What no one wanted to mention on the Grammys: the absence of Justin Timberlake, who had the biggest selling albums of 2013. JT got no love in Album, Record, or Song of the Year categories. He was therefore absent from the proceedings. He did win a couple of minor awards, but it was all very weird. Daft Punk won 5 major awards even though the French duo was never seen and probably wasn’t there. Men wearing white robot costumes stood in for them. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers were there, however, and accepted their awards.
Katy Perry didn’t sing “Roar,” which also made no sense. Pink sang two songs from a 2012 album that should not have been eligible. Go figure. Robin Thicke sounded awful with a new edition of the band Chicago.
Some tidbits: Paul, Ringo, Yoko, Sean Lennon, Olivia Harrison, et al — the Beatles unit – sat up front, watched the whole show, didn’t disappear backstage or hang out in the Governor’s Room. They really dug the show and supported it. A lot of the presenters and Hollywood non music types notably Julia Roberts did just the opposite. During the wedding ceremony march, McCartney shook dozens of hands. It was very classy.
Taylor Swift, also in front, got up and danced to several numbers.
There was way too much heavy metal, and not enough landmark moments. Classical pianist Lang Lang was wasted with Metallica.
But Lang Lang did show up later at the AEG after party, along with Quincy Jones, on the 300 level of the Staples Center. Everyone got copies of this year’s Grammy hits CD and JBL in ear headphones, plus there was a whole demo of JBL stereo products. I bought two of their Bluetooth speakers recently. I know nothing about JBL but they make excellent stereo accessories.
THE WINNERS
Album of the Year
Random Access Memories, Daft Punk
Record of the Year
“Get Lucky,” Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
Song of the Year
“Royals,” Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor, songwriters (Lorde)
Best Country Album
Same Trailer Different Park, Kacey Musgraves
Best Pop Vocal Album
Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
“Holy Grail,”Jay Z f/JustinTimberlake
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Royals, ”Lorde
Best Rock Song
“CutMe Some Slack,” Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic & PatSmear, songwriters (Paul McCartney & Nirvana)
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Get Lucky,” Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
Best New Artist
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Pharrell Williams
Best Alternative Album
Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend
Best Rock Album
Celebration Day, Led Zeppelin
Best Metal Performance
“God Is Dead?” Black Sabbath
Best Rock Performance
“Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons
Best Country Song
“Merry Go ‘Round,” Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“From This Valley,” The Civil Wars
Best Country Solo Performance
“Wagon Wheel,” Darius Rucker
Best Music Film
Live Kisses, Paul McCartney, Jonas Åkerlund, video director; Violaine Etienne, Aron Levine & Scott Rodger, video producers
Best Music Video
“Suit & Tie,” Justin Timberlake f/Jay Z, David Fincher, director, & Timory King, video producer
Best Blues Album
Get Up!, Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite
Best R&B Album
Girl on Fire, Alicia Keys
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Unapologetic, Rihanna
Best R&B Song
“Pusher Love Girl,” James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)
Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Please Come Home,” Gary Clark Jr.
