, I loved speaking on women’s empowerment and social justice issues which continue to be important to me. I will continue to do this traveling – well not traveling so much now, but talking largely virtually now about this. Beyond that, I’m also a Diversity Advisor for the law firm that I previously worked for as an attorney. I knew that in the immediate future, I didn’t want to practice law but I connected to my firm in this new capacity so that I could work on inclusion and diversity plans with the firm and helping them to make sure that they are achieving that especially in an industry that lacks diversity and needs help. I’m talking about the entire legal industry as a whole in terms of inclusion, diversity and equity.

IG @CheslieKryst

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 55 Sage Media Group Photography | PG 56 Miss Universe Organization | PG 60 Blue Method Films | Editors Note: Photos in She Empowers with Cheslie Kryst were taken prior to COVID-19

Hear Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst on our show, Bungalow SK - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on iHeart Radio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

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R3DCARP3T

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GRAMMYS 2020 | NOMINEES + WINNERS

Tonight, the 62nd Grammys airs with a number of artists that we have all enjoyed on our playlists. We’ll be checking out the red carpet, as well as the winners. As usual, we have listed who we predict will win in italics, who actually won in bold and those that we accurately predicted are in bold italics.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Bon Iver - i,i
Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
H.E.R. - I Used to Know Her
Ariana Grande - thank u, next
Lil Nas X - 7
Lizzo - Cuz I Love You
Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride

RECORD OF THE YEAR

Bon Iver - Hey, Ma
Billie Eilish - Bad Guy
Ariana Grande - 7 rings
H.E.R. - Hard Place
Khalid - Talk
Lil Nas X - Old Town Road
Lizzo - Truth Hurts
Post Malone - Sunflower

SONG OF THE YEAR

Lady Gaga - Always Remember Us This Way
Billie Eilish - Bad Guy
Tanya Tucker - Bring My Flowers Now
H.E.R. - Hard Place
Taylor Swift - Lover
Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell
Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved
Lizzo - Truth Hurts

BEST NEW ARTIST

Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalía
Tank and the Bangas
Yola

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
Beyoncé - Spirit
Billie Eilish - Bad Guy
Ariana Grande - 7 rings
Lizzo - Truth Hurts
Taylor Swift - You Need to Calm Down

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
Ariana Grande & the Social House - Boyfriend
The Jonas Brothers - Sucker
Lil Nas X - Old Town Road [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus]
Post Malone - Sunflower [ft. Swae Lee]
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello - Señorita

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
Beyoncé - The Lion King: The Gift
Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Ariana Grande - thank u, next
Ed Sheeran - No.6 Collaborations Project
Taylor Swift - Lover

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
Andrea Bocelli - Sì
Michael Bublé - Love (Deluxe Edition)
Elvis Costello & The Imposters - Look Now
John Legend - A Legendary Christmas
Barbra Streisand - Walls

BEST RAP ALBUM
Dreamville - Revenge of the Dreamers III
Meek Mill - Championships
21 Savage - I Am > I Was
Tyler, the Creator - IGOR
YBN Cordae - The Lost Boy

BEST RAP SONG
YBN Cordae - Bad Idea [ft. Chance the Rapper]
Rick Ross - Gold Roses [ft. Drake]
21 Savage - A Lot [ft. J. Cole]
Nipsey Hussle - Racks in the Middle [ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy]
DaBaby - Suge

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
J. Cole - Middle Child
DaBaby - Suge
Dreamville - Down Bad [ft. J.I.D., Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG, Young Nudy]
Nipsey Hussle - Racks in the Middle [ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy]
Offset - Clout [ft. Cardi B]

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
DJ Khaled - Higher [ft. Nipsey Hussle and John Legend]
Lil Baby and Gunna - Drip Too Hard
Lil Nas X - Panini
Mustard - Ballin [ft. Roddy Ricch]
Young Thug - The London [ft. J. Cole and Travis Scott]

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
Bones UK - Pretty Waste
Gary Clark Jr. - This Land
Brittany Howard - History Repeats
Karen O & Danger Mouse - Woman
Rival Sons - Too Bad

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
Candlemass - Astorolus - The Great Octopus [ft. Tony Iommi] Death Angel - Humanicide
I Prevail - Bow Down
Killswitch Engage - Unleashed
Tool - 7empest

BEST ROCK SONG
Tool - Fear Inoculum
The 1975 - Give Yourself a Try
Vampire Weekend - Harmony Hall
Brittany Howard - History Repeats
Gary Clark Jr. - This Land

