The 2009 Grammys: Just The Good Parts
NARAS's flirtation with attempting to matter in 2009 went alright last night. There was so much promised we had Videogum come over to help us log our reactions across as many internet platforms as possible, and even with all that fun and all the performances it still felt like 32 hours of schelp in four-hour drag, with some predictable awards and terrible production decisions. The case of Stevie Wonder says it all: In just one night the show managed to make him the soundtrack to the Grammy sponsor list and the 4th Jonas Brother. On the award front, the big winners were Robert Plant & Alison Krauss who won ALL THE AWARDS, and also Lil Wayne for Best Rap Album, Coldplay for Best Rock, and M.I.A. for Best Outfit. If your Sunday was spent in other ways, you did miss some memorable moments, most notably Radiohead (well, Thom and Jonny) with the USC Marching Band on "15 Step." Here's your clip guide so you don't have to skip through your DVR later today, followed by a really long list every winner of every statue.
Radiohead - "15 Step"
U2 - "Get On Your Boots"
M.I.A., Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I. - "Paper Planes" > "Swagga Like Us"
Chris Martin (Feat Jay-Z)- "Lost+" / Coldplay - "Viva La Vida"
Estelle & Kanye West - "American Boy"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - "Rich Woman"
And here's your complete winner's list:
Album of the Year: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand
Best Rap Album: Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: John Mayer, "Say"
Record of the Year: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Please Read This Letter"
Best New Artist: Adele
Best Rock Album: Coldplay, Viva la Vida
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Rich Woman"
Song of the Year: Coldplay, "Viva la Vida"
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group: Sugarland, "Stay"
Best R&B Album: Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson
Industry Icon Award: Clive Davis
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Rick Rubin (Death Magnetic, Home Before Dark, Mercy, Seeing Things, Weezer)
Best Rock Song: Bruce Springsteen, "Girls in Their Summer Clothes"
Best Rock Instrumental Performance: "Peaches En Regalia," Zappa Plays Zappa, Featuring Steve Vai & Napoleon Murphy Brock
Best Metal Performance: Metallica, "My Apocalypse"
Best Hard Rock Performance: The Mars Volta, "Wax Simulacra"
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Kings of Leon, "Sex on Fire"
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: John Mayer, "Gravity"
Best Alternative Music Album: Radiohead, In Rainbows
Best Pop Vocal Album: Duffy, Rockferry
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Coldplay, "Viva la Vida"
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: Adele, "Chasing Pavements"
Best Pop Instrumental Album: Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Jingle All The Way
Best Pop Instrumental Performance: Eagles, "I Dreamed There Was No War"
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books): Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth (Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon and Blair Underwood)
Best Contemporary R&B Album: Mary J. Blige, Growing Pains
Best R&B Song: Ne-Yo, "Miss Independent" (Mikkel S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen and S. Smith, songwriters)
Best Urban/Alternative Performance: Chrisette Michele Featuring will.i.am, "Be OK"
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: Al Green Featuring Anthony Hamilton, "You've Got the Love I Need"
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Al Green Featuring John Legend, "Stay With Me (by the Sea)"
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Alicia Keys; " Superwoman"
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Ne-Yo, "Miss Independent"
Best Rap Song: Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major, "Lollipop" (D. Carter, S. Garrett, D. Harrison, J. Scheffer and R. Zamor, songwriters)
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: Estelle Featuring Kanye West, "American Boy"
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Jay-Z and T.I. Featuring Kanye West and Lil Wayne, "Swagga Like Us"
Best Rap Solo Performance: Lil Wayne, "A Milli"
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Natalie Cole, Still Unforgettable
Best Country Album: George Strait, Troubadour
Best Country Song: Sugarland, "Stay" (Jennifer Nettles, songwriter)
Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 and 1947
Best Country Instrumental Performance: Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert and Steve Wariner, "Cluster Pluck"
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Killing the Blues"
Best Male Country Vocal Performance: Brad Paisley, "Letter to Me"
Best Female Country Vocal Performance: Carrie Underwood, "Last Name"
Best Reggae Album: Burning Spear, Jah Is Real
Best Hawaiian Music Album: Tia Carrere and Daniel Ho, Ikena
Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand
Best Traditional Folk Album: Pete Seeger, At 89
Best Traditional Blues Album: B.B. King, One Kind Favor
Best Contemporary Blues Album: Dr. John and the Lower 911, City That Care Forgot
Best Long Form Music Video: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Runnin' Down a Dream"
Best Short Form Music Video: Weezer, "Pork and Beans"
Best Classical Album: Weill, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost
Best Classical Crossover Album: The King's Singers, Simple Gifts
Best Classical Contemporary Composition: John Corigliano, composer, Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan(JoAnn Falletta, conductor)
