Mark Kruczek

Kruczek, Mark

2020 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony | Photo Gallery

https://therecordingacademy.com/content/photo

2020 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony Photo Gallery

Esperanza Spalding

Photo:&nbsp;Charley Gallay/Getty Images

gettyimages-1202135404.jpg

Imogen Heap

gettyimages-1196586225.jpg

Lil Nas X

gettyimages-1196587459.jpg

Hildur Guðnadóttir

gettyimages-1196587687.jpg

Koffee

gettyimages-1196587843.jpg

Morten Lindberg

gettyimages-1196587671.jpg

Delbert McClinton

gettyimages-1196587919.jpg

Ranky Tanky

gettyimages-1196588039.jpg

Tracy Young

Photo:&nbsp;Timothy Norris/Getty Images

gettyimages-1202134257.jpg

Chick Corea

gettyimages-1196588090.jpg

Jon Samson

gettyimages-1196588006.jpg

Jacob Collier

Photo:&nbsp;Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

gettyimages-1202137797.jpg

Tanya Tucker

gettyimages-1202138464.jpg

Luis Fonsi

gettyimages-1202138435.jpg

I'm With Her 

gettyimages-1202139019.jpg

Kimie Miner 

gettyimages-1202138776.jpg

Angelique Kidjo

gettyimages-1202139955.jpg

Kirk Franklin

Photo:&nbsp;Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

gettyimages-1202142677.jpg

Gloria Gaynor

gettyimages-1202142597.jpg

Rosalía

gettyimages-1202142492.jpg

Erinn Williams

gettyimages-1202140170.jpg

PJ Morton

gettyimages-1202144074.jpg

Angelique Smith And Samiel Asghedom

gettyimages-1202148083.jpg

Grammy Global Header

Grammy Hamburger Menu

Global Hamburger Menu

2024-grammys-66G_CBS_Tune_In_Logo_2045x793

Subscribe Nav

Subscribe Nav Newsletter Form

Be the first to find out about GRAMMY nominees, winners, important news, and events.

checkmark-gold

Subscribe Social Links

Join us on Social

Homepage

Homepage Google Ad 2

Subscribe to GRAMMY's Newsletter

Be the first to find out about GRAMMY nominees, winners, important news, and events

Thank you for subscribing to the GRAMMY Award Newsletter!

grammys-gramophone-grey-background

Get notified of exciting GRAMMY Award news and upcoming events!

Curated Content: 2024 GRAMMYs

https://therecordingacademy.com/content/news-article

https://therecordingacademy.com/content/slide

https://therecordingacademy.com/content/video

2024 GRAMMYs: Sunday, Feb. 4 - Save The Date

Curated Content: 2023 Latin GRAMMYs - GRAMMYs Homepage

2023 Latin GRAMMYs: Watch Performances, Highlights, Acceptance Speeches & More

Homepage Google Ad

Awards History Carousel

65th GRAMMY Awards

GRAMMY.com Assets_Show Poster_640x853 (3)

65th Annual GRAMMY Awards

64th GRAMMY Awards

64thposter

64th Annual GRAMMY Awards

63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards

63rd-gramophone-art_1880x1100.jpg

62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards

62_grammy_poster.png

61st Annual GRAMMY Awards

gramophone_v_01b.jpg

60th Annual GRAMMY Awards

For any music lover, GRAMMY Sunday is very much like the Super Bowl or World Series to a sports fanatic.

The only difference being, while sports teams typically find out who will be the final competition within a week or two of the showdown, GRAMMY nominations arrive months prior to the big show. The ceremony is arguably a culmination of all of that energy and anticipation. The 60th GRAMMY Awards was no different, as James Corden returned to host the Music's Biggest Night.

Returning to Madison Square Garden for the first time in 15 years, the milestone telecast proved to be a celebration that broke down barriers — with the wins, performances, and acceptance speeches showing that the power of music can literally change the world.

Of course, the GRAMMYs' return to the Big Apple was cause enough for excitement. (Cut to [Tony Bennett](/artists/tony-bennett/1073) and [John Legend](/artists/john-legend/16994) singing "New York, New York" before presenting Best Rap/Sung Performance). And there was [Bruno Mars](/artists/bruno-mars/5082) netting six wins and nearly doubling his career output to 11 in one fell swoop. But there was plenty of excitement to go around.

Whether you were there, watching on TV or live streaming, here are 12 moments from the 60th GRAMMY Awards that made it a night to remember.

### 1. Kendrick Lamar, U2, Dave Chappelle Open With An Army

[Kendrick Lamar](/artists/kendrick-lamar/17949) has a steady track record of impactful performances on the GRAMMYs, and this time he opened the ceremony with a groundbreaking performance before winning the first award of the evening for Best Rap/Sung Performance ("LOYALTY." with Rihanna). Opening with "XXX" before an American flag backdrop and U.S. soldiers marching, the rapper was joined by [U2](/artists/u2/7858)'s Bono and The Edge. A war simulation followed before [Dave Chappelle](/artists/dave-chappelle/187041) hit the stage to punctuate segues in between heated musical vignettes performed by Lamar. It was history in the making, much like everything he touches.

### 2. Lady Gaga's Tearjerker Performance with Mark Ronson

"This is for love and compassion …even when you can't understand," [Lady Gaga](/artists/lady-gaga/3611) uttered before a white piano wrapped in lace as she opened her performance with "Joanne." Mark Ronson assisted on guitar as the acoustic set segued into another moving ballad, "Million Reasons." The emotional performance was poignant, but most importantly showed Gaga's unreal vocal range. It's OK if you shed a tear while watching. We were all cutting onions when it happened.

### 3. James Corden Rapping For Jay-Z

If you watch "The Late Late Show With James Corden" or are tuned into any episode of his "Carpool Karaoke" series, you'll know that Corden was the perfect return host for this year's telecast. On the eve of the show, [Jay-Z](/artists/jay-z/9815) was honored at the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Corden informed the crowd, but began riddling off his knowledge of Jay-Z facts — including Jay’s former apartment address of 560 State Street in Brooklyn. Corden then launched into spitting a few bars for an amused Mr. Carter. "You call it the Big Apple, I call it the Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of …just something I made up," Corden joked.

### 4. Bruno Mars And Cardi B's #TBT Performance Of "Finesse (Remix)"

A few weeks back — when the video for Bruno Mars' remix to "Finesse" featuring [Cardi B](/artists/cardi-b/186981) hit the internet — we were all bit by the nostalgia bug. The video (directed by Mars himself) was not only a clear nod to the sketch comedy series "In Living Color," but it was also a Polaroid of a bygone era of ‘90s R&amp;B and hip-hop—complete with bright colors. Cardi B donned a legendary Cross Colours bucket hat with Mars dancing onstage like a New Jack Swing-era frontman before a dance-off to House Of Pain’s "Jump Around." It was #ThrowbackThursday on a Sunday night.

### 5. Alessia Cara Claims Best New Artist

"I've been pretend winning GRAMMYs since I was a kid in the shower," [Alessia Cara](/artists/alessia-cara/186976) said with a shaky voice before a towering microphone as she accepted her first GRAMMY. While the Canadian was already considered a strong candidate for the award, the competition was fierce — including [SZA](/artists/Solana-Rowe/32514) and newcomer [Julia Michaels](/artists/julia-michaels/188121). But as Cara continued into her speech, she acknowledged and showed support for her peers, which included her fellow nominees and indie acts. "Support real music and real artists," she said. Then she thanked her fans, because there will be no more pretend GRAMMYs in the shower from now on.

### 6. Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee Bring On More "Despacito"

Over the course of 2017, the infectious "Despacito" hasn't left our brains. [Luis Fonsi](/artists/luis-fonsi/3346) and [Daddy Yankee](/artists/daddy-yankee/9370) hit the stage to perform the diamond-certified single and brought former Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera in two. Rivera also appeared in the music video, but took center stage to dance amid a mock club scene. "That is a catchy song. I've never heard that song before," Corden deadpanned after the performance.

### 7. "Subway Carpool Karaoke"

Corden's viral "Carpool Karaoke" series made a cameo during the evening. How could it not? This time, however, it was a special "Subway Carpool Karaoke," featuring Corden, [Sting](/artists/sting/10244) and [Shaggy](/artists/shaggy/10082). The former Police frontman couldn't even get through "Every Breath You Take" before being shushed by a construction worker on the train. And Shaggy barely sang "It Wasn't Me" before another passenger hushed even Corden. Then a fight broke out on the train and Corden got a bloody nose. It was a dangerous karaoke scene. You had to be there.

### 8. Janelle Monáe Says #TimesUp, Kesha Sings #MeToo

All one has to do is read the news in recent months to know that injustice to women is no longer an option across industries. As [Janelle Monáe](/artists/janelle-monae/4464) introduced [Kesha](/artists/kesha/187816)'s performance of "Praying," she delivered a powerful speech hooked to the sexual harassment initiative Time's Up. "We are also daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, humans," Monáe told the crowd. "We come in peace, but we mean business." When Kesha hit the stage, her performance was that much more intense, especially understanding all she's been through in the music industry. With [Cyndi Lauper](/artists/cyndi-lauper/4198), Camila Cabello, Bebe Rexha, Julia Michaels, and [Andra Day](/artists/andra-day/18980) joining on background vocals, the performance ended with the women hugging and in tears. They weren't alone.

### 9. Elton John, Miley Cyrus Transcend Generations Onstage

[Elton John](/artists/elton-john/12074)'s "Tiny Dancer" is one of those classic songs that can bring you immediately back to a moment or an era (or a movie scene, like that bus ride in Almost Famous). However, tonight a new moment was made with [Miley Cyrus](/artists/miley-cyrus/18384). With John seated at his piano, he opened the song and Cyrus joined to help carry the song home. While the "Wrecking Ball" singer is no stranger to classic music — especially given her godmother is [Dolly Parton](/artists/dolly-parton/17205) — this performance was particularly special. Call it onstage chemistry, or call it bridging the gap, but this "Tiny Dancer" performance was one for the ages.

