Beyonce, OutKast Top Grammys
Beyonce Knowles may be “Crazy in Love,” but she kept her cool Sunday at one of the more sober Grammy Awards shows in memory. She was the night’s big winner, taking home a record-tying five trophies to join recent Grammy queens Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys and Norah Jones with the most wins in a single year by a female performer.
OutKast‘s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won Album of the Year, giving the eccentric Atlanta funk/rap group three wins, including Best Urban Alternative Performance and Best Rap Album. British band Coldplay took home the prize for Record of the Year for “Clocks,” while Song of the Year went to the ailing Luther Vandross and his co-writer Richard Marx for “Dance with My Father.” Vandross, subject of a special tribute that featured Keys and Celine Dion, won a total of four awards.
In an upset over the heavily favored rapper 50 Cent, the award for Best New Artist went to Evanescence, the rock group that also took home an award for Best Hard Rock Performance. Other multiple winners included the White Stripes, Eminem, Alison Krauss, Justin Timberlake and the late singers June Carter Cash and Warren Zevon.
In the wake of Janet Jackson’s impromptu “wardrobe malfunction” during the Super Bowl halftime show last week, CBS and Grammy organizers were clearly determined to present a clean-cut program. The show was broadcast with a five-minute delay to allow producers time to consider any potentially offending words, gestures or body parts.
Though Jackson, originally scheduled as a presenter, was a no-show — unlike Timberlake, she opted not to appear on the condition that she apologize for the Super Bowl incident — plenty of once and future controversy-stokers were on hand, including Prince (who opened the show with a medley featuring Beyonce) and presenters such as Madonna and Ozzy Osbourne. Still, the ceremony was devoid of incident.
“Sometimes it’s just about the music,” said Queen Latifah, introducing a performance by Christina Aguilera, “and the power of the human voice.”
Later, Aguilera, accepting the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, took the stage struggling to keep her skimpy dress from slipping. “I don’t want the same thing to happen to me that Janet had done,” she joked.
Timberlake, accepting the award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, acknowledged the hubbub over his halftime softcore act with Jackson. “Listen, I know it’s been a rough week on everybody,” he said with a wry smile. “What occurred was unintentional, completely regrettable, and I apologize if you guys were offended.”
With all parties on their best behavior, the biggest headache for the censors might have been presenter Samuel L. Jackson’s repeated, gleeful use of the word “funk” as he introduced the acts in a chaotic R&B medley that included OutKast, George Clinton with Parliament/Funkadelic, and Earth, Wind and Fire.
Other performances were more restrained. Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris and Billy Bob Thornton led a celebrity chorus paying somber tribute to Zevon by singing along with a video of the late singer recording “Keep Me in Your Heart.” Sting and dancehall star Sean Paul played up the reggae roots of the Police’s signature song, “Roxanne.” Sting also performed in an unlikely foursome with Dave Matthews, Vince Gill and Pharrell Williams, covering the Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There.”
Peace and harmony were recurring themes. Yoko Ono, who accepted a special award honoring the fortieth anniversary of the Beatles’ first trip to America on behalf of her late husband, John Lennon, choked up as she said he would have had a familiar message for the audience: “Come together, give peace a chance and love is all we need.” And the Black Eyed Peas performed their Record of the Year-nominated song, the socially conscious “Where Is the Love.”
More specific politics were largely absent, save for Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who dedicated his band’s award to Johnny Cash and John Kerry, “who hopefully will be your president one day.”
Recipients of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Grammys included the songwriting team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin, the Motown rhythm section known as the Funk Brothers, bluegrass legend Doc Watson and saxophone giant Sonny Rollins.
Beyonce, accepting her award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, summed up the night’s theme of humility. “This is unbelievable,” she said. “Performing was enough for me.”
The complete list of the 46th Annual Grammy Awards winners:
Record of the Year
“Clocks,” Coldplay
Album of the Year
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, OutKast
Song of the Year
“Dance With My Father,” Richard Marx, Luther Vandross (Vandross)
Best New Artist
Evanescence
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
“Beautiful,” Christina Aguilera
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
“Cry Me a River,” Justin Timberlake
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
“Underneath It All,” No Doubt
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
“Whenever I Say Your Name,” Mary J. Blige and Sting
Best Pop Instrumental Performance
“Marwa Blues,” George Harrison
Best Pop Instrumental Album
Mambo Sinuendo, Ry Cooder and Manuel Galban
Best Pop Vocal Album
Justified, Justin Timberlake
Best Dance Recording
“Come Into My World,” Kylie Minogue
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
A Wonderful World, Tony Bennett and k.d. lang
Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
“Trouble,” Pink
Best Male Rock Vocal Performance
“Gravedigger,” Dave Matthews
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
“Disorder in the House,” Warren Zevon with Bruce Springsteen
Best Hard Rock Performance
“Bring Me to Life,” Evanescence
Best Metal Performance
“St. Anger,” Metallica
Best Rock Instrumental Performance
“Plan B,” Jeff Beck
Best Rock Song
“Seven Nation Army,” Jack White (White Stripes)
Best Rock Album
One by One, Foo Fighters
Best Alternative Music Album
Elephant, the White Stripes
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
“Dangerously in Love,” Beyonce
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
