GRAMMY AWARDS 2012 : FULL LIST OF WINNERS : IN PHOTOS : aforadio.com

Posted in E-News on 13. Feb, 2012

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Grammy awards 2012: Grief and celebration

There was sadness over Whitney Houston but Adele’s Grammy triumph reminded us of the brilliant power of music to heal.

Adele, winner of the GRAMMYs for Record of the Year for


Adele with her haul of Grammy Awards Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

It is the kind of cruel timing that suggests the Gods still laugh at the vanities of man. The American music business gathered for its annual festival of self-congratulation whilst reeling from the shocking news that another superstar, one of their own most lauded talents, had been tragically cut down. With no time to break their stride or take stock, the Grammy awards was turned into a focus of grief as well as celebration, mourning one great female singer, whilst hailing another. The pop queen is dead, long live the pop queen. And now for another ad break.

American schmaltz bearing about it the ooze of insincerity, it was always going to be difficult for this ceremony to strike the right balance, like throwing a party at a funeral. There was piety and sorrow, dedications to the fallen star, invocations of heaven and an eternal afterlife of posthumous sales, promises that their absent sister would never be forgotten. Tears were close to the surface, and it was not the glycerine of gushing acceptance speeches.

There is no doubt that this fraternity of celebrities was in shock, and all that inchoate emotion found focus in young gospel star Jennifer Hudson’s stark and emotional rendering of I Will Always Love You, the one moment when the pitiful death of a troubled superstar threatened to open up like a wound. But if there was any sense of shame and complicity, any shadowy notions that the excesses, pomp and ego of this business might contribute to the immolation of so many of its most lauded talents, then it wasn’t on display here. There were backs to be slapped, awards to be collected, speeches to be made, dance routines to be danced, recordings to be promoted. It is practically the first rule of the business, after all: the show must go on.

It may have seemed an awkward or inopportune moment to hail the rise of Adele, a singer in whom you can see and hear so many echoes of her fallen predecessor. We might, for a moment, have been haunted by back projections of a young Whitney Houston, the smiling photos that seemed to bear witness to her innocent essence when she first burst onto the scene, all girl-next-door sweetness and big lunged vocal prowess. Does that remind us of anyone? And could such a terrible fate lie in store for the world’s new soul sweetheart?

Mitch and Janis Winehouse were in the building to accept a posthumous award for their daughter, Amy, another reminder that fame and fortune offers no safe harbour for even the most talented. Yet if there was a silver lining around these black clouds, it was surely Adele herself. She seems so resolutely grounded and down-to-earth, so lacking in the narcissism and needy insecurity, ephemerality and insubstantiality so prevalent in her profession, it is impossible to imagine this story could have an unhappy ending.

Her documented struggle has not been with self-hate, depression or substance abuse, but with her vocal chords. There were all kinds of triumphs to be celebrated on her big night, when she collected six awards confirming her position as top girl, but the heart of it was simply that she was there at all, singing up a storm, winning her private battle. And so, the turbulent spirit of Whitney was, temporarily at least, laid to rest.

If the self-promoting values of a commercial industry awards show seem an unfortunate vehicle for the kind of contemplation of mortality that is stirred up by such a famous death, there were, nonetheless, glimpses of redemption, salvation and healing between the ad slots and thank you speeches.

The climax of the show was a gathering of old rockers, stocky veterans who have not just survived but thrived in the pop crucible, and whose continued presence is a reminder of the life-affirming power of music. Paul McCartney, one of the Godheads of contemporary pop culture, led a band of brothers through the potent climax of The Beatles Abbey Road medley. The pure undisguised joy of Bruce Springsteen, Joe Walsh and comparative strippling Dave Grohl ripping out lead solo licks with one of their heroes was a pleasure to behold.

