Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar swept last night’s Grammys, collecting seven and five of the event’s eighty-four awards, while Jay-Z and SZA—the two most nominated artists—went home empty handed.
Mars’ latest release, 24K Magic, won Album Of The Year. Another award, Record Of The Year, Mars also won. His album’s namesake song collected this award for what the Academy describes as a “commercially released [single or track] of new vocal or instrumental recordings.” The Record Of The Year award is distinct from that for Song Of The Year because it is awarded to the production team as well as the artist. Distinctions hardly seem necessary at this point for Mars, who won all three.
Dave Chappelle won Best Comedy Album for The Age Of Spin & Deep In The Heart Of Texas. Chappelle recently decided to retire but enjoyed a prolific year in 2017. The Academy awarded Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. Best Rap Album as a formality; it went double platinum, topped charts all over the world, and was Billboard’s pick for album of the year. Not to mention, it’s all everybody listened to all summer long—it was a cultural event.
Perhaps Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” winning Best Pop Solo Performance isn’t such a surprise, either. A disease half as infectious as Sheeran’s single would have wiped out the planet. Another upbeat award, Best Dance Recording, went to LCD Soundystem’s “Tonite,” and the best Dance/ Electronic Album went Kraftwerk for 3-D The Catalogue.
Mastodon, the heavy metal rockers from Atlanta, Georgia, took Best Metal Performance in a struggle against August Burns Red, Body Count, Code Orange and Meshugga. Though all worthy opponents, great defense can’t always stop better offense.
Dave Grohl and his Foo Fighters won Best Rock Song for “Run,” off of Concrete and Gold, their ninth studio album. Ed Sheeran won Pop Vocal Album for ÷, the third installment in a list of albums named after mathematical functions.
Bruno Mars also won Best R&B Song and Best R&B Album for “That’s What I Like” and 24K Magic, respectively. The Weeknd won Best Urban Contemporary Album for his alter ego record, Starboy. Below, find a list of all the winners and nominees.
Album of the year
Awaken, My Love! – Childish Gambino
4:44 – Jay-Z
Damn – Kendrick Lamar
Melodrama – Lorde
24K Magic – Bruno Mars – WINNER
Record of the year
Redbone – Childish Gambino
Despacito – Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee feat Justin Bieber
The Story of OJ – Jay-Z
Humble. – Kendrick Lamar
24K Magic – Bruno Mars – WINNER
Song of the year
Despacito – Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee feat Justin Bieber
4:44 – Jay-Z
Issues – Julia Michaels
1-800-273-8255 – Logic feat Alessia Cara and Khalid
That’s What I Like – Bruno Mars – WINNER
Country album
Kenny Chesney – Cosmic Hallelujah
Lady Antebellum – Heart Break
Little Big Town – The Breaker
Thomas Rhett – Life Changes
Chris Stapleton – From a Room: Volume 1 – WINNER
Best comedy album
The Age Of Spin & Deep In The Heart Of Texas – Dave Chappelle – WINNER
Cinco – Jim Gaffigan
Jerry Before Seinfeld – Jerry Seinfeld
A Speck Of Dust – Sarah Silverman
What Now? – Kevin Hart
Best rap album
4:44 – Jay-Z
Damn – Kendrick Lamar – WINNER
Culture – Migos
Laila’s Wisdom – Rapsody
Flower Boy – Tyler, the Creator
Best pop solo performance
Love So Soft – Kelly Clarkson
Praying – Kesha
Million Reasons – Lady Gaga
What About Us – Pink
Shape of You – Ed Sheeran – WINNER
Best new artist
Alessia Cara – WINNER
Khalid
Lil Uzi Vert
Julia Michaels
SZA
Best rap/sung performance
Prblms – 6lack
Crew – Goldlink feat Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy
Family Feud – Jay-Z feat Beyoncé
Loyalty. – Kendrick Lamar feat Rihanna – WINNER
Love Galore – SZA feat Travis Scott
Best dance recording
Bambro Koyo Ganda – Bonobo Featuring Innov Gnawa
Cola – Camelphat & Elderbrook
Andromeda – Gorillaz Featuring DRAM
Tonite – LCD Soundsystem – WINNER
Line Of Sight – Odesza Featuring WYNNE & Mansionair
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Migration – Bonobo
3-D The Catalogue – Kraftwerk – WINNER
Mura Masa – Mura Masa
A Moment Apart – Odesza
What Now – Sylvan Esso
Best Rock Performance
You Want It Darker – Leonard Cohen – WINNER
The Promise – Chris Cornell
Run – Foo Fighters
No Good – Kaleo
Go To War – Nothing More
Best Metal Performance
Invisible Enemy – August Burns Red
Black Hoodie – Body Count
Forever – Code Orange
Sultan’s Curse – Mastodon – WINNER
Clockworks – Meshuggah
Best rock song
Metallica – Atlas, Rise!
K.Flay – Blood in the Cut
Nothing More – Go to War
Foo Fighters – Run – WINNER
Avenge Sevenfold – The Stage
Pop vocal album
Kaleidoscope EP – Coldplay
Lust for Life – Lana Del Rey
Evolve – Imagine Dragons
Rainbow – Kesha
Joanne – Lady Gaga
÷ (Divide) – Ed Sheeran – WINNER
Pop duo/group performance
Something Just Like This – The Chainsmokers and Coldplay
Despacito – Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee feat Justin Bieber
Thunder – Imagine Dragons
Feel It Still – Portugal The Man – WINNER
Stay – Zedd & Alessia Cara
Best R&B performance
Get You – Daniel Caesar feat Kali Uchis
Distraction – Kehlani
High – Ledisi
That’s What I Like – Bruno Mars – WINNER
The Weekend – SZA
Best R&B song
PJ Morton – First Began
Khalid – Location
Childish Gambino – Redbone
SZA – Supermodel
Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like – WINNER
Best rap performance
Big Sean – Bounce Back
Cardi B – Bodak Yellow
Jay -Z – 4:44
Kendrick Lamar – Humble – WINNER
Migos feat Lil Uzi Vert – Bad and Boujee
Best R&B album
Freudian – Daniel Caesar
Let Love Rule – Ledisi
24K Magic – Bruno Mars – WINNER
Gumbo – PJ Morton
Feel the Real – Musiq Soulchild
Best country solo performance
Sam Huny – Body Like a Back Road
Alison Krauss – Losing You
Miranda Lambert – Tin Man
Maren Morris – I Could Use a Love Song
Chris Stapleton – Either Way – WINNER
Best country song
Little Big Town – Better Man
Sam Hunt – Body Like a Back Road
Chris Stapleton – Broken Halos – Winner
Midland – Drinkin’ Problem
Miranda Lambert – Tin Man
Best urban contemporary album
6lack – Free 6lack
Childish Gambino – Awaken, My Love!
Khalid – American Teen
SZA – Ctrl
the Weeknd – Starboy – WINNER
Best music video
Up All Night – Beck
Makeba – Jain
The Story of OJ – Jay-Z
Humble – Kendrick Lamar – WINNER
1-800-273-8255 – Logic ft Alessia Cara & Khalid
Photography Credit: Sharon Alagna