In spite of 8 nominations, the highest this year, Jay-Z was completely shut-out and left the awards empty-handed last night. Many had predicted hip-hop will prevail this year with Jay-Z’s 4:44 leading the charge, rather it was Bruno Mars who swept all the major categories and Kendrick Lamar had a field day in all the rap categories
The Hov’s movement is angry at the disrespect meted out to the rap legend at the Grammys. Jay-Z is not the only loser on the night, SZA who had an amazing year was also shut out.
It was another victory for R n B over rap music.
The night was not without political undertone.The 60th Grammy Awards will also be remembered for white rose in solidarity with the #MeToo moment. Hillary Clinton made a surprise cameo in a video sketch with Cher, Snoop Dogg, Cardi B and others pretending to audition to record the audio version of Michael Wolff’s popular book about President Trump’s first year in office, “Fire and Fury.” Clinton read an excerpt about Trump’s love for fast food.
Kendrick Lamar opened the show with the performance with a medley of one of his songs backed by a giant American flag and dancers in hoodies, who collapsed to the sound of gunshots as he rapped.
Singer Camila Cabello, who is of Cuban heritage, offered a tribute to those awaiting passage of the DREAM Act.
“This country was built by dreamers, for dreamers, chasing the American dream,” Cabello said before introducing U2.
Other performers on the night include Lady Gaga, Sam Smith, Pink, Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee and Little Big Town were among some of the artists to perform during the show. Eric Church, Maren Morris and Brothers Osborne performed “Tears in Heaven,” a moving tribute to the music fans who lost their lives during the attacks at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in October and the Arianna Grande concert in Manchester, England last May.
Here is the full list of winners:
Record of the Year: “24K Magic” — Bruno Mars
Album of the Year: “24K Magic” — Bruno Mars
Song of the Year: “That’s What I Like” — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus and Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)
Best New Artist: Alessia Cara
Best Pop Solo Performance: “Shape of You” — Ed Sheeran
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Feel It Still” — Portugal. The Man
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “Tony Bennett Celebrates 90” — Various Artists; Dae Bennett, producer
Best Pop Vocal Album: “÷” — Ed Sheeran
Best Dance Recording: “Tonite” — LCD Soundsystem
Best Dance/Electronic Album: “3-D The Catalogue” — Kraftwerk
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: “Prototype” — Jeff Lorber Fusion
Best Rock Performance: “You Want It Darker” — Leonard Cohen
Best Metal Performance: “Sultan’s Curse” — Mastodon
Best Rock Song: “Run” — Foo Fighters, songwriters
Best Rock Album: “A Deeper Understanding” — The War on Drugs
Best Alternative Music Album: “Sleep Well Beast” — The National
Best R&B Performance: “That’s What I Like” — Bruno Mars
Best Traditional R&B Performance: “Redbone” — Childish Gambino
Best R&B Song: “That’s What I Like” — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus and Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)
Best Urban Contemporary Album: “Starboy” — The Weeknd
Best R&B Album: “24K Magic” — Bruno Mars
Best Rap Performance: “HUMBLE.” — Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap/Sung Performance: “LOYALTY.” — Kendrick Lamar featuring Rihanna
Best Rap Song: “HUMBLE.” — K. Duckworth, Asheton Hogan and M. Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
Best Rap Album: “DAMN.” — Kendrick Lamar
Best Country Solo Performance: “Either Way” — Chris Stapleton
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “Better Man” — Little Big Town
Best Country Song: “Broken Halos” — Mike Henderson and Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
Best Country Album: “From a Room: Volume 1” — Chris Stapleton
Best New Age Album: “Dancing on Water” — Peter Kater
Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “Miles Beyond” — John McLaughlin, soloist
Best Jazz Vocal Album: “Dreams and Daggers” — Cécile McLorin Salvant
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: “Rebirth” — Billy Childs
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: “Bringin’ It” — Christian McBride Big Band
Best Latin Jazz Album: “Jazz Tango” — Pablo Ziegler Trio
Best Gospel Performance/Song: “Never Have to Be Alone” — CeCe Winans; Dwan Hill & Alvin Love III, songwriters
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: “What a Beautiful Name” — Hillsong Worship; Ben Fielding & Brooke Ligertwood, songwriters
Best Gospel Album: “Let Them Fall in Love” — CeCe Winans
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: “Chain Breaker” — Zach Williams
Best Roots Gospel Album: “Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope” — Reba McEntire
Best Latin Pop Album: “El Dorado” — Shakira
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: “Residente” — Residente