### 10. Ben Platt, Patti LuPone Wow With Broadway Style

This special [Leonard Bernstein](/artists/leonard-bernstein/896)-[Andrew Lloyd Webber](/artists/andrew-lloyd-webber/4044) tribute kicked off properly, as [Ben Platt](/artists/ben-platt/188321) from "Dear Evan Hansen" gave the audience a rousing dose of "Somewhere" from the former's "West Side Story." But as James Corden could barely stand as he introduced [Patti LuPone](/artists/patti-lupone/5059), we soon found out why. LuPone delivered a riveting rendition of “Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from Evita. Posted at a podium, just as the musical/movie depicts, she belted like it was her first time singing the song and it was our first time hearing it.

### 11. Logic, Khalid, Alessia Cara Bring Hope 

There's a reason why "1-800-273-8255" was nominated for Song Of The Year. The powerful track comes with a real message of suicide prevention. When the trifecta of [Logic](/artists/Sir-Robert-Bryson-Hall-II/32370), [Khalid](/artists/khalid/187821), and Alessia Cara hit the stage to perform the monumental hit single, there was no denying the magic. Performing on opposite stages before an army of survivors in "You Are Not Alone" shirts, Logic addressed the crowd and closed the performance with a speech pointing out many societal injustices — from the treatment of women to neighbors from other countries. There are no weak individuals, per Logic, just people waiting to realize the power of their voice.

### 12. Bruno Mars' Magical Evening: 6 For 6

Bruno Mars emerged above the stiff competition in Album Of The Year, taking home the final GRAMMY of the evening for 24K Magic. The nod topped off a GRAMMY sweep for the Hawaii native, with Mars winning all six categories for which he was nominated. He also earned R&amp;B Album, Record Of The Year for "24K Magic," Best R&amp;B Performance, Best R&amp;B Song and Song Of The Year for "That's What I Like." As he explained in his Album Of The Year speech, Mars' mission was to spread love and he did just that — even shouting out previous greats like [Babyface](/artists/babyface/985) who paved the way for him.

grammy60th.jpg

Find all the Winners of 2017 Grammys. For any music lover, GRAMMY Sunday is very much like the Super Bowl or World Series to a sports fanatic. The only difference being, while sports teams typically find out who will be the final competition within a week or two of the showdown, GRAMMY nominations arrive months prior to the big show. The ceremony is arguably a culmination of all of that energy and anticipation. The 60th GRAMMY Awards was no different, as James Corden returned to host the Music's Biggest Night.

59th Annual GRAMMY Awards

During a period in our nation's history in which people are constantly reminded about the political and social issues that can divide us, the 59th GRAMMY Awards served as a convincing testament to the undeniable unifying power of music.

[Adele](/artists/adele/528), whose voice is a powerful force unto itself, emerged the top winner of the night, taking home five GRAMMYs: Best Pop Vocal Album and Album Of The Year for 25 and Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Hello." The now-15-time winner also made GRAMMY history by becoming the first artist to sweep Record, Album and Song Of The Year twice in her career.

Fittingly, it was Adele who ushered in Music's Biggest Night with a mesmerizing performance of her smash "Hello." A stark black backdrop provided a blank canvas over which the British singer/songwriter painted an aural masterpiece, her potent vocals reverberating throughout Los Angeles' Staples Center.

The mercurial [David Bowie](/artists/david-bowie/4819), who died just days before releasing his album Blackstar on Jan. 8, 2016, won four posthumous GRAMMYs, including Best Alternative Music Album. [Greg Kurstin](/artists/greg-kurstin/9943), Adele's producer and songwriting partner, also won four awards, including Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.

[Chance The Rapper](/artists/chancelor-bennett/19614) earned three awards, including Best New Artist, making him the first streaming-exclusive artist to win a GRAMMY. "This is for every indie artist who's been doing this mixtape stuff for a long-a\*\* time," the Chicagoan said during his acceptance for Best Rap Album for Coloring Book. He punctuated his GRAMMY debut with a feel-good performance medley of "How Great" and "All We Got," with his cousin Nicole and 59th GRAMMY winners [Kirk Franklin](/artists/kirk-franklin/9067) and Tamela Mann adding soulful flourishes.

Engineer/mixer [Tom Elmhirst](/artists/tom-elmhirst/2228) also won three GRAMMYs; [Beyoncé](/artists/beyonce-knowles/12474), [Drake](/artists/drake/12370), [Sarah Jarosz](/artists/sarah-jarosz/13600), [John Scofield](/artists/john-scofield/13908), Franklin, and [Hillary Scott &amp; The Scott Family](/artists/hillary-scott-scott-family/20151) were among those winning two awards.

As presenter Celine Dion so eloquently quoted the legendary [Stevie Wonder](/artists/stevie-wonder/8257), "Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories." In addition to crowning recipients in 84 GRAMMY categories, the 59th GRAMMYs created many new memories in the form of signature GRAMMY Moments that spanned several genres.

Equal parts music, theater and spoken word poetry, a golden-clad Beyoncé radiated during her medley of "Love Drought" and "Sandcastles," two songs from her Best Urban Contemporary Album-winning opus, Lemonade. The trance-inducing performance, which was themed around the celebration of motherhood, featured her own mother, Tina Knowles, and daughter, [Blue Ivy Carter](/artists/blue-ivy/292460), and closed on a poignant note with the pregnant Beyoncé reciting a line from a Warsan Shire poem: "If we're going to heal, let it be glorious/1,000 girls raise their arms."

[Bruno Mars](/artists/bruno-mars/5082) dazzled with his seductive "That's What I Like." Commanding the stage with aplomb, showcasing graceful dance moves and flaunting his rich tenor, Mars once again proved the breadth of his 24-karat talent.

[Ed Sheeran](/artists/ed-sheeran/6178) turned in arguably the most energy-efficient performance of the evening. Armed with an acoustic guitar, synthesizer and a pedalboard that doubled as a looping device, Sheeran proved a veritable one-man band in multitasking his romantic ode "Shape Of You."

[The Weeknd](/artists/The-Weeknd/24884) teamed with fellow GRAMMY winners [Daft Punk](/artists/daft-punk/8207) for a medley of "Starboy" and "I Feel It Coming." The duo's trademark synthesizer soundscapes set the tone for a sci-fi inspired set, with The Weeknd's velvety voice drifting into space.

[Katy Perry](/artists/katy-perry/5726) returned to the GRAMMY stage to debut her brand-new single, "Chained To The Rhythm," with reggae artist Skip Marley. Perry — who wore an armband emblazoned with the word "Resist" — earnestly delivered her new socially conscious anthem, which she closed by declaring "No hate!"

Best New Artist nominee [Anderson .Paak](/artists/anderson-paak/19926) and rappers Busta Rhymes, Consequence and [A Tribe Called Quest](/artists/tribe-called-quest/10719) joined for a politically charged medley of "Award Tour," "Movin Backwards" and "We The People." The latter song, A Tribe Called Quest's anthem addressing topics such as racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and misogyny, proved timely given the recent political climate. A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip put an exclamation point on the performance by shouting, "Resist! Resist! Resist!"

[Metallica](/artists/metallica/10686) and [Lady Gaga](/artists/lady-gaga/3611) turned the volume up to 10 with a driving performance of the band's "Moth Into Flame." Despite a brief technical glitch with Metallica frontman James Hetfield's mic, the heat generated — stoked by pyrotechnics, headbanging and a stage dive from Gaga — set off a genre-bending explosion.

[Keith Urban](/artists/keith-urban/7015) and [Carrie Underwood](/artists/carrie-underwood/10381) went toe-to-toe for their love-affirming duet "The Fighter." GRAMMY-nominated newcomers [Kelsea Ballerini](/artists/kelsea-ballerini/19558) and [Lukas Graham](/artists/lukas-graham/20132) joined together for a seamless mashup of her "Peter Pan" and their "7 Years," which was up for Song Of The Year. R&amp;B/soul legend William Bell, who earlier won his first career GRAMMY, teamed with guitar slinger [Gary Clark Jr.](/artists/gary-clark-jr/17798) for a gritty "Born Under A Bad Sign."

First-time GRAMMY host James Corden got into the musical act as well. During his opening skit, Corden delivered a free-style rap that name-dropped everyone from President Donald Trump to Drake, Rihanna and Sturgill Simpson. "The Late Late Show" host also sped through a hilarious impromptu GRAMMY edition of Carpool Karaoke. Driving a cardboard cutout vehicle, Corden was flanked by [Jennifer Lopez](/artists/jennifer-lopez/14846), [Tim McGraw](/artists/tim-mcgraw/12018), [Faith Hill](/artists/faith-hill/10850), [Keith Urban](/artists/keith-urban/7015), [Ryan Tedder](/artists/ryan-tedder/16130), [John Legend](/artists/john-legend/16994), Blue Ivy, Jason Derulo, and [Neil Diamond](/artists/neil-diamond/2720) for a singalong of the latter's classic "Sweet Caroline."

In addition to Corden's bits, [Twenty One Pilots](/artists/twenty-one-pilots/20162) provided some unexpected comic relief when they accepted their first career GRAMMY for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Stressed Out" in their underwear. Underneath the humor, the duo from Columbus, Ohio, conveyed an important message to musicians of all stripes. "Anyone from anywhere can do anything," said Pilots singer/songwriter Tyler Joseph.

It was also a night of firsts for breakout country star [Maren Morris](/artists/maren-morris/19894). Not only did she make her GRAMMY performance debut with "Once" alongside [Alicia Keys](/artists/alicia-keys/12104), she won her first GRAMMY for Best Country Solo Performance for "My Church," making her the first GRAMMY Camp alumnus to win a GRAMMY.

Music's Biggest Night also provided moments of reflection in the form of tributes.

An all-star troupe paid homage to five-time GRAMMY winners the Bee Gees, who will be celebrated this spring via the CBS TV special "Stayin' Alive: A GRAMMY Salute To The Music Of The Bee Gees." [Demi Lovato](/artists/demi-lovato/19851) glided through "Stayin' Alive" while [Tori Kelly](/artists/tori-kelly/19120) showcased her impressive singing and guitar chops on "Tragedy." [Little Big Town](/artists/little-big-town/10623) were in perfect harmony for "How Deep Is Your Love" and Andra Day bottled the essence of Studio 54 during "Night Fever." The group closed with a vibrant "Stayin' Alive" coda, with Barry Gibb looking on in delight.

[Sturgill Simpson](/artists/sturgill-simpson/18703) and the Dap-Kings convened for "All Around You," a song from Simpson's Best Country Album-winning A Sailor's Guide To Earth. During his introduction, Dwight Yoakam lauded the late singer [Sharon Jones](/artists/sharon-jones/18518), who worked with the Dap-Kings throughout her career.

