Dundee-born Kris Bezuidenhout  (37) has again put his town of birth on the map by being nominated for a 2017 Grammy award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

Born in 1979 to Danie and Motz Bezuidenhout, current owners of the Royal Country Inn, Kris, who lives in Europe, is one of today’s most notable and exciting keyboard artists, equally at home on the fortepiano, harpsichord, and modern piano. He has been nominated for a Grammy twice before.

Ladysmith-based Cappella singing group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo,  also received a nomination in the category Best World Music Album for Walking In The Footsteps Of Our Fathers. This marks the group’s 17th Grammy Award nomination. Ladysmith Black Mambazo has been awarded the Grammy Award four times; in 1988, for Shaka Zulu; in 2004, for Raise Your Spirit Higher; in 2009, for Ilembe and in 2013, for Singing For Peace Around The World.

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on  February 12  at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. James Corden will host the ceremony for the first time.

What are the Grammies?

A Grammy Award (originally called Gramophone Award), or Grammy, is an honour awarded by The Recording Academy to recognise outstanding achievement in the mainly English-language music industry. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and the presentation of those awards that have a more popular interest. It shares recognition of the music industry as that of the other performance awards such as the Emmy Awards (television), the Tony Awards (stage performance), and the Academy Awards (motion pictures).

The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959, to honour the musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958.