Jon Batiste took home five awards at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
The 35-year-old musician was the big winner at theceremony held on Sunday (03.04.22) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas – which was hosted by comedian Trevor Noah – including Album of the Year for his 2021 smash ‘We Are’ as he claimed that music is a “spiritual experience” for him.
He said: “I love music, I’ve been playing since I was a little boy. It’s more than entertainment for me, it’s a spiritual practice.”
The ‘I Need You’ singer – who fought off stiff competition from the likes of Doja Cat, Lady Gaga and Olivia Rodrigo for the prestigious award – also won for his song ‘Cry’, the video for ‘Freedom’ and for his work composing with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on the soundtrack for ‘Soul.’
Hot on his heels were R B supergroup Silk Sonic which comprises ‘Marry You’ hitmaker Bruno Mars and rapper Anderson .Paak who took home four Grammys for their efforts over the last year in music.
The duo received Record of the Year for their 2021 debut ‘Leave the Door Open’, just hours after scooping up the gong for Song of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards and by the end joked that they were “trying hard” to be humble.
Things took a sombre turn when Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an appearance via a pre-recorded video message and told viewers that music should be the “opposite of war” as he longed for his country to be free of the conflict brought on by the Russian invasion.
He said: “The war doesn’t let us choose who survives and who stays in eternal silence. Our musicians wear body armour 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.”
Rock band the Foo Fighters won three awards but were not in attendance to collect the trophies following the death of Taylor Hawkins but the show’s In Memorium segment opened with an extended tribute to the drummer – who was found dead aged 50 at the end of last month after reportedly suffering cardiovascular collapse and pop star Billie Eilish wore a t-shirt with his face on it in tribute as she performed ‘Happier Than Ever’.
The section also honoured other late stars such as Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, Meat Loaf and his collaborator Jim Steinman and paid tribute to musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim with a performance of some of his iconic showtunes.
Pop star Olivia Rodrigo led the performances of the night, opening the show with an elaborately staged version of her viral hit ‘drivers license’ and when she was named Best New Artist claimed that her “biggest dream” had come true.
Other performance highlights included Silk Sonic’s performance of ‘777’ just before their first big win, ‘American Idol’ winner Carrie Underwood’s debut of new song ‘Ghost Story’ and Lady Gaga, who took to the stage to perform jazz number ‘Love For Sale’ without co-star Tony Bennett, who was not able to attend due to ill health.
An abridged list of winners is as follows:
Album of the Year
‘We Are’
Jon Batiste
Record of the Year
‘Leave the Door Open’
Silk Sonic
Song of the Year
‘Leave the Door Open’
Silk Sonic
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
‘Kiss Me More’
Doja Cat Featuring SZA
Best Pop Vocal Album
‘Sour’
Olivia Rodrigo
Best R B Album
‘Heaux Tales’
Jazmine Sullivan
Best Rap Performance
‘Family Ties’
Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Best New Artist
Olivia Rodrigo
Best Country Album
‘Starting Over’
Chris Stapleton
Song of the Year
‘Leave the Door Open’
Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)
Producer of the Year
Jack Antonoff
Best Comedy Album
‘Sincerely’
Louis C.K.
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
‘Love For Sale’
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
Best Pop Solo Performance
‘driver’s license’
Olivia Rodrigo
Best Jazz Vocal Album
‘Songwrights Apothecary Lab’
Esperanza Spaulding
Best Rap Song
‘Jail’
Dwayne Abernathy, Jr., Shawn Carter, Raul Cubina, Michael Dean, Charles M. Njapa, Sean Solymar, Kanye West Mark Williams
Best Melodic Rap Performance
‘Hurricane’
Kanye West Featuring The Weeknd Lil Baby
Best Progressive R B Album
‘Table for two’
Lucky Daye
Best R B Song
‘Leave the Door Open’
Silk Sonic
Best Traditional R B Performance
‘Fight for You’
H.E.R.
Best R B Performance – TIE
‘Leave the Door Open’
Silk Sonic
and
‘Pick Up Your Feelings’
Jasmine Sullivan
Best Alternative Music Album
‘Daddy’s Home’
St. Vincent
Best Rock Album
‘Medicine at Midnight’
Foo Fighters
Best Rock Song
‘Waiting on a War’
Foo Fighters
Best Metal Performance
‘The Alien’
Dream Theater
Best Rock Performance
‘Making a Fire’
Foo Fighters
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
‘Shaw: Narrow Sea’
Caroline Shaw
Best Classical Compendium
‘Woman Warriors – Voices of Change’
Amy Andersson, conductor; Amy Andersson, Mark Mattson Lolita Ritmanis
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
‘Mythologies’
Sangeeta Kaur Hila Plitmann
Best Classical Instrumental Performance, Solo
‘Alone Together’
Jennifer Koh
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
‘Beethoven: Chello Sonatas’
Yo Yo Ma
Best Choral Performance
‘Mahler: Symphony No. 8’
Gustavo Dudamel
Best Opera Recording
‘Glass: Akhnaten’
Producer of the Year, Classical
Judith Sherman
Best Engineered Classical Album
‘Chanticleer Sings Christmas’
Leslie Ann Jones and Michael Romanowski
Best Spoken Word Album
‘Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation From John Lewis’
Don Cheadle
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
‘Tree Falls’
Taylor Eigsti
Best Gospel Performance/Song
‘Never Lost’
CeCe Winans
Best Music Film
‘Summer of Soul’
Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson, video director; David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent Joseph Patel, video producers
Best Music Video
‘Freedom’
Jon Batiste
Best Immersive Audio Album
Alicia
George Massenburg Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineers; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Ann Mincieli, immersive producer
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
Passenger
Mike Shinoda
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Love For Sale
Dae Bennett, Josh Coleman Billy Cumella, engineers; Greg Calbi Steve Fallone, mastering engineers
Best Historical Album
Joni Mitchell Archives, Volume 1: The Early Years
Patrick Milligan Joni Mitchell, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer
Best Album Notes
The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Sessions
Ricky Riccardi
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
All Things Must Pass
Darren Evans, Dhani Harrison Olivia Harrison
Best Recording Package
Pakelang
Li Jheng Han and Yu Wei
Best Dance/Electronic Music Album
Subconsciously
‘Black Coffee’
Best Dance/Electronic Recording
‘Alive’
Rüfüs Du Sol
Best Raggae Album
‘Beauty in the Silence’
Soja
Best Regional Roots Album
Kau Ka Pe’a
Kalani Pe’a
Best Contemporary Blues Album
‘662’
Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram
Best Traditional Blues Album
I Be Trying
Cedric Burnside
Best Bluegrass Album
My Bluegrass Heart
Béla Fleck
Best Americana Album
Native Sons
Los Lobos
Best American Roots Performance
Cry
Jon Batiste
Best Country Song
‘Cold’
Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon Chris Stapleton
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
‘Younger Me’
Brothers Osborne
Best Country Solo Performance
‘You Should Probably Leave’
Chris Stapleton
Best Score Soundrack Album For Visual Media – TIE
Caros Raphael Rivera
‘The Queen’s Gambit’
and
Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor
‘Soul’