Last night’s Grammy Awards proved to be an exciting night filled with some stellar performances and surprise wins. The most memorable performances include the opening ode to Aretha Franklin (performed by Florence Welch, Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride, Yolanda Adams, and Jennifer Hudson), Lady Gaga’s high energy rendition of her new single “Born This Way,” Muse’s flashy “Uprising” performance (what a fantastic song, they deserved the win), the unofficial rap group comprised of Bruno Mars, B.o.B., and Janelle Monae, Mumford and Sons with the Avett Bros., Eminem and newcomer Skylar Grey welcoming back Dr. Dre, Mick Jagger (he’s still got it), and Arcade Fire not one but two performances. In the end, though, my favorite performance of the night has to go to Cee-Lo’s “Forget You” duet with Gwyneth Paltrow and a whole bunch of muppets. The man was dressed as a colorful armored peacock, props! From egg hatching to peacocking, all in all it was an entertaining show to say the least. It also happened to be the highest rated Grammy broadcast since 2004 attracting 26.7 million viewers with a 10.0 adults 18-49 rating.
Now let’s cover the night’s big winners. Lady Antebellum took home five Grammys including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Country Album; “Need You Now” was all over the place. Though Eminem headed into the show with a whopping 10 nominations, Recovery only nabbed him two wins (Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance for “Not Afraid”). Lady Gaga, John Legend, and Jay-Z each took him three trophies, while Esperanza Spalding pulled off the night’s biggest upset to steal Best New Artist from Justin Bieber, Mumford & Sons, Florence & the Machine, and Drake. Alt. rock band Arcade Fire also surprised many by taking home Album of the Year against big names like Eminem, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and the night’s shiner Lady Antebellum. Their encore performance at the end of the telecast solidified their highly deserved win.
Jump after the break to view more winners, or simply head over to the official Grammy site to see them all.
- Album Of The Year: Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
- Record Of The Year: Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”
- Best Rap Album: Eminem, Recovery
- Best New Artist: Esperanza Spalding
- Song Of The Year: Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”
- Best Country Album: Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
- Best Pop Vocal Album: Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster
- Best Rock Album: Muse, The Resistance
- Best Pop Performance By A Duo/Group: Train, “Hey Soul Sister (Live)”
- Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals: Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No. 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare, “Imagine”
- Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Michael Bublé, Crazy Love
- Best Female Country Performance: Miranda Lambert, “The House That Built Me”
- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: Bruno Mars, “Just The Way You Are”
- Best Hard Rock Performance: Them Crooked Vultures, “New Fang”
- Best Rock Song: Neil Young, “Angry World”
- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: The Black Keys, “Tighten Up”
- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: Paul McCartney, “Helter Skelter”
- Best R&B Album: John Legend & The Roots, Wake Up!
- Best R&B Song: John Legend & The Roots, “Shine”
- Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Usher, “There Goes My Baby”
- Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Fantasia, “Bittersweet”
- Best Rap Song: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
- Best Rap Solo Performance: Eminem, “Not Afraid”
- Best Male Country Vocal Performance: Keith Urban, “‘Til Summer Comes Around”
- Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”
- Best Latin Pop Album: Alejandro Sanz, Paraiso Express
- Best Contemporary Jazz Album: The Stanley Clarke Band, The Stanley Clarke Band
- Best Dance Recording: Rihanna, “Only Girl (In The World)”
- Best Electronic Dance Album: La Roux, La Roux
- Best Alternative Music Album: The Black Keys, Brothers
- Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: Danger Mouse
- Best Short Form Music Video: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”