GRAMMYS: PRE-TELECAST WINNERS
Beyoncé took her Grammy total to 30 with two wins at Sunday’s pre-telecast ceremony, winning the Traditional R&B Performance award for “PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA” and the Dance/Electronic Recording Grammy for “Break My Soul.”
Bey just needs one win during Sunday night’s 65th annual Grammy Awards ceremony to tie conductor Sir Georg Solti, who received 31 in his career.
In a premiere ceremony long on performances by international artists, Tobias Jesso Jr., whose recent songs include Adele’s “Can I Get It” and “To Be Loved” and Harry Styles’ “Boyfriends,” received the first-ever Songwriter of the Year Grammy. Jack Antonoff was named Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, for his work with Taylor Swift, The 1975, Florence + The Machine and others.
Brandi Carlile emerged as one of the big winners with three trophies: Rock Song and Rock Performance for “Broken Horses” and Americana Album for In These Silent Days.
Maverick City Music dominated the gospel categories, winning four awards. Three of the wins were for its work with Kirk Franklin: “Fear Is Not My Future” was named Best Gospel Performance/Song and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song and One Deluxe won Best Gospel Album. It also won the Contemporary Christian Music Album award for Breathe.
It was a good afternoon for first-timers as four Best New Artist nominees won in their genre categories. Wet Leg swept the two Alternative Music categories; Samara Joy received Jazz Vocal Album for her Verve debut, Linger Awhile; Muni Long’s “Hrs & Hrs” was named Best R&B Performance; and Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway’s Crooked Tree was named Best Bluegrass Album. Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde won their first Grammys (Country Duo/Group Performance for “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”). Matt Rogers & Ben Stennis won Country Song for Cody Johnson’s "'Til You Can't." They were both first-time nominees.
Besides Wet Leg, other two-time winners were Kendrick Lamar (“The Heart Part 5” won for Rap Song and Rap Performance) and Ozzy Osbourne (Rock Album and Metal Performance).
Disney’s Encanto was honored three times: It took home the Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media trophy and Germaine Franco won the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media award. "We Don't Talk About Bruno" was named Best Song Written for Visual Media.
The 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition of Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot received the Historical Album and Liner Notes trophies.
Besides Songwriter of the Year, the Academy handed out awards in another four new categories: Wet Leg won Best Alternative Music Performance for “Chaise Longue”; Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games went to Stephanie Economou; Raitt nabbed Best Americana Performance; and J. Ivy won Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.
A few tidbits:
Viola Davis can now claim EGOT status after taking home the Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording for her book Finding Me.
Taylor Swift won her 12th Grammy, her first for work behind the camera: She won Best Music Video for directing All Too Well: The Short Film.
Edgar Winter, at the age of 76, won his first Grammy—Contemporary Blues Album for Brother Johnny.
Thirty-four years after the original production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods won Musical Cast Album, the current Broadway revival took home this year’s prize.