In recognition of [George Michael](/artists/george-michael/12041), who died Dec. 25, 2016, Adele returned to the stage for a dramatic, orchestrated version of "Fastlove," the final Top 10 hit of Michael's career. The tribute paused abruptly as Adele stopped mid-song, feeling that her performance was not up to par. "I can't mess this up for him," she confided to the audience. Adele reset herself and delivered a moving memorial. The audience obliged with a standing ovation.

Morris Day and the Time did the honors in introducing a special GRAMMY tribute to the late [Prince](/artists/prince/5675). A true showman, Day bobbed and weaved the band through the Time's funky "Jungle Love" and "The Bird." Mars then returned to the stage for a regal reimagining of "Let's Go Crazy." Armed with a Purple Rain-inspired suit, makeup and white guitar, Mars channeled vintage '80s-era Prince, right down to his authentic take on the song's spectacular unaccompanied guitar cadenza.

The In Memoriam segment featured [John Legend](/artists/john-legend/16994) and GRAMMY-winning "The Color Purple" cast member [Cynthia Erivo](/artists/cynthia-erivo/19682) delivering a rendition of the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows," which served as a solemn musical prayer to many other individuals the music community lost during the past year.

The GRAMMY show was also marked by heartfelt, if unexpected, tributes to fellow nominees. In her final acceptance speech of the evening for Album Of The Year, a visibly moved Adele used her platform to acknowledge and thank fellow nominee Beyoncé.

"My artist of my life is Beyoncé," Adele said as a tearful Beyoncé looked on. "The Lemonade album was just so monumental and so well-thought out and so beautiful and soul-bearing. … All us artists here, we f\*\*\*ing adore you. You are our light.

Music's Biggest Night beamed into the homes of more than 26 million viewers, representing a 4 percent year-over-year increase and the highest viewership since 2014. The luster extended well after the Sunday telecast, with several winners, nominees and performers benefiting from the GRAMMY Effect.

Digital sales of songs performed on the show saw a 140 percent increase in download sales, with Urban and Underwood's "The Fighter" experiencing a 574 percent gain. On-demand streams (audio and video combined) of songs performed rose 30 percent, including Mars' "That's What I Like" spiking 99 percent. Adele's 25 returned to the Top 10, rising to No. 6 with a 137 percent sales increase. Combined with the other Album Of The Year nominees (Beyoncé's Lemonade, [Justin Bieber](/artists/justin-bieber/10220)'s Purpose, Drake's Views, and Sturgill Simpson's A Sailor's Guide To Earth), all five albums saw a collective 91 percent increase in equivalent album sales. Following his GRAMMY performance with Perry, Skip Marley became the first member of the Marley family to score a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

More than just impressive statistics, these sizable GRAMMY Effect gains give additional credence to the 59th GRAMMY Awards telecast remarks of Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow, who during his impassioned speech delivered to the new administration an important unified message on behalf of the music community.

"The Recording Academy, together with America's music makers, call on the president and Congress to help keep the music playing by updating music laws, protecting music education and renewing America's commitment to the arts," said Portnow. "It's our collective responsibility to preserve what binds us and to ensure that the whole world continues to benefit from one of our most unique \[and\] economically and spiritually important assets — and exports: American music."

Eligibility Period: Oct. 1, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2016

grammy-awards-promo-book-aj.jpg

58th Annual GRAMMY Awards

In an era when much of the prevailing cultural dialogue revolves around race relations and personal empowerment, the big winners at the 58th GRAMMY Awards reflected the currency of the times.

With 11 nominations, Compton, Calif., rapper [Kendrick Lamar](/artists/kendrick-lamar/17949) went into Music's Biggest Night as the most nominated artist since [Michael Jackson](/artists/michael-jackson/13202) and [Babyface](/artists/babyface/985) each scored 12 for 1983 and 1996, respectively. He took five GRAMMYs, including Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly, and Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for "Alright."

Lamar's performance of "The Blacker The Berry" and "Alright," songs that became unofficial soundtracks for the Black Lives Matter movement, infused the GRAMMYs with the kind of social immediacy at which it excels, whether it's championing marriage equality or honoring late musical icons such as Whitney Houston.

[Alabama Shakes](/artists/alabama-shakes/14656), perhaps fittingly a multiracial band with a multiracial frontwoman, [Brittany Howard](/artists/brittany-howard/3375), won three awards — Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song and Best Alternative Music Album — all based around their acclaimed sophomore album, Sound &amp; Color. Their performance of "Don't Wanna Fight," introduced with an otherworldly scream by Howard, who looked like a high priestess of rock in a flowing white cape, was a captivating moment from a band that has helped bring back a sense of urgency to rock.

[Taylor Swift](/artists/taylor-swift/15450) took Album Of The Year for 1989 among her three awards. Pointing out she was the first woman to win that award twice, Swift was passionate about giving due credit to the contributions of women during her acceptance speech. Her show-opening performance of "Out Of The Woods" proved she's a powerful, self-assured woman.

Other multiple winners included [D'Angelo](/artists/dangelo/1902), [Diplo](/artists/diplo/8548), [Jason Isbell](/artists/jason-isbell/19091), [Maria Schneider](/artists/maria-schneider/6153), [Ed Sheeran](/artists/ed-sheeran/6178), [Skrillex](/artists/skrillex/6363), [Chris Stapleton](/artists/chris-stapleton/15418), and [The Weeknd](/artists/The-Weeknd/24884).

Rising up, to paraphrase GRAMMY nominee and performer [Andra Day](/artists/andra-day/18980), was the theme of the night. In addition to Lamar's wins and triumphant performance, there were other noteworthy moments.

"Glory," Common and [John Legend](/artists/john-legend/16994)'s defiant song from Selma, the film about the 1965 Montgomery, Ala., voting rights marches, won for Best Song Written For Visual Media. [Lalah Hathaway](/artists/lalah-hathaway/3123) won in the Best Traditional R&amp;B Performance category for "Little Ghetto Boy," a song about overcoming the consequences of growing up in inner-city poverty that was originally recorded by her father, [Donny Hathaway](/artists/donny-hathaway/2656).   

Mexican drummer/composer [Antonio Sanchez](/artists/antonio-sanchez/6087), who won Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media for Birdman, thanked GRAMMY voters specifically because he had been "eliminated by another awards show that starts with an 'O' and ends with 'scars.'" And songwriter [Kendra Foster](/artists/kendra-foster/19024) literally raised a fist and proclaimed "we're trying to rise up" when accepting the Best R&amp;B Song award for her, D'Angelo and [Gina Figueroa](/artists/gina-figueroa/19500)'s "Really Love."

It was also a night of official goodbyes to musical giants, some of whom died within weeks of the GRAMMY telecast.

[Lady Gaga](/artists/lady-gaga/3611)'s tribute to [David Bowie](/artists/david-bowie/4819) was an electrifying appreciation of one of the most influential artists of our time. Bowie — who died Jan. 10 — received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Recording Academy in 2006, and an appropriate celebration on the GRAMMY telecast with a 10-song medley wrapped by a triumphant version of "Heroes."

The band synonymous with '70s California rock came together to salute their fallen founding member, [Glenn Frey](/artists/glenn-frey/2410), who died Jan. 18. The Eagles strummed through their first hit, the classic "Take It Easy," teaming with the song's co-writer Jackson Browne (who penned the tune with Frey in the early '70s when they lived in the same Los Angeles apartment building). The ode to letting troubles run off your shoulders and grabbing life while you can was a fitting tribute to a singer, guitarist and man who did just that.

Things revved up a few decibels when the Hollywood Vampires (Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry joined by Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum) lit the funeral pyre for Lemmy Kilmister — hard rock's No. 1 anarchist who died Dec. 28, 2015 — with a short blast of Motörhead's "Ace Of Spades."

At the other end of the genre and attitude spectrum, [Earth, Wind &amp; Fire](/artists/earth-wind-fire/14550)'s deeply optimistic pan-spiritual leader [Maurice White](/artists/maurice-white/6905), who died Feb. 4, was feted by [Stevie Wonder](/artists/stevie-wonder/8257) and vocal group [Pentatonix](/artists/pentatonix/20140), who performed an a cappella version of the classic "That's The Way Of The World."

Finally, Stapleton, [Gary Clark Jr.](/artists/gary-clark-jr/17798) and Bonnie Raitt paid tribute to one of the most noteworthy bluesmen of all time, B.B. King, who died May 14, 2015. The three artists — performing King's biggest hit, "The Thrill Is Gone" — reflected disparate generations and genres, but demonstrated that roots music is a single language often spoken with six strings.

Wrapped around these special GRAMMY Moments were additional performances that delivered musical breadth as only the GRAMMYs can.

New country star and former college footballer [Sam Hunt](/artists/sam-hunt/19085)'s "Take Your Time" got an audible via a duet with [Carrie Underwood](/artists/carrie-underwood/10381) and her "Heartbeat."

R&amp;B sensation [The Weeknd](/artists/The-Weeknd/24884) sensitively performed his ballad "In The Night," backed by piano and cello, after teasing his hit "Can't Feel My Face." The vocal triumph scored a standing ovation.

Day was joined by [Ellie Goulding](/artists/ellie-goulding/19043) for one of the night's sweetest melding of voices as they seamlessly brought their respective ballads "Rise Up" and "Love Me Like You Do" together.

[Lionel Richie](/artists/lionel-richie/17291), the 2016 MusiCares Person of the Year honoree and a true hits king of the '80s, rightly received the royal treatment as Luke Bryan, John Legend, Demi Lovato, [Meghan Trainor](/artists/meghan-trainor/18740), and [Tyrese](/artists/tyrese/17506) came together for a mega-salute capped by the man himself singing his signature "All Night Long (All Night)."

Richie collaborator, the late Michael Jackson, was remembered by nominee [Miguel](/artists/miguel/4571), who delivered a smooth version of "She's Out Of My Life" backed by the song's original keyboardist Greg Phillinganes.

[Little Big Town](/artists/little-big-town/10623) turned in a contemplative version of "Girl Crush" rich in the harmonizing of their four collective voices.

Two Best New Artist nominees, James Bay and Tori Kelly, joined forces to show off some fresh multiweapon talent as the pair of singer/songwriter/instrumentalists ran emotively through his "Let It Go" and her "Hollow."

