Weather Girls

26th Annual GRAMMY Awards

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

ra_ga_logo

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: 50 Years Of Hip-Hop

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

https://therecordingacademy.com/content/video

50 Years Of Hip-Hop: Celebrating The Voices Who Changed Rap

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

Key Dates For The 2024 GRAMMYs Announced: Product Eligibility Period, Voting, Nominees Announcement, Show Date & More

The Recording Academy has announced its key dates and deadlines for the 2024 GRAMMYs, taking place on Sunday, Feb. 4, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Key Dates For The 2024 GRAMMYs Announced - Body Text

It’s officially GRAMMY season! [The Recording Academy](https://www.recordingacademy.com/) today announced the air date for the [2024 GRAMMYs](https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-grammys-4-things-to-know-about-new-categories-and-changes), which will take place **Sunday, Feb. 4,** at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. This year's GRAMMY Awards nominees will be announced on **Friday, Nov. 10, 2023**. See the full list of key dates and deadlines for the 2024 GRAMMYs below.

The 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards, will air live (8:00-11:30 PM, LIVE ET/5:00-8:30 PM, LIVE PT) on the CBS Television Network and will 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)^.

[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, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording. These history-making category additions are part of a larger set of updates and amendments, which go into effect immediately at the 2024 GRAMMYs, aimed at making the GRAMMY Awards process “more fair, transparent and accurate”, according to Recording Academy CEO [Harvey Mason jr.](https://www.grammy.com/artists/harvey-mason-jr/4668)

“Each and every amendment was created exactly with this in mind: openness, transparency, fairness,” Mason jr. [told GRAMMY.com in an interview](https://www.grammy.com/news/recording-academy-ceo-harvey-mason-jr-discusses-2024-grammys-new-rules-guidelines) earlier this month. “Every process that we undertake — every amendment or change to our Awards process that gets initiated — is done to make the process more fair, transparent and accurate. And when we find things that can be improved, we're in the position now to be able to make those changes, thankfully. Everything you're seeing now is with the goal of being better and more accurate, honoring more music fairly and in relevant fashion, and making sure the process is transparent, fair and working.”

Tweet Embed: 2024 GRAMMYs Air Date Announcement

Body Text 2: 2024 GRAMMYs Air Date Announcement

**Key dates for the 2024 GRAMMY Awards season are as follows:**

**Oct. 1, 2022 – Sept. 15, 2023**\
Product Eligibility Period 

**July 17, 2023 – Aug. 31, 2023**\
Online Entry 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**\
2024 GRAMMY Awards

Learn more about the upcoming [2024 GRAMMY Awards season](https://www.recordingacademy.com/awards/faq). View the official [Rules and Guidelines for the 2024 GRAMMY Awards](https://www.recordingacademy.com/awards/rules-guidelines). Visit the [GRAMMY Award Update Center](https://www.recordingacademy.com/awards/awards-updates) for a list of real-time changes to the GRAMMY Awards process.

Keep watching this space for more information about Music’s Biggest Night! 

*^Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live, but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.*

[Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. On How The New Awards Rules And Guidelines Will Make The 2024 GRAMMYs More Fair, Transparent &amp; Accurate](https://www.grammy.com/news/recording-academy-ceo-harvey-mason-jr-discusses-2024-grammys-new-rules-guidelines)

https://therecordingacademy.com/content/contributor

2024 GRAMMYs Air Date & Nominations Date Announced

Air Date For 2024 GRAMMYs Announced: Sunday, Feb. 4, Live In Los Angeles; GRAMMY Awards Nominations To Be Announced Friday, Nov. 10, 2023

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

2022-grammys-awards-nominations-casbah_general_18_1920x1080

Photo of GRAMMY Award

We represent musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers, and other industry professionals.

