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GRAMMY Rewind: 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Dixie Chicks win big and Carrie Underwood takes Best New Artist against these nominees
Music's Biggest Night, the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards, will air live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
In the weeks leading up to the telecast, we will take a stroll through some of the golden moments in GRAMMY history with the GRAMMY Rewind, highlighting the "big four" categories — Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist — from past awards shows. In the process, we'll discuss the winners and the nominees who just missed taking home the GRAMMY, while also shining a light on the artists' careers and the eras in which the recordings were born.
Join us as we take an abbreviated journey through the trajectory of pop music from the 1st Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1959 to this year's 53rd telecast. Today, the GRAMMY Awards remember the year the Dixie Chicks were flying high.
49th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Feb. 11, 2007
Album Of The Year
Winner: Dixie Chicks, Taking The Long Way
Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere
John Mayer, Continuum
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stadium Arcadium
Justin Timberlake, FutureSex/LoveSounds
This Album Of The Year win was just the tip of a huge year for the Dixie Chicks, all of which was welcome vindication for the group after a politically charged comment made by singer Natalie Maines at a concert in 2003 had cost the group some fan and radio support. GRAMMY voters rose above the controversy to reward the album's merits. The group would win four GRAMMYs this year, and have won 12 to date. Gnarls Barkley (producer Danger Mouse and singer Cee Lo Green) teamed for a galvanizing album that drew from pop as much as the collaborators' roots in hip-hop. Mayer's Continuum won the Best Pop Vocal Album trophy, and marked his conscious awareness of the social issues of his generation, evidenced by his GRAMMY-winning "Waiting On The World To Change." The Red Hot Chili Peppers earned a nomination with the sprawling Stadium Arcadium, a 28-song double album released in a CD/digital-download age in which double albums rarely exist. Timberlake, the former 'N Sync star, rounded out the nominees with a modern-day, blue-eyed soul record, which ambitiously reached the top of the Billboard 200 in 2006.
Record Of The Year
Winner: Dixie Chicks, "Not Ready To Make Nice"
Mary J. Blige, "Be Without You"
James Blunt, "You're Beautiful"
Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy"
Corinne Bailey Rae, "Put Your Records On"
The Dixie Chicks took Record Of The Year on the strength of "Not Ready To Make Nice," a fiercely defiant song that contained lines that spoke volumes about their trials, including death threats: "How in the world can the words that I said/Send somebody so over the edge/That they'd write me a letter/Sayin' that I better shut up and sing or my life will be over." "Be Without You" was equally heartfelt, with Blige pouring her soul into every word in her typical no-holds-barred approach, withholding no emotion. "You're Beautiful" was the ballad of the year, a soft ode to the perfection of a woman from the past, just out of the singer's reach. Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" captivated listeners with its combination of retro-soul, inescapable hooks and cutting-edge production. Brit newcomer Rae brought a jazzy feel to the neo-soul of "Put Your Records On," though she started out inspired by all-female punk groups such as L7.
node: video: Dixie Chicks Win Record Of The Year
Song Of The Year
Winner: Dixie Chicks, "Not Ready To Make Nice"
Mary J. Blige, "Be Without You"
James Blunt, "You're Beautiful"
Corinne Bailey Rae, "Put Your Records On"
Carrie Underwood, "Jesus, Take The Wheel"
The Dixie Chicks completed their sweep of the "big four" categories for which they're eligible with a Song Of The Year win for "Not Ready To Make Nice," which the group wrote with Dan Wilson, whose band Semisonic scored a Best Rock Song GRAMMY nomination for "Closing Time" in 1998. Blige co-wrote "Be Without You" with hot R&B writers Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jason Perry. Blunt wrote "You're Beautiful" with Amanda Ghost and Sacha Skarbek. Ghost, former president of Epic Records, also received a nomination for her production work on Beyoncé's GRAMMY-nominated Album Of The Year, I Am…Sasha Fierce, at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards. Rae teamed with John Beck and Steve Chrisanthou for "Put Your Records On." Beck's credits include Tasmin Archer's "Sleeping Satellite," a Top 40 hit in 1993. Finally, Underwood scored a No. 1 Country Singles hit with "Jesus, Take The Wheel," a tune written by country songwriting stalwarts Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson. The track also picked up Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance honors.
