Mastodon 60th Win
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Mastodon Win Best Metal Performance for "Sultan's Curse" | 2018 GRAMMYs

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Metal titans Mastodon take home the first GRAMMY of their career for Best Metal Performance
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jan 28, 2018 - 3:16 pm

Mastodon won Best Metal Performance at the 60th GRAMMY Awards for "Sultan's Curse" from their latest album, Emperor Of Sand. This marks the band's first career win. The band were understandably thrilled, and quick to thank their heavy influences for paving the way, including Judas Priest and Black Sabbath.

Mastodon Win Best Metal Performance

"Sultan's Curse" is a track off Mastodon's conceptually heavy Emperor of Sand album, which was also nominated for Best Rock Album. Emperor... follows 2014's Once More 'Round The Sun, which spawned a Best Metal Performance GRAMMY nomination for the song "High Road."

While Mastodon exudes a jovial nature, the songwriting behindEmperor Of Sand was largely influenced by tragedy that touched their lives.

"Some of the closest people to us were in the middle of some battles with cancer and some heavy-duty illness," said drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor. "If we were open and honest with everyone about what the record was about, then we knew that it could maybe have a positive impact with someone else."

The GRAMMY win for "Sultan's Curse" came as the group's first win after five nominations, and saw Mastodon top a high calibur crop of nominees, including August Burns Red, and first-time nominees Body Count, Code Orange, and Meshuggah.

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Lisa Loeb holding GRAMMY Award

Lisa Loeb

Photo: Steven Vlasic/Getty Images

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Lisa Loeb To Mastodon: 7 First-Time Winners At The 2018 GRAMMYs

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Take a closer look at seven artists who made their own personal history at Music's Biggest Night
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jan 31, 2018 - 2:10 pm

While every GRAMMY win is special to its awardee, there's nothing quite like that first time. The 60th GRAMMY Awards saw several first-timers rise into the upper echelon of excellence, as determined by their peers.

60th GRAMMYs: What You Didn't See On TV

From breakthrough artists such as Alessia Cara, whose dreams of winning a GRAMMY came true at the young age of 21, to experienced professionals like comedian Dave Chappelle, let's take a look at seven artists who were recognized on Music's Biggest Night for the first time in their career.

Portugal. The Man, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Perhaps the Cinderella Story of the 60th GRAMMY Awards, indie rocker turned pop chart-toppers Portugal. The Man found themselves on stage accepting their first career GRAMMY for "Feel It Still," beating out the likes of Imagine Dragons, the Chainsmokers & Coldplay, Zedd & Alessia Cara, and Louis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber. Not bad for the Alaska-formed, Portland-based six-piece on their eighth studio album, Woodstock.

"We grew up in a small town in Alaska," said singer/guitarist John Gourley while accepting the award. "This is crazy for us. Our heroes were dog-mushers and stuff like that. … Rep where you're from, be proud of who you are and where you're from."

Lisa Loeb, Best Children's Album

It seemed like Lisa Loeb was everywhere during GRAMMY Week, from the Producers & Engineers Wing Celebration to the Person of the Year red carpet. But it was the main event on Sunday when the two-time nominee landed her first GRAMMY win. Anyone alive in 1994 will remember Loeb's massive hit "Stay (I Miss You)," which earned the singer/songwriter and her band Nine Stories a nomination for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group at the 37th GRAMMY Awards.

Watch: Lisa Loeb 2018 GRAMMYs Red Carpet

More than two decades later, Loeb earned GRAMMY gold for Best Children's Album for Feel What U Feel, a project with an upbeat message for kids focused on "appreciating things in your daily life, respecting other people, respecting your own feelings," according to Loeb. If the joy of giving is the greatest gift, her first GRAMMY has to be a close second.

