Neil Young, Derek Trucks, Bela Fleck, David Byrne, Kings of Leon, Zac Brown

Take Home Grammys at the 52nd Annual Awards Show

Kings of Leon

Last night (Monday, January 31) the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles. While most of the performances were not particularly inspiring, the Michael Jackson tribute featuring Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood and Usher was done very well and proved quite moving. After the performance, Jackson’s children, Prince and Paris Jackson, accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award for their father.

Other performances of note included a somewhat interesting pairing of Lady Gaga and Elton John, a nice reading of “You and Me” by Dave Matthews Band, a tribute to Haiti featuring Mary J. Blige, David Foster and Andrea Bocelli, Zac Brown Band singing with Leon Russell, and the show closing combo of Drake, Lil’ Wayne and Eminem. Meanwhile, both the Black Eyed Peas and Bon Jovi were incredibly underwhelming; which is perhaps, not a shock.

And now onto the awards. There were a number of JamBase regulars who took home Grammys. Neil Young won his first ever, taking home the Grammy for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package for The Archives Vol. 1 (1963-1972). Bela Fleck , who has been nominated in the most categories in Grammy history, took home the award for Pop Instrumental Performance for Throw Down Your Heart. Derek Trucks Band won the Best Contemporary Blues Album for Already Free. Phoenix grabbed Best Alternative Music Album with Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Zac Brown Band was named Best New Artist, Kings of Leon won for Record of the Year, Rock Performance, Duo or Group With Vocals and Rock Song. David Byrne and Brian Eno‘s Everything That Happens Will Happen Today won Best Recording Package, Booker T. Jones grabbed a trophy for Pop Instrumental Album, Bruce Springsteen for Solo Rock Vocal Performance on Working on a Dream, Steve Earle for Best Contemporary Folk Album with Townes, and Beyonce won more trophies than anyone else, setting a record for most awards by a female artist in a single night with six.

Awards

Record Of The Year – Use Somebody – Kings Of Leon

Album Of The Year – Fearless – Taylor Swift

Song Of The Year – “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” – Beyonce

Best New Artist – Zac Brown Band
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance – “Halo” – Beyonce
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance – “Make It Mine” – Jason Mraz
Best Pop Instrumental Performance – “Throw Down Your Heart” – Bela Fleck
Best Pop Instrumental Album – Potato Hole – Booker T. Jones

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance – “Working On A Dream” – Bruce Springsteen

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals – Use Somebody – Kings Of Leon

Best Hard Rock Performance – “War Machine” – AC/DC

Best Rock Instrumental Performance – “A Day In The Life” – Jeff Beck

Best Rock Song – “Use Somebody” – Kings Of Leon

Best Rock Album – 21st Century Breakdown – Green Day

Best Alternative Music Album – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – Phoenix

Best Rap Solo Performance – “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)” – Jay-Z

Best Rap Album – Relapse – Eminem

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual Or Group – Five Peace Band – Live – Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band

Best Americana Album – Electric Dirt – Levon Helm

Best Traditional Blues Album – A Stranger Here – Ramblin’ Jack Elliott

Best Contemporary Blues Album – Already Free – The Derek Trucks Band

Best Traditional Folk Album – High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project – Loudon Wainwright III

Best Contemporary Folk Album – Townes – Steve Earle

Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album – Lay Your Burden Down – Buckwheat Zydeco

Best Reggae Album – Mind Control – Acoustic – Stephen Marley

Best Contemporary World Music Album – Throw Down Your Heart: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3 – Africa Sessions – Bela Fleck

Best Comedy Album – A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All! – Stephen Colbert

For a complete list of winners and nominees, go to www.grammy.com/nominees.