The GRAMMYs aired its first-ever live performance from a Broadway stage by bringing the acclaimed musical "Hamilton" to a nationwide TV audience. Star/writer Lin-Manuel Miranda and his cast ran through the opening number "Alexander Hamilton" before an ecstatic audience at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York, providing a taste of its groundbreaking melding of hip-hop and traditional musical theater.

Despite some well-documented technical glitches, Adele's performance became a triumph over adversity, a testament to the fact that great talent will always shine despite the sometimes unexpected travails of live TV. To paraphrase her song "All I Ask," Adele left her heart on the stage to a standing ovation.

[Justin Bieber](/artists/justin-bieber/10220) teamed with EDM stars Skrillex and Diplo — under their Jack Ü moniker — for a rousing take on "Where Are Ü Now," which followed an acoustic solo turn by Bieber, who played his "Love Yourself." As Billboard noted, "While some previous dance performances have fallen flat in televised awards shows, there was nothing stilted about the energetic ensemble's stage show."

And on a similarly energetic note, the GRAMMYs concluded with a party thrown by one of the night's winners, Pitbull, who was joined by Travis Barker, Joe Perry, Robin Thicke, and actress Sofia Vergara, who showed off some of her best dance moves.

Between honoring our musical legacy and recognizing music's power to reflect and impact our cultural legacy, fans truly had a chance to Witness Greatness on the 58th GRAMMYs.

Eligibility Period: Oct. 1, 2014, through Sept. 30, 2015

58gr_poster_final.jpg

57th Annual GRAMMY Awards

Even for the GRAMMY Awards, which takes pride in each unique performance on its world-renowned stage — performances that have collectively come to be known as GRAMMY Moments — the 57th telecast topped expectations. The show featured an impressive 23 performances, many offering teamings that were not only inspired, but resulted in illuminating versions of deeply powerful songs.

If you thought <a href="/artists/sam-smith/18713">Sam Smith</a>'s multiple GRAMMY-winning "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)" was an aching heartbreak of a song, you may have been emotionally drained after <a href="/artists/mary-j-blige/779">Mary J. Blige</a> joined Smith to add tent-revival urgency. 
 
<a href="/artists/katy-perry/5726">Katy Perry</a>'s "By The Grace Of God" already defies many of the California gurl's best-known pop hits, but following a personal plea from President Barack Obama to stop domestic violence and the real-life tale of abuse from survivor and activist Brooke Axtell, its unexpected impact brought the house to its feet. 
 
And so went this year's telecast, performance after performance proving that GRAMMY Moments live well beyond the moment of their creation. 
 
First-time GRAMMY performers AC/DC opened the show with fireworks and firepower, with singer Brian Johnson and guitarist Angus Young igniting the stage — and the playfully devil-horned audience ­— with "Rock Or Bust" and the classic "Highway To Hell." 
 
But it was the next performance of "Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart" by <a href="/artists/ariana-grande/18441">Ariana Grande</a> that arguably served as the true tone setter of the night, a poignant moment of soul-stirring singing that was as moving as it was entertaining. 
 
Brits <a href="/artists/jessie-j/18501">Jessie J</a> and the ever-vibrant Tom Jones followed with a similarly breathtaking "You've Lost That Loving Feelin'" in tribute to the iconic song's co-writers, 2015 Recording Academy Trustees Award recipients Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. 
 
<a href="/artists/miranda-lambert/4851">Miranda Lambert</a> then interjected a touch of rock-inflected hoedown energy, wheeling out her upbeat "Little Red Wagon" with attitude and energy to spare, tapping into her firecracker charisma. 
 
<a href="/artists/kanye-west/6900">Kanye West</a> returned to the show's tacit theme of emotional message music with "Only One." Shadowy under a single spotlight, West bared it all with his ode to daughter North West, sung from the perspective of his late mother, and aimed at healing and happiness. 
 
An ageless <a href="/artists/madonna/5068">Madonna</a>, still enviably contorting through Pilates-required dance numbers, debuted her new "Living For Love" with a bullfighting theme and a matador's determination and finesse. 
 
Pulling out all the stops, <a href="/artists/ed-sheeran/6178">Ed Sheeran</a>, <a href="/artists/john-mayer/14891">John Mayer</a>, <a href="/artists/herbie-hancock/9477">Herbie Hancock</a>, and Questlove teamed for Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud." Despite such a group of heavyweights, they retained the song’s graceful rumination on enduring love. 
 
The quartet then gave way to Jeff Lynne's ELO. GRAMMY winner Lynne led the band through an ELO signature, "Evil Woman," before joining with Sheeran for a rousing "Mr. Blue Sky." 
 
Adam Levine reunited with former "The Voice" judge Gwen Stefani for <a href="/artists/maroon-5/13090">Maroon 5</a>'s ballad "My Heart Is Open," with each bringing their formidable chops to the plea for love. 
 
Last year, the GRAMMYs brought 33 couples to the stage for a mass musical marriage ceremony. This year, Irish singer/songwriter <a href="/grammys/artists/hozier">Hozier</a> took the crowd to church with his GRAMMY-nominated hit. As "Take Me To Church" built to its climax, singer <a href="/grammys/artists/annie-lennox">Annie Lennox</a> joined to add an exclamation point, then segued into her cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On You," as she did just that to the GRAMMY audience. 
 
By now, <a href="/artists/pharrell-williams/7310">Pharrell Williams</a> has built a cottage industry around his inescapable hit "Happy." For his GRAMMY performance, joined by composer Hans Zimmer on guitar and pianist <a href="/artists/lang-lang/14460">Lang Lang</a>'s otherworldly finger play, Williams' turned in a dark and satisfying take on the song. 
 
After Perry's stirring "By The Grace Of God," <a href="/artists/tony-bennett/1073">Tony Bennett</a> and <a href="/artists/lady-gaga/3611">Lady Gaga</a> hit the stage like the second coming of ultimate lounge-act couple Louis Prima and Keely Smith. The pair was clearly having authentic fun onstage, at times truly "Cheek To Cheek." 
 
Backed only by teen harpist Melody Tai, <a href="/artists/usher/16167">Usher</a> performed a sweet version of <a href="/artists/stevie-wonder/8257">Stevie Wonder</a>'s "Magic" in anticipation of "Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life — An All-Star GRAMMY Salute," a two-hour special that aired on CBS Feb. 16. Truly whetting appetites for that show, Wonder emerged from the shadows at the end of the song for an excitedly received harmonica solo. 
 
The GRAMMYs took a trip to Nashville, Tenn., next for <a href="/artists/eric-church/10938">Eric Church</a>'s "Give Me Back My Hometown." Then it was just left of Nashville for Best New Artist nominee <a href="/artists/brandy-clark/17797">Brandy Clark</a>'s teaming with Dwight Yoakam for her "Hold My Hand," to which Yoakam contributed haunting background vocals. 
 
The camera then shifted quietly to three silhouetted figures, in what is quickly becoming an iconic pose, for a debut performance of "FourFiveSeconds," <a href="/artists/rihanna/5943">Rihanna</a>'s new single with <a href="/artists/paul-mccartney/4678">Paul McCartney</a> and West. The trio represented almost unprecedented star power and the song was captivatingly striking in its stark presentation. 
 
After Smith (who emerged as the night's top winner with four GRAMMYs) and Blige's roof-raising performance of "Stay With Me," Colombian singer/songwriter <a href="/artists/juanes/9195">Juanes</a> hit the stage for a performance of his reggae-tinged "Juntos," en español. 
 
Actress Kristen Wiig served as the face of<a href="/artists/sia/15372"> Sia</a> for the latter's performance of "Chandelier," miming a comic version of the song's GRAMMY-nominated music video with young dancer Maddie Ziegler, while Sia earnestly sang from a corner of the set, in her customary back-to-the-audience stance. 
 
Album Of The Year winner <a href="/artists/beck/292">Beck</a> teamed with <a href="/artists/coldplay/10952">Coldplay</a>'s Chris Martin for a Crosby, Stills, Nash &amp; Young-inspired version of his acoustic gem "Heart Is A Drum." Though backed only by acoustic instruments, the song's tale of heartbreak and acceptance had an electric impact. 
 
"We live in complicated times," said Gwyneth Paltrow in introducing <a href="/artists/beyonce-knowles/12474">Beyoncé</a>'s take on the gospel standard "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," "and now more than ever we need understanding and to acknowledge the feelings of others.” 
 
Looking angelic in a white dress that gave the appearance of wings, Bey took the crowd to church literally, as Hozier had done metaphorically earlier. 
 
The 57th GRAMMY Awards closed poignantly with <a href="/artists/john-legend/16994">John Legend</a> and <a href="/artists/common/1332">Common</a>'s stunning Selma theme, "Glory." The performance not only came two weeks prior to their Oscar turn, but taken together with Beyoncé’s preceding tour de force vocal performance, the finale drew a connection in the battle for equal rights from the '60s to the present — capping the night's powerful message about music's ability to stir people to greater awareness and action. 
 
&nbsp;

Eligibility Period: Oct. 1, 2013, through Sept. 30, 2014

57th_cover.jpg

See all GRAMMY award winners and nominees for the 57th GRAMMY Awards, presented in 2014.

56th Annual GRAMMY Awards

Reuniting legends, creating unparalleled GRAMMY Moments and giving new artists a global platform are all part of what makes the GRAMMYs a truly unique celebration of music. But this year the GRAMMY stage served as an opportunity to display music's power to unleash "whoever we are and whoever we dream about being," as host [LL Cool J](/artists/ll-cool-j/4008) said in his opening remarks.

Following a steamy performance of "Drunk In Love" by power couple Beyoncé and Jay Z, Macklemore &amp; Ryan Lewis made their first appearance on the GRAMMY stage to accept the first award of the night for Best New Artist. After catching their collective breath, Macklemore thanked their fans, "the people that got us on this stage," while acknowledging their independent roots.\

\

"We made this album without a record label," said Macklemore. "And we appreciate all the support."

The Seattle rap duo ended their GRAMMY debut on top, garnering a total of four trophies. The duo were later joined by singer/songwriter Mary Lambert and Trombone Shorty for a performance of their GRAMMY-nominated anthem of equality, "Same Love." The performance marked a historic moment for the GRAMMY Awards as Queen Latifah took the stage mid-set to officiate a live marriage ceremony for 33 diverse couples, which was capped with an appearance by Madonna. Madge gave new meaning to the chorus to her "Open Your Heart," proving that while music unleashes independence, it also promotes harmony.