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano): “Arriero Somos Versiones Acústicas” — Aida Cuevas
Best Tropical Latin Album: “Salsa Big Band” — Rubén Blades con Roberto Delgado y Orquesta
Best American Roots Performance: “Killer Diller Blues” — Alabama Shakes
Best American Roots Song: “If We Were Vampires” — Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit)
Best Americana Album: “The Nashville Sound” — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Best Bluegrass Album: tie, “Laws of Gravity” — The Infamous Stringdusters and “All the Rage — In Concert Volume One” — Rhonda Vincent and the Rage
Best Traditional Blues Album: “Blue & Lonesome” — The Rolling Stones
Best Contemporary Blues Album: “TajMo” — Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’
Best Folk Album: “Mental Illness” — Aimee Mann
Best Regional Roots Music Album: “Kalenda” — Lost Bayou Ramblers
Best Reggae Album: “Stony Hill” — Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley
Best World Music Album: “Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th Anniversary Celebration” — Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Best Children’s Album: “Feel What U Feel” — Lisa Loeb
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books and Storytelling): “The Princess Diarist” — Carrie Fisher
Best Comedy Album: “The Age of Spin/Deep in the Heart of Texas” — Dave Chappelle
Best Musical Theater Album: “Dear Evan Hansen” — Ben Platt, principal soloist; Alex Lacamoire, Stacey Mindich, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, producers; Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, composers/lyricists (original Broadway cast recording)
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: “La La Land” — Various Artists
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: “La La Land” — Justin Hurwitz, composer
Best Song Written for Visual Media: “How Far I’ll Go” — Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Auli’i Cravalho)
Best Instrumental Composition: “Three Revolutions” — Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill and Chucho Valdés)
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella: “Escapades for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra From ‘Catch Me If You Can’” — John Williams, arranger (John Williams)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals: “Putin” — Randy Newman, arranger (Randy Newman)
Best Recording Package: tie, “Pure Comedy (Deluxe Edition)” — Sasha Barr, Ed Steed and Josh Tillman, art directors (Father John Misty) and “El Orisha de la Rosa” — Claudio Roncoli and Cactus Taller, art directors (Magín Díaz)
Best Boxed or Special Limited-Edition Package: “The Voyager Golden Record: 40th Anniversary Edition” — Lawrence Azerrad, Timothy Daly and David Pescovitz, art directors (Various Artists)
Best Album Notes: “Live at the Whisky A Go Go: The Complete Recordings” — Lynell George, writer (Otis Redding)
Best Historical Album: “Leonard Bernstein — The Composer” — Robert Russ, compilation producer; Martin Kistner and Andreas K. Meyer, mastering engineers (Leonard Bernstein)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: “24K Magic” — Serban Ghenea, John Hanes and Charles Moniz, engineers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer (Bruno Mars)
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Greg Kurstin
Best Remixed Recording: “You Move (Latroit Remix)” — Dennis White, remixer (Depeche Mode)
Best Surround Sound Album: “Early Americans” — Jim Anderson, surround mix engineer; Darcy Proper, surround mastering engineer; Jim Anderson and Jane Ira Bloom, surround producers (Jane Ira Bloom)
Best Engineered Album, Classical: “Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio” — Mark Donahue, engineer (Manfred Honeck and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost
Best Orchestral Performance: “Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio” — Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
Best Opera Recording: “Berg: Wozzeck” — Hans Graf, conductor; Anne Schwanewilms and Roman Trekel; Hans Graf and Brad Sayles, producers (Houston Symphony; Chorus of Students and Alumni, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University and Houston Grand Opera Children’s Chorus)
Best Choral Performance: “Bryars: The Fifth Century” — Donald Nally, conductor (PRISM Quartet and The Crossing)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: “Death & the Maiden” — Patricia Kopatchinskaja and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Best Classical Instrumental Solo: “Transcendental” — Daniil Trifonov
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: “Crazy Girl Crazy” — Barbara Hannigan (Ludwig Orchestra)
Best Classical Compendium: “Higdon: All Things Majestic, Viola Concerto & Oboe Concerto” — Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer
Best Contemporary Classical Composition: “Viola Concerto” — Jennifer Higdon, composer (Roberto Díaz, Giancarlo Guerrero and Nashville Symphony)
Best Music Video: “HUMBLE.” — Kendrick Lamar
Best Music Film: “The Defiant Ones” — Various Artists
