meta-scriptBruno Mars' GRAMMYs Legacy: How His 'Clean Sweep' With Silk Sonic Continued A Remarkable Winning Streak | GRAMMY.com
Silk Sonic On Stage Accepting GRAMMY 2022
{L-R}: Bruno Mars, Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II and Anderson .Paak

Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Bruno Mars' GRAMMYs Legacy: How His 'Clean Sweep' With Silk Sonic Continued A Remarkable Winning Streak

With four wins at the 2022 GRAMMY Awards, Bruno Mars didn't just add to his pile of golden gramophones — he cemented himself as a GRAMMY legend

GRAMMYs/Apr 5, 2022 - 09:25 pm

The 2022 GRAMMYs proved successful for Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, who — together as Silk Sonic — won all four GRAMMYs for which they were nominated. After claiming Best R&B Performance (a tie with Jazmine Sullivan), Best R&B Song and Song Of The Year, they topped off their four-for-four night with Record Of The Year.

"We are really trying our hardest to remain humble at this point," .Paak joked as they accepted their last award. "But in the industry, we call that a clean sweep!"

What Mars' fans may not have realized, though, is that his sweep wasn't just limited to the 64th GRAMMY Awards. Bruno Mars has won 15 GRAMMYs overall — and 13 of those have come since 2016.

That's right: Mars' "clean sweep" is six years running.

Bruno's GRAMMY legacy extends beyond his wins, with 30 nominations spanning several categories as well as some of the show's most memorable performances. As he celebrates his latest wins, take a look at Bruno Mars' impressive GRAMMY resume.

Wins

Believe it or not, Mars had an even bigger GRAMMY night in 2018. He took home six golden gramophones that year with 24K Magic, which won Album Of The Year and Best R&B Album. The LP's title track won Record Of The Year, and the hit single "That's What I Like" scooped up Song Of The Year, Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song.

He took home his first Album Of The Year trophy the year before that, but not for his own work. Mars's producer group, the Smeezingtons, produced (and co-wrote) Adele's "All I Ask," a track from 25, which won Album Of The Year in 2017.

Mars began his winning streak with 2016's smash collaboration with Mark Ronson, "Uptown Funk." The song won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, but more notably, won Mars his first Record Of The Year award.

Before his streak began, Mars won Best Pop Vocal Album for Unorthodox Jukebox in 2014, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Just The Way You Are" in 2011 — his first-ever GRAMMYs.

Notable Nominations

Before he notched several Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year nominations and wins himself, Mars' contributions to other artists' projects earned nods in 2011. In fact, he was up for Record Of The Year twice that year, thanks to B.o.B's "Nothin' On You" and Cee Lo Green's "F*** You." (Mars featured on "Nothin' On You"; the Smeezingtons produced both tracks. "F*** You," co-written by the Smeezingtons, was up for Song Of The Year as well.)

"Nothin' On You" — which he also co-wrote with The Smeezingtons — nabbed Mars a Best Rap Song nomination. Two years later, he received another nod in the category for co-writing "Young Wild & Free," a collab with Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg.

What's more, the Smeezingtons helped earn Mars nominations for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical in 2011 and 2012. Along with "F*** You" and "Nothin' On You," their 2011 nod came from production on songs like Travie McCoy's "Billionaire" (featuring Mars) and Mars' Own "Just the Way You Are." Their 2012 nomination was the result of their production on Mars' Doo-Wops & Hooligans as well as songs by Far East Movement and Lil Wayne.

Tributes

Thanks to his classic style and powerful voice, Mars has also been part of two tributes to late legends. In 2017, he helped honor Prince alongside Morris Day and the Time. Dressed in a (very fitting) sparkly purple blazer, Mars delivered a rousing rendition of "Let's Go Crazy" that included a solo on one of Prince's iconic cloud guitars.

In 2021, Mars teamed up with .Paak for a tribute to Little Richard. As .Paak played drums, Mars delivered a rocking medley of "Long Tall Sally (The Thing)" and "Good Golly, Miss Molly."

Who knows how long Mars' winning streak will last, but regardless, he's already cemented himself as a GRAMMY legend. It's probably safe to say that as long as Bruno Mars continues to make music, the GRAMMYs will leave the door open.