BEST ROCK ALBUM
Bring Me the Horizon - amo
Cage the Elephant - Social Cues
The Cranberries - In the End
I Prevail - Trauma
Rival Sons - Feral Roots

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
Big Thief - U.F.O.F.
James Blake - Assume Form
Bon Iver - i,i
Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
Thom Yorke - ANIMA

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
Daniel Caesar - Love Again [ft. Brandy]
H.E.R. - Could’ve Been [ft. Bryson Tiller]
Lizzo - Exactly How I Feel [ft. Gucci Mane]
Lucky Daye - Roll Some Mo
Anderson .Paak - Come Home [ft. Andre 3000]

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
Bj the Chicago Kid - Time Today
India.Arie- Steady Love
Lizzo - Jerome
Lucky Daye - Real Games
PJ Morton - Built for Love [ft. Jazmine Sullivan]

BEST R&B SONG
H.E.R. - Could’ve Been [ft. Bryson Tiller]
Emily King - Look At Me Now
Chris Brown - No Guidance [ft. Drake]
Lucky Daye - Roll Some Mo
PJ Morton - Say So [ft. JoJo]

BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Steve Lacy - Apollo XXI
Lizzo - Cuz I Love You
Georgia Anne Muldrow - Overload
Nao - Saturn
Jessie Reyez - Being Human in Public

BEST R&B ALBUM
BJ the Chicago Kid - 1123
Lucy Daye - Painted
Ella Mai - Ella Mai
PJ Morton - Paul
Anderson .Paak - Ventura

BEST LATIN ROCK, URBAN OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
Bad Bunny - X 100Pre
J Balvin & Bad Bunny - Oasis
Flor De Toloache - Indestructible
iLe - Almadura
Rosalía - El Mal Querer

BEST DANCE RECORDING
Bonobo - Linked
The Chemical Brothers - Got to Keep On
Medusa - Piece of Your Heart [ft. Goodboys]
RÜFÜS DU SOL - Underwater
Skrillex and Boys Noize - Midnight Hour [ft. Ty Dolla $ign]

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM
Apparat - LP5
The Chemical Brothers - No Geography
Flume - Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape)
RÜFÜS DU SOL - Solace
Tycho - Weather

BEST COMEDY ALBUM
Jim Gaffigan - Quality Time
Ellen DeGeneres - Relatable
Aziz Ansari - Right Now
Trevor Noah - Son of Patricia
Dave Chapelle - Sticks and Stones

BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM (INCLUDES POETRY, AUDIO BOOKS & STORYTELLING)
Various Artists - Beastie Boys Book
Michelle Obama - Becoming
Eric Alexandrakis - I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor
John Waters - Mr. Know-It-All
Sekou Andrews & The String Theory - Sekou Andrews & The String Theory

BEST REMIXED RECORDING
Madonna - I Rise (Tracy Young’s Pride Intro Radio Remix)
Miley Cyrus - Mother’s Daughter (Wuki Remix)
Jorja Smith - The One (High Contrast Remix)
Mild Minds - Swim (Ford. Remix)
Marie Davidson - Work It (Soulwax Remix)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Various Artists - The Lion King: The Songs
Various Artists - Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Taron Egerton - Rocketman
Various Artists - Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Alan Silvestri - Avengers: Endgame
Hildur Guðnadóttir - Chernobyl
Ramin Djawadi - Game of Thrones: Season 8
Hans Zimmer - The Lion King
Marc Shaiman - Mary Poppins Returns

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Chris Stapleton - The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy
Dolly Parton and Linda Perry - Girl in the Movies
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version)
Beyoncé - Spirit
Thom Yorke - Suspirium

BEST RECORDING PACKAGE
Voces Del Bullerengue - Anónimas & Resilientes
Chris Cornell - Chris Cornell
The Muddy Basin Ramblers - Hold That Tiger
Bon Iver - i,i
Intellexual - Intellexual

BEST BOXED OR SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PACKAGE
Thom Yorke - Anima
David Gray - Gold in Brass Age
John Coltrane - 1963: New Directions
Wilhelm Furtwängler & Berliner Philharmoniker - The Radio Recordings 1939-1945
Various Artists - Woodstock: Back to the Garden - The Definitive 50th Anniversary

BEST ALBUM NOTES
The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions - Judy Cantor-Navas
The Gospel According to Malaco - Robert Maravich
Pedal Steel + Four Corners - Brendan Greaves
Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection - Jeff Place
Stay ’68: A Memphis Story - Steve Greenberg

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
John Hill
Finneas
Ricky Reed

