STANDING OVATION TO THE GRAMMY AWARDS 2014
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger
It was a tough choice to make on Sunday evening, January 26, 2014. Should I watch the fairytale wedding of ‘The Bachelor’ Sean Lowe and his soulmate and forever partner, Catherine Giudici,or do I turn to the much anticipated 56th Annual Grammy Award Ceremony and cheer on the nominees?
I knew that we were in for a stupendous surprise when the long list of popular performers were announced a few months back and it just kept growing. Performers of all genres hailing from various eras joined with those that are current favorites on iHeart radio. As soon as the stage darkened and the image of Beyonce’ appeared as the show opener, I knew that the Grammy Awards this year would live up to all its expectations and that seemed to be confirmed as Jay Z took to the stage during Beyonce’s song so the duo could do some steamy dance moves.
It came as no shock when we learned that this year was the most watched Grammy Award Ceremony since 1993 with a record 28.5 million viewers tuning in.
Every award event begins with the Red Carpet entrances of the elite and famed celebrities. While there was so much more to an evening filled with just over three hours of memorable musical moments, being the fashion lover that I am, the gowns and stylishly dressed stars deserve some attention. Katy Perry looked like a music book in motion as her Valentino sheer white gown was covered with musical notes for an evening that celebrated the birth and transition of music.
That set the trend for sheer, next-to-nothing gowns that continued to walk into the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Kacey Musgraves, Sara Bareilles in a BluMarine gown with a bit of a thicker fabric and even Julia Roberts gave us a much different look than she did at the most recent Golden Globe Awards. As a presenter, she appeared on stage in a somewhat suggestive black sequined dress, not too overdone and there to announce the reunion of the Beatles on this special evening, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and the Grammy Special about The Beatles set to take place in February. It doesn’t matter what she wears, she always looks gorgeous.
The strength of red-draped Pink personified power and confidence in her strapless silky gown. We saw her more than once during the evening giving us some impressive Cirque moves high above the audience.
One of the most chic couples around is John Legend and his new wife, Chrissy Teigen, and once again, from the fashions they wear to the love that they exude for each other, they remain one of the standout teams in work and at play. John certainly made exceptional music during the show.
Madonna went for the menswear look while Ariana Grande went floral and flirty. The men received just as much attention as the women in velvet and textured jackets. A perfect example with the winning duo of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis who looked like they stepped out of the pages of GQ Magazine.
One of the overwhelming winners of the evening awards was Pharrell who set his own fashion trend with that ‘Smokey Bear’ hat. Becoming the ‘must have’ accessory of the evening, this was a close second to the same type of hat found on the streets of many fashion capitals across the world.
But the focus quickly shifted to the event that overflowed with tantalizing talent for all. Acceptance speeches were nice, short and to the point. LL Cool J. made quite an impressive host, as usual, and combinations of presenters fit together very well.
For all you diehard Beatle fans, the thrill of the night was watching Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr perform together on the same stage and seeing that after all these years, their enthusiasm has certainly withstood the test of time.
The big winners of the evening were the robotic team of Daft Punk. While we could only imagine the energy circulating throughout the venue, listening to Daft Punk make music with the extremely talented Stevie Wonder was one of the strong notes of the evening.
Receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award was the unmistakable Kris Kristofferson who performed as well on stage with Willie Nelson. Taking us back to a time of peace, love and happiness, Carole King was present to receive the Grammy 2014 MusiCares Person of the Year.
Racing back in time and adding a strong dose of the present, Robin Thicke joined forces with the hit group ‘Chicago’ to take us down memory lane. There were no ‘blurred lines’ there as to what was going on. Country got its share of stage time as well.
One of the most emotional ends to a star-studded evening was the song ‘Same Love’ that began with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis along with Mary Lambert. They were joined by Madonna and throughout their performance, Queen Latifah was officiating the weddings of 33 couples. The significance of this moment was that this song has become the anthem in the campaign for legal gay marriage. These couples were of all ages, races, gay, straight and the main point that came across was equality.
How will the Grammy Awards ever outdo themselves next year? Mission accomplished of spreading music to the masses. Here is a list of all the winners:
1. Album of the Year: “Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk
2. Record of the Year: “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers
3. Song of the Year: “Royals,” Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor, songwriters (Lorde)
4. Best New Artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
5. Best Pop Solo Performance: “Royals,” Lorde
6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers
7. Best Pop Instrumental Album: “Steppin’ Out,” Herb Alpert
8. Best Pop Vocal Album: “Unorthodox Jukebox,” Bruno Mars
9. Best Dance Recording: “Clarity,” Zedd Featuring Foxes
10. Best Dance/Electronica Album: “Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk
11. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “To Be Loved,” Michael Buble
12. Best Rock Performance: “Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons
13. Best Metal Performance: “God Is Dead?” Black Sabbath
14. Best Rock Song: “Cut Me Some Slack,” Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear, songwriters (Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear)