“Dance With My Father,” Luther Vandross
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
“The Closer I Get to You,” Beyonce and Luther Vandross
Best R&B Song
“Crazy in Love,” Shawn Carter, Rich Harrison, Beyonce Knowles, Eugene Record (Beyonce)
Best R&B Album
Dance With My Father, Luther Vandross
Best Contemporary R&B Album
Dangerously in Love, Beyonce
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
“Wonderful,” Aretha Franklin
Best Urban/Alternative Performance
“Hey Ya,” OutKast
Best Female Rap Solo Performance
“Work It,” Missy Elliott
Best Male Rap Solo Performance
“Lose Yourself,” Eminem
Best Rap Song
“Lose Yourself,” Marshall Mathers, Luis Resto, Jeff Bass (Eminem)
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
“Shake Ya Tailfeather,” Nelly and P. Diddy
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
“Crazy in Love,” Beyonce and Jay-Z
Best Rap Album
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, OutKast
Best Male Country Vocal Performance
“Next Big Thing,” Vince Gill
Best Female Country Vocal Performance
“Keep on the Sunny Side,” June Carter Cash
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
“A Simple Life,” Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
“How’s the World Treating You,” Alison Krauss and James Taylor
Best Country Instrumental Performance
“Cluck Old Hen,” Alison Krauss and Union Station
Best Country Song
“It’s Five o’Clock Somewhere,” Jim Brown, Don Rollins (Alan Jackson)
Best Country Album
Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’: Songs of the Louvin Brothers, Various Artists
Best New Age Album
One Quiet Night, Pat Metheny
Best Contemporary Jazz Album
34th N Lex, Randy Brecker
Best Jazz Vocal Album
A Little Moonlight, Dianne Reeves
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
“Matrix,” Chick Corea
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
Alegria, Wayne Shorter
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Wide Angles, Michael Brecker Quindectet
Best Latin Jazz Album
Live at the Blue Note, Michael Camilo
Best Rock Gospel Album
Worldwide, Audio Adrenaline
Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
Worship Again, Michael W. Smith
Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album
Rise and Shine, Randy Travis
Best Bluegrass Album
Live, Alison Krauss and Union Station
Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album
Go Tell It on the Mountain, the Blind Boys of Alabama
Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
. . . Again, Donnie McClurkin
Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album
A Wing and a Prayer, Bishop T.D. Jakes, director
Best Latin Pop Album
No Es lo Mismo, Alejandro Sanz
Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album
Cuatro Caminos, Cafe Tacuba
Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album
Buenos Hermanos, Ibrahim Ferrer
Best Salsa/Merengue Album
Regalo del Alma, Celia Cruz
Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album
Afortunado, Joan Sebastian
Best Tejano Album
Si Me Faltas Tu, Jimmy Gonzalez
Best Traditional Blues Album
Blues Singer, Buddy Guy
Best Contemporary Blues Album
Let’s Roll, Etta James
Best Traditional Folk Album
Wildwood Flower, June Carter Cash
Best Contemporary Folk Album
The Wind, Warren Zevon
Best Native American Music Album
Flying Free, Black Eagle
Best Reggae Album
Dutty Rock, Sean Paul
Best Traditional World Music Album
Sacred Tibetan Chant, the Monks of Sherab Ling Monastery
Best Contemporary World Music Album
Voz D’ Amor, Cesaria Evora
Best Polka Album
Let’s Polka ‘Round, Jimmy Sturr
Best Musical Album for Children
Bon Appetit, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer
Best Spoken Word Album for Children
Peter and the Wolf, Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbechev
Best Spoken Word Album
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, Al Franken
Best Comedy Album
Poodle Hat, Weird Al Yankovic
Best Musical Show Album
Gypsy
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Chicago
Best Score Soundtrack Album For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Howard Shore
Best Song Written For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
“A Mighty Wind,” from A Mighty Wind, Christopher Guest
Best Instrumental Composition
“Sacajawea,” Wayne Shorter
Best Instrumental Arrangement
“Timbuktu,” Michael Brecker and Gil Goldstein
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists
“Woodstock,” Vince Mendoza
Best Recording Packaging
Evolve, Ani Difranco and Brian Grunert, art director (DiFranco)
Best Boxed Recording Packaging
The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions, Julian Alexander, others, art director (Miles Davis)
Best Album Notes
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues, Tom Piazza
Best Historical Album
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues, Steve Berkowitz
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Hail to the Thief, Nigel Godrich and Darrell Thorp (Radiohead)
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
The Neptunes (Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams)
Best Short Form Music Video
“Hurt,” Mark Romanek, director (Johnny Cash)
Best Long Form Music Video
“Legend,” Allen Klein, director (Sam Cooke)
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
“Crazy in Love,” Maurice Joshua (Beyonce)
Best Engineered Album, Classical
Obrigado Brazil, Richard King and Todd Whitelock
Producer of Year, Classical
Steven Epstein
Best Classical Album
Mahler: Symphony No. 3
Best Orchestral Performance
Mahler: Symphony No. 3, Pierre Boulez
Best Opera Recording
Janacek: Jenufa, Wolfram Graul
Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (With Orchestra)
Britten: Violin Concerto, Mstislav Rostropovich
Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra)
Haydn: Piano Sonatas Nos. 29, 31, 34, 35 and 49, Emanuel Ax, piano
Best Chamber Music Performance
Berg: Lyric Suite, Kronos Quartet
Best Small Ensemble Performance (With or Without Conductor)
Chavez: Suite for Double Quartet, Jeff von der Schmidt, conductor
Best Classical Vocal Performance
Schubert: Lieder With Orchestra, Thomas Quasthoff
Best Classical Contemporary Composition
Argento: Casa Guidi, Dominick Argento
Best Classical Crossover Album
Obrigado Brazil, Jorge Calandrelli, conductor