Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, with host LL Cool J then taking the stage to ask the audience to join him in a prayer in memory of Whitney Houston. Houston, 48, died the afternoon before the Grammys, and throughout the show the Grammy winner’s life and career were recognized by various artists.
The music industry also lost one of its major talents with the death of Etta James on January 20, 2012 at the age of 73, and Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt paid tribute to the six-time Grammy winner by performing “Sunday Kind of Love.”
Also performing over the course of the two and a half hour event were Adele, Bruno Mars, Foo Fighters, Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean, Rihanna and Coldplay, Maroon 5, Foster the People and The Beach Boys, Paul McCartney, The Civil Wars and Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood, and Glen Campbell with The Band Perry and Blake Shelton.
But the showstopping number was performed by Jennifer Hudson who took to the stage following the memorial segment recognizing all the performers and music industry professional we’ve lost over the past year. Hudson powered her way through “I Will Always Love You” while holding back tears.
2012 Nominees and Winners:
Album Of The Year:
Winner: 21— Adele
Wasting Light— Foo Fighters
Born This Way— Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops & Hooligans — Bruno Mars
Loud — Rihanna
Record Of The Year:
Winner: “Rolling In The Deep” — Adele
“Holocene” — Bon Iver
“Grenade” — Bruno Mars
“The Cave” — Mumford & Sons
“Firework” — Katy Perry
Best New Artist:
The Band Perry
Winner: Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex
Song Of The Year:
“All Of The Lights” — Jeff Bhasker, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West, songwriters
(Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)
“The Cave” — Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)
“Grenade” — Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Andrew Wyatt,
songwriters (Bruno Mars)
“Holocene” — Justin Vernon, songwriter (Bon Iver)
Winner: “Rolling In The Deep” — Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)
Best Pop Solo Performance:
Winner: “Someone Like You” — Adele
“Yoü And I” — Lady Gaga
“Grenade” — Bruno Mars
“Firework” — Katy Perry
“F***in’ Perfect” — Pink
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
Winner: “Body And Soul” — Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
“Dearest” — The Black Keys
“Paradise” — Coldplay
“Pumped Up Kicks” — Foster The People
“Moves Like Jagger” — Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera
Best Pop Vocal Album:
Winner: 21 – Adele
The Lady Killer – Cee Lo Green
Born This Way – Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops & Hooligans – Bruno Mars
Loud – Rihanna
Best Dance/Electronica Album:
Winner: Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites – Skrillex
Zonoscope – Cut/Copy
4×4=12 – Deadmau5
Nothing But the Beat – David Guetta
Body Talk, Pt. 3 – Robyn
Best Dance Recording:
“Raise Your Weapon” — Deadmau5 & Greta Svabo Bech
“Barbra Streisand” — Duck Sauce
“Sunshine” — David Guetta & Avicii
“Call Your Girlfriend” — Robyn
Winner: “Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites” — Skrillex
“Save The World” — Swedish House Mafia
Best Rock Performance:
“Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall” — Coldplay
“Down By The Water” — The Decemberists
Winner: “Walk” — Foo Fighters
“The Cave” — Mumford & Sons
“Lotus Flower” — Radiohead
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance:
“On The Backs Of Angels” — Dream Theater
Winner: “White Limo” — Foo Fighters
“Curl Of The Burl”— Mastodon
“Public Enemy No. 1″ — Megadeth
“Blood In My Eyes”— Sum 41
Best Rock Song:
Winner: “Walk” – Foo Fighters
“The Cave” – Mumford and Sons
“Down by the Water” – The Decemberists
“Every Teardrop is a Waterfall – Coldplay
“Lotus Flower” – Radiohead
Best Rock Album:
Rock ‘N’ Roll Party Honoring Les Paul— Jeff Beck
Winner: Wasting Light— Foo Fighters
Come Around Sundown— Kings Of Leon
