THE EXCITEMENT OF THE 2012 GRAMMY AWARDS
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photographer: George Whylie Videographer: Maxine NolanThe 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards were presented on Sunday, February 12th, as the world was reeling from the news of legend artist, Whitney Houston’s sudden death. This was an evening to reunite artists thankful for life and the beauty of song.
Some of the fashions that graced the Red Carpet were called over-the-top like the outfit worn by Nicki Minaj who could have been Little Red Riding Hood if not for the embellished Medusa Head right in the middle of the cape. At least it was a designer frock made by Versace.
Other looks were called entrancing and some were even edgy. Rihanna was sexy and sultry in the long black dress with the plunging neckline and slit up the leg. Giorgio Armani was her designer of choice for this event.
The big winner of the evening seemed to be Adele. She was not only a six-time winner of the coveted GRAMMY award but a winning beauty in a sparkling black Armani gown with three-quarter sleeves, the queen with the glass statue.
Carrie Underwood was gorgeous as a goddess in a Gomez-Gracia long-sleeve backless gown with intricately embroidered sequins . It was almost as if the dress was made just for her.
Could Adam Levine and his Victoria’s Secret girlfriend, Anne, have been any sexier together?
Taylor Swift looked far older once again than her years in an elegant gold Zuhair Murad mermaid gown with a high neckline and a long train.
Destiny’s Child, Kelly Rowland, sparkled in an Alberta Ferretti embellished gown with a silver applique on the bodice.
Purple and passionate go together when Alicia Keys’ husband, Swizz Beatz, hit the Red Carpet in his purple velvet blazer and matching bow tie.
Kate Beckinsale pulled off an elegant ivory draped dress that could not have been any lovelier.
The stars just kept coming in glamorous sequins, beading, black lace, ruffles and embellishment. Necklines were plunging, off the shoulder, strapless and lengths were short and long.
LL Cool J tastefully started the program off with a prayer for Whitney Houston which led into one of the most memorable events of the year so far. Artists such as Tony Bennett, a favorite for decades and all ages, sang a duet with the successful songstress, Carrie Underwood. The pair that go together like milk and honey, Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson, performed perfectly. Taking us back in time and exciting the crowd was Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. Another all-time favorite that enjoyed himself on stage was Sir Paul McCartney. This year the musical performances seemed to scan the decades and rather than targeting one specific audience and age group, there was a wide variety of music for all generations to love and enjoy.
As we watched The Beach Boys reunite on the stage, we were transformed to a more carefree time and place. Adele took the GRAMMY Award numerous times and was unbelievably grateful and overwhelmed with happiness. She won Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. Her recent scare with her voice was a page of the past on this eventful evening. The show flowed smoothly and effortlessly and one of the somber yet celebrated times of the evening was the tribute to Whitney Houston sung by an artist that had the utmost respect and admiration for the mistress of song and the singer was Jennifer Hudson. Jennifer did an outstanding job.
Even though the event came to a close and the winners went home thrilled to be the elite chosen for the GRAMMY, the GRAMMY Foundation is hard at work all year round with grants and preservation and advancement efforts in the world of music and more. Make sure to go to http://www.grammy.com to learn more and follow them throughout the year. The winners were as follows:
Record of the Year: “Rolling in the Deep,” Adele
Song of the Year: “Rolling in the Deep,” Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth
New Artist: Bon Iver
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
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
PHOTOS COURTESY OF A/P, www.GRAMMY.com, yahoo images
Comments are closed.