The War On Drugs, Best Rock Album

Adam Granduciel and his band the War On Drugs achieved something special with their fourth studio album, A Deeper Understanding. Recorded in Los Angeles, the project took on the dichotomy of a sunny sound with a lonely undertone. The result was a guitar-heavy, sonically layered masterpiece that earned the band their first-ever GRAMMY nomination and ultimately a win for Best Rock Album. But the true strength of the album grew out of the time Granduciel spent on writing great songs, and the lasting impression is how — and where — they were shaped.

"I rented out my own studio in Los Angeles and tried to go every day," Granduciel told GRAMMY.com in 2017. "Whether it [was] writing on the piano or guitar or work on demos. I started eight months before [while] on the road. I just ended up having more songs than I ever had in the past."

Dave Chappelle, Best Comedy Album

The Best Comedy Album category has seen some wildly hilarious — and accomplished — winners in the past from George Carlin to Chris Rock, Robin Williams to Whoopi Goldberg. But this year's winner is no newbie. Dave Chappelle started his career in the film business in the mid-'90s before exploding onto the small screen with his edgy and hysterical sketch comedy television series, "Chappelle's Show."

Dave Chappelle's One-On-One: 2018 GRAMMYs

Chappelle's double comedy Netflix specials The Age Of Spin & Deep In The Heart Of Texas bested a formidable crop of nominees at the 60th GRAMMY Awards, including Sarah Silverman, Kevin Hart, Jim Gaffigan, and Jerry Seinfeld. The comedy legend also joined Kendrick Lamar for the show's striking opening performance, proving even the funniest material can still have message.

Mastodon, Best Metal Performance

As modern heroes of heavy music, it was only a matter of time before Mastodon earned their first GRAMMY win. The band was first nominated in the Best Metal Performance category for 2006 for "Colony Of Birchmen" from their third album, Blood Mountain. Five nominations later, the Atlanta-formed quartet earned their first win for "Sultan's Curse," the punishing lead-off track from Emperor Of Sand. While the band has previously lauded some of their favorite bands such as Neurosis, Melvins and Baroness, who were nominated in this category last year, on the GRAMMY stage they were quick to pay respect to two of their more foundational influences.

"Thank you to Judas Priest and Black Sabbath for creating this amazing style of music that we call home," said drummer Brann Dailor.

Alessia Cara, Best New Artist

While Alessia Cara gave us her full-length debut, Know-It-All back in 2015, it was in this past year that her undeniable magnetism reached a wide-scale audience through massive collaborations with Zedd ("Stay"), Troye Sivan ("Wild") and of course the song she performed at the 60th GRAMMY Awards, "1-800-273-8255" with Logic and fellow Best New Artist nominee Khalid. With all of her success coming at such a young age, the Canadian singer/songwriter hasn't forgotten where she came from.

Watch: Alessia Cara Wins Best New Artist

"I've been pretend-winning GRAMMYs since I was a kid, like, in my shower," Cara said nervously, holding her first career GRAMMY trophy. "You'd think I'd have the speech thing down, but I absolutely don't. … My mind is blown"

Jeff Lorber Fusion, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

Prolific, innovative and versatile, pianist/composer Jeff Lorber first stared his band Fusion in the '70s while attending Berklee College of Music. Lorber's innate ability to push the limits of contemporary jazz earned him seven career GRAMMY nominations, starting with his first in 1985 for "Pacific Coast Highway" for Best R&B Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group Or Soloist). However, it would be 2018 before he'd take home his first GRAMMY. The album, Prototype, shows Lorber at his most inventive and masterful, and it features some head-turning collaborations with the likes of Yellowjackets founding member Jimmy Haslip on bass and renowned jazz session drummer Gary Novak.

"I came up with the name Prototype because we are always trying to up our game and come up with new exciting music that could be a prototype or innovative harbinger for the future of our musical style," says Lorber.

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Bruno Mars, 2018

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Bruno Mars Wins Album Of The Year | 2018 GRAMMYs

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The R&B singer/songwriter takes home Album Of The Year for '24K Magic' at the 60th GRAMMY Awards
Brian Haack
GRAMMYs
Jan 28, 2018 - 8:18 pm

Bruno Mars won Album Of The Year for 24K Magic at the 60th GRAMMY Awards. This marks Mars' first-ever win in the Album Of The Year category as a solo artist.