For younger viewers, the highlights may have been Nicki Minaj’s mad religious rap and Rihanna in hot pants duetting with Coldplay, rather than four old farts in black suits grinning like goofs, but it was the performance that lifted the Grammy awards out of the superficial zone and into the magical ether where music transcends mere popularity. All of these stars have had their battles, and lost fellows along the way. We may have detected the restless spirits of Clarence Clemons, Warren Zevon, Kurt Cobain and John Lennon hovering over the stage. But the song is such an epic celebration of life, even ghosts must have been smiling by its conclusion. “And in the end, the love we make is equal to the love we take,” sang McCartney. As imporobable as it seems, in its dying moments, as the credits ran, the Grammy ceremony almost achieved a kind of profundity.

credit & thanks : telegraph.co.uk

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Grammy Awards 2012: Winners

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Album of the year

( Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times )

Adele won the album of the year Grammy for “21.”

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Record of the year

( Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times )

Adele also won the record of the year Grammy for “Rolling in the Deep.”

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Best new artist

( Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times )

Bon Iver won the Grammy for best new artist.

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Song of the year

( Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

“Rolling in the Deep,” performed by Adele, won the song of the year Grammy. The award goes to songwriters Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth.

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Best pop solo performance

( Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

Adele won the first Grammy during the telecast, for best pop solo performance for “Someone Like You.”

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Best pop duo/group performance

( Netherlander Concerts; Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times )

“Body and Soul,” performed by Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse, who died a few months after recording it, won the Grammy for best pop duo/group performance.

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Best pop vocal album

( Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

Adele’s “21″ won the Grammy Award for best pop vocal album.

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Best dance recording

( Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times )

“Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” by Skrillex, won the Grammy Award for best dance recording.

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Best dance/electronica album

( Christopher Polk / Getty Images )

Skrillex performs “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” which won the best dance/electronica album Grammy Award.

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Best traditional pop vocal album

( Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times )

“Duets II,” by Tony Bennett and various artists, won the Grammy for best traditional pop vocal album.

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Best rock performance

( Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times )

The Foo Fighters won the best rock performance Grammy for “Walk.”

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Best rock song

( Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times )

“Walk,” written and performed by the Foo Fighters, won the Grammy for best rock song.

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Best rock album

( Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

The Foo Fighters’ “Wasting Light” won the Grammy for best rock album. They performed Sunday night outside Staples Center during the award ceremony.

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Best alternative music album

( Drew Kaiser / Iris Photographics )

Bon Iver’s “Bon Iver” won the best alternative music album Grammy.

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Best R&B album

( Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

Chris Brown won the best R&B album Grammy Award for “F.A.M.E.”

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Best R&B song

( Arista Records )

“Fool for You,” performed by Cee Lo Green and Melanie Fiona, won the Grammy for best R&B song. The award goes to songwriters Cee Lo Green and Jack Splash.

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Best rap performance

( Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

Jay-Z and Kanye West won the best rap performance Grammy Award for “Otis.”

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Best rap song

( Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

“All of the Lights,” performed by Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie, won the Grammy for best rap song. The award went to the song’s writers, Jeff Bhasker, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter and Kanye West.

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Best rap album

( Damon Winter / Los Angeles Times )

Kanye West won the best rap album Grammy for “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”

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Best country song

( Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times )

“Mean,” performed and written by Taylor Swift, won the Grammy for best country song.

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Best country album

( Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times )

Lady Antebellum’s “Own the Night” won the Grammy Award for best country album

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Best Americana album

( Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times )

Levon Helm won the best Americana album Grammy for “Ramble at the Ryman.”

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Best folk album

( Michael Buckner / Getty Images for Bing )

The Civil Wars’ “Barton Hollow” won the Grammy for best folk album.

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Best comedy album

( Al Seib / Los Angeles Times )

Louis C.K. won the best comedy album Grammy for “Hilarious.”

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credit & thanks : latimes.com

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Grammy Awards 2012: full list of winners

Adele scooped song of the year for Rolling in the Deep along with five other Grammys, while the Foo Fightes won five awards. Here is the list of winners in full.

