2014 Grammys Recap
by Kam Williams

A Royal Night to Remember!

From Queen B’s Wardrobe Malfunction to Queen Latifah’s Mass Wedding

Although the Grammys were dominated by the French robot duo Daft Punk, rapper/producer team Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and New Zealand teen singing sensation Lorde, their wins were easily upstaged by memorable appearances by two black queens, namely, Queen B and Queen Latifah. For, the night to remember’s highlights featured a wardrobe malfunction during Beyoncé’s performance of “Drunk in Love” and Reverend Latifah’s officiating the wedding of 33 couples (with the power vested in her by the State of California) following Macklemore’s spirited rendition of the gay anthem “Same Love.”

Did anybody think about Nas’ pronouncement that “Hip-hop is dead!” on a night when the genre’s artists netting the most accolades were no longer black gangsta rappers but white gay rights advocates preaching tolerance of sexual preferences? Talk about jumping the shark! The only other jaw-dropper was the sight of Pharrell in that oversized, Canadian Mountie hat.

 

Complete List of 2014 Grammy Winners

Record of the Year

“Get Lucky,” Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers

Album of the Year

“Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk

Song of the Year

Joel Little and Ella Yelich-O’Connor (“Royals,” Lorde)

New Artist

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Pop Solo Performance

“Royals,” Lorde

Pop Performance, Duo or Group

“Get Lucky,” Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers

Pop Instrumental Album

“Steppin’ Out,” Herb Alpert

Pop Vocal Album

“Unorthodox Jukebox,” Bruno Mars

Dance Recording

“Clarity,” Zedd and Foxes

Dance/Electronica Album

“Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk

Traditional Pop Vocal Album

“To Be Loved,” Michael Bublé

Rock Performance

“Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons

Metal Performance

“God Is Dead?,” Black Sabbath

Rock Song

Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear (“Cut Me Some Slack,” Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear)

Rock Album

“Celebration Day,” Led Zeppelin

Alternative Music Album

“Modern Vampires of the City,” Vampire Weekend

R&B Performance

“Something,” Snarky Puppy and Lalah Hathaway

Traditional R&B Performance

“Please Come Home,” Gary Clark Jr.

R&B Song

James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley and Justin Timberlake (“Pusher Love Girl,” Justin Timberlake)

R&B Album

“Girl on Fire,” Alicia Keys

Rap Performance

“Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Wanz

Rap/Sung Collaboration

“Holy Grail,” Jay Z and Justin Timberlake

Rap Song

Ben Haggerty and Ryan Lewis (“Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Wanz)

Rap Album

“The Heist,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Urban Contemporary Album

“Unapologetic,” Rihanna

Country Solo Performance

“Wagon Wheel,” Darius Rucker

Country Performance, Duo or Group

“From This Valley,” the Civil Wars

Country Song

Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves and Josh Osborne (“Merry Go ’Round,” Kacey Musgraves)

Country Album

“Same Trailer Different Park,” Kacey Musgraves

New Age Album

“Love’s River,” Laura Sullivan

Improvised Jazz Solo

“Orbits,” Wayne Shorter

Jazz Vocal Album

“Liquid Spirit,” Gregory Porter

Jazz Instrumental Album

“Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue,” Terri Lyne Carrington

Large Jazz Ensemble Album

“Night in Calisia,” Randy Brecker, Wlodek Pawlik Trio and Kalisz Philharmonic

Latin Jazz Album

“Song for Maura,” Paquito D’Rivera and Trio Corrente

Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance

“Break Every Chain (Live),” Tasha Cobbs

Gospel Song

Tye Tribbett (“If He Did It Before ... Same God (Live),” Tye Tribbett)

Contemporary Christian Music Song

David Garcia, Ben Glover and Christopher Stevens (“Overcomer,” Mandisa)

Gospel Album

“Greater Than (Live),” Tye Tribbett

Contemporary Christian Music Album

“Overcomer,” Mandisa

Latin Pop Album

“Vida,” Draco Rosa

Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album

“Treinta Días,” la Santa Cecilia

Regional Mexican or Tejano Album

“A Mi Manera,” Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea

Tropical Latin Album

“Pacific Mambo Orchestra,” Pacific Mambo Orchestra

American Roots Song

Edie Brickell and Steve Martin (“Love Has Come for You,” Steve Martin and Edie Brickell)

Americana Album

“Old Yellow Moon,” Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell

Bluegrass Album

“The Streets of Baltimore,” Del McCoury Band

Blues Album

“Get Up!,” Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite

Folk Album

“My Favorite Picture of You,” Guy Clark

Regional Roots Music Album

“Dockside Sessions,” Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience

Reggae Album

“Ziggy Marley in Concert,” Ziggy Marley

World Music Album

“Savor Flamenco,” Gipsy Kings

“Live: Singing for Peace Around the World,” Ladysmith Black Mambazo (tie)

Children’s Album

“Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well,” Jennifer Gasoi

Spoken Word Album

“America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t,” Stephen Colbert

Comedy Album

“Calm Down Gurrl,” Kathy Griffin

Musical Theater Album

“Kinky Boots,” Billy Porter and Stark Sands, artists; Sammy James Jr., Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Oremus and William Wittman, producers; Cyndi Lauper, composer/lyricist

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

“Sound City: Real to Reel,” Butch Vig, compilation producer

Score Soundtrack for Visual Media

“Skyfall,” Thomas Newman, composer

Song Written for Visual Media

Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth, “Skyfall,” from “Skyfall” (Adele)

Instrumental Composition

“Pensamientos for Solo Alto Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra,” Clare Fischer (the Clare Fischer Orchestra)

Instrumental Arrangement

“On Green Dolphin Street,” Gordon Goodwin (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)

Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

“Swing Low,” Gil Goldstein (Bobby McFerrin and Esperanza Spalding)

Producer of the Year, Nonclassical

Pharrell Williams

Producer of the Year, Classical

David Frost

Remixed Recording, Nonclassical

“Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix),” Cedric Gervais, remixer

Orchestral Performance

“Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4,” Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra)

Opera Recording

“Adès: The Tempest,” Thomas Adès, conductor; Simon Keenlyside, Isabel Leonard, Audrey Luna and Alan Oke; Jay David Saks, producer (the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; the Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

Choral Performance

“Pärt: Adam’s Lament,” Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor (Tui Hirv and Rainer Vilu, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Sinfonietta Riga and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Latvian Radio Choir and Vox Clamantis)

Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

“Roomful of Teeth,” Brad Wells and Roomful of Teeth

Classical Instrumental Solo

“Corigliano: Conjurer — Concerto for Percussionist and String Orchestra,” Evelyn Glennie

Classical Vocal Solo

“Winter Morning Walks,” Dawn Upshaw (Maria Schneider; Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough and Scott Robinson; Australian Chamber Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)

Classical Compendium

“Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik,” Christoph Eschenbach, conductor

Contemporary Classical Composition

“Schneider, Maria: Winter Morning Walks,” Maria Schneider (Dawn Upshaw, Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough, Scott Robinson and Australian Chamber Orchestra)

Music Video

“Suit & Tie,” Justin Timberlake and Jay Z

Music Film

“Live Kisses,” Paul McCartney

Recording Package

“Long Night Moon,” Sarah Dodds and Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly)

Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package

“Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition),” Simon Earith and James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney and Wings)

Album Notes

“Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered & Expanded),” Neil Tesser (John Coltrane)

Historical Album

“Charlie Is My Darling — Ireland 1965,” Teri Landi, Andrew Loog Oldham & Steve Rosenthal, compilation producers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (the Rolling Stones)

“The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums,” Leo Sacks, compilation producer; Joseph M. Palmaccio, Tom Ruff and Mark Wilder, mastering engineers (Bill Withers) (tie)

Engineered Album, Nonclassical

“Random Access Memories,” Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta and Daniel Lerner, engineers; Antoine Chabert and Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Daft Punk)

Surround Sound Album

“Live Kisses,” Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney)

Best Engineered Album, Classical

“Winter Morning Walks,” David Frost, Brian Losch and Tim Martyn, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider, Australian Chamber Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)