As the world hear about the sad passing of former NBA star Kobe Bryant, the prestigious Grammy Awards ceremony was held tonight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the player’s home.
Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo — who spoke to us about her last album a few months ago — won the Grammy for the world music category against Burna Boy, to whom she dedicates her trophy: “The new generation of artists coming from Africa is going to take you by storm and the time has come. This is for Burna Boy, [he] is among those young artists [who] came from Africa [who] are changing the way our continent is perceived, and the way African music has been the bed rock for every [type] of music” she remarked.
The late Eritrean-American rapper, Nipsey Hussle — who was killed in March of last year in his hometown of Los Angeles — was commemorated by artists like John Legend, Meek Mill, DJ Khaled, Kirk Franklin, as well as fellow LA rappers YG and Roddy Rich.
During the live version of “Higher,” DJ Khaled and John Legend were accompanied by dancers dressed in traditional zurias and other Eritrean attire. “I’m half American and half Eritrean — as much as I am a black person from America, I am a black person from Africa too,” Nipsey once said in an interview.
19-year old Koffee wins the Reggae Grammy. Tyler, the Creator wins the Grammy for Best Rap Album.
Here is the full list of the Grammy Awards 2020 winners:
Record of the Year
Billie Eilish – “bad guy”
Album of the Year
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Best New Artist
Billie Eilish
Best Rap/Sung Performance
DJ Khaled, Nipsey Hussle, John Legend – “Higher”
Song of the Year
Billie Eilish – “bad guy”
Best Rap Album
Tyler, the Creator – IGOR
Best Comedy Album
Dave Chappelle – Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Dan + Shay – “Speechless”
Best Pop Solo Performance
Lizzo – “Truth Hurts”
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
FINNEAS
Best Pop Vocal Album
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Look Now
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Lil Nas X – “Old Town Road [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus]”
Best Americana Album
Keb’ Mo’ – Oklahoma
Best American Roots Song
I’m With Her – “Call My Name”
Best American Roots Performance
Sara Bareilles – Saint Honesty
Best World Music Album
Angelique Kidjo – Celia
Best R&B Album
Anderson .Paak – Ventura
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
Best R&B Song
PJ Morton – “Say So [ft. JoJo]”
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Lizzo – “Jerome”
Best R&B Performance
Anderson .Paak – “Come Home [ft. Andre 3000]”
Best Alternative Music Album
Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
Best Rock Album
Cage the Elephant – Social Cues
Best Rock Song
Gary Clark Jr. – “This Land”
Best Metal Performance
Tool – “7empest”
Best Rock Performance
Gary Clark Jr. – This Land
Best Musical Theater Album
Hadestown
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Jennifer Higdon, composer – Higdon: Harp Concerto
Best Classical Compendium
Nadia Shpachenko – The Poetry of Places
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Joyce Didonato – Songplay
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Nicola Benedetti – Marsalis: Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Attacca Quartet – Shaw: Orange
Best Choral Performance
Ken Cowan; Houston Chamber Choir – Duruflé: Complete Choral Works
Best Opera Recording
Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Boston Children’s Chorus – Picker: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Best Orchestral Performance
Los Angeles Philharmonic – Norman: Sustain
Producer of the Year, Classical
Blanton Alspaugh
Best Engineered Album, Classical
Kronos Quartet – Riley: Sun Rings
Best Rap Song
21 Savage – “A Lot [ft. J. Cole]”
Best Rap Performance
Nipsey Hussle – “Racks in the Middle [ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy]”
Best Tropical Latin Album (Tie)
Marc Anthony – Opus Aymée Nuviola – A Journey Through Cuban Music
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
Mariachi Los Camperos – De Ayer Para Siempre
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
Rosalía – El Mal Querer
Best Latin Pop Album
Alejandro Sanz – #ELDISCO
Best Roots Gospel Album
Gloria Gaynor – Testimony
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
for KING & COUNTRY – Burn the Ships
Best Gospel Album
Kirk Franklin – Long Live Love
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
for KING & COUNTRY and Dolly Parton – “God Only Knows”
Best Gospel Performance/Song
Kirk Franklin – “Love Theory”
Best Country Album
Tanya Tucker – While I’m Livin’
Best Country Song
Tanya Tucker – “Bring My Flowers Now”
Best Country Solo Performance
Willie Nelson – “Ride Me Back Home”
Best Latin Jazz Album
Chick Corea & the Spanish Heart Band – Antidote
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Brian Lynch Big Band – The Omni-american Book Club
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Brad Mehldau – Finding Gabriel
Best Jazz Vocal Album
Esperanza Spalding – 12 Little Spells
Best Improvised Jazz Solo
Randy Brecker – “Sozinho”
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
Jacob Collier Featuring Jules Buckley, Take 6 & Metropole Orkest – “All Night Long”
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
Jacob Collier – “Moon River”
Best Instrumental Composition
John Williams – “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Symphonic Suite”
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Rodrigo y Gabriela – Mettavolution
Best Dance/Electronic Album
The Chemical Brothers – No Geography
Best Dance Recording
The Chemical Brothers – “Got to Keep On”
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)
Michelle Obama – Becoming
Best Children’s Music Album
Jon Samson – Ageless Songs For the Child Archetype
Best Reggae Album
Koffee – Rapture
Best Regional Roots Music Album
Ranky Tanky – Good Time
Best Folk Album
Patty Griffin – Patty Griffin
Best Contemporary Blues Album
Gary Clark Jr. – This Land
Best Traditional Blues Album
Delbert McClinton & Self-made Men – Tall, Dark & Handsome
Best Bluegrass Album
Michael Cleveland – Tall Fiddler
Best New Age Album
Peter Kater – Wings
Best Music Film
Beyoncé – Homecoming
Best Music Video
Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Official Movie)”
Best Immersive Audio Album
Anita Brevik, Trondheimsolistene & Nidarosdomens Jentekor – Lux
Best Remixed Recording
Madonna – “I Rise (Tracy Young’s Pride Intro Radio Remix)”
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Best Historical Album
Pete Seeger – Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection
Best Album Notes
Steve Greenberg – Stax ’68: A Memphis Story
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
Various Artists – Woodstock: Back to the Garden – The Definitive 50th Anniversary
Best Recording Package
Chris Cornell – Chris Cornell
Best Song Written for Visual Media
Lady Gaga – “I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version)”
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Hildur Guðnadóttir – Chernobyl
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born