Best R&B Performance
“Something,” Snarky Puppy with Lalah Hathaway
Best Rap Album
The Heist, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Best Rap Song
“Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Best Rap Performance
“Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis f/Wanz
Best Comedy Album
Calm Down Gurrl, Kathy Griffin
Best Dance/Electronica Album
Random Access Memories, Daft Punk
Best Dance Recording
“Clarity,” Zedd f/Foxes
Best Regional Roots Music Album
Dockside Sessions, Terrence Simien & The Zydeco Experience
Best Folk Album
My Favorite Picture of You, Guy Clark
Best Bluegrass Album
The Streets of Baltimore, Del McCoury Band
Best Americana Album
Old Yellow Moon, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
Best American Roots Song
“Love Has Come For You,” Edie Brickell & Steve Martin
Best Musical Theater Album
Kinky Boots, Cyndi Lauper & Various Artists
Best Song Written for Visual Media
“Skyfall,” Adele & Paul Epworth
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Skyfall, Thomas Newman
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Sound City: Real to Reel, Dave Grohl & Various Artists
Best Latin Jazz Album
Song for Maura, Paquito D’Rivera & Trio Corrente
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Night in Calisia, Randy Brecker, Wlodek Pawlik Trio & Kalisz Philharmonic
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue, Terri Lyne Carrington
Best Jazz Vocal Album
Liquid Spirit, Gregory Porter
Best Improvised Jazz Solo
“Orbits,” Wayne Shorter
Best New Age Album
Love’s River, Laura Sullivan
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Winter Morning Walks, Maria Schneider
Best Classical Compendium
Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik, Cristoph Eschenbach
Best Classical Vocal Solo
Winter Morning Walks, Dawn Upshaw
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Corigliano Conjurer – Concerto for Percussionist & String Orchestra, Evelyn Glennie; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Roomful of Teeth, Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth
Best Choral Performance
Part: Adam’s Lament, Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor (Tui Hirv & Rainer Vilu; Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Sinfonietta Riga & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; Latvian Radio Choir & Vox Clamantis)
Best Opera Recording
Ades: The Tempest, Thomas Adès, conductor; Simon Keenlyside, Isabel Leonard, Audrey Luna & Alan Oke; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
Best Orchestral Performance
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4, Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra)
Producer of the Year, Classical
David Frost
Best Engineered Album, Classical
Winter Morning Walks, David Frost, Brian Losch, & Tim Martyn
Best Tropical Latin Album
Pacific Mambo Orchestra, Pacific Mambo Orchestra
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
A Mi Manera, Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
Treinta Dias, La Santa Cecillia
Best Latin Pop Album
Vida, Draco Rosa
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Overcomer, Mandisa
Best Gospel Album
Greater Than [Live], Tye Tribett
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song
“Overcomer,” David Garcia, Ben Glover & Christopher Stevens, songwriters (Mandisa)
Best Gopsel Song
He Did It Before… Same God [Live], Tye Tribett
Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Performance
Break Every Chain [Live], Tasha Cobbs
Best Surround Sound Album
Live Kisses, Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney)
Best Remixed Recording
“Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix),” Cedric Gervais, remixer (Lana Del Rey)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Random Access Memories, Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta & Daniel Lerner, engineers; Antoine “Chab” Chabert, Bob Ludwig (Daft Punk)
Best Historical Album
Charlie Is My Darling: Ireland 1965, Teri Landi & Bob Ludwig (The Rolling Stones)
The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums, Various
Best Album Notes
Afro Blues Impressions, Neil Tesser
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition), Simon Earith & James Musgrave (Paul McCartney and Wings)
Best Recording Package
Long Night Moon, Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds (Reckless Kelly)
Best Instrumental Arrangement
On Green Dolphin Street, Gordon Goodwin (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
Swing Low, Gil Goldstein, arranger (Bobby McFerrin & Esperanza Spalding)
Best Instrumental Composition
Pensemientos for Solo Alto Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra, Clare Fischer, composer (The Clare Fischer Orchestra)
Best Children’s Album
Singing Our Way Through: Songs for the World’s Bravest Kids, Alastair Moock & Friends
Throw A Penny in the Wishing Well, Jennifer Gasoi
Best Spoken Word Album
America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t, Stephen Colbert
Best Reggae Album
Ziggy Marley in Concert, Ziggy Marley
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
To Be Loved, Michael Buble
Best Pop Instrumental Album
Steppin’ Out, Herb Albert
NOMINEES
THE BIGGIES
Album of the Year
Random Access Memories, Daft Punk
Record of the Year
“Get Lucky,” Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
Song of the Year
“Royals,” Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor, songwriters (Lorde)
POP
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Royals,” Lorde
Best Duo/Group Performance
“Get Lucky,” Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
Best Pop Vocal Album
Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars
ROCK
Best Rock Song
“Cut Me Some Slack,” Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear, songwriters (Paul McCartney & Nirvana)
RAP
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
“Holy Grail,” Jay Z f/Justin Timberlake
COUNTRY
Best Country Album
Same Trailer Different Park, Kacey Musgraves
PACKAGING
Best Recording Package
Long Night Moon, Reckless Kelly