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

Behind Mark Ronson's Hits: How 'Boogie Nights,' Five-Hour Jams & Advice From Paul McCartney Inspired His Biggest Singles & Collabs

Whether he's behind the board as a producer, penning earwormy hooks with some of the industry's biggest names, or employing a crate digger's mindset to his own records, you'd be hard-pressed to find something Mark Ronson hasn't touched.

Behind The Hits with Mark Ronson body 1

[Mark Ronson](https://www.grammy.com/artists/mark-ronson/17323)'s fingerprints are everywhere in pop music. 

Whether he's behind the board as a producer, penning earwormy hooks for some music's biggest names, or employing a crate digger's mindset to create his own records, you'd be hard-pressed to find something on your playlist that Ronson *hasn't* touched. The seven-time GRAMMY winner might as well be considered the industry’s Kevin Bacon — he's worthy of his own "six degrees" game. 

Today, Ronson is on his way back to New York City from some time spent in the Hudson Valley — a much-need reprieve after a blockbuster summer that saw his *[Barbie](https://www.grammy.com/news/creating-barbie-the-album-videos-behind-the-scenes-mark-ronson-dua-lipa-nicki-minaj)*[ movie soundtrack](https://www.grammy.com/news/creating-barbie-the-album-videos-behind-the-scenes-mark-ronson-dua-lipa-nicki-minaj) top charts around the world. 

"I love this film so much and I did something I've never done before by executive producing and overseeing \[its music\]," he tells GRAMMY.com. 

That Ronson still has things to check off his professional bucket list is something of a surprise. The stepson of [Foreigner](https://www.grammy.com/artists/foreigner/17652) guitarist Mick Jones, Ronson got his start DJing in New York in the '90s, bridging his twin loves of funk and hip-hop. In the latter part of the decade, [Diddy](https://www.grammy.com/artists/p-diddy/1330) hired Ronson to DJ several parties, thus opening up the then-twentysomething to a world of A-list talent. Ronson's elite status only grew over decades — from DJing [Paul McCartney](https://www.grammy.com/artists/paul-mccartney/4678)'s wedding in 2011 (for which he [refused to accept payment](https://www.nme.com/news/music/mark-ronson-collaborated-with-paul-mccartney-after-refusing-to-accept-wedding-dj-set-fee-2997657)), to creating the ubiquitous hit "Uptown Funk," and curating the final night of the [iconic](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuC741bA1n4/?igshid=ODk2MDJkZDc2Zg==) 2023 Montreux Jazz Festival.

Ronson has released five of his own albums — beginning with 2003's *Here Comes The Fuzz* and up to 2019's *Late Night Feelings* — each of which is a star-studded affair, featuring everyone from [Miley Cryus](https://www.grammy.com/artists/miley-cyrus/18384) and [Camilla Cabello](https://www.grammy.com/artists/camila-cabello/243167) to [Bruno Mars](https://www.grammy.com/artists/bruno-mars/5082) and [Mary J. Blige](https://www.grammy.com/artists/mary-j-blige/779) (as well as the [occasional](https://www.nme.com/news/music/bmg-facing-lawsuit-over-alleged-refusal-to-pay-uptown-funk-royalties-to-gap-band-heirs-3380733) [lawsuit](https://pitchfork.com/news/mark-ronson-settles-uptown-funk-zapp-copyright-lawsuit/) over interpolation and sampling). Over the years, he's developed a cadre of session musicians and production collaborators, creating an incredibly pop savvy sound often built on horn-driven funk and soul.

At the bedrock of Ronson's production — and among his best-known works — is [Amy Winehouse](https://www.grammy.com/artists/amy-winehouse/15694)'s GRAMMY-winning album *Back To Black*. Since that 2006 release, Ronson has collaborated with an ever-increasing number of major acts, composing, arranging, producing, writing or playing on (and sometimes all of the above) works by [Lady Gaga](https://www.grammy.com/artists/lady-gaga/3611), [Duran Duran](https://www.grammy.com/artists/duran-duran/14548), [Dua Lipa](https://www.grammy.com/artists/dua-lipa/243376), [Adele](https://www.grammy.com/artists/adele/528), [Queens of the Stone Age](https://www.grammy.com/artists/queens-stone-age/8455), and even Sir Paul himself. 

