Obstruent Obstruent An obstruent is a speech sound such as , , or that is formed by "obstructing" airflow. Obstruents contrast with sonorants, which have no such obstruction and so resonate. All obstruents are consonants, but sonorants include both vowels and consonants. Obstruents are subdivided into plosives (oral stops), such as , with complete occlusion of the vocal tract, often followed by a release burst; fricatives, such as , with limited closure, not stopping airflow but making it turbulent; and affricates, which begin with complete occlusion but then release into a fricative-like release, such as . Obstruents are prototypically voiceless, but
Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus The Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus was awarded from 1959 to 1960. In 1961 the award was split into two awards for Best Performance by a Vocal Group and Best Performance by a Chorus. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year. 1st Annual Grammy Awards winner: Keely Smith and Louis Prima for "That Old Black Magic" Other nominees: 2nd Annual Grammy Awards winner: Richard Condie (choir director), for "The Battle Hymn of