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM BEST MUSIC VIDEO
The Chemical Brothers - We’ve Got to Try
Gary Clark Jr. - This Land
FKA Twigs - Cellophane
Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus - Old Town Road (Official Movie)
Tove Lo - Glad He’s Gone

BEST MUSIC FILM
Beyoncé - Homecoming
David Crosby - Remember My Name
Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool
Various Artists - Shangri-La
Thom Yorke - Anima

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

GRAMMYS 2020 | NOMINATIONS + PREDICTIONS

On Jan 26th, the Grammys airs with a number of artists that we have all enjoyed on our playlists. We’ll be checking out the red carpet, as well as the winners. As usual, we are listing who we predict will win in italics, who actually won in bold and those that we accurately predicted will be in bold italics.

Album of the Year

Bon Iver - i,i
Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
H.E.R. - I Used to Know Her
Ariana Grande - thank u, next
Lil Nas X - 7
Lizzo - Cuz I Love You
Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride

Record of the Year

Bon Iver - Hey, Ma
Billie Eilish - Bad Guy
Ariana Grande - 7 rings
H.E.R. - Hard Place
Khalid - Talk
Lil Nas X - Old Town Road
Lizzo - Truth Hurts
Post Malone - Sunflower

Song of the Year

Lady Gaga - Always Remember Us This Way
Billie Eilish - Bad Guy
Tanya Tucker - Bring My Flowers Now
H.E.R. - Hard Place
Taylor Swift - Lover
Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell
Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved
Lizzo - Truth Hurts

Best New Artist

Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalía
Tank and the Bangas
Yola

Pop Best Pop Solo Performance
Beyoncé - Spirit
Billie Eilish - Bad Guy
Ariana Grande - 7 rings
Lizzo - Truth Hurts
Taylor Swift - You Need to Calm Down

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Ariana Grande & the Social House - Boyfriend
The Jonas Brothers - Sucker
Lil Nas X - Old Town Road [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus]
Post Malone - Sunflower [ft. Swae Lee]
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello - Señorita

Best Pop Vocal Album
Beyoncé - The Lion King: The Gift
Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Ariana Grande - thank u, next
Ed Sheeran - No.6 Collaborations Project
Taylor Swift - Lover

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Andrea Bocelli - Sì
Michael Bublé - Love (Deluxe Edition)
Elvis Costello & The Imposters - Look Now
John Legend - A Legendary Christmas
Barbra Streisand - Walls

Rap Best Rap Album
Dreamville - Revenge of the Dreamers III
Meek Mill - Championships
21 Savage - I Am > I Was
Tyler, the Creator - IGOR
YBN Cordae - The Lost Boy

Best Rap Song
YBN Cordae - Bad Idea [ft. Chance the Rapper]
Rick Ross - Gold Roses [ft. Drake]
21 Savage - A Lot [ft. J. Cole]
Nipsey Hussle - Racks in the Middle [ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy]
DaBaby - Suge

Best Rap Performance
J. Cole - Middle Child
DaBaby - Suge
Dreamville - Down Bad [ft. J.I.D., Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG, Young Nudy]
Nipsey Hussle - Racks in the Middle [ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy]
Offset - Clout [ft. Cardi B]

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
DJ Khaled - Higher [ft. Nipsey Hussle and John Legend]
Lil Baby and Gunna - Drip Too Hard
Lil Nas X - Panini
Mustard - Ballin [ft. Roddy Ricch]
Young Thug - The London [ft. J. Cole and Travis Scott]

Rock Best Rock Performance
Bones UK - Pretty Waste
Gary Clark Jr. - This Land
Brittany Howard - History Repeats
Karen O & Danger Mouse - Woman
Rival Sons - Too Bad

Best Metal Performance
Candlemass - Astorolus - The Great Octopus [ft. Tony Iommi] Death Angel - Humanicide
I Prevail - Bow Down
Killswitch Engage - Unleashed
Tool - 7empest

Best Rock Song
Tool - Fear Inoculum
The 1975 - Give Yourself a Try
Vampire Weekend - Harmony Hall
Brittany Howard - History Repeats
Gary Clark Jr. - This Land

Best Rock Album
Bring Me the Horizon - amo
Cage the Elephant - Social Cues
The Cranberries - In the End
I Prevail - Trauma
Rival Sons - Feral Roots

Best Alternative Music Album
Big Thief - U.F.O.F.
James Blake - Assume Form
Bon Iver - i,i
Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
Thom Yorke - ANIMA