15. Best Rock Album: “Celebration Day,” Led Zeppelin
16. Best Alternative Music Album: “Modern Vampires Of The City,” Vampire Weekend
17. Best R&B Performance: “Something,” Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway
18. Best Traditional R&B Performance: “Please Come Home,” Gary Clark Jr.
19. Best R&B Song: “Pusher Love Girl,” James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)
20. Best Urban Contemporary Album: “Unapologetic,” Rihanna
21. Best R&B Album: “Girl On Fire,” Alicia Keys
22. Best Rap Performance: “Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
23. Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: “Holy Grail,” Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake
24. Best Rap Song: “Thrift Shop,” Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)
25. Best Rap Album: “The Heist,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
26. Best Country Solo Performance: “Wagon Wheel,” Darius Rucker
27. Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “From This Valley,” The Civil Wars
28. Best Country Song: “Merry Go ‘Round,” Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
29. Best Country Album: “Same Trailer Different Park,” Kacey Musgraves
30. Best New Age Album: “Love’s River,” Laura Sullivan
31. Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “Orbits,” Wayne Shorter, soloist
32. Best Jazz Vocal Album: “Liquid Spirit,” Gregory Porter
33. Best Jazz Instrumental Album: “Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue,” Terri Lyne Carrington
34. Best Large Jazz Ensemble: “Night In Calisia,” Randy Brecker, W?odek Pawlik Trio & Kalisz Philharmonic
35. Best Latin Jazz Album: “Song For Maura,” Paquito D’Rivera And Trio Corrente
36. Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance: “Break Every Chain [Live],” Tasha Cobbs
37. Best Gospel Song: “If He Did It Before… Same God [Live],” Tye Tribbett, songwriter (Tye Tribbett)
38. Best Contemporary Christian Music Song: “Overcomer,” David Garcia, Ben Glover & Christopher Stevens, songwriters (Mandisa)
39. Best Gospel Album: “Greater Than [Live],” Tye Tribbett
40. Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: “Overcomer,” Mandisa
41. Best Latin Pop Album: “Vida,” Draco Rosa
42. Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: “Treinta Días,” La Santa Cecilia
43. Best Regional Mexican Music Album: “A Mi Manera,” Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea
44. Best Tropical Latin Album: “Pacific Mambo Orchestra,” Pacific Mambo Orchestra
45. Best American Roots Song: “Love Has Come For You,” Edie Brickell & Steve Martin, songwriters (Steve Martin & Edie Brickell)
46. Best Americana Album: “Old Yellow Moon,” Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
47. Best Bluegrass Album: “The Streets Of Baltimore,” Del McCoury Band
48. Best Blues Album: “Get Up!” Ben Harper With Charlie Musselwhite
49. Best Folk Album: “My Favorite Picture Of You,” Guy Clark
50. Best Regional Roots Music Album: “Dockside Sessions,” Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience
51. Best Reggae Album: “Ziggy Marley In Concert,” Ziggy Marley
52. Best World Music Album: (TIE) “Savor Flamenco,” Gipsy Kings / “Live: Singing For Peace Around The World,” Ladysmith Black Mambazo
53. Best Children’s Album: “Throw A Penny In The Wishing Well,” Jennifer Gasoi
54. Best Spoken-Word Album: “America Again: Re-becoming The Greatness We Never Weren’t,” Stephen Colbert
55. Best Comedy Album: “Calm Down Gurrl,” Kathy Griffin
56. Best Musical Theater Album: “Kinky Boots”
57. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: “Sound City: Real To Reel,” Butch Vig, compilation producer
58. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: “Skyfall,” Thomas Newman, composer
59. Best Song Written For Visual Media: “Skyfall,” Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)
60. Best Instrumental Composition: “Pensamientos For Solo Alto Saxophone And Chamber Orchestra,” Clare Fischer, composer (The Clare Fischer Orchestra)
61. Best Instrumental Arrangement: “On Green Dolphin Street,” Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)
62. Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): “Swing Low,” Gil Goldstein, arranger (Bobby McFerrin & Esperanza Spalding)
63. Best Recording Package: “Long Night Moon,” Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly)
64. Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: “Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition),” Simon Earith & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney And Wings)
65. Best Album Notes: “Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered & Expanded),” Neil Tesser, album notes writer (John Coltrane)
66. Best Historical Album: (TIE) “Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965,” “The Complete Sussex And Columbia Albums”
67. Best Engineered Album: “Random Access Memories,” Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta & Daniel Lerner, engineers; Antoine “Chab” Chabert, Bob Ludwig, mastering engineers (Daft Punk)
68. Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Pharrell
69. Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: “Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix),” Cedric Gervais, remixer (Lana Del Rey)
70. Best Surround Sound Album: “Live Kisses,” Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney)
71. Best Engineered Album, Classical: “Winter Morning Walks,” David Frost, Brian Losch & Tim Martyn, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider, Australian Chamber Orchestra & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
72. Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost
73. Best Orchestral Performance: “Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4,” Osmo Vänskä, conductor (MinnesotaOrchestra)
74. Best Opera Recording: “Adès: 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)
75. Best Choral Performance: “Pärt: Adam’s Lament,” Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor (Tui Hirv & Rainer Vilu; Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Sinfonietta Riga & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; Latvian Radio Choir & Vox Clamantis)
76. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: “Roomful Of Teeth,” Brad Wells & Roomful Of Teeth
77. Best Classical Instrumental Solo: “Corigliano: Conjurer – Concerto For Percussionist & String Orchestra,” Evelyn Glennie; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)
78. Best Classical Vocal Solo: “Winter Morning Walks,” Dawn Upshaw (Maria Schneider; Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough & Scott Robinson; Australian Chamber Orchestra & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
79. Best Classical Compendium: “Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik,” Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
80. Best Contemporary Classical Composition: “Schneider, Maria: Winter Morning Walks,” Maria Schneider, composer (Dawn Upshaw, Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough, Scott Robinson & Australian Chamber Orchestra)
81. Best Music Video: “Suit & Tie,” Justin Timberlake Featuring Jay Z
82. Best Music Film: “Live Kisses,” Paul McCartney
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