Ronson will add another first to his list: author. A hybrid memoir and cultural history, the still-in-progress *[93 'Til Infinity](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/news/93-til-infinity-a-memoir-by-mark-ronson-acquired-by-grand-central-publishing/?lens=grand-central-publishing)* will cover the New York downtown club scene of Ronson's salad days. 

"It's really fun to revisit that era, and it was a very specific time in DJing where DJs weren't really famous," he recalls. "There was no stage; sometimes the turntables were shoved in the corner at the end of the bar and you would have to crane your neck to even see the crowd. I sound like Grandpa Simpson, but I loved it." 

Ronson is en route to a DJ gig as we speak, though the new dad says he'll be "kicking back into high gear on the book" soon. "\[Writing it\] requires really falling off for seven hours in the basement, like Stephen King says in his book. But I like that," he says.

Ahead of a [celebration of ](https://www.universe.com/events/the-music-behind-barbie-a-night-celebrating-barbie-the-album-tickets-JL8X1Z)*[Barbie The Album](https://www.universe.com/events/the-music-behind-barbie-a-night-celebrating-barbie-the-album-tickets-JL8X1Z)* at the GRAMMY Museum on Sept. 27, Mark Ronson shared the stories behind some of his favorite productions – including the song that makes people "stupidly happy." 

## "Ooh Wee," Here Comes The Fuzz feat. Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg, Trife and Saigon (2003)

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - Ooh Wee

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - body 2

I went to see *Boogie Nights* in the theater and I remember this scene where Mark Wahlberg's a busboy on roller skates and in the background there was this song playing that had just this string thing that just hit me so hard. I bought the *Boogie Nights* soundtrack and it wasn't on there — obviously this is 20 years before Shazam — then I figured out it was the song called ["Sunny" by Boney M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghGiv7YLC7Q). 

When I was making my first record, I was sort of locked up by myself in the studio on 54th Street just experimenting, making tracks all the time. That string line, I could never figure out what to do with the sample. I tried 80 different tempos and drum beats over it, and it wasn't until I just put that drum break behind it, the drums from the song, and it just all sort of gelled together. 

Because that was an era in hip-hop where people weren't really using drum loops or drum breaks anymore. It was about chopping and having hard kicks and snares,  like DJ Premiere and [Timbaland](https://www.grammy.com/artists/tim-mosley/14404). The DJ in me was like, *f— it, let me just try putting a drum break under it*. It all gelled and felt good.

I was a huge [Wu-Tang](https://www.grammy.com/artists/wu-tang-clan/16390) fan, and at that point [Ghostface](https://www.grammy.com/artists/ghostface-killa/12745) was my favorite out of the group and I loved his solo records. I've never been more nervous in some weird way to talk to somebody — nervous and giddy, and *what if I just sound so dorky?* 

I remember he was like, "Yeah, I get it. I think it's dope. It's like some *Saturday Night Fever* with Tony Manero s—." I guess because of the strings and it was so disco, and Ghost always had this pension for those disco kind of uptempo beats. 

The album had to be handed in and I didn't have a hook that I liked on this song yet. [Sylvia Rhone](https://www.grammy.com/news/women-behind-the-scenes-in-hip-hop-sylvia-rhone-sylvia-robinson-ethiopia-habtemariam) was the head of Elektra and she said, "I could try and get [Nate Dogg](https://www.grammy.com/artists/nate-dogg/15636) on it." Of course that was the dream. I sent him the track, and it was probably two days before I had to master the album, on a Sunday. He sent me the files back, and all the waveforms were blank.

