Music's Biggest Night actually began about 3:30 p.m. EST, when the 67th annual Grammy Awards actually announced about 80 categories of awards before primetime. Usually, the roots music centric awards take place during this three-hour livestream from Grammy.com, so No Depression stayed on-call to report on all the winners pertaining to Americana, country, bluegrass, folk, roots, blues, and more.
This year's Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony featured roots musicians of note, and not just as winners. two-time Grammy award-winner Rhiannon Giddens, clad in a stunning emerald green dress and glittery eyeshadow, announced all of the Americana categories. And 17-time Grammy award-winner Béla Fleck, himself dressed in all black and sparkles (who later brought his son Juno), offered a virtuosic solo-acoustic banjo performance.
For anyone who thinks the Recording Academy is just about the Grammy Awards, though, this year's event went above and beyond to highlight the work of the Recording Academy's diversity, equity, and inclusivity initiatives (like having ASL interpreters for the first time ever in Grammy Premiere Ceremony history) and financial aid, especially through its nonprofit arm, MusiCares, for fire relief.
Below, find this year's roots music winners in bold, as well as some of the big name categories. This story will continued to be updated with more winners throughout the night. For the entire list of winners and nominees, visit Grammy.com.
Best Americana Performance
Beyoncé – “Ya Ya” Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – “Empty Trainload of Sky” Madi Diaz & Kacey Musgraves – “Don’t Do Me Good” Madison Cunningham – “Subtitles” Sarah Jarosz – “Runaway Train” Sierra Ferrell – “American Dreaming”
Best American Roots Song
Aoife O’Donovan – “All My Friends” Iron & Wine & Fiona Apple – “All in Good Time” Mark Knopfler – “Ahead of the Game” Shemekia Copeland – “Blame It on Eve” Sierra Ferrell & Melody Walker – “American Dreaming”
Best Americana Album
Charley Crockett - $10 Cowboy Maggie Rose - No One Gets Out Alive Sarah Jarosz - Polaroid Lovers Sierra Ferrell - Trail of Flowers (ND review)T Bone Burnett - The Other Side Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood
Best American Roots Performance
The Fabulous Thunderbirds Featuring Bonnie Raitt, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal & Mick Fleetwood – “Nothing in Rambling” Rhiannon Giddens – “The Ballad of Sally Anne” Shemekia Copeland – “Blame It on Eve” Sierra Ferrell – “Lighthouse”
Best Bluegrass Album
Billy Strings - Live Vol. 1 (ND review)Bronwyn Keith-Hynes - I Built a World Dan Tyminski - Dan Tyminski: Live From the RymanThe Del McCoury Band - Songs of Love and Life Sister Sadie - No Fear Tony Trischka - Earl Jam
Best Folk Album
Adrianne Lenker - Bright FutureAmerican Patchwork Quartet - American Patchwork Quartet Aoife O’Donovan - All My FriendsGillian Welch & David Rawlings - Woodland (ND review and journal feature)Madi Diaz - Weird Faith
Best Regional Roots Music Album
Big Chief Monk Featuring J’wan Boudreaux - Live at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Kalani Pe'a - KuiniNew Breed Brass Band Featuring Trombone Shorty - Live at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival The Rumble - Stories From the BattlefieldSean Ardoin & Kreole Rock and Soul - 25 Back to My Roots
Best Traditional Blues Album
Cedric Burnside - Hill Country Love The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Struck Down Little Feat - Sam’s PlaceSue Foley - One Guitar WomanTaj Mahal - Swingin’: Live at the Church in Tulsa (ND review)
Best Contemporary Blues Album
Antonio Vergara - The Fury Joe Bonamassa - Blues Deluxe Vol. 2Ruthie Foster – Mileage (ND feature)Shemekia Copeland - Blame It on Eve Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour - Friendlytown
OF (ROOTS MUSIC) NOTE FROM OTHER CATEGORIES
Best Country Song
Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ’Em” Jelly Roll – “I Am Not Okay” Kacey Musgraves – “The Architect” (ND review)Post Malone Featuring Morgan Wallen – “I Had Some Help” Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Best Country Album
