There were few surprises at last night’s 55th Grammy Awards show, with Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Gotye, Mumford & Sons and Fun. wins.Critics have hailed British band Mumford & Sons as the second coming of Christ for some time now, so predicting their Grammys win was easy. And who didn’t expect Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” or “We are Young” by Fun. to win? The night’s surprises were in Jay-Z’s Grammys sweep and Taylor Swift’s Grammys shaft. Jay-Z won several Grammys for his moderately interesting act, and Taylor Swift, queen of middle-of-the-road pop, walked away with only one Grammy despite being the most highly paid female vocalist under 30 in 2012. Unfortunately for viewers seeking a lot more spice, the highest paid female vocalist of 2012, Britney Spears, wasn’t in attendance last night. She skipped the shindig for a trip to a salon.
Electronic and dance music superstar Deadmau5 lost to his former protege, Skrillex, who picked up best dance/electronica album and best dance recording. No surprise there. In June 2010, Deadmau5 won the annual Beatport Music Award for Best Electro House Artist, Best Progressive House Artist, and “most influential, relevant and forward-thinking person in electronic music, but no Grammy. Skrillex, on the other hand, was nominated for a total of five Grammy Awards at the 54th Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and won three: “Best Dance/Electronica Album,” “Best Dance Recording,” and “Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical”. He was named MTV’s Electronic Dance Music Artist of the Year in 2011.
The big surprise was the limited diversity in the performances. In 2013, and with mainstream’s big push for “one world,” there should have been more of an attempt to include more ethnic, experimental and alternative music in last night’s affair. Some World Beat, Afro-Cuban or Latin Jazz would have been awesome.
Here is a comprehensive list of winners of the Recording Academy’s 55th Grammy Awards, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Sunday night. If you want more, be sure to follow our Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/Popdecay @Popdecay, where we will be posting lots of photos.
Album of the Year
Mumford & Sons, Babel
Record of the Year
Gotye featuring Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know”
Song Of The Year [awarded to songwriter]
“We Are Young,” Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost & Nate Ruess, songwriters (Fun. featuring Janelle Monae)
Best New Artist
Fun.
Best Pop Vocal Album
Kelly Clarkson, Stronger
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Set Fire To The Rain (Live),” Adele
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Somebody That I Used To Know,” Gotye featuring Kimbra
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Kisses On The Bottom, Paul McCartney
Best Rock Performance
“Lonely Boy,” The Black Keys
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance
“Love Bites (So Do I),” Halestorm
Best Rock Song
“Lonely Boy,” The Black Keys
Best Rock Album
El Camino, The Black Keys
Best Alternative Music Album
Making Mirrors, Gotye
Best R&B Performance
“Climax,” Usher
Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Love On Top,” Beyoncé
Best R&B Song
“Adorn,” Miguel
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Channel Orange, Frank Ocean
Best R&B Album
Black Radio, Robert Glasper Experiment
Best Rap Performance
“N****s in Paris,” Jay-Z & Kanye West
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
“No Church In The Wild,” Jay-Z & Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean & The-Dream
Best Rap Song
“N****s in Paris,” Jay-Z & Kanye West
Best Rap Album
Take Care, Drake
Best Country Solo Performance
Carrie Underwood, “Blown Away”
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Pontoon,” Little Big Town
Best Country Song
“Blown Away,” Carrie Underwood
Best Country Album
Uncaged, Zac Brown Band
Song Written For Visual Media
“Safe & Sound” (From The Hunger Games), Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams
Short-Form Music Video
“We Found Love,” Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
Long-Form Music Video
“Big Easy Express,” Mumford & Sons
Best Spoken Word
Society’s Child: My Autobiography, Janis Ian