"When we say music has the power to bring people together at the GRAMMYs, we mean it," said Latifah.

Fellow GRAMMY newcomer Lorde performed her hit "Royals," which took Song Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. The 17-year-old singer/songwriter was clearly shocked: "This is the one thing that I did not expect the most about tonight," she said while accepting the latter award.

Further demonstrating music's power to unleash individuality, Hunter Hayes debuted his new single "Invisible." The inspirational piano-driven ballad was colored with several onscreen quotes, including one by John Lennon: "You don't need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are."

Country singer/songwriter Kacey Musgraves nabbed the first two GRAMMYs of her career for Best Country Song for "Merry Go 'Round" with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, and Best Country Album for Same Trailer Different Park. Musgraves made her individual mark on the GRAMMYs when she brightened the stage for a performance of "Follow Your Arrow," a song about doing "whatever you want."

One of the most talked about — and tweeted — performances of the night was the teaming of Imagine Dragons, who won their first GRAMMY for Best Rock Performance for "Radioactive," with rising rapper Kendrick Lamar. On a smoke-filled stage, the collective delivered a colorful mashup of "Radioactive" and Lamar's "m.A.A.d city" — an appropriate welcome to a new generation of GRAMMY performers.

But being in with the new does not mean out with the old — or in this case, legendary. Newly minted Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard were accompanied by Blake Shelton for a medley of classics such as "Okie From Muskogee" and "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" that had everyone from Musgraves to Jay Z and Beyoncé swaying in the audience. Daft Punk  and Pharrell Williams — both of whom also topped the winners list with four each, including Album Of The Year for Random Access Memories and a Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical win for Williams — teamed with Nile Rodgers and Stevie Wonder for a mashup of the Chic classic "Le Freak" and "Get Lucky." The latter earned Rodgers two of his first three career GRAMMYs for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record Of The Year.

Additionally, Jay Z and Justin Timberlake won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Holy Grail," which Jay Z accepted on their behalf and dedicated to his daughter Blue Ivy. Bruno Mars took home Best Pop Vocal Album honors for Unorthodox Jukebox, which he dedicated to his late mother Bernadette, who died in June 2013.

On a satellite stage, 2014 MusiCares Person of the Year honoree Carole King and Sara Bareilles went head-to-head on piano for a performance of Bareilles' "Brave" and King's "Beautiful." More all-star collaborations ensued. Robin Thicke joined Chicago to perform the latter's "Beginnings," "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and "Saturday In The Park" and his "Blurred Lines," which earned Thicke his first nominations as an artist. GRAMMY winner Keith Urban and first-time winner Gary Clark Jr. joined for a performance of Urban's "Cop Car" that showed off each individual's guitar prowess. Pink made sure no one forgot her high-flying acrobatic skills as she took to the air to perform "Try" before Fun.'s Nate Ruess joined to deliver their GRAMMY-nominated hit "Just Give Me A Reason."

The spotlight was on John Legend as he took a seat behind the piano for a soulful performance of his romantic ballad "All Of Me," which appeared to be dedicated to his new bride, Chrissy Teigen. Taylor Swift went for a no-frills performance, looking glamorous at the piano for her "All Too Well." Meanwhile, fellow singer/songwriter Katy Perry proved she has a dark side, opening encased in a crystal ball for an enchanting performance of her hit single about playing with magic, "Dark Horse," featuring Juicy J.

Though the evening was highlighted by new artists taking home their first GRAMMY gold, as David Grohl remarked while accepting the award for Best Rock Song for "Cut Me Some Slack" with Paul McCartney and former Nirvana bandmates Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, "If it wasn't for the Beatles, we wouldn't be here." Celebrating the 50th anniversary of their U.S. debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" this year, remaining Beatles McCartney and Ringo Starr took the stage, likely reminding some of the younger artists in the audience why they chose their individual paths. After a solo performance by Starr of his chestnut "Photograph," the drummer joined McCartney for the latter's new "Queenie Eye." (Two weeks later, the pair would team again for the successful tribute "The Beatles: The Night That Changed America — A GRAMMY Salute," which celebrated their historic performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" 50 years ago.)

From one surprise teaming to another, Metallica took the stage with the GRAMMY Cultural Ambassador to China, pianist Lang Lang. Following an introduction from Oscar winner Jared Leto, who cited Metallica as a "great rock band who have stayed true to themselves," the group delivered a unique performance of their past GRAMMY winner "One" that had frontman James Hetfield going guitar-to-piano with Lang Lang. The pianist returned shortly after to pay tribute to the late Van Cliburn during the In Memoriam segment, which also featured Miranda Lambert and Billie Joe Armstrong teaming for a tribute to the late Phil Everly with the Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved."

The 56th telecast took its final bow with one last memorable GRAMMY Moment that literally rocked. Fleetwood Mac guitar master Lindsey Buckingham and Grohl joined Nine Inch Nails and Queens Of The Stone Age for NIN's "Copy Of A" and QOTSA's "My God Is The Sun."

Eligibility Period: Oct. 1, 2012, through Sept. 30, 2013

56gr_poster_final.jpg

55th Annual GRAMMY Awards

While many past GRAMMY telecasts have turned into colorful coronations of artists who enjoyed larger-than-life years (<a href="/artists/michael-jackson/13202" target="_blank">Michael Jackson</a>'s eight GRAMMYs in 1983, Santana's eight in 1999, <a href="/artists/beyonce-knowles/12474" target="_blank">Beyoncé</a>'s six in 2009, and <a href="/artists/adele/528" target="_blank">Adele</a>'s six in 2011), the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards spread the wealth among a crop of younger artists who set the stage for the century's second decade in music.

Roots-influenced rockers the <a href="/artists/black-keys/8120" target="_blank">Black Keys</a> won three awards in the Rock Field (and guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach added one more for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.

Rap stalwarts <a href="/artists/jay-z/9815" target="_blank">Jay-Z</a> and <a href="/artists/kanye-west/6900" target="_blank">Kanye West</a> won three GRAMMYs each, all for their collaborations on Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Songwinner "N****s In Paris" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration winner "No Church In The Wild" (featuring Frank Ocean and The-Dream).

Then came more relative newcomers: Skrillex added three GRAMMYs to his three from last year; <a href="/artists/gotye/2402" target="_blank">Gotye</a> rode "Somebody That I Used To Know" (featuring <a href="/artists/kimbra/3581" target="_blank">Kimbra</a>), which became the most idiosyncratic radio hit of 2012, to three awards, including Record Of The Year; <a href="/artists/fun/15812" target="_blank">Fun.</a> won their first two GRAMMYs for Song Of The Year for "We Are Young" (featuring <a href="/artists/janelle-monae/4464" target="_blank">Janelle Monáe</a>) and Best New Artist; and Mumford &amp; Sons, one of the trailblazers for the new wave of acoustic roots artists, won Album Of The Year for Babel.

Some of the winning artists were so new, they took other winners by surprise.

"Miguel, I don't know who the hell you are, but we need to sing together," shouted <a href="/artists/kelly-clarkson/11249" target="_blank">Kelly Clarkson</a> while collecting her Best Pop Vocal Album GRAMMY for Stronger, referring to <a href="/artists/miguel/4571" target="_blank">Miguel</a>'s brief slow jam of his Best R&amp;B Song winner "Adorn" (on which he teamed with Wiz Khalifa). "That was the sexiest damn thing I've ever seen."

It was more than a fresh breeze that blew over the 55th GRAMMYs, it was arguably a wind of change.

Still, the telecast remained music's biggest melting pot, with performances that brought innumerous ingredients to the stew, starting with one that was a virtual stew all on its own. With nose-thumbing clowns, a wheelchair-bound Mephisto and scary puppeteers, <a href="/artists/taylor-swift/15450" target="_blank">Taylor Swift</a> turned in the most threatening "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" ever.

British singer/songwriter <a href="/artists/ed-sheeran/6178" target="_blank">Ed Sheeran</a> teamed with the head of his management company, <a href="/artists/elton-john/12074" target="_blank">Elton John</a>, for a strong reading of the former's Song Of The Year-nominated "The A Team," the tale of a homeless addict.

Fun. brought drama to "Carry On," their song of perseverance, in the form of both their anthemic ambition and a rainstorm of real water that drenched their set.

<a href="/artists/miranda-lambert/4851" target="_blank">Miranda Lambert</a> and Dierks Bentley, met under a large blue tree for intimate duets of her "Over You" and his "Home."

Mumford &amp; Sons gave a jolt to the crowd with their endlessly energetic "I Will Wait." The way they attacked their acoustic guitars would have made Pete Townshend proud.

Breaking a seven-year hiatus from live music performance, Justin Timberlake hit a sepia-toned stage for a suave medley of his new "Suit &amp; Tie" (on which he was joined by Jay-Z) and "Pusher Love Girl" from his 2013 album, The 20/20 Experience.

In another unique pairing, <a href="/artists/maroon-5/13090" target="_blank">Maroon 5</a> and <a href="/artists/alicia-keys/12104" target="_self">Alicia Keys</a> teamed for the former's "Daylight" and the latter's "Girl On Fire," both songs that kindle with power and emotion.

<a href="/artists/rihanna/5943" target="_blank">Rihanna</a> was joined by Mikky Ekko for "Stay," a song he co-wrote and on which he is a featured vocalist. With Rihanna in a simple black dress on a no-frills stage, the song's message of passion over logic bore through.

The Black Keys wasted no time revving up "Lonely Boy." The rocker, which owes a debt to rockabilly, swamp rock and electric blues, was punctuated by the New Orleans piano of Best Blues Album GRAMMY winner Dr. John and a pinch of Dixieland from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Clarkson returned for a vocal salute to two giant female artists, both of whom received Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2013. First up was "Tennessee Waltz" in honor of Patti Page, followed by "A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like)," co-written by Carole King.

The tributes continued with a nod to Bob Marley, who was the subject of the Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media-nominated Marley. Two of the performers, like Marley, hail from tropical islands: <a href="/artists/bruno-mars/5082" target="_blank">Bruno Mars</a> from Hawaii and Rihanna from Barbados. Also joining was Sting, whose music with the Police owed a debt to reggae and ska. Mars began with his own "Locked Out Of Heaven" followed by the similar-sounding Police chestnut "Walking On The Moon." Rihanna emerged with Ziggy and Damian Marley for their father's "Could You Be Loved."