Silk Sonic Light Up 2022 GRAMMYs Stage With Funked-Up Rendition Of "777" | 2022 GRAMMYs

Photo of Bjork performing on stage at the opening of the 2004 Athens Olympics. Bjork is wearing a lavish dress with multiple shades of blue. Her hands are in an L shape in the air.
Bjork performing on stage at the opening of the 2004 Athens Olympics

Photo: Mick Hutson/Redferns

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When The GRAMMYs & Olympics Align: 7 Times Music's Biggest Night Met Global Sports Glory

Before the Olympic Games begin in Paris on July 26, dive into the intertwined history of gold medalists and golden gramophones.

GRAMMYs/Jul 25, 2024 - 01:19 pm

The GRAMMY Awards and the Summer Olympics are unarguably the pinnacles of their respective fields. Indeed, most recording artists dream of making an acceptance speech for their magnum opus during the biggest night on the music industry calendar, while athletes competing in any of the Games’ 32 different disciplines are continually motivated by the lure of the podium.

But how often have the two intertwined since the first GRAMMY ceremony took place a year before Rome 1960?

Well, perhaps more than you think. Sure, the musical efforts from basketballers Shaquille O’Neal (gold at Atlanta 1996), Kobe Bryant (gold at Beijing 2008 and London 2012), and Damian Lillard (gold at Tokyo 2020) might not have registered with the Recording Academy. Likewise, those from track and field hero Carl Lewis (nine golds and one silver from four consecutive Games), light middleweight boxer Roy Jones Jr. (silver at Seoul 1988), and near-superhuman sprinter Usain Bolt (eight golds from Beijing, London, and Rio 2016).

But there are a handful of sportsmen (sadly, not yet sportswomen) who have competed for both gold medals and golden gramophones. There are also pop stars who have attempted to capture the blood, sweat, and tears of the quadrennial spectacle in musical form — whether as an official anthem, television theme, or simply a motivational tool — and been rewarded with GRAMMY recognition for their efforts.

With the Olympics’ return to Paris just around the corner (July 26-Aug.11), what better time to celebrate those occasions when the Games and the GRAMMYs align?

Gloria Estefan & Björk's Themes Pick Up GRAMMY Nods

It seems fair to say that Gloria Estefan, the Cuban hitmaker who helped to bring Latin pop to the masses, and avant-garde eccentric Björk, wouldn't appear to have much in common. They have, however, both received GRAMMY nominations in the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance category for their respective Olympics themes.

Estefan was recognized at the 1997 ceremony for "Reach," the gospel-tinged power ballad that embodied the spirit of the previous year's Atlanta Games. Iceland's finest musical export picked up a nod for "Oceania," the swooping experimental number she co-produced with Warp label founder Mark Bell which helped to soundtrack the opening ceremony of Athens 2004. And both went home empty-handed, the former losing to Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart" and the latter to Norah Jones' "Sunrise."

Whitney Houston's Momentous Live Performance

The incomparable Whitney Houston might not have added to her GRAMMY haul at the 1989 ceremony — Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" prevented her from converting her sole nod, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, into a win — but she still stole the show. Houston owned opened the 31st GRAMMY Awards with a performance of "One Moment in Time," the nominated track that had defined NBC's coverage of the Seoul Games.

Co-written by Albert Hammond, produced by Narada Michael Walden and featuring the London Symphony Orchestra, the UK chart-topping single certainly had a first-class pedigree. But it was Houston's lung-busting vocals that made the torch song such a sports montage favorite. The iconic diva once again stirred the emotions on the music industry's biggest night of the year with a rendition that's since become a staple of her many hits collections.

Read more: Songbook: A Guide To Whitney Houston's Iconic Discography, From Her '80s Pop Reign To Soundtrack Smashes

Oscar De La Hoya Swaps Ring For Recording Studio

Shakira fought off some interesting company to win 2001's Best Latin Pop Album GRAMMY. Alongside records from Luis Miguel and Alejandro Sanz, the category also included Christina Aguilera's first Spanish-language affair, and a bilingual effort from champion boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

The American became a national sensation overnight when he won the men's lightweight boxing gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. But despite new material from seasoned hitmaker Diane Warren and a cover of Bee Gees' classic "Run to Me," his 13-track self-titled debut didn't exactly set the charts alight. Despite the GRAMMY nod, De La Hoya hasn't entered the recording studio since.