I’m With You— Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Whole Love— Wilco
Best Alternative Music Album:
Winner: Bon Iver— Bon Iver
Codes And Keys— Death Cab For Cutie
Torches— Foster The People
Circuital — My Morning Jacket
The King Of Limbs— Radiohead
Best Traditional R&B Performance:
“Sometimes I Cry” — Eric Benét
Winner: “Fool For You” — Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
“Radio Message” — R. Kelly
“Good Man” — Raphael Saadiq
“Surrender” — Betty Wright & The Roots
Best R&B Album:
Winner: F.A.M.E.— Chris Brown
Second Chance — El DeBarge
Love Letter — R. Kelly
Pieces Of Me— Ledisi
Kelly— Kelly Price
Best R&B Song:
“Far Away” – Marsha Ambrosius
Winner: “Fool for You” – Cee Lo Green and Melanie Fiona
“Not My Daddy” – Kelly Price & Stokley
“Piece of Me” – Ledisi
“You Are” – Charlie Wilson
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:
“Party” — Beyoncé & André 3000
“I’m On One” — DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
“I Need A Doctor” — Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey
“What’s My Name?” — Rihanna & Drake
“Motivation” — Kelly Rowland & Lil Wayne
Winner: “All Of The Lights” — Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
Best Rap Performance:
“Look At Me Now” — Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
Winner: “Otis” — Jay-Z & Kanye West
“The Show Goes On” — Lupe Fiasco
“Moment 4 Life” — Nicki Minaj & Drake
“Black And Yellow” — Wiz Khalifa
Best Rap Song:
Winner: “All of the Lights” – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergi
“Black and Yellow” – Wiz Khalifa
“I Need a Doctor” – Dr Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey
“Look at Me Now” – Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes
“Otis” – Jay-Z and Kanye West
Best Rap Album:
Watch the Throne – Jay-Z and Kanye West
Tha Carter IV – Lil Wayne
Winner: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
Lasers – Lupe Fiasco
Pink Friday – Nicki Minaj
Best Country Solo Performance:
“Dirt Road Anthem” — Jason Aldean
“I’m Gonna Love You Through It” — Martina McBride
“Honey Bee” — Blake Shelton
Winner: “Mean” — Taylor Swift
“Mama’s Song” — Carrie Underwood
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
Winner: “Barton Hollow” – The Civil Wars
“Don’t You Wanna Stay” – Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson
“You and Tequila” – Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter
“Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not” – Thompson Square
Best Country Song:
“Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” — Jim Collins & David Lee Murphy, songwriters (Thompson Square)
“God Gave Me You” — Dave Barnes, songwriter (Blake Shelton)
“Just Fishin’” — Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell & Ed Hill, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
Winner: “Mean” — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
“Threaten Me With Heaven” — Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Will Owsley & Dillon O’Brian, songwriters (Vince Gill)
“You And Tequila” — Matraca Berg & Deana Carter, songwriters (Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter)
Best Country Album:
My Kinda Party – Jason Aldean
Chief – Eric Church
Winner: Own the Night – Lady Antebellum
Red River Blue – Blake Shelton
Here for a Good Time – George Strait
Speak Now – Taylor Swift
Best Americana Album:
Emotional Jukebox— Linda Chorney
Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down— Ry Cooder
Hard Bargain— Emmylou Harris
Winner: Ramble At The Ryman— Levon Helm
Blessed— Lucinda Williams
Best Blues Album:
Low Country Blues — Gregg Allman
Roadside Attractions— Marcia Ball
Man In Motion— Warren Haynes
The Reflection — Keb’Mo’
Winner: Revelator— Tedeschi Trucks Band
Best Folk Album:
Winner: Barton Hollow— The Civil Wars
I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive— Steve Earle
Helplessness Blues— Fleet Foxes
Ukulele Songs— Eddie Vedder
The Harrow & The Harvest— Gillian Welch
For more nominees and winners, visit Grammy.com.
—Posted by Rebecca Murray