Beyoncé - Cowboy CarterChris Stapleton – HigherKacey Musgraves - Deeper Well Lainey Wilson - WhirlwindPost Malone - F-1 Trillion
Best Country Solo Performance
Beyoncé- “16 CARRIAGES” Chris Stapleton - “It Takes a Woman” (ND review) Jelly Roll- “I Am Not Okay” Kacey Musgraves - “The Architect” Shaboozey - “A Bar Song (Tipsy)"
Best Roots Gospel Album
Authentic Unlimited - The Gospel Sessions, Vol. 2 Cory Henry - Church The Harlem Gospel Travelers - Rhapsody Mark D. Conklin - The Gospel According to Mark The Nelons - Loving You
Best Rock Performance
The Beatles – “Now and Then” The Black Keys – “Beautiful People (Stay High)” Green Day – “The American Dream Is Killing Me” Idles – “Gift Horse” Pearl Jam – “Dark Matter” St. Vincent – “Broken Man”
Best Rock Album
The Black Crowes - Happiness BastardsFontaines D.C. - RomanceGreen Day - SaviorsIdles - TangkJack White - No NamePearl Jam - Dark MatterThe Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (ND review)
Best Jazz Performance
The Baylor Project – “Walk With Me, Lord (Sound | Spirit)” Chick Corea & Béla Fleck – “Juno” Dan Pugach & Nicole Zuraitis Featuring Troy Roberts – “Little Fears” Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Randy Brecker, Jeff “Tain” Watts & John Scofield – “Phoenix Reimagined” (Live) Samara Joy Featuring Sullivan Fortner – “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me”
Best Jazz Vocal Album
Catherine Russell & Sean Mason - My IdealChristie Dashiell - Journey in BlackKurt Elling & Sullivan Fortner - Wildflowers Vol. 1Milton Nascimento & Esperanza Spalding - Milton + EsperanzaSamara Joy - A Joyful Holiday
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Ambrose Akinmusire - Owl SongChick Corea & Béla Fleck - Remembrance(ND feature and journal articles)Kenny Barron - Beyond This PlaceLakecia Benjamin - Phoenix Reimagined (Live)Sullivan Fortner - Solo Game
Best Alternative Jazz Album
Arooj Aftab - Night ReignAndré 3000 - New Blue SunKeyon Harrold - ForeverlandMeshell Ndegeocello - No More Water: The Gospel of James BaldwinRobert Glasper - Code Derivation
Best Global Music Performance
Angélique Kidjo & Soweto Gospel Choir - "Sunlight to My Soul" Arooj Aftab - "Raat Ki Rani" Jacob Collier featuring Anoushka Shankar & Varijashree Venugopal - "A Rock Somewhere" Masa Takumi featuring Ron Korb, Noshir Mody & Dale Edward Chung - "Kashira" Rocky Dawuni - "Rise" Sheila E. featuring Gloria Estefan & Mimy Succar - "Bemba Colorá"
Best Music Film
Jon Batiste - American SymphonyJune Carter Cash - JuneRun-DMC - Kings From QueensSteven Van Zandt - Stevie Van Zandt: DiscipleVarious Artists - The Greatest Night in Pop
Best Spoken Word Poetry Album
Malik Yusef - Good M.U.S.I.C. Universe Sonic Sinema Episode 1: In the Beginning Was the WordOmari Hardwick - Concrete & Whiskey Act II Part 1: A Bourbon 30 SeriesQueen Sheba - Civil Writes: The South Got Something to SaySkillz - The Seven Number OnesTank and the Bangas - The Heart, the Mind, the Soul
THE BIG ONES
For your reference, here are the winners and nominees in the Big Three Grammy categories — Album, Song, and Record of the Year — plus Best New Artist.
Album of the Year
André 3000 - New Blue SunBeyoncé - Cowboy CarterBillie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and SoftChappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest PrincessCharli XCX - BratJacob Collier - Djesse Vol. 4Sabrina Carpenter - Short n’ SweetTaylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department
Song of the Year
Beyoncé - "Texas Hold ’Em" Billie Eilish - "Birds of a Feather" Chappell Roan - "Good Luck, Babe!" Kendrick Lamar - "Not Like Us"Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - "Die With a Smile" Sabrina Carpenter - "Please Please Please" Shaboozey - "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone - "Fortnight"
Record of the Year
The Beatles - "Now and Then" Beyoncé - "Texas Hold ’Em" Billie Eilish - "Birds of a Feather" Chappell Roan - "Good Luck, Babe!" Charli XCX - "360" Kendrick Lamar - "Not Like Us"Sabrina Carpenter - "Espresso" Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone - "Fortnight"
Best New Artist
Benson Boone Doechii Chappell RoanKhruangbin Raye Sabrina Carpenter Shaboozey Teddy Swims
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