<a href="/artists/lumineers/14762" target="_blank">The Lumineers </a>played a shortened version of their inescapable hit "Ho Hey" before introducing <a href="/artists/jack-white/15627" target="_blank">Jack White</a>. The latter played "Love Interruption" with his all-female band the Peacocks. He then segued into the harder "Freedom At 21" with male backers the Buzzards. By the time he finished the tumult, he had thrown and stepped on his guitar, leaving a sonic residue of decaying feedback.

<a href="/artists/hunter-hayes/9010" target="_blank">Hunter Hayes</a> played a portion of his hit "Wanted" solo on piano before bringing out fellow country star <a href="/artists/carrie-underwood/10381" target="_blank">Carrie Underwood</a> for a stripped-down version of her Best Country Solo Performance winner "Blown Away." Underwood's awe-inspiring vocals were matched by her billowy dress, which doubled as a projection screen to depict the heartbreak of the song.

The 2013 In Memoriam segment was bookended by two memorable tributes. The first featured pianist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke and sax player Kenny Garrett honoring the late Dave Brubeck with the timeless, and time-challenging, "Take Five" along with "Blue Rondo À La Turk."

Following the segment, an all-star cast including Zac Brown, T Bone Burnett, <a href="/artists/alabama-shakes/14656" target="_blank">Alabama Shakes</a>' Brittany Howard, Elton John, Mumford &amp; Sons, and Mavis Staples sang a gritty "The Weight" in honor of Levon Helm, who sang the original with the Band.

Juanes added a verse of español to the proceedings with a loving acoustic Spanglish rendition of Elton John's "Your Song," before introducing <a href="/artists/frank-ocean/15669" target="_blank">Frank Ocean</a>. The first Best Urban Contemporary Album winner sang his elegiac "Forrest Gump" backed by running-sequence footage similar to the film of the same name.

After the show's most somber performance, the 55th GRAMMYs rode out on a burst of old-school rap energy, with GRAMMY host LL Cool J teaming with Chuck D, Travis Barker, Tom Morello, and DJ Z-Trip for his own "Whaddup" and a brief tribute to fallen Beastie Boy Adam Yauch with "No Sleep Till Brooklyn."

Eligibility Year: Oct. 1, 2011, through Sept. 30, 2012

55th_poster.jpg

54th Annual GRAMMY Awards

The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards was a night of exhilarating performances, inspired tributes and emotional acceptance speeches. It was a night that saw the return of an injured heroine, and one steeped in the sadness of loss. Ultimately, it was an evening for the ages as nearly 40 million viewers tuned in to the telecast and more than 13 million GRAMMY-related comments reverberated through online social networks. In the end, it was Music's Biggest Night in nearly 30 years, and a show that lived up to that lofty title.

<a href="/artists/adele/528">Adele</a> emerged the big winner, not just because she reeled in a record-tying six GRAMMYs (matching Beyoncé for the most awards won by a female artist in one night), but her performance of "Rolling In The Deep" marked her first live performance since vocal-cord surgery forced her to cancel her tour in late 2011.

Meanwhile, 180 degrees away from Adele's triumph, the 54th GRAMMYs became the world’s first public opportunity to mourn the loss of the great Whitney Houston. "We've had a death in the family," said host LL Cool J of Houston, who died the day prior to the GRAMMY telecast, before offering a prayer to "our fallen sister." Before the night was through, Jennifer Hudson would step in on one-day's notice to pay tribute with a towering rendition of Houston's signature hit from The Bodyguard, "I Will Always Love You." The performance stirred the crowd at Staples Center and no doubt the millions watching at home.

Adele earned trophies for Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for 21; Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Short Form Music Video for "Rolling In The Deep"; and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Someone Like You.”

<a href="/artists/foo-fighters/14694">Foo Fighters</a> won five of the six GRAMMYs for which they were nominated, including Best Rock Album for Wasting Light and Best Rock Performance for "Walk." In receiving the latter award, frontman <a href="/artists/david-grohl/11637">Dave Grohl</a> noted the "human element of making music is what’s most important … it's not about being perfect … it's about what goes on in here," he said, pointing to his heart.

<a href="/artists/kanye-west/6900">Kanye West</a> won four awards, including Best Rap Album for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Best Rap Performance with <a href="/artists/jay-z/9815">Jay-Z</a> for "Otis."

Electronica artist <a href="/artists/skrillex/6363">Skrillex</a> also had a big night, winning three awards, including Best Dance Recording for "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites" and Best Dance/Electronica Album for the album of the same name. "This is the most surreal moment of my life," he said of his new status as a GRAMMY winner. "It means a lot, not just for me, but for the whole electronic community."

Best New Artist went to <a href="/artists/bon-iver/8342">Bon Iver</a>. The collective led by Justin Vernon also picked up Best Alternative Music Album for Bon Iver.

Adele's producer Paul Epworth earned awards for Record Of The Year for "Rolling In The Deep" and Album Of The Year for 21, as well as Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.

Meanwhile, the GRAMMYs continued its recent theme of combining charismatic solo and band performances with opportunities for unusual and sometimes unlikely pairings.

Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band elevated the show from the start, opening with the rousing new "We Take Care Of Our Own." Bruno Mars' exciting James Brown-inspired R&amp;B performance also helped lift everyone's spirits. <a href="/artists/taylor-swift/15450">Taylor Swift</a> managed to bring a fun flair to her anti-bullying song "Mean."

This year's show also added a touch of history. In their first live appearance together in more than 20 years, the Beach Boys' original lineup (minus late brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson) was accompanied by Foster The People and Maroon 5 for a trio of songs, including "Good Vibrations."

Another powerful moment came via a tribute to Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Glen Campbell, who last year announced he is battling Alzheimer's disease. Blake Shelton and the Band Perry joined the tribute, which closed with Campbell himself singing his gem "Rhinestone Cowboy."

<a href="/artists/paul-mccartney/4678">Sir Paul McCartney</a> performed his elegant new ballad, "My Valentine," joined by Diana Krall on piano and guitarist Joe Walsh. Later, he would close the show with the Beatles medley "Golden Slumbers"/"Carry That Weight"/"The End," finishing with an explosive electric guitar solo battle with Grohl, Springsteen, Walsh, and Rusty Anderson, ending an electrifying evening.

In the end, to quote McCartney, it was a night worthy of being called music's biggest.

Eligibility Year: Oct. 1, 2010, through Sept. 30, 2011 

54th_grammy_award_poster.jpg

GRAMMY Awards Time Capsule

Awards Row

Featured Article Card: Ant Clemons Sunshine

How To Watch The 2024 GRAMMYs: Air Date, Channel, Time & More

Music's Biggest Night returns Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, airing live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Here's how, where and when to watch the 2024 GRAMMYs.

How, Where & When To Watch The 2024 GRAMMYs - Body Text

***Editor’s note:** This article was been updated on Friday, Nov. 10, to reflect the nominees at the 2024 GRAMMYs.*

GRAMMY season is officially underway! In just a few short months, music fans worldwide will reconvene for the [2024 GRAMMYs](https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-grammys-nominations-full-winners-nominees-list). [The Recording Academy](https://www.recordingacademy.com/) announced the nominees for Music’s Biggest Night on **Friday, Nov. 10**, via a star-studded nominations livestream event.

Next year will see a lot of exciting and new developments at the 2024 GRAMMYs, including the debut of [three new GRAMMY categories](https://www.grammy.com/news/three-new-categories-added-for-the-2024-grammys). And to help prepare you for the big show, we've put together a helpful guide outlining how to watch the 2024 GRAMMYs as well as all the exciting news and announcements happening on the road to Music's Biggest Night.

**Read More:** [2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List](https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-grammys-nominations-full-winners-nominees-list)

## **When Are The 2024 GRAMMYs?**

The 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards, will air live on **Sunday, Feb. 4,** at **8-11:30 p.m. ET/5-8:30 p.m. PT** from **Crypto.com Arena** in **Los Angeles**.

## **How Can I Watch The 2024 GRAMMYs?**

The 2024 GRAMMYs will air live on the **CBS Television Network** and **stream on [Paramount+](https://www.paramountplus.com/)** **(live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).**

## **Live The Full GRAMMY Experience on [live.GRAMMY.com](https://live.grammy.com/)**

This year, the Recording Academy is revolutionizing the GRAMMY digital experience with the improved [live.GRAMMY.com](https://live.grammy.com/), a dynamic, expansive online experience providing music fans a backstage view into Music's Biggest Night. Featuring a multi-screen livestream you can control, [live.GRAMMY.com](https://live.grammy.com/) is where you can watch all the highlights from the 2024 GRAMMYs in one place before, during and even after the telecast. Catch GRAMMY performances, acceptance speeches, the GRAMMY Live From The Red Carpet livestream special, the full Premiere Ceremony livestream, behind-the-scenes backstage moments, and so much more. Plus, stay tuned as we announce a special, one-of-a-kind livestream experience for the 2024 GRAMMY nominations. 

Updating in real time, live.GRAMMY.com gives music fans an exclusive, behind-the-scenes peek into this year's official GRAMMY Week celebrations, a multi-camera video feed giving fans a true 360-view into the GRAMMY Awards, and exclusive articles, performances, interviews, and videos.

Providing a full-access pass to the 2024 GRAMMYs, live.GRAMMY.com is your go-to destination for all things GRAMMYs all year long — 24/7, 365. 

## **Who Is Nominated At The 2024 GRAMMYs?**

The nominees for the 2024 GRAMMYs were announced on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. **[Read the full list of 2024 GRAMMY nominations](https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-grammys-nominations-full-winners-nominees-list)**. For takeaways from this year’s nominations, including the most-nominated artists and potentially big wins, read through a [by-the-numbers look at 2024 GRAMMY nominations](https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-grammys-nominees-takeaways-most-nominations-firsts).

See the full list of key dates for the 2024 GRAMMYs below:

**Oct. 1, 2022 – Sept. 15, 2023**\
Product Eligibility Period\
**NOTE:** All eligible awards entries must be released within this timeframe.

