Tag Archives: 58th Annual Grammy Awards

Kendrick Lamar steals the show at performance-heavy Grammys

The 58th Annual Grammys were all about the performances last night, and for the most part, they did not disappoint. Among the many beautiful duets, it’s hard to point a finger at which one was best. Early on we got Andra Day and Ellie Goulding belting out “Rise Up” and “Love Me Like You Do” and later breakout artists Tori Kelly and James Bay showed off their magical harmonies with their hit songs “Hollow” and “Let It Go.” Sandwiched in-between there was an impromptu performance shared by a cappella group Pentatonix and the iconic Stevie Wonder. The awards ceremony also showcased a stripped down version of “In the Night” by The Weeknd, the one and only Adele (whose technical issues couldn’t take away from her remarkable rendition of “All I Ask”), Brittany Howard’s pipes with her soulful band Alabama Shakes, and Lady Gaga–assisted by Chic’s guitarist Nile Rodgers–wowed the crowd with a colorful tribute to the late, great David Bowie. The ultimate showstopper, though, was Kendrick Lamar who eloquently rapped his way through his To Pimp A Butterfly hits “The Blacker the Berry” and “Alright.” The theatrically poignant performance started with Kendrick in prison chains and ended with a freestyle that touched on the “modern slavery” plaguing African American communities in our nation today. It truly was one for the ages and I think we can all say in unison that Kendrick Lamar is the voice of hip hop for our generation.

Kendrick is among the big winners of the night; he took home a Grammy for Best Rap Album (To Pimp a Butterfly). Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars claimed Record of the Year with “Uptown Funk,” Taylor Swift’s 1989 was crowned Album of the Year, and Ed Sheeran’s popular ballad “Thinking Out Loud” was named Song of the Year. Meghan Trainor (somehow) ended up beating out James Bay, Sam Hunt, Tori Kelly, and Courtney Barnett for Best New Artist.

Head over to Grammys.com to view the full list of winners.

Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift & The Weeknd lead 2016 Grammy nominations

Seemingly always on the rise rapper Kendrick Lamar leads with the most Grammy Award nominations this year. His 11 nods fall within major categories including Album of the Year (To Pimp A Butterfly) and his track “Alright” landed him numerous nods in the following fields: Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. Trailing not so far behind is Taylor Swift and The Weeknd, both earning 7 nods apiece.

Let’s take a quick look at the General Field nominees, the four most prominent categories that Swift managed to dominate this year thanks to her record-breaking album, 1989. Her popular single “Blank Space” is competing for Record of the Year with D’Angelo And The Vanguard’s “Really Love,” Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” and The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face.” In the Album of the Year category, 1989 is up against Alabama Shakes’s Sound and Color, Kendrick’s Butterfly, Chris Stapleton’s Traveller, and The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind The Madness. “Blank Space” and “Alright” are joined by “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town, “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, and “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran in competition for Song of the Year. Last, Courtney Barnett, James Bay, Sam Hunt, Tori Kelly, and Meghan Trainor are all vying for the coveted Best New Artist award.

Click here for the full list of this year’s nominees. The 58th Annual Grammy Awards airs Monday, Feb. 15 at 8pm on CBS.