Winners in selected major categories at Sunday’s 54th Annual Grammy Awards:

Song of the Year: “Rolling in the Deep,” Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth

Pop Solo Performance: “Someone Like You,” Adele

Pop Performance by a Duo or Group: “Body and Soul,” Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse

Pop Vocal Album: “21,” Adele

Alternative Album: “Bon Iver,” Bon Iver

Rock Song: “Walk,” Foo Fighters

Rock Album: “Wasting Light,” Foo Fighters

Rock Performance: “Walk,” Foo Fighters

Hard Rock/Metal Performance: “White Limo,” Foo Fighters

R&B Album: “F.A.M.E.,” Chris Brown

R&B Song: “Fool For You,” Cee Lo Green, Melanie Hallim & Jack Splash

R&B Performance: “Is This Love,” Corrine Bailey Rae

Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: “Fool For You,” Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona

Rap Album: “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” Kanye West

Rap Performance: “Otis,” Jay-Z and Kanye West

Rap Song: “All of the Lights,” Jeff Bhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West

Rap/Sung Collaboration: “All of the Lights,” Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie

Dance Recording: “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” Skrillex

Dance/Electronica Album: “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” Skrillex

Musical Theater Album: “The Book of Mormon,” Robert Lopez, Trey Parker & Matt Stone

World Music Album: “Tassili,” Tinariwen

Latin Pop Rock, Rock or Urban Album: “Drama y Luz,” Mana

Tropical Latin Album: “Last Mambo,” Cachao

Banda or Norteno Album: “Los Tigres Del Norte and Friends,” Los Tigres Del Norte

Regional Mexican or Tejano Album: “Bicentenario,” Pepe Aguilar

Country Solo Performance: “Mean,” Taylor Swift

Country Album: “Own the Night,” Lady Antebellum

Country Performance by a Duo or Group: “Barton Hollow,” The Civil Wars

Country Song: “Mean,” Taylor Swift

Jazz Vocal Album: “The Mosaic Project,” Terri Lyne Carrington & various artists

Jazz Instrumental Album: “Forever,” Corea, Clark & White

Improvised Jazz Solo: “500 Miles High,” Chick Corea

Large Ensemble Jazz Album: “The Good Feeling,” Christian McBride Big Band

Blues Album: “Revelator,” Tedeschi Trucks Band

Folk Album: “Barton Hollow,” The Civil Wars

Pop Instrumental Album: “The Road From Memphis,” Booker T. Jones

Bluegrass Album: “Paper Airplane,” Alison Krauss & Union Station

Americana Album: “Ramble at the Ryman,” Levon Helm

Reggae Album: “Revelation Pt. 1: The Root of Life,” Stephen Marley

Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album:

New Age Album: “What’s It All About,” Pat Metheny

Children’s Album: “All About Bullies… Big and Small,” various artists

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Paul Epworth

Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: “Cinema (Skrillex remix),” Sonny Moore

Gospel Song: “Hello Fear,” Kirk Franklin

Gospel/Contemporary Christian Performance: “Jesus,” L’Andria Johnson

Gospel Album: “Hello Fear,” Kirk Franklin

Choral Performance: “Light & Gold,” Eric Whitacre

Classical Contemporary Composition: “Elmer Gantry,” Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein

Producer of the Year, Classical: Judith Sherman

Orchestral Performance: “Brahms: Symphony No. 4,” Gustavo Dudamel

Opera Recording: “Adams: Doctor Atomic,” Alan Gilbert, conductor

Spoken Word Album: “If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t),” Betty White

Comedy Album: “Hilarious,” Louis C.K.

Compilation Soundtrack Album For Visual Media: “Boardwalk Empire,” various artists

Score Soundtrack Album For Visual Media: “The King’s Speech,” Alexandre Desplat

Song Written For Visual Media: “I See the Light,” Alan Menken & Glenn Slater

Historical Album: “Band on the Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection – Deluxe Edition),” Paul McCartney

Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists: “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me),” Jorge Calandrelli

credit & thanks : telegraph.co.uk

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