Grammys 2017: Sturgill Simpson, Maren Morris Win Big
Sunday night’s 59th annual Grammy Awards celebrated the very best music of the past year, and country had its moment in the spotlight.
Maren Morris won the genre’s televised award, Best Country Solo Performance, for her song “My Church.” The singer, whose debut album Hero was nominated for Best Country Album, later returned to the stage to perform the Hero track “Once” with Alicia Keys. The collaboration was a reunion for the singers, who appeared together on CMT Crossroads in December.
Sturgill Simpson took home the genre’s album award, winning Best Country Album for A Sailor’s Guide to Earth during the Grammys’ pre-telecast ceremonies. The Kentucky singer had a high-profile slot on the national stage, however, performing “All Around You” with the Dap-Kings horns.
Other country performances included Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood re-creating their collaboration “The Fighter,” off Urban’s Ripcord album, and Kelsea Ballerini and Lukas Graham mashing up their respective hits “Peter Pan” and “7 Years.” Little Big Town also scored some performance time, introducing Katy Perry with an a cappella take on her “Teenage Dream” and joining the show’s Bee Gees tribute to sing “How Deep Is Your Love.”