2019 Grammy Awards: Emcee Alicia Keys, Michelle Obama, Dolly Parton steal show

2019 Grammys didn’t disappoint. 

Blog King, Mass Appeal

LOS ANGELES — Here’s all you need to know about the 61st Annual Grammy Awards: Diana Ross, 74, performed. Dolly Parton, 73, became the first country artist in 29 years to be saluted as ‘MusiCares Person of the Year.’ Cardi B became the first solo female artist to win ‘Best Rap Album.’ Drake took home the trophy for ‘Best Rap Song.’ Ariana Grande didn’t show up. And Michelle Obama drew the night’s loudest acclamation after making a surprise appearance on stage. The female-dominated extravaganza took place Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Pop star Alicia Keys served as emcee.

Lady Gaga was also one of the night’s biggest winners.

Despite her Hispanic roots, Jennifer Lopez effectuated an indelible Motown tribute with Smokey Robinson. And Kansas City native Janelle Monáe performed her Dirty Computer single “Make Me Feel.” Her dancers even wore the iconic pants from her anomalous “PYNK” music video.

As previously mentioned, Ariana delivered on her anti-Grammy promise.

The 25-year-old vocalist accused Ken Ehrlich, the show’s producer, of fibbing about her inability to perform Sunday night. “I know I’m not there tonight,” Ariana tweeted.

“Trust, I tried and still truly wished it had worked.”

Speaking of anti-Grammy… Drake’s microphone was abruptly cut off during his peroration after he dissed the Grammys, telling aspiring artists they no longer need award shows to concoct popularity.

“All my peers that make music from their heart, that do things pure and tell the truth, I wanna let you know we’re playing an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport,” Drake said.

“So it’s not the NBA, where at the end of the year, you’re holding a trophy because you made the right decisions or won the games,” Drake continued. The point is, you’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you’re a hero in your hometown.”

“Look, look, if there’s people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this [award] right here. I promise you, you already won.”

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Album Of The Year — Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves

Record Of The Year — “This Is America,” Childish Gambino

Best New Artist — Dua Lipa

Best Rap Album — Invasion Of Privacy, Cardi B

Best R&B Album Winner — H.E.R., H.E.R.

Best Rap Song — “God’s Plan,” Drake

Best Country Album — Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves

Song Of The Year — “This Is America,” Childish Gambino

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance — “Shallow,” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical — Pharrell Williams

Best Rap/Sung Performance — “This Is America,” Childish Gambino

Best Rap Performance — King’s Dead, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future & James Blake

Best Rock Album — From The Fires, Greta Van Fleet

Best Rock Song — “Masseduction” St. Vincent

Best Metal Performance — Electric Messiah, High On Fire

Best Rock Performance — When Bad Does Good, Chris Cornell

Best Urban Contemporary Album — Everything Is Love, The Carters

Best R&B Song — “Boo’d Up,” Ella Mai

Best Traditional R&B Performance — Bet Ain’t Worth The Hand, Leon Bridges / How Deep Is Your Love, Pj Morton Featuring Yebba

Best R&B Performance — Best Part H.E.R. Featuring Daniel Caesar

Best Latin Jazz Album — Back To The Sunset, Dafnis Prieto Big Band

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album — American Dreamers: Voices Of Hope, Music Of Freedom, John Daversa Big Band Featuring Daca Artists

Best Jazz Instrumental Album — Emanon, The Wayne Shorter Quartet

Best Jazz Vocal Album — The Window, Cécile Mclorin Salvant

Best Improvised Jazz Solo — Don’t Fence Me In, John Daversa

Best Reggae Album — 44/876, Sting & Shaggy

Best Dance/Electronic Album — Woman Worldwide, Justice

Best Dance Recording — Electricity, Silk City & Dua Lipa Featuring Diplo & Mark Ronson

Best Contemporary Classical Composition — Kernis: Violin Concerto, James Ehnes, Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony

Best Classical Compendium — Fuchs: Piano Concerto ‘Spiritualist’; Poems Of Life; Glacier; Rush, Joann Falletta

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album — Songs Of Orpheus – Monteverdi, Caccini, D’india & Landi, Karim Sulayman

Best Classical Instrumental Solo — Kernis: Violin Concerto, James Ehnes

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance — Anderson, Laurie: Landfall, Laurie Anderson & Kronos Quartet

Best Choral Performance — Mcloskey: Zealot Canticles, Donald Nally

Best Opera Recording — Bates: The (R)Evolution Of Steve Jobs, Michael Christie, Garrett Sorenson, Wei Wu, Sasha Cooke, Edward Parks & Jessica E. Jones

Best Orchestral Performance — Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 11, Andris Nelsons

Producer Of The Year, Classical — Blanton Alspaugh

Best Engineered Album, Classical — Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 11, Andris Nelsons & Boston Symphony Orchestra

Best Pop Vocal Album — Sweetener, Ariana Grande

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album — My Way, Willie Nelson

Best Pop Solo Performance — Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?), Lady Gaga

Best Country Song — “Space Cowboy,” Kacey Musgraves

Best Country Duo/Group Performance — Tequila, Dan + Shay

Best Country Solo Performance — “Butterflies,” Kacey Musgraves

Best Music Film — Quincy, Quincy Jones

Best Music Video — “This Is America,” Childish Gambino

Best Regional Roots Music Album — No ‘Ane’I, Kalani Pe’a

Best Tropical Latin Album — Anniversary, Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano) — ¡México Por Siempre!, Luis Miguel

Best Latin Rock, Urban Or Alternative Album — Aztlán, Zoé

Best Latin Pop Album — Sincera, Claudia Brant

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling) — