Silk Sonic / Rodrigo / Batiste Grammy Party
• Silk Sonic, Olivia Rodrigo and Jon Batiste dominated the “Big Four” Grammy Awards during Sunday evening’s 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards®, which rolled live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena (and its rooftop) in Las Vegas, hosted once again by Trevor Noah. Some brief highlights:
> Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak) opened the show with the rousing, Vegas-centric “777,” and then went ahead and took home four Grammy Awards for “Leave The Door Open,” including Song Of The Year, Record of The Year, Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance — the later a tie with “Pick Up Your Feelings” by Jazmine Sullivan — who won the Best R&B Album Grammy for Heaux Tales.
> Olivia Rodrigo won three Grammys, including Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album for Sour. Rodrigo also performed her massive hit “Drivers License,” which garnered her another Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance.
> Jon Batiste, who went into the evening with 11 Grammy nominations, won five, including Album of The Year for We Are. During the pre-show ceremony, Batiste won four Grammys — Best Music Video Grammy for “Freedom,” Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance for “Cry,” written with Steve McEwan. Batiste’s collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on the Pixar animated film Soul won the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, tied with the score for The Queen’s Gambit.
> Foo Fighters, still reeling from the untimely passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins, swept three Rock categories — Best Rock Performance (“Making A Fire”); Best Rock Album (Medicine At Midnight); and Best Rock Song (“Waiting On A War”). The Grammys paid tribute to Hawkins (“My Hero”) leading into the In Memoriam segment, which was beautifully accompanied by Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom, Jr. and Rachel Zegler, and Billie Eilish performed in a Taylor Hawkins shirt.
> Here is the General Field category, a.k.a. “The Big Four” — Album Of The Year: We Are, Jon Batiste • Song Of The Year: “Leave The Door Open” • Record of The Year: “Leave The Door Open” • Best New Artist: Olivia Rodrigo.
Grammy’s Hearts In Ukraine
> In a pre-taped video message (recorded in a bunker in Kyiv), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyydelivered an emotional speech amid Russia’s continued invasion of his country. Zelenskyy said, in part, “Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals. Even to those who can’t hear them. But the music will break through anyway. We defend our freedom. To live. To love. To sound. On our land, we are fighting Russia which brings horrible silence with its bombs. Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today. Tell our story. Tell the truth about the war on your social networks and TV. But not silence.”
Zelenskyy’s video message segued into John Legend‘s performance of his new song, “Free,” accompanied by Ukrainian singer Mika Newton and Ukrainian poet Lyuba Yakimchuk.
> Fresh off last Sunday’s Academy Award win for Best Documentary Feature, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson‘s Summer of Soul won the Grammy for Best Music Film.
> Joni Mitchell, who was honored Friday night as the 31st annual MusiCares® Person of the Year, was one of the first Grammy winners announced Sunday afternoon prior to the broadcast, taking home the trophy forBest Historical Album for Joni Mitchell Archives — Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967).
> The legendary Tony Bennett, who last year retired from performing, won yet another Grammy — Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album with his friend Lady Gaga for Love For Sale. In a brief pre-taped clip, Bennett introduced Gaga’s performance of “Love For Sale” and “Do I Love You.”
Other Grammy performers included J Balvin with Maria Becerra, Jon Batiste, Brothers Osborne, BTS, Brandi Carlile, , H.E.R. (with Lenny Kravitz & Travis Barker), Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Maverick City Music, Nas, Aymée Nuviola, Chris Stapleton, Billy Strings and Carrie Underwood. A complete list of this year’s winners is posted at Grammy.com.
