Aussies Return Home Grammy-less

The 58th Grammy Awards have come to an end and we’re sorry to say all Aussie muso’s will return home shiny gramophone-less. We had high hopes for Courtney Barnett in the Best New Act category, however sadly she will not be adding a Grammy to her collection of shiny music awards. Joining her on the loss front was Grammy frequenter Keith Urban, Psych rockers Tame Impala, and future soul quartet Hiatus Kaiyote.

American artists on the other hand cleaned out! Kendrick Lamar was nominated for 11 awards and added five to his cabinet, whilst pop superstar Taylor Swift took home three. Also joining them was Canadian The Weeknd who was nominated for seven awards and won Best Urban Contemporary and Best RnB Performance.

Other worthy winners were Ed Sheehan and his song Thinking Out Aloud taking out Song of the Year, Alabama Shakes for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song, Skrillex and Diplo won Best Electronic/Dance Album, and Justin Bieber joined them for Best Dance Recording.

It’s agreed that breaking down body image dysmorphia via music directed at young women is a worthy direction for an artist. However, is Meghan Trainor’s feel good pop worthy of winning the Best New Artist category over Courtney Barnett’s breakthrough album? We’re unsure, just as we’re unsure that categories Record of the Year and Album Of The Year are different…

This year’s Grammys focused strongly on paying tribute to the musical heroes we’ve said goodbye to over the last few months. Eagles paid tribute to late guitarist/singer Glenn Frey whilst Lady GaGa gave tribute to David Bowie. Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister and Last Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland were also honoured on the night.

Other notable live acts were Taylor Swifts opening performance Out Of the Woods and The Weeknd’s I Can’t Feel My Face/In the Night. Kendrick kicked some serious butt when he, dressed as a prisoner, lit the stage on fire (literally!) and broke out with The Blacker the Berry, To Pimp a Butterfly and Alright. Unfortunately for Adele, technical difficulties made her All I Ask performance a mess. An equally unfortunate Grammy mishap was Las Vegas singer Manika’s lack of clothing (see below). It’s possible she didn’t get memo that reached African pop star Vencia about covering up with fashionable/not so fashionable Hello Kitty onesies.

For the a peak at Lady GaGa’s Bowie tribute and the full list of winners see below – Videos at the bottom!

Record of the Year: Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk

Album of the Year: Taylor Swift, 1989

Best New Artist: Meghan Trainor

Best Rock Performance: Alabama Shakes, Don’t Wanna Fight

Best Musical Theater Album: Hamilton

Song of the Year: Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud

Best Country Album: Chris Stapleton, Traveller

Best Rap Album: Kendrick Lamar, ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: Kendrick Lamar feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat, These Walls

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap, ‘The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern’

Best Pop Solo Performance: Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud

Best Rap Song: Kendrick Lamar, Alright

Best Alternative Music Album: Alabama Shakes, ‘Sound & Color’

Best Rock Album: Muse, ‘Drones’

Best Rap Performance: Kendrick Lamar, Alright

Best Rock Song: Alabama Shakes, Don’t Wanna Fight

Best R&B Album: D’Angelo and the Vanguard, ‘Black Messiah’

Best Urban Contemporary Album: The Weeknd, ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’

Best R&B Performance: The Weeknd, Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)

Best R&B Song: D’Angelo and The Vanguard, Really Love

Best Traditional R&B Performance: Lalah Hathaway, Little Ghetto Boy

Best Dance/Electronic Album: Skrillex and Diplo, ‘Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü’

Best Dance Recording: Skrillex and Diplo With Justin Bieber, Where Are Ü Now

Best Music Video: Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, Bad Blood

Best Country Duo/Group Performance: Little Big Town, Girl Crush

Best Country Song: Little Big Town, Girl Crush

Best Music Film: Amy Winehouse, ‘Amy’

Best Rap/Song Collaboration: Common & John Legend, Glory

Best Pop Vocal Album: Taylor Swift, ‘1989’

Best Country Solo Performance: Chris Stapleton, Traveller

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: Tobymac, ‘This Is Not a Test’

Best Roots Gospel Album: The Fairfield Four, ‘Still Rockin’ My Soul’

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: Pitbull, ‘Dale’

Best Latin Pop Album: Ricky Martin, ‘A Quien Quiera Escuchar (Deluxe Edition)’

Best Comedy Album: Louis C.K., Live at ‘Madison Square Garden’

Best Spoken Word Album: Jimmy Carter, ‘A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety’

Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: ‘Birdman’

Best Gospel Album: Israel & Newbreed, ‘Covered: Alive Is Asia [Live] (Deluxe)’

Best Gospel Performance/Song: Kirk Franklin, Wanna Be Happy?

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: Francesca Battistelli, Holy Spirit

Best Contemporary Classical Composition: Stephen Paulus, ‘Paulus: Prayers & Remembrances’

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: Joyce DiDonato and Antonio Pappano, ‘Joyce & Tony – Live From Wigmore Hall’

Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Augustin Hadelich, Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L’Arbre Des Songes

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Eighth Blackbird, Filament

Best Choral Performance: Charles Bruffy, Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil

Best Opera Recording: Saito Kinen Orchestra; SKF Matsumoto Chorus & SKF Matsumoto Children’s Chorus, Ravel: L’Enfant Et Les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade

Producer of the Year, Classical: Judith Sherman

Best New Age Album: Paul Avgerinos, ‘Grace’

Best Surround Sound Album: Roger Waters, ‘Amused to Death’

Best Orchestral Performance: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow – Symphony No. 10

Best Classical Compendium: Giancarlo Guerrero, ‘Paulus: Three Places of Enlightenment; Veil of Tears & Grand Concerto’