I had to call Nate Dogg at like 10 a.m. at home on a Sunday. While he's on the phone, he goes back in the studio and turns all his equipment on, trying to do the session. 

The fanboy thing is still very real because I still work with people all the time that I'm a fan of. At that age, being in the studio with M.O.P., [Mos Def](https://www.grammy.com/artists/mos-def/4922), [Q-Tip](https://www.grammy.com/artists/kamaal-fareed/5762), [Jack White](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jack-white/15627), Freeway, Nate. I was just trying to keep it together some of the time.

## "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse, *Back to Black* (2006)

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - rehab

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - body 3

"Rehab" just came about in general because Amy was telling me an anecdote. She was really together when we worked — she might not have been sober, but she got her whole life together. She was telling me about this time in her life that was difficult and she was in a really bad place. She said, "And my dad and manager came over and they tried to make me go to rehab and I was like, 'No, no, no.'"

I remember that it instantly sounded like a chorus to me, so we went back to my studio and we made the demo. That was when [the Strokes](https://www.grammy.com/artists/strokes/287788) and the Libertines were really big. I remember \[the drums\] sounded much more like an indie beat, even though it came from soul and Motown and the original rock 'n' roll. She would tease me; she's like, "You trying to make me sound like the bloody Libertines."

[When \[studio group\] the Dap-Kings played it](https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/dap-kings-amy-winehouse-back-to-black-it-aint-retro-9610118/), they just brought it to life. I didn't really know anything about analog recording at that point. I only knew how to make s— sound analog by sampling records, so to hear them all play in the original Daptone studio, all the drums bleeding into the piano…. I felt like I was floating because I couldn't believe that anybody could still make that drum sound in 2006.

Amy couldn't be there for the recording, so I was taking a CD-J into the studio with me and I had her demo vocals on a cappella. I was playing it live with the band so that they could keep pace with the arrangement. I loved it so much.  

## "Valerie," feat. Amy Winehouse,*Version* (2007)

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - Valerie

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - body 5

Amy had never met the Dap-Kings, even though they had been the band for all the songs that I had done on *Back to Black*. There was this really lovely day in Brooklyn where I took her to the studio to meet all the guys. The album was already out; there was a very good feeling about it \[and\] they obviously made something really special together. Amy loved the way the record sounded so much, she was so grateful. They loved her.

While we're all having this love-in in Bushwick, I was finishing my album *Version* and I said, "Maybe we could just cut a song for my record?" The whole theme of the record had sort of been taking more guitar indie bands like the Smiths, the Jam, the Kaiser Chiefs, and turning those into R&amp;B or soul arrangements. I asked Amy if she knew any songs like that. She's like, "Yeah, they play this one song down at my local. It's called 'Valerie,'" and she played us all the [Zutons' version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3xpmfJp0Xc). I didn't really hear it at first.

The first version we did was this very [Curtis Mayfield](https://www.grammy.com/artists/curtis-mayfield/5308) kind of sweet soul. Part of me was just like, *This is really good, but I feel like there's a hit version as well*. I don't have that kind of crass thing where everything needs to be a hit, but…

Everybody was already packing up their instruments and I didn't know the guys that well yet, so it was kind of a pain in the ass to be like, "Hey, I know everybody just wants to go onto the f—ing bar and get a beer right now, but can we just do one more version where we speed it up a little?"  Everybody flips open their guitar cases and we do like two more takes, and that's the version on my album.

## "Alligator" - Paul McCartney, *NEW* (2013)

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - Alligator

We've done other things together, but I've only really \[worked on\] three songs on his album, *NEW*. ["New"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Er2gelNIQ) I just loved as soon as he sent me the demo, because as a [McCartney](https://www.grammy.com/artists/paul-mccartney/4678) fan, it gives you the same feeling as "We Can Work It Out"; it just has that amazing uplifting feel. That's just his genius. I love "Alligator" maybe a little more because it's more weird.

