Dave Chappelle, Louis CK Comedy Albums Land Grammy Noms, Despite Controversies

Patton Oswalt, Jim Gaffigan and Randy Rainbow round out this year's nominees in the category

The Recording Academy is once again daring to court controversy with its nominations in the comedy album field, following last year’s surprise win by Louis CK.

Louis CK, who has seen his career curtailed following sexual misconduct allegations, has nevertheless been back on the road in a big way — perhaps flying in the face of those who say he has faced “cancellation,” or even consequences, for his actions. Having won the Grammy in the category last year for “Sincerely Louis CK,” he’s back in the nomination field this time for the follow-up album “Sorry.”

Louis CK has interesting company, however: Dave Chappelle, who just hosted last weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” but has been criticized for jokes in his Netflix special that were criticized as transphobic, is also in the comedy album category this year, nominated for “The Closer” — the album version of that Netflix special. (Chappelle managed to also alienate more audience members during that “SNL” stint last weekend with quips that were also seen as antisemitic.)

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Chappelle and Louis CK are already three-time winners in the comedy album field: Chappelle won in 2020 (“Sticks & Stones”), 2019 (“Equanimity & The Bird Revelation”) and 2018 (“The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas”). Besides the 2022 win, Louis CK also picked up Grammys in 2016 (“Live at Madison Square Garden”) and 2012 (“Hilarious”).

This reps the fourth nom for Chappelle (who won all three previous nods) and fifth for Louis CK (who only lost once) in the category. Last year, Chappelle was nominated in the best spoken word category for the album “8:46,” a nomination he shared with Amir Sulaiman.

This year, in comedy album, Chappelle and Louis CK are up against Jim Gaffigan and his release “Comedy Monster,” as well as rising star Randy Rainbow (“A Little Brains, A Little Talent”) and another comedy vet, Patton Oswalt (“We All Scream”).

Oswalt and Gaffigan are actually the most nominated of this year’s group in comedy album, having landed seven total nods each over the years.

Oswalt has only won once, in 2017 for “Talking for Clapping.” (He also won an Emmy for the TV version of that special, for outstanding writing for a variety special.) Oswalt most recently was nominated in 2021 for “I Love Everything” (losing to Tiffany Haddish’s “Black Mitzvah”).

Gaffigan was also last nominated in 2021, for “The Pale Tourist.” He has not yet won in the field, but he has won a Daytime Emmy — in 2016, for his role as a commentator on “CBS Sunday Morning.”

As for Rainbow – yes, Randy Rainbow is his real name – the comedian, who grew a huge online following for his musical performances skewering Donald Trump – has been nominated for four consecutive years in the Primetime Emmys’ short form categories. But this year, “A Little Brains, A Little Talent” reps his first-ever Grammy nomination.

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Update: 2024-03-06

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