The Grammys, more so than pretty much any other awards show, are less about the awards than they are about the show, which is why a number of trophies (for surprisingly big categories!) are given away long before the famous people and wealthy record company executives file in and take their seats. So, even though it seems pretty early, the entire world is talking about something else this afternoon, and the Recording Academy that runs the Grammys is trying to contain a big scandal, here are the winners from the 62nd annual Grammy Awards.
The biggest winners from this weird, pre-show era were Beyoncé and Lil Nas X, with the former getting Best Music Film for Homecoming and the latter getting—what else?—Best Music Video for—what else?—“Old Town Road.” It’s already the best song of all time, according to facts, but sure, he can use another accolade. Also, Michelle Obama won Best Spoken Word Album for her Becoming audiobook, which is a slightly better honor than her husband getting on the Billboard charts with that Hamilton remix.
After a typically intense performance from Lizzo, the actual show started off with host Alicia Keys hesitantly taking the stage for a somber acknowledgment of that other news we mentioned above, specifically the sudden death of Kobe Bryant—who won a bunch of championships for the Lakers at the Staples Center, which happens to be where tonight’s Grammys were held. Keys brought out Boyz II Men to sing a bit of “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye” and then came back later for a musical monologue of sorts about the power of music and how great all of the nominees are, and then we got to the actual (sporadically distributed) awards. Lizzo added to her growing collection of Grammys, country duo Dan & Shay risked the wrath of the Swifties by thanking Scooter Braun in their speech, and then there were so many performances (with a few breaks so Billie Eilish could win awards).
Again, it’s the Grammys, which are more about the show than the awards, and the Oscars would show full movies if they could, so they might as well perform multiple full-length songs in between handing out awards. Overall, the Grammys are such a scattershot show that it’s hard to discern a real theme or narrative to the events, aside from the great unifying power of music. It’s not a bad look for the Grammys, but it does make a case for the Recording Academy to scrap this traditional format in favor of just announcing all the winners beforehand and turning the ceremony into a big musical party with no awards.
Anyway, here’s a selection of the winners and nominees, and you’ll be able to find the whole list at the Grammys website.
Record Of The Year
“Hey, Ma,” Bon Iver
“Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish
“7 Rings,” Ariana Grande
“Hard Place,” H.E.R.
“Talk,” Khalid
“Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
“Truth Hurts,” Lizzo
“Sunflower,” Post Malone & Swae Lee
Album Of The Year
I,i, Bon Iver
Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Lana Del Rey
When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Billie Eilish
Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande
I Used To Know Her, H.E.R.
7, Lil Nas X
Cuz I Love You (Deluxe), Lizzo
Father Of The Bride, Vampire Weekend
Best New Artist
Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalia
Tank And The Bangas
Yola
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
“Higher,” DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend
“Drip Too Hard,” Lil Baby & Funna
“Panini,” Lil Nas X
“Ballin,” Mustard ft. Roddy Ricch
“The London,” Young Thug ft. J. Cole & Travis Scott
Song Of The Year
“Always Remember Us This Way” — Natalie Hemby, Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
“Bad Guy” — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“Bring My Flowers Now” — Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)
“Hard Place” — Ruby Amanfu, Sam Ashworth, D. Arcelious Harris. H.E.R. & Rodney Jerkins, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“Lover” — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
“Norman F—ing Rockwell” — Jack Antonoff & Lana Del Rey, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
“Someone You Loved” — Tom Barnes, Lewis Capaldi, Pere Kelleher, Benjamin Kohn & Sam Roman, songwriters (Lewis Capaldi)
“Truth Hurts” — Steven Cheung, Eric Frederic, Melissa Jefferson & Jesse Saint John, songwriters (Lizzo)
Best Rap Album
Revenge Of The Dreamers III, Dreamville
Championships, Meek Mill
i am > i was, 21 Savage
IGOR, Tyler The Creator
The Lost Boy, YBN Cordae
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Spirit,” Beyoncé
“Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish
“7 Rings,” Ariana Grande
“Truth Hurts,” Lizzo
“You Need To Calm Down,” Taylor Swift
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Boyfriend,” Ariana Grande & Social House
“Sucker,” Jonas Brothers
“Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus
“Señorita,” Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
Best Alternative Music Album
U.F.O.F., Big Thief
Assume Form, James Blake
i,i, Bon Iver
Father Of The Bride, Vampire Weekend
Anima, Thom Yorke
Best Rock Song
“Fear Inoculum,” Danny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones & Maynard James Keenan, Songwriters (Tool)
“Give Yourself A Try,” George Daniel, Adam Hann, Matthew Healy & Ross Macdonald, Songwriters (The 1975)
“Harmony Hall,” Ezra Koenig, Songwriter (Vampire Weekend)
“History Repeats,” Brittany Howard, Songwriter (Brittany Howard)
“This Land,” Gary Clark Jr., Songwriter (Gary Clark Jr.)
Best Rock Performance
“Pretty Waste,” Bones UK
“This Land,” Gary Clark Jr.