**Oct. 11, 2023 – Oct. 20, 2023**\
First Round Voting 

**Nov. 10, 2023**\
Nominations announced for the 2024 GRAMMYs 

**Dec. 14, 2023 – Jan. 4, 2024**\
Final Round Voting 

**Feb. 4, 2024**\
2024 GRAMMY Awards 

## **Who Is Hosting The 2024 GRAMMYs?**

Stay tuned as we announce the host for the 2024 GRAMMYs in the coming months.

## **Who Are The Performers At The 2024 GRAMMYs?**

We'll soon announce all the GRAMMY performances happening at the 2024 GRAMMYs — stay tuned!

## **Who Are The Presenters At The 2024 GRAMMYs?**

The full list of presenters at the 2024 GRAMMYs is TBD for now, but keep it locked here for the upcoming announcement.

## **When Is The 2024 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony?**

The GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony is a special event where the majority of the 2024 GRAMMY Awards categories will be awarded. The annual event, which takes place hours before the GRAMMY Awards, is a star-studded, beloved event that features exclusive performances and special GRAMMY moments you won't see anywhere else. Tune into the 2024 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony for the full GRAMMY experience. More details about the event, including event times, performances, hosts and presenters, will be announced soon. 

## **What's New At The 2024 GRAMMYs?** 

As previously announced, [three new GRAMMY categories](https://www.grammy.com/news/three-new-categories-added-for-the-2024-grammys) will debut at the 2024 GRAMMYs: [Best African Music Performance](https://www.grammy.com/news/best-african-music-performance-category-2024-grammys-roundtable), Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording. The winners for these brand-new categories will be the first-ever recipients of these awards, so make sure you tune in to watch who will make GRAMMY history.

The newly announced categories are part of larger GRAMMY Award voting procedural updates aimed at further evolving the Awards structure and making the [GRAMMY Award process](https://www.recordingacademy.com/awards) "more fair, transparent and accurate," [according to](https://www.grammy.com/news/recording-academy-ceo-harvey-mason-jr-discusses-2024-grammys-new-rules-guidelines) Recording Academy CEO [Harvey Mason jr.](https://www.grammy.com/artists/harvey-mason-jr/4668)

View the official [Rules and Guidelines](https://www.recordingacademy.com/awards/rules-guidelines) to learn more about all the GRAMMY Award voting procedural updates for the 2024 GRAMMY Awards.

**Read More:** [2024 GRAMMYs: 4 Things To Know About The New Categories &amp; Changes](https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-grammys-4-things-to-know-about-new-categories-and-changes) 

## **When Will GRAMMY Week 2024 Take Place?**

[GRAMMY Week](https://www.grammy.com/news/2023-grammys-grammy-week-rundown-events-musicares-person-of-the-year) is an annual weeklong event composed of special, exclusive events and celebrations that take place during the week leading up to the annual GRAMMY Awards. Some of the annual marquee events include the [MusiCares](https://www.musicares.org/) [Person Of The Year Gala](https://www.musicares.org/person-year), the [Clive Davis Pre-GRAMMY Gala](https://www.grammy.com/news/inside-clive-davis-pre-grammy-gala-2023-grammys-photos-video), the [Recording Academy Honors](https://www.grammy.com/news/2023-grammys-black-music-collective-recording-academy-honors-impact-award-dr-dre-missy-elliott-lil-wayne-sylvia-rhone-recap) presented by the [Black Music Collective](https://www.recordingacademy.com/inclusion/black-music-collective), and much more. Stay tuned as we announce more event details about GRAMMY Week 2024 in the coming months.

[SZA's Massive Year Continues, 'Barbie' Dominates &amp; Big Firsts From The 2024 GRAMMYs Nominations](https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-grammys-nominees-takeaways-most-nominations-firsts)

https://therecordingacademy.com/content/contributor

Hero: How To Watch The 2024 GRAMMYs Live - UPDATED

How To Watch The 2024 GRAMMYs: Nominations & More

How To Watch The 2024 GRAMMYs Live: GRAMMY Nominations Announcement, Air Date, Red Carpet, Streaming Channel & More

Key Events - Body text mode

## 66th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS: KEY DATES

| Oct. 1, 2022 – Sept. 15, 2023 | Product Eligibility Period For Entries |
|----------|----------|
| July 10, 2023 – Aug. 24, 2023 | Media Company Registration |
| July 17, 2023 – Aug. 31, 2023 | Online Entry Process (OEP) Access Period |
| Oct. 11, 2023 – Oct. 20, 2023 | First Round Voting |
| Nov. 10, 2023 | Nominees Announced for the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards |
| Dec. 14, 2023 – Jan. 4, 2024 | Final Round Voting |
| Feb. 4, 2024 | 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards Show Date/Telecast |

Simple Content Card: Explore GRAMMY Awards

Explore the GRAMMY Awards

Simple Content Card

How it Works

Homepage Google Ad 4

Featured Pillar Cards Row 1

Homepage Google Ad 3

Featured Pillar Card

MusiCares

2021-musicares-health-wellness-survey-editorial-hero.png

MusiCares provides critical health and welfare services to the humans behind the music.

Musicares Red

The Recording Academy

Recording Academy_Black - gramophone only

Recording Academy Logo Black Stacked Logo

grammy.com_images-04.png

We are dedicated to celebrating, honoring and sustaining music's past, present and future.

Grammy Gold

Homepage Google Ad 5

Advocacy

Photos of protestors in front of the Capitol Hill

521243764.jpg

We fight tirelessly to champion creators’ rights, elevating important policy issues impacting music.

Membership

recording-academy-2024-grammys-voting-66th-annual-grammy-awards-your-vote-voice_Hero Image_1920x1080

Photo of GRAMMY Award

Read our full protocol and guidelines for the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards Vote Season.

Homepage Google Ad 6

Latin Recording Academy Pillar Card

Latin Recording Academy

2021-latin-grammys

latin_grammy_tile_logo

An international nonprofit dedicated to celebrating Latin music and its creators worldwide.

GRAMMY Museum - Featured Pillar Card

GRAMMY Museum

Photo of the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles

GRAMMY-Museum-Front-Entrance

A nonprofit organization dedicated to understanding and exploring the history and significance of music.

Homepage Content Hero

Listen: Beyoncé Releases "My House," Her First New Song Post-'Renaissance'

The first taste of new Beyoncé music after her 'Renaissance' era is here. "My House" stems from the end credits of her 'Renaissance' film, and was co-produced by The Dream.

Listen: Beyoncé's New Song "My House" - Body Text

Between four GRAMMYs and a massive stadium tour, 2023 was the year of [Beyoncé](https://www.grammy.com/artists/beyonce-knowles/12474)'s *Renaissance*. And just as the last month of the year began, Bey decided the dance party wasn't over.

On Dec. 1, the 32-time GRAMMY winner released "My House." Co-produced by [The-Dream](https://www.grammy.com/artists/terius-dream-nash/5219) — who co-produced 10 of *Renaissance*'s 16 tracks — "My House" is another club banger that works as both a coda to the *Renaissance* epoch, and a bridge to an altogether new one.

"Don't give a f— about my house/ Then get the f— up out my house," Beyoncé threatens, as the throbbing chorus swells with intensity. The song is featured in the end credits of Beyoncé's *Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé*, which also dropped today.

"Be careful what you ask for, 'cause I just might comply," Bey said on Instagram when revealing the trailer — and by the merits of "My House" alone, she followed through. Check out the new song below, and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more on Beyoncé's constant creative evolution.

Beyonce - My House - YT Embed

Listen: Beyoncé's New Song "My House" - Readmore

**[How Many GRAMMYs Has Beyoncé Won? 10 Questions About The](https://www.grammy.com/news/beyonce-grammys-facts-renaissance-songs-albums-jay-z-kids-blue-ivy-destinys-child-collaborators-halo-queen-bey) *[Renaissance](https://www.grammy.com/news/beyonce-grammys-facts-renaissance-songs-albums-jay-z-kids-blue-ivy-destinys-child-collaborators-halo-queen-bey)* [Singer Answered](https://www.grammy.com/news/beyonce-grammys-facts-renaissance-songs-albums-jay-z-kids-blue-ivy-destinys-child-collaborators-halo-queen-bey)**

Listen: Beyoncé's New Song "My House"

Living Legends: Stephen Marley On 'Old Soul,' Being A Role Model & The Bob Marley Biopic

On his new album of covers and originals, Stephen Marley recruited Bob Weir, Jack Johnson, Eric Clapton, and his own siblings. Marley spoke with GRAMMY.com about his multifaceted career, including supervising music for 'Bob Marley: One Love.'

Living Legends Stephen Marley - Body text 1

*Living Legends is a series that spotlights icons in music who are still going strong today. This week, GRAMMY.com spoke with eight-time GRAMMY winner Stephen Marley. The reggae multi-hyphenate is the youngest son of Bob and Rita Marley.*

[Stephen Marley](https://www.grammy.com/artists/stephen-marley/9331) is a reggae Renaissance man. An eight-time GRAMMY winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Stephen's nuanced releases retain an authentic Jamaican identity while organically incorporating a broad range of influences. His latest album, *Old Soul*, continues this boundary-blurring trajectory.

Primarily recorded during the pandemic inside a garage on a family farm in Florida, *Old Soul* brings renewed luster to reggae classics and standards by [the Beatles](https://www.grammy.com/artists/beatles/16293), [Ray Charles](https://www.grammy.com/artists/ray-charles/10927) and[ Frank Sinatra](https://www.grammy.com/artists/frank-sinatra/6581) alongside stunning originals, each delivered with Stephen's warm rasp. It's an endearing and eclectic acoustic set, awash in filigreed guitar strums, tinkling piano keys, swirling flutes, and mesmerizing percussion patterns.

*Old Soul*’s reflective title track honors Stephen's musical inspirations — especially his father: "Fast forward to 1981, my dad moved on and so did I, inside I kept his songs alive, so they say I’m an old soul, tribute to the ones who made it all possible/inside me your legacy lives on." Meanwhile, "Cool As The Breeze" offers a heartrending tribute to loved ones lost.

Living Legends Stephen Marley - cool as breeze video

Living Legends Stephen Marley - Body Text 2

Stephen continues to build upon his own esteemed legacy. The youngest son of Bob and [Rita Marley](https://www.grammy.com/artists/rita-marley/5081), the 51-year-old's musical journey commenced at age 6 when he formed the Melody Makers with his older siblings, sisters Cedella and Sharon and brother [Ziggy](https://www.grammy.com/artists/ziggy-marley/10658), the group’s leader. Rita managed the Melody Makers and Bob wrote their first single, 1979's "Children Playing in the Streets." In 1981 the spotlight shone on Stephen's precocious talents when he took the lead on ["Sugar Pie."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljnVcJphlkc)

A guitarist, percussionist, vocalist and songwriter with the Melody Makers, Stephen also assisted in the production of each of their albums including the GRAMMY winning *Conscious Party* (1989), *One Bright Day* (1990) and *Fallen Is Babylon* (1997). He went on to helm the production on projects by several Marley family members including youngest brother [Damian](https://www.grammy.com/artists/damian-marley/4304)’s GRAMMY winning albums *Halfway Tree* and the influential blockbuster *Welcome To Jamrock*.

Stephen’s long-awaited, self-produced debut solo album, the multi-genre spanning *Mind Control* arrived in early 2007 followed in late 2008 by the stripped-down *Mind Control Acoustic* — both GRAMMY recipients. Stephen dropped another GRAMMY winner, *Revelation Part I The Root of Life* as a celebration of roots rock reggae, in 2011. *Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life*, released five years later, incorporates various styles that have emanated from reggae's core. 

*Old Soul* is Stephen’s first full-length project since 2016 and he’s recruited an outstanding cast of collaborators including Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir, singer/songwriter [Jack Johnson](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jack-johnson/3741), rock-reggae outfit Slightly Stoopid, his brothers Ziggy and Damian and [Eric Clapton](https://www.grammy.com/artists/eric-clapton/11243), whose bold, bluesy guitar riffs color Bob’s "I Shot the Sheriff," became a No. 1 hit for Clapton in 1974.

GRAMMY.com recently spoke to Stephen Marley about his illustrious, multi-faceted career including his most recent role as music supervisor for the upcoming Marley biopic, *Bob Marley: One Love*, due in theaters on Feb. 14.

**Please tell me about the process of recording the *Old Soul *album.**

It was during the thick of COVID-19; the walls were closing in so to speak. My uncle said "we need a farm" because we didn’t know what the next day would bring in terms of the control the government had. So, we looked and found a little farm. 

During that time, I was very much distracted \[with regards to making music\], but when we came down to the farm, it was nature, escape and I caught back a groove. *Old Soul* wasn’t what we set out to do, but because of the circumstances, we started jamming in the garage and, well, it felt good, so we said, *let’s give the people something to soothe them*.

Living Legends Stephen Marley - Body Text 3

**The choices of cover versions on *Old Soul* are fascinating. How did you decide which songs you would cover?**

"Don’t Let Me Down" was suggested by \[producer\] [Salaam Remi](https://www.grammy.com/artists/salaam-remi/6547), he thought that song would fit in the acoustic style. I know that song from sister [Marcia \[Griffiths\]](https://www.grammy.com/artists/marcia-griffiths/300376), she did an old version of it; I didn’t really know it was a Beatles tune. \[*Laughs*.\]

Most of the others are songs that I play in solitude or just go to songs like "Georgia On My Mind" or "These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)." It was just part of getting back in the groove, with songs I would sing anyway. I love those songs; it doesn’t matter where they come from.

**You also cover reggae classics. "Thanks We Get (Do Fi Dem)" featuring [Buju Banton](https://www.grammy.com/artists/buju-banton/1292), is a [Lee "Scratch" Perry](https://www.grammy.com/artists/lee-scratch-perry/9749) composition initially recorded with his band the Upsetters in 1970. When was the first time you heard that song?**

I first heard that song from Reggie \[Upsetters’ guitarist Alva "Reggie" Lewis\] singing it to me; I had never heard the record.

Reggie is one of the persons credited with teaching my father how to play guitar. This man lived among us, he was always at the \[Bob Marley\] museum, at \[the Marley family-owned\] Tuff Gong \[studios\] and at one point, he stayed at my house, too. He was always singing, "look what we do fi dem, this is the thanks we get, what an ungrateful set," that’s how I knew it; I never listened to the record until I was going to record it; that’s when I discovered that Scratch wrote it.

**"There’s A Reward" is a poignant, motivational song, written by Wailers mentor Joe Higgs, who taught Bob, [Bunny Wailer](https://www.grammy.com/artists/bunny-wailer/14242) and [Peter Tosh](https://www.grammy.com/artists/peter-tosh/6832) how to harmonize. Can you share some of your memories of interacting with Joe Higgs over the years?**

From child to young adult until him move on \[Higgs passed away in 1999\], he was always encouraging. I vividly remember those days when he would come and see my dad. He was like an uncle, he always showed love and encouragement. 

Doing that song was definitely one of the highlights of the album for me and Ziggy as well but I really didn’t know the song before recording the album. It really moved me, and I heard the similarities between him and Bob, so I said, yeah, I have to record that one.

Living Legends Stephen Marley - there's a reward video

Living Legends Stephen Marley - Body Text 4

***Old Soul*****’s title track was originally written by Jamaican singer/songwriter OMI. What changes did you make to the song’s lyrics?**

The song, as he wrote it, was pretty similar to what’s on the album, but it never had my birth year in it, when I graduated, all of those facts. In that sense, I put my life into it, but it already had Bob and Peter in the lyrics ("I knew every Nesta Marley line/You knew that Peter Tosh was fly, in diamond socks and corduroy"). 

OMI is a great songwriter, and the song was about people who influenced him, "tribute to the ones who made it possible," so he was already paying homage.

**Your song "Let The Children Play" on *Old Soul *references the Melody Makers’ first single "Children Playing In The Streets." What are some of your fondest memories of your years with the Melody Makers?**

It is such a significant part of our lives, so any memory puts a smile on our faces. One of my fondest memories is, there’s a place in Half Way Tree in Kingston called Skateland and every Saturday we would perform there. One Saturday, our dad came and watched us, and we didn’t know he was there until after.  He wrote our first song, he was pretty into us. He wasn’t a man that would tell you too much, but he would tell his friends, "Yeah, them youth go on good," he was very proud of us. 

The integrity that goes into our music has never changed. From the time we were kids singing "Children Playing in the Streets," we were always singing social songs, meaningful music. I am 51 now, so do the math.

Living Legends Stephen Marley - ziggy marley video

Living Legends Stephen Marley - Body Text 5

**As the music supervisor of the upcoming *Bob Marley: One Love *biopic, do you choose which songs are used or how they are used in the film?**

I don’t choose alone in that sense. The movie is set in a time period, it’s not Bob’s whole life. There are scenes where he is remembering, and you see him when he is young, but the movie focuses on the Smile Jamaica concert (Dec. 5, 1976), the One Love Peace Concert (April 22, 1978) and the songs he was working on in those times. Anything to do with the music in the film runs through me.

I just came back from California to finish up some of the music. We did the music before the actual filming. What you will be hearing has to coincide with what you are seeing; like the live concerts, if the drummer hits the drum, you have to hear the beat at the same time. Some of the music was re-recorded for the film. Like "Smile Jamaica" is a live recording so we had to do some live overdubbing for the quality and the experience in the theater. It has been a great learning experience for me as well.

**You produced the *Celebrating Nina: A Reggae Tribute To Nina Simone *EP featuring exclusively female artists, released in 2022; Nina Simone is an artist that you enjoy listening to. Who are some of the other artists you listen to when you have time to relax?**

I listen to Ray Charles, [Nat King Cole](https://www.grammy.com/artists/nat-king-cole/1733), [Ella Fitzgerald](https://www.grammy.com/artists/ella-fitzgerald/16685), [James Brown](https://www.grammy.com/artists/james-brown/819). When I was 17, 18, those were the songs that played in my car. As far as our music, people like [Toots](https://www.grammy.com/artists/frederick-toots-hibbert/3878), [Burning Spear](https://www.grammy.com/artists/burning-spear/10824), Culture, [Steel Pulse](https://www.grammy.com/artists/steel-pulse/14714) — all of those elders were great, and are still great musicians.

Living Legends Stephen Marley - turn your lights down low video

Living Legends Stephen Marley - Body Text 6

**Your 1999 production *Chant Down Babylon *paired rappers with your father’s vocals on hip-hop renditions of his classic songs, such as [the Roots ](https://www.grammy.com/artists/roots/7842)on "Burnin’ and Lootin,’" [Chuck D ](https://www.grammy.com/artists/chuck-d/1716)on "Survival a.k.a. Black Survivors." Was the album successful in terms of better acquainting the hip-hop community with your dad’s music?**

It very much accomplished what I set out to do, especially with the young artists at that time. [Lauryn Hill](https://www.grammy.com/artists/lauryn-hill/9621) was a staple. I have a lot of testimonies from people about that. People discovered Bob’s "Turn Your Lights Down Low" because Lauryn was on the track.

**Have you considered doing an updated version of *Chant Down Babylon*?**

It’s funny you bring this up because Cedella \[Cedella Marley, CEO, Bob Marley Group of Companies\] just asked me if I can bring it together for Bob’s 80th birthday.  It’s too early for details but definitely *Chant Down Babylon 2* is on the table.

**Damian’s 2004 single "Welcome to Jamrock" won a GRAMMY for Best Alternative Hip-Hop Performance, to date, he’s the only Jamaican artist to be so honored. The single was praised for its gritty lyrics depicting the politically divisive violence in Kingston’s poorest communities, while your production merged hip-hop percussion with swaggering reggae and influenced Jamaican artists including [Chronixx](https://www.grammy.com/artists/chronixx/187051), [Protoje](https://www.grammy.com/artists/protoje/243481), and [Koffee](https://www.grammy.com/artists/koffee/251849). How does it feel to have had such a profound impact on a younger generation of artists?**

It is a great feeling to have your music recognized. I had the privilege of being around great musicians and engineers, the best of the best, so it is really passing down those lessons, showing what I’ve learned. To influence the youths coming up is a really great feeling but at the same time, I take it as a "we" thing, more than "I" did this.

Living Legends Stephen Marley - Jamrock video

Living Legends: Stephen Marley On His 'Old Soul'

GRAMMY Homepage

Artist

Mark Kruczek

WINS*

0

NOMINATIONS*

0

View All Nominations For This Artist

Mark Kruczek Videos

Mark Kruczek News

All GRAMMY Awards and Nominations for Mark Kruczek