node: video: "Not Ready To Make Nice" Wins Song Of The Year
Best New Artist
Winner: Carrie Underwood
James Blunt
Chris Brown
Imogen Heap
Corinne Bailey Rae
Underwood became the first, and so far only, "American Idol" alumnus to win the Best New Artist award. It was a solid choice, as the singer has gone on to win five GRAMMY Awards in her still growing career. Blunt's five nominations this year didn't result in any wins, but were a testament to the impact this newcomer made. Brown has earned four more nominations since his Best New Artist nod as he continues to develop an impressive career. Heap may not have won here, but she became the first female to win the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, GRAMMY in 2009 for Ellipse. Rae also missed the cut, but would win the next year in the Album Of The Year category as part of the ensemble cast assembled by Herbie Hancock for his River: The Joni Letters album.
node: video: Carrie Underwood Wins Best New Artist
Come back to GRAMMY.com tomorrow as we revisit the milestone 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Tune in to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
Follow GRAMMY.com for our inside look at GRAMMY news, blogs, photos, videos, and of course nominees. Stay up to the minute with GRAMMY Live. Check out the GRAMMY legacy with GRAMMY Rewind. Keep track of this year's GRAMMY Week events, and explore this year's GRAMMY Fields. Or check out the collaborations at Re:Generation, presented by Hyundai Veloster. And join the conversation at Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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GRAMMY Rewind: K.D. Lang Honors Her First GRAMMY Win With A Celebratory "Yeehaw" In 1990
Country music disruptor k.d. lang took home her first GRAMMY thanks to her acclaimed album 'Absolute Torch And Twang' — a feat she compared to being given a fruitful piece of land.
K.d. lang is a trailblazer — not only because of her award-winning records, but also for her strides to make country music more inclusive as one of the few lesbian artists in the genre.
Even in the height of backlash, lang held onto the identity that felt true to her, refusing to alter her artistry in a way that was consumable for the heterosexual male bigwigs in the music industry. As Vanity Fair offered in lang's 1993 cover story, her presence "signal[ed] a whole new era of possibility for celebrities" — one that didn't force women to become the hyper-feminine country diva.
In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, revisit the night that lang won her first golden gramophone for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for Absolute Torch and Twang at the 1990 GRAMMYs. The singer was enthusiastic as she made her way to the podium, bellowing a triumphant "Yeehaw!"
"I would like to thank my friends, family, band, and crew," lang praised before acknowledging Warner Bros. Records, her recording studio team, and her supporters.
"It's like I've just been given this chunk of land," she explained. "K.d., plant yourself here and sow your seeds of hybrid country. The best thing about this is, this soil is very fertile."
Press play on this episode of GRAMMY Rewind to watch k.d. lang's full acceptance speech for Best Female Country Vocal Performance at the 32nd GRAMMY Awards, and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.
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Photo: Dan MacMedan/WireImage
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GRAMMY Rewind: Beyoncé Strives For Accountability And Change After Winning A GRAMMY For 'Lemonade' In 2017
As Beyoncé accepted the GRAMMY for Best Urban Contemporary Album in 2017, she stressed that it's vital to "learn from the past and recognize our tendencies to repeat our mistakes."
At the height of America's tense political climate, Beyoncé's Lemonade brought confidence to Black women nationwide silenced by misogynoir. It was a celebration of unapologetic femininity and southern culture while also taking back the power in relationships stained by infidelity and generational trauma. As Beyoncé explained in her 2017 GRAMMY acceptance speech, the intention of Lemonade was "to give a voice to our pain, our struggles, our darkness, and our history."