Best Classical Vocal Performance: John Corigliano, Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan
Best Small Ensemble Performance: Spotless Rose, Hymns to the Virgin Mary
Best Chamber Music Performance: Elliott Carter, Pacifica Quartet, String Quartets Nos. 1 and 5
Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra): Gloria Cheng, Piano Music of Salonen, Stucky, and Lutoslawski
Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (With Orchestra): Hilary Hahn, Schoenberg, Sibelius: Violin Concertos (Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor)
Best Choral Performance: Sir Simon Rattle, "Symphony of Psalms"
Best Opera Recording: Weill, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
Best Orchestral Performance: Shostakovich, "Symphony No. 4," Bernard Haitink, conductor (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Best Engineered Album, Classical: Traditions and Transformations: Sounds of Silk Road Chicago
Best Electronic/Dance Album: Daft Punk, Alive 2007
Best Dance Recording: Daft Punk, "Harder Better Faster Stronger"
Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album: Kirk Franklin, The Fight of My Life
Best Traditional Gospel Album: The Blind Boys of Alabama, Down in New Orleans
Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Gaither Vocal Band, Lovin' Life
Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: CeCe Winans, Thy Kingdom Come
Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album: TobyMac, Alive and Transported
Best Gospel Song: Kirk Franklin, "Help Me Believe"
Best Gospel Performance: Mary Mary, "Get Up"
Best Latin Jazz Album: Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Song for Chico
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group: Chick Corea and Gary Burton, The New Crystal Silence
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo: Terence Blanchard, soloist, "Be-Bop"
Best Jazz Vocal Album: Cassandra Wilson, Loverly
Best Contemporary Jazz Album: Randy Brecker, Randy in Brasil
Best New Age Album: Jack DeJohnette, Peace Time
Best Comedy Album: George Carlin, It's Bad For Ya
Best Polka Album: Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, Let the Whole World Sing
Best Contemporary World Music Album: Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju and Giovanni Hidalgo, Global Drum Project
Best Traditional World Music Album: Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu
Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Live at the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Best Native American Music Album: Come to Me Great Mystery--Native American Healing Songs
Best Norteño Album: Los Tigres del Norte, Raíces
Best Banda Album: Joan Sebástian, No Es de Madera
Best Tejano Album: Ruben Ramos and the Mexican Revolution, Viva la Revolucion
Best Regional Mexican Album: Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Amor, Dolor Y Lágrimas: Música Ranchera
Best Tropical Latin Album: José Feliciano, Señor Bachata
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album: 45, Jaguares
Best Latin Pop Album: Juanes, La Vida...Es un Ratico
Best Musical Show Album: In the Heights
Best Musical Album for Children: They Might Be Giants, Here Come The 123s
Best Spoken Word Album for Children: Bill Harley, Yes to Running!
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): Natalie Cole, "Here's That Rainy Day" (Nan Schwartz, arranger)
Best Instrumental Arrangement: Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, "Define Dancing" (From Wall-E) (Thomas Newman, arranger)
Best Instrumental Composition: "The Adventures of Mutt" (From Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
Best Surround Sound Album: Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain; Prelude to Khovanshchina
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: MGMT, "Electric Feel," Justice Remix (Justice, remixers)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: The Raconteurs (Joe Chiccarelli, Vance Powell and Jack White III), Consolers of the Lonely
Best Historical Album: Art of Field Recording, Volume I: Fifty Years of Traditional American Music (Documented by Art Rosenbaum)
Best Album Notes: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition (Francis Davis, album notes writer)
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: In Rainbows
Best Recording Package: Metallica, Death Magnetic (Bruce Duckworth, Sarah Moffat and David Turner, art directors)
Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, "Down to Earth" (From Wall-E)
Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer, The Dark Knight
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Juno
Posted at 9:49 AM by amrit in Video
Tags: Alison Krauss | Coldplay | Estelle | Grammys | Jay-Z | Kanye West | Lil Wayne | M.I.A. | Radiohead | Robert Plant | T.I. | U2
Damn, why didn't they air "Best Polka Album" or "Best Surround Sound Album", or the least they could have done is "Best Native American Music Album"..Seriously Grammys?
Score = 13
M.I.A should have won it all. They need an Independent Grammy's thats broadcast on FX or something with indie rock, rap country folk etc. from indie labels. Sure it would be low key but indie musicians deserve a nice gala for their creativity for all to see. I don't have the money..someone tell someone to put on a celebration that caters to the indies man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Score = -17
Yawn
Score = 2
haha. i think stereogum made the last word of this blog "Juno" just to give people something to scream about.
Score = 5
anyone even gonna mention chris brown giving rhianna a bobby brown?
Score = 10
please remind me to never see Radiohead live.
Score = -112
Please don't go see radiohead live. You'll probably ruin it for us.