Muhammad Ali Is Recognized For His Way With Words

But when it comes to GRAMMY-nominated boxers, then the man who famously floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee is undoubtedly the don. Shortly before he changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, the light heavyweight gold medalist of the 1960 Rome Games was recognized for his amusing repartee in the Best Comedy Performance category. Hailed by some as a progenitor of the rap artform, I Am the Greatest lost out to a man slightly different in stature: portly parodist Allan Sherman.   

And the sporting icon also had to experience another rare defeat 13 years later when his reading of The Adventures Of Ali And His Gang Vs. Mr. Tooth Decay lost out to Hermione Gingold & Karl Böhm's Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf/Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals in 1977’s Best Recording for Children.

John Williams' Winning Olympic Fanfare

Legendary composer John Williams is one of the most-nominated artists in GRAMMY history having amassed 76 nods since his work on detective series "Checkmate" was recognized in Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media in 1962. Two of his wins in this remarkable tally have been Games-related.

In 1985, Williams won Best Instrumental Composition for "Olympic Fanfare and Theme," which he wrote and arranged for the Los Angeles Games the year prior. In 1989, the conductor received a nod in the same category for "Olympic Spirit," another majestic instrumental produced for NBC’s coverage of Seoul '88.

Interestingly, Wiliams isn't a particularly avid sports fan, but as he told The New York Times, he can still relate to those going for gold. "The human spirit stretching to prove itself is also typical of what musicians attempt to achieve in a symphonic effort."

Magic Johnson’s Educational Guide Wins Best Spoken Word Album  

Basketball appears to produce more aspiring musicians than any sport. Marvin Bagley III, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Clarke are just a few of the NBA names to have released albums in the last few years. But the only time a hooper has been recognized at the GRAMMYs is for an audiobook.   

The year before guiding Team USA to the men's basketball gold at Barcelona 1992, Magic Johnson had bravely revealed that he'd contracted HIV, defying the stigma that surrounded it at the time. The year after his Olympic triumph, the iconic shooting guard was honored for joining the fight against the disease. Johnson won the Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album GRAMMY for What You Can Do To Avoid AIDS, a compassionate guide designed to educate the youth of America whose proceeds went to the sportsman's eponymous foundation.   

Chariots Of Fire Is Nominated For Record Of The Year

Based on the real-life exploits of British runners Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell at the 1924 Paris Olympics, period drama Chariots of Fire won Best Picture at the 1982 Oscars. But it’s the titular number from Vangelis' anachronistic synth-based score that remains its crowning glory.

First played as the aspiring Olympians train beachside in the slow-motion opening flashback, the instrumental not only topped the Billboard Hot 100, it also picked up a GRAMMY nod for Record of the Year. "Chariots of Fire" has since become synonymous with the more modern iteration of the Games, appearing in the BBC's coverage of Seoul '88, gracing the start of the men's 100m final at Atlanta '96, and perhaps most famously of all, being performed at London 2012's opening ceremony by none other than Rowan Atkinson's rubber-faced buffoon Mr. Bean.

Read more: 10 Essential Vangelis Albums: Remembering The Electronic Music Pioneer

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Dylan Chambers
Dylan Chambers

Photo: Courtesy of Dylan Chambers

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ReImagined: Watch Dylan Chambers Channel Bruno Mars In This Groovy Cover Of "Uptown Funk"

Pop-soul newcomer Dylan Chambers offers his rendition of "Uptown Funk," Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' infectious 2014 hit.

GRAMMYs/Apr 16, 2024 - 05:03 pm

In the latest episode of ReImagined, soul-pop newcomer Dylan Chambers delivers a fresh, heartfelt take on "Uptown Funk", using an electric guitar to drive the performance.