In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, we turn back the clock to the evening Beyoncé made her empowering speech after winning Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 59th GRAMMY Awards. Fresh off of her iconic, nine-minute performance of Lemonade's vulnerable deep cuts, "Love Drought" and "Sandcastles," Beyoncé was glowing as she took the stage to accept her golden gramophone.
"Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to beautifully capture the profundity of deep southern culture," Beyoncé proudly praised before acknowledging her husband, kids, and fans.
"It's important to me to show images to my children that reflect their beauty, so they can grow up in a world where they look in the mirror... and have no doubt that they're beautiful, intelligent and capable," Beyoncé said. "This is something that I want for every child of every race. And I feel it's vital that we learn from the past and recognize our tendencies to repeat our mistakes."
Press play on the video above to watch the entirety of Beyoncé's thoughtful acceptance speech for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2017 GRAMMY Awards, and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.
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Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images
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GRAMMY Rewind: The Chicks Give A Tear-Filled Speech For Their Industry-Altering Song Of The Year Win In 2007
The Chicks were full of emotions after winning a golden gramophone for "Not Ready to Make Nice," the song made in response to the criticism they faced in 2003.
Flashback to 2003, the Chicks frontwoman Natalie Maines made her infamous statement advocating for peace against the invasion in Iraq. The seemingly unthreatening comment quickly led to nationwide backlash, including a boycott of the Chicks by country music's fans, radio stations and musicians.
But more importantly, Maines' progressive endorsement prompted a conversation surrounding America's conservative expectations for country artists. Maines' courage to speak out was an inspiration to the next generation of women in country, including Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves, who credit the Chicks for empowering them to publicly claim their liberal beliefs.
In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, we fast forward four years after the career-changing controversy to the 2007 GRAMMYs, when the trio won Song of the Year alongside folk singer/songwriter Dan Wilson for "Not Ready to Make Nice," the track made in response to the massive criticism they faced.
"This is overwhelming," said Emily Strayer, holding back tears. "Thank you, Dan, for writing with us … It was very important that you [understood] what we were trying to get across. Thank you for helping us to get all of this out and into a song."
Before heading off the stage, Maines took the time to express appreciation for her bandmates: "For the first time in my life, I'm speechless. Thank you, Martie and Emily, for sticking by me. I told you I'd take it to the GRAMMYs!" Maines joked. (The trio were the big winners that night, also taking home the GRAMMYs for Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Country Album.)
Press play on the video above to watch The Chicks' complete acceptance speech for Song of the Year at the 2007 GRAMMY Awards, and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.
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Photo: CBS via Getty Images
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GRAMMY Rewind: Whoopi Goldberg Delivers A Fittingly Joke-Filled Speech At The 1986 GRAMMYs
Whoopi Goldberg brought her comedy skills to the GRAMMY stage when she won Best Comedy Recording, which marked a historic GRAMMY moment.
Almost 40 years ago, Whoopi Goldberg made history as the first Black woman to win Best Comedy Recording at the 1986 GRAMMYs — and marked her first step into achieving EGOT status, which she later accomplished in 2002.
In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, we travel back to the night Goldberg received this trailblazing award for her one-woman Broadway show. The stand-up comedian fittingly warmed up her acceptance speech with a few jokes: "I'm going to have to get a job after this," she laughed before taking a quick-witted stab at the orchestra's untimely playing. "Make me move!"
She went on to thank Geffen Records, her colleagues, her longtime supporter Mike Nichols, and her family for inspiring and assisting her throughout the production of the record. Goldberg also took a moment to acknowledge her "date," 12-time GRAMMY Award winner Paul Simon, who wasn't able to escort her to the ceremony after falling ill.
"I want to say it's a very nice, wonderful honor to get something as nice as this," Goldberg concluded. "Thank you all, and good night!"
Press play on the video above to watch Whoopi Goldberg's full acceptance speech for Best Comedy Recording at the 28th GRAMMY Awards, and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.
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