Score = 13
Look, that Radiohead performance was kinda underwhelming, it was the best performance of the night when you compare it with all the other acts but it was def. not Radiohead's best performance maybe it had to do with only 2/5 of them being there. Thom was phoning it in and also he looked ridiculous, I was really embrassed for him. Mid-life crisis anyone?
Sorry. Huge Radiohead fan, really disappointed.
Score = -42
the grammys lost lost all credibility just handing over another to Jimmy Sturr for best polka album. Bubba Hernandez and Alex Meixner clearly should have got the nod for polka freakout.
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=85343486&albumID=600440&imageID=7997362
Score = 14
Yeah, wtf was that all about? Just He and Jonny and it really wasn't all that good. I am not going to bash on the guy's looks, so I won't go there. He just seemed like he wanted to get in, get out, get on with it... Why even do it? USC marching band? WTF? Couldn't they at least get a band that didn't scream USA TELEVISION OMGROFL!!
Score = -34
M.I.A. is a rock star, unlike those suit-wearin' businessmen who pretend they're "controversial" rapping over her track. I can't wait for her next album.
Score = 9
i'm not sure they gave out enough awards...
Score = 11
wait is it just jonny and thom?
Score = 3
"Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: In Rainbows"
Most definitely agree, but seriously, what kind of award is this? Next year they'll give out Grammys for the best album artwork, or maybe the best band outfit (Coldplay would win).
Score = 8
They already do. It's called Best Recording Package.
Score = 2
They won the same award for Amnesiac too.
Score = 0
M.I.A. is what is known as a one-hit-wonder. And I don't think I need to detail the accomplishments of the other four. Though I agree that despite the kick ass beat, that track is pretty weak.
Score = -45
Selling lots of albums doesn't make you good.
Score = 6
Rap is such a bunch of bullshit. MIA outshines and out-talents all of those 4 idiots combined, yet somehow she is still relegated to the background while they all try to out-posture each other. So stupid.
Score = -3
What's really idiotic is you judging and insulting artists of a genre you're probably almost completely ignorant about. Who's the real idiot here? Here's to looking at you, kid.
Score = 0
So Paul McCartney w/Dave Grohl wasn't one of the good parts?
Score = 8
It was certainly good enough to be included in this roundup, but apparently not good enough for YouTube.com.
Score = 6
I don't understand.
You said the good parts, so wheres the Katy Perry performance?
(where the hell is the sarcasm button on this keyboard?!?)
Score = 13
Ha, you forgot about the Myley Cyrus/ Taylor Swift performance. So moving.
Score = 3
Was it that Tia Carrere "Cassandra" that won best Hawaiian album?
Score = 3
On the one hand, I have to hand it for the Grammys for ignoring the commercial appeal of handing out all the awards to the big-selling artists.
On the other, I can't think of anything more bland and boring than Robert Plant/Allison Krauss.
Score = 2
@ American Dan
Though they sampled her voice, the track is hardly hers.
Score = 3
Yorke killed it...Greg Brady sitting in with Duke Ellington was also a thrill.
Score = 0
seeing Jim James in a cape on an E! red carpet show as Ryan Seacrest and Paula Abdul were blathering on and on was the highlight of my week so far.
Score = 2
U2 sings a bad cover of subterranean homesick blues.
Score = 7
http://digg.com/music/The_2009_Grammys_Just_The_Good_Parts
DIGG IT!
Score = -1
anyone else COMPLETELY stunned by shoes that thom yorke was wearing during his performance? very...not him. but they looked good! he looked good! fuck you guys, that performance was awesome! although i did miss the other 3.
Score = 0
I saw it, but mostly didn't know any of the performers. I am so deep into the wild and crazy world of indie music I only knew M.I.A., Radiohead, and Coldplay.
I felt throughout the show, it was the paul mccartney show, where all the winners said a hello to him, and even that neil diamond performance, the camera panned to Paul McCartney instead of the diamond man. Radiohead should have won though.
Score = -2
Rihanna and Chris missed out!
Score = 0
I have to laugh at the fact that all of the comments that were negative about Radiohead's performance have big negative scores.
Score = -3
Fuck Viva La Vida. Fuck That Song
Score = 1
Fuck Coldplay, haven't they been wearing those everyday jackets for about a year now. Chris Martins whole attitude and just the way he moves onstage is so phony, and the new music is blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhnd, and did no one find it funny that Gwenyth was gushing about Radiohead (as she should) while Chris Martin doesn't even wanna be seen with her in public.
Score = 1
Thom yorke's shoes look like the ones robert smith (the cure) wore at the begining of the 90's
Score = 0
What song was that during the dead people montage?
I hear it in my head but it's too faint to make out. ;o)
Score = 0
GENERIC MAN shoes are what Thom was wearing.
Score = 0
Selling lots of albums doesn't make you good.
Score = 0