R&B Best R&B Performance
Daniel Caesar - Love Again [ft. Brandy]
H.E.R. - Could’ve Been [ft. Bryson Tiller]
Lizzo - Exactly How I Feel [ft. Gucci Mane]
Lucky Daye - Roll Some Mo
Anderson .Paak - Come Home [ft. Andre 3000]

Best Traditional R&B Performance
Bj the Chicago Kid - Time Today
India.Arie- Steady Love
Lizzo - Jerome
Lucky Daye - Real Games
PJ Morton - Built for Love [ft. Jazmine Sullivan]

Best R&B Song
H.E.R. - Could’ve Been [ft. Bryson Tiller]
Emily King - Look At Me Now
Chris Brown - No Guidance [ft. Drake]
Lucky Daye - Roll Some Mo
PJ Morton - Say So [ft. JoJo]

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Steve Lacy - Apollo XXI
Lizzo - Cuz I Love You
Georgia Anne Muldrow - Overload
Nao - Saturn
Jessie Reyez - Being Human in Public

Best R&B Album
BJ the Chicago Kid - 1123
Lucy Daye - Painted
Ella Mai - Ella Mai
PJ Morton - Paul
Anderson .Paak - Ventura

Latin Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
Bad Bunny - X 100Pre
J Balvin & Bad Bunny - Oasis
Flor De Toloache - Indestructible
iLe - Almadura
Rosalía - El Mal Querer

Dance Best Dance Recording
Bonobo - Linked
The Chemical Brothers - Got to Keep On
Medusa - Piece of Your Heart [ft. Goodboys]
RÜFÜS DU SOL - Underwater
Skrillex and Boys Noize - Midnight Hour [ft. Ty Dolla $ign]

Best Dance/Electronic Album
Apparat - LP5
The Chemical Brothers - No Geography
Flume - Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape)
RÜFÜS DU SOL - Solace
Tycho - Weather

Comedy Best Comedy Album
Jim Gaffigan - Quality Time
Ellen DeGeneres - Relatable
Aziz Ansari - Right Now
Trevor Noah - Son of Patricia
Dave Chapelle - Sticks and Stones

Spoken WordBest Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)
Various Artists - Beastie Boys Book
Michelle Obama - Becoming
Eric Alexandrakis - I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor
John Waters - Mr. Know-It-All
Sekou Andrews & The String Theory - Sekou Andrews & The String Theory

Remix Best Remixed Recording
Madonna - I Rise (Tracy Young’s Pride Intro Radio Remix)
Miley Cyrus - Mother’s Daughter (Wuki Remix)
Jorja Smith - The One (High Contrast Remix)
Mild Minds - Swim (Ford. Remix)
Marie Davidson - Work It (Soulwax Remix)

Music for Visual Media Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Various Artists - The Lion King: The Songs
Various Artists - Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Taron Egerton - Rocketman
Various Artists - Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Alan Silvestri - Avengers: Endgame
Hildur Guðnadóttir - Chernobyl
Ramin Djawadi - Game of Thrones: Season 8
Hans Zimmer - The Lion King
Marc Shaiman - Mary Poppins Returns

Best Song Written for Visual Media
Chris Stapleton - The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy
Dolly Parton and Linda Perry - Girl in the Movies
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version)
Beyoncé - Spirit
Thom Yorke - Suspirium

Packaging Best Recording Package
Voces Del Bullerengue - Anónimas & Resilientes
Chris Cornell - Chris Cornell
The Muddy Basin Ramblers - Hold That Tiger
Bon Iver - i,i
Intellexual - Intellexual

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
Thom Yorke - Anima
David Gray - Gold in Brass Age
John Coltrane - 1963: New Directions
Wilhelm Furtwängler & Berliner Philharmoniker - The Radio Recordings 1939-1945
Various Artists - Woodstock: Back to the Garden - The Definitive 50th Anniversary

Best Album Notes
The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions - Judy Cantor-Navas
The Gospel According to Malaco - Robert Maravich
Pedal Steel + Four Corners - Brendan Greaves
Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection - Jeff Place
Stay ’68: A Memphis Story - Steve Greenberg

Producer Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
John Hill
Finneas
Ricky Reed

Music Video/Film Best Music Video
The Chemical Brothers - We’ve Got to Try
Gary Clark Jr. - This Land
FKA Twigs - Cellophane
Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus - Old Town Road (Official Movie)
Tove Lo - Glad He’s Gone

Best Music Film
Beyoncé - Homecoming
David Crosby - Remember My Name
Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool
Various Artists - Shangri-La
Thom Yorke - Anima

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

9PLAYLIST

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