He definitely gives you a day to f— up and be an idiot because you're just so nervous to be in the studio with McCartney. By the second day it's like, *okay, get your s— together*.

I remember running around just like, *What sound can I find for Paul McCartney that every other amazing producer who ever recorded him \[hasn't found already\]?* He was like, "Anybody can record a pristine acoustic guitar. Give me something with some characteristic that's iconic. That feels like someone just put the needle down on track one on an album." 

That's something I always try to remember: don't just make it sound like a guitar, make it sound like a record.

## "Uptown Funk" feat. Bruno Mars, *Uptown Special* (2015)

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - Uptown Funk

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - body 6

My enjoyment of the song is now gauged by the people that I'm playing it for. I was playing at this party at Public Records \[in Brooklyn\] on Sunday. I knew that I wasn't going to play that song on that night; it wasn't right for that crowd or something. And then an hour into my set, the vibe is really good, and I was just like, *f— it* and I dropped it, and people went crazy.  

I'm a little extra critical sometimes on the more commercial songs, thinking *nobody wants to hear this* or *this doesn't really have a place in this space*. I think it's just a song that makes people stupidly happy, and that's cool. 

The lyrics \[to "Uptown Funk"\] came really quick. We had the jam: [Bruno](https://www.grammy.com/artists/bruno-mars/5082) was on drums, I was playing bass, [Jeff Bhasker](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jeff-bhasker/4110) was on keys, and then Phil Lawrence was there and we jammed for five hours. We just chopped up our favorite parts of the instrumental jam, and then just started writing lyrics almost like a cipher. Bruno had been playing the [Trinidad James song \["All Gold Everything"\]](https://afrotech.com/why-trinidad-james-earns-a-percentage-every-time-grammy-award-winning-record-uptown-funk-gets-played) in his live sets and playing it over a sort of uptempo, funky [James Brown](https://www.grammy.com/artists/james-brown/819), "Get Up Off That Thing" groove.

We were just throwing about lyrics, throwing a little bit of the cadence of the Trinidad James song. Then when Jeff Bhasker said, "This s—, that ice cold/That Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold." It was like a great rap line. Then everything started to elevate a little bit from there on up.

That first day, we had the whole first verse and it felt great. Every time we went back in the studio, a lot of the times it would feel labored and not as good as that first verse. So it really took a long time to get in. Sometimes we'd go in the studio for three days and then at the end of the whole session we realized, we actually only liked these four bars. 

So we kept building on it, and luckily Bruno didn't really let it die. Bruno was touring *Unorthodox Jukebox*; I was just flying around the country with a five string bass just to get the song done.

"Uptown Funk" still ended at Daptone…to do the horns last with Dave \[Guy\] and Neil \[Sugarman\], me. It's almost like you've always got to go through Daptone to finish something. 

Bruno came up with that horn line. He was like, "I know you're going to kill me because you're trying to get away from being the horn guy, but I have this horn line and I think it's kind of killer." He demoed it from whatever backstage room on tour and I was like, *Okay, here we go*.

## "Shallow" - Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, *A Star Is Born* Soundtrack (2018)

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - Shallow

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - body 7

It's very rare that I write on a song that I don't have to produce as well. We wrote that song in the middle of sessions for \[2016's\] *Joanne*, and then Gaga produced the whole *Star is Born* soundtrack herself. I remember we all had some tingly feelings when we were writing it.

It wasn't meant to be a duet ever. Then Bradley wrote it into the film; it becomes the beginning of their love story. Bradley showed \[me a rough cut\] at his house, I remember just being like, *he's taking this special song \[and\] made it put its hooks into you*. *This film, and the story, and the way this song is unfolding is so special*.

Then also shout to [Lukas Nelson](https://www.grammy.com/artists/lukas-nelson/264099), because that guitar that he came up with that opens the song was not in our demo, and that is such an iconic, memorable part of the song.