Watch: Bruno Mars Wins Album Of The Year

The Hawaiian native previously won Album Of The Year for his role as a producer on Adele's 25, which took the honor at the 59th GRAMMY Awards. 

His Album Of The Year win was part of an amazing night for Mars, which saw him sweep all of the categories for which he was nominated, including Record and Song Of The Year. 24K Magic also took home Best R&B Album honors.

"Wow, all right first off, to the other nominees in this category ... you guys are the reason why I'm in the studio pulling my hair out, man, because I know you guys are only going to come with the top-shelf artistry and music," said Mars during his acceptance. "Thank you, you guys, for blessing the world with your music. I mean that."

The other nominees were Jay-Z's 4:44, Lorde's Melodrama, Kendrick Lamar's DAMN., and Childish Gambino's "Awaken, My Love!"

Recent Album Of The Year winners include Adele's 25, Taylor Swift's 1989, Beck's Morning Phase, Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, and Mumford & Sons' Babel.

Watch: Bruno Mars Wins Album Of The Year

Full Winners List: 60th GRAMMY Awards

Bruno Mars Wins Record Of The Year
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Bruno Mars Wins Record Of The Year | 2018 GRAMMYs

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R&B singer/songwriter takes home Record Of The Year for "24K Magic." at the 60th GRAMMY Awards
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Jan 28, 2018 - 7:38 pm

Arguably the biggest name at the 60th edition of Music's Biggest Night? Bruno Mars.

Watch: Bruno Mars Wins Record Of The Year

He won Record Of The Year for "24K Magic" at the 60th GRAMMY Awards before quickly picking up additional GRAMMYs for Song Of The Year ("That's What I Like") and Album Of The Year (24K Magic). The other nominees for Record Of The Year were Childish Gambino's "Redbone," Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee's "Despacito," featuring Justin Bieber, Jay-Z's "The Story Of O.J.," and Kendrick Lamar's "HUMBLE."

Add to that Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song ("That's What I Like") and Best R&B Album, and the Hawaiian R&B singer/songwriter swept up as the big winner of the evening. He also lit up the stage with a colorful performance of "Finesse" with fellow GRAMMY nominee Cardi B.

His Record Of The Year win marks a year of accomplishment for the catchy track "24K Magic," the title track from his GRAMMY-winning album, which heated up the charts. But Mars isn't just a hit maker, he has something special that keeps him coming out on top.

"For us, it was more how effortless it was creating with him," longtime Mars producer Ray Romulus of the Stereotypes told Billboard. "It didn’t feel like we were actually working and making songs, it just felt like we were hanging out, having conversations, and as we're doing that we're making the beats. ... He would literally have a new idea for something every second, he would just be spilling out ideas."

"Talk about somebody who really just knows how to write a song," added the Stereotypes' Jonathan Yip. "And a hit song, at that."

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Bruno Mars Wins Song Of The Year
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Bruno Mars Wins Song Of The Year | 2018 GRAMMYs

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The Hawaiian native takes home Song Of The Year for "That's What I Like" at the 60th GRAMMY Awards
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Jan 28, 2018 - 7:11 pm

Feeling the 24K Magic, Bruno Mars' successful progress through the categories he's been nominated in at the 60th GRAMMY Awards picked up another one at Song Of The Year for "That's What I Like."

Christopher Brody Brown and Philip Lawrence co-write with Mars under the name Shampoo Press & Curl. The other winning songwriters for Mars' hit tonight in this category are James Fauntleroy and production team "The Sterotypes" — Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus and  Jonathan Yip.

For additional "Finesse" on stage at the 60th GRAMMY Awards, Mars was joined by Cardi B for a reprise of their 148-million-views hit remix.

The Album Of The Year GRAMMY Award wrapped up the night and wrapped up Bruno Mars' complete rampage through his six nominated categories — now six wins.

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