In the year of its inception, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" quickly made strides across the map, from a No. 1 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 to a Record Of The Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance win at the 2014 GRAMMYs. Ten years after its release, it is the ninth most-viewed YouTube video of all-time and was named one of Billboard's "Songs That Defined The Decade."

Chambers named Mars as one of his most influential inspirations and praised Silk Sonic's Las Vegas residency as one of the "greatest concerts" he has attended in an interview with Muzic Notez.

"Don't believe me, just watch," Chambers calls in the chorus, recreating its notable doo-wop ad-libs with the strums of his instrument.

Chambers dropped his latest single, "I Can Never Get Enough" on April 10, following his March release "High (When I'm Low)." Both tracks will be a part of his upcoming EP, For Your Listening Pleasure!, out May 17.

Press play on the video above to watch Dylan Chambers' groovy rendition of Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of ReImagined.

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

Autumn Rowe at the 2023 GRAMMYs
Autumn Rowe at the 2023 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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Where Do You Keep Your GRAMMY?: Autumn Rowe Revisits Her Unexpected Album Of The Year Win With Jon Batiste

Acclaimed songwriter Autumn Rowe reveals the inspirational location where her Album Of The Year golden gramophone resides, and details the "really funny way" she first met Jon Batiste.

GRAMMYs/Apr 10, 2024 - 08:33 pm

Ever since Autumn Rowe won a GRAMMY in 2022, it's been her biggest motivation. That's why the musical multi-hyphenate keeps the award nestled in her writing room — to keep her creative juices flowing.

"It reminds me that anything is possible," she says in the latest episode of Where Do You Keep Your GRAMMY?

Rowe won her first-ever career GRAMMY in 2022 with an Album Of The Year award for Jon Batiste's We Are. "It was very stressful," she recalls with a laugh.

"Right before they announced Album Of The Year, the pressure started getting to me," Rowe explains. "Album Of The Year is the biggest possible award you can win. So, I'm like, 'We didn't win any of these [categories], how are we going to win the biggest award?"

The win also taught her one unforgettable, valuable lesson: "We matter. The music matters. Everything matters. We just have to create it. If there isn't space for it, we have to make space for it. Don't wait for something to open."

Rowe says she grew up "super dirt poor" and never even had the opportunity to watch the awards ceremony on television. "To be a GRAMMY winner means it is possible for everyone," she declares.

Press play on the video above to learn more about the backstory of Autumn Rowe's Album Of The Year award, and remember to check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Where Do You Keep Your GRAMMY?

Where Do You Keep Your GRAMMY?: Christopher "Tricky" Stewart Recalls Winning Song Of The Year For Beyoncé's "Single Ladies"

Doja Cat & SZA GRAMMY Rewind Hero
(L-R) Doja Cat and SZA at the 2022 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Doja Cat & SZA Tearfully Accept Their First GRAMMYs For "Kiss Me More"

Relive the moment the pair's hit "Kiss Me More" took home Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, which marked the first GRAMMY win of their careers.

GRAMMYs/Mar 1, 2024 - 06:11 pm

As Doja Cat put it herself, the 2022 GRAMMYs were a "big deal" for her and SZA.

Doja Cat walked in with eight nominations, while SZA entered the ceremony with five. Three of those respective nods were for their 2021 smash "Kiss Me More," which ultimately helped the superstars win their first GRAMMYs.

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, revisit the night SZA and Doja Cat accepted the golden gramophone for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance — a milestone moment that Doja Cat almost missed.

"Listen. I have never taken such a fast piss in my whole life," Doja Cat quipped after beelining to the stage. "Thank you to everybody — my family, my team. I wouldn't be here without you, and I wouldn't be here without my fans."

Before passing the mic to SZA, Doja also gave a message of appreciation to the "Kill Bill" singer: "You are everything to me. You are incredible. You are the epitome of talent. You're a lyricist. You're everything."

SZA began listing her praises for her mother, God, her supporters, and, of course, Doja Cat. "I love you! Thank you, Doja. I'm glad you made it back in time!" she teased.

"I like to downplay a lot of s— but this is a big deal," Doja tearfully concluded. "Thank you, everybody."

Press play on the video above to hear Doja Cat and SZA's complete acceptance speech for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2022 GRAMMY Awards, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

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