The film and the script was really powerful, and I think that me, \[co-writers\] [Andrew \[Wyatt\]](https://www.grammy.com/artists/andrew-wyatt/12906), [Anthony \[Rossomando\]](https://www.grammy.com/artists/anthony-rossomando/243511), Gaga were all in this sort of heartbreak place. We're all just going through our own dramas in the song. The juju was really good and a little spooky in the studio that night.

## "Electricity" - Dua Lipa &amp; Silk City feat. Diplo, Mark Ronson, *Electricity* (2018)

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - Electricity

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - body 8

That song just always makes me happy. I don't have a lot of other songs \[that sound\] like that. I'm always psyched to play that in a set or to go see [Diplo](https://www.grammy.com/artists/diplo/8548) play it live.

When I came up DJing in the mid-'90s in New York, if you're a hip-hop DJ you had to be versed in dancehall, old R&amp;B dance classics, and a little bit of house. So I knew 12 house records, but I love those records.

It came out of a fun jam, just me and Diplo — who I'd known probably at that point for 10, 15 years, but we never got in the studio together. He's just firing up drum s— and I'm just playing on this old tack piano that was in the studio I just moved into. But it also sounded quite housey. 

We came up with those chords and \[singer/songwriter\] [Diana Gordon](https://www.grammy.com/artists/diana-gordon/19741) came over. I never met her before and she just started freestyling some melodies, and it was just so soulful instantly.

We'd moved the key a little bit lower for [Dua](https://www.grammy.com/artists/dua-lipa/243376) — she has this amazing husky voice — but we still left Diana's demo vocal in. She's singing these mumble, non-word melodies that sound like a sample.

We had that old studio where we did *Version* and all the Amy demos. It has an old-school elevator that was sort of manual and it would always break down. There were people that were just too afraid, like [Cathy Dennis](https://www.grammy.com/artists/cathy-dennis/1849) — the  brilliant songwriter who wrote "Toxic" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head" — she would just always be like, "I'm taking the stairs." We were on the fifth floor and it was a steep, steep walk up. \[Editor's note: The music video for "Electricity" features Ronson and Diplo stuck in an elevator. He notes that he's gotten stuck several times in real life.\] 

## "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" feat. Miley Cyrus, *Late Night Feelings* (2019)

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - Nothing Breaks Like a Heart

Behind The Hits with Mark Ronson body 9

I was in L.A. working in Sound Factory \[Studios\], and I had seen Miley a couple years back sing "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" on the "SNL" 40th anniversary; I had never heard her perform with that stripped-down arrangement. I was just so in love with her voice and the tone. I remember hounding my manager, because usually somebody who knows somebody, but Miley Cyrus was completely unreachable and just in another stratosphere.

I was in the studio with \[Dap-King\] Tommy Brenneck; he's just such a wonderful player, such a soulful touch. We got this thing going, and then Ilsey \[Juber\] was saying, like, "What about all these things that break, but nothing breaks like a heart?" 

\[I thought\], Y*ou know what? I've been trying to hit this girl up for years and nothing ever happened, but let me just try it one more time.* I sent it off to Miley, and I guess she was just in a really motivated part of life. She's like, "This is cool. Where are you guys? I'll be there Monday." She came down Monday to the studio, and then her and Illsey wrote the whole rest of the song. 

## "Break Up Twice" - Lizzo, *Special*  (2022)

Mark Ronson Behind The Hits - Break Up Twice

Mark Ronson On His' Hits: “Uptown Funk” & More

GRAMMY Homepage

Artist

Weather Girls

WINS*

0

NOMINATIONS*

1

26th Annual GRAMMY Awards

NOMINATION

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

It's Raining Men (Single)

View All Nominations For This Artist

Weather Girls Videos

Weather Girls News

All GRAMMY Awards and Nominations for Weather Girls

26th Annual GRAMMY Awards

Nominations

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

It's Raining Men (Single)

More from the 26th Awards