“History Repeats,” Brittany Howard
“Woman,” Karen O & Danger Mouse
“Too Bad,” Rival Sons
Best Metal Performance
“Astorolus – The Great Octopus,” Candlemass ft. Tony Iommi
“Humanicide,” Death Angel
“Bow Down,” I Prevail
“Unleashed,” Killswitch Engage
“7empest,” Tool
Best Rap Performance
“Middle Child,” J.Cole
“Suge,” DaBaby
“Down Bad,” Dreamville ft. J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, Earthgang & Young Nudy
“Racks In The Middle,” Nipsey Hussle ft. Roddy Ricch & Hit-boy
“Clout,” Offset ft. Cardi B
Best Country Album
Desperate Man, Eric Church
Stronger Than The Truth, Reba McEntire
Interstate Gospel, Pistol Annies
Center Point Road, Thomas Rhett
While I’m Livin’, Tanya Tucker
Best Country Solo Performance
“All Your’n,” Tyler Childers
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere,” Ashley McBryde
“Ride Me Back Home,” Willie Nelson
“God’s Country,” Blake Shelton
“Bring My Flowers Now,” Tanya Tucker
Best R&B Album
1123, BJ The Chicago Kid
Painted, Lucky Daye
Ella Mai, Ella Mai
Paul, PJ Morton
Ventura, Anderson Paak
Best R&B Performance
“Love Again,” Daniel Caesar & Brandy
“Could’ve Been,” H.E.R. & Bryson Tiller
“Exactly How I Feel,” Lizzo & Gucci Mane
“Roll Some Mo,” Lucky Daye
“Come Home,” Anderson .Paak & André 300o
Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Time Today,” BJ The Chicago Kid
“Steady Love,” India.Arie
“Jerome,” Lizzo
“Real Games,” Lucky Daye
“Built For Love,” PJ Morton & Jazmine Sullivan
Best Urban Contemporary Album:
Apollo XXI, Steve Lacy
Cuz I Love You (Deluxe), Lizzo
Overload, Georgia Anne Muldrow
Saturn, Nao
Being Human In Public, Jessie Reyez
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Brand New Man,” Brooks & Dunn with Luke Combs
“I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),” Brothers Osborne
“Speechless,” Dan & Shay
“The Daughters,” Little Big Town
“Common,” Maren Morris ft. Brandi Carlile
Best Rock Album
Amo, Bring Me The Horizon
Social Cues, Cage The Elephant
In The End, The Cranberries
Trauma, I Prevail
Feral Roots, Rival Sons
Best Dance Recording
“Linked,” Bonobo
“Got To Keep On,” The Chemical Brothers
“Piece Of Your Heart,” Meduza & Goodboys
“Underwater,” Rüfüs Du Sol
“Midnight Hour,” Skrillex & Boys Noize With Ty Dolla $ign
Best Dance/Electronic Album
LP5, Apparat
No Geography, The Chemical Brothers
Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape), Flume
Solace, Rüfüs Du Sol
Weather, Tycho
Best Pop Vocal Album
The Lion King: The Gift, Beyoncé
When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Billie Eilish
Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande
No. 6 Collaborations Project, Ed Sheeran
Lover, Taylor Swift
Best Country Song
“Bring My Flowers Now” — Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, Songwriters (Tanya Tucker)
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” — Jeremy Bussey & Ashley Mcbryde, Songwriters (Ashley Mcbryde)
“It All Comes Out In The Wash” — Miranda Lambert, Hillary Lindsey, Lori Mckenna & Liz Rose, Songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“Some Of It” — Eric Church, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde & Bobby Pinson, Songwriters (Eric Church)
“Speechless” — Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers & Laura Veltz, Songwriters (Dan + Shay)
Best American Roots Performance
“Saint Honesty,” Sara Bareilles
“Father Mountain,” Calexico With Iron & Wine
“I’m On My Way,” Rhiannon Giddens With Francesco Turrisi
“Call My Name,” I’m With Her
“Faraway Look,” Yola
Best American Roots Song:
“Black Myself,” Amythyst Kiah, songwriter (Our Native Daughters)
“Call My Name,” Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I’m With Her)
“Crossing To Jerusalem,” Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal, songwriters (Rosanne Cash)
“Faraway Look,” Dan Auerbach, Yola Carter & Pat Mclaughlin, songwriters (Yola)
“I Don’t Wanna Ride The Rails No More,” Vince Gill, songwriter (Vince Gill)
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Sì, Andrea Bocelli
Love (Deluxe Edition), Michael Bublé
Look Now, Elvis Costello & The Imposters
A Legendary Christmas, John Legend
Walls, Barbra Streisand
Best Rap Song
“Bad Idea” — Chancelor Bennett, Cordae Dunston, Uforo Ebong & Daniel Hackett, songwriters (Ybn Cordae ft. Chance The Rapper)
“Gold Roses” — Noel Cadastre, Aubrey Graham, Anderson Hernandez, Khristopher Riddick-tynes, William Leonard Roberts Ii, Joshua Quinton Scruggs, Leon Thomas Iii & Ozan Yildirim, songwriters (Rick Ross ft. Drake)
“A Lot” — Jermaine Cole, Dacoury Natche, 21 Savage & Anthony White, songwriters (21 Savage ft. J. Cole)
“Racks In The Middle” — Ermias Asghedom, Dustin James Corbett, Greg Allen Davis, Chauncey Hollis, Jr. & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Nipsey Hussle ft. Roddy Ricch & Hit-boy)
“Suge” — Dababy, Jetsonmade & Pooh Beatz, songwriters (Dababy)
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Ancestral Recall, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
Star People Nation, Theo Croker
Beat Music! Beat Music! Beat Music!, Mark Guiliana
Elevate, Lettuce
Mettavolution, Rodrigo y Gabriela
Best Americana Album
Years To Burn, Calexico And Iron & Wine
Who Are You Now, Madison Cunningham
Oklahoma, Keb’ Mo’
Tales Of America, J.S. Ondara
Walk Through Fire, Yola
Best Bluegrass Album
Tall Fiddler, Michael Cleveland
Live In Prague, Czech Republic, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Toil, Tears & Trouble, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Royal Traveller, Missy Raines
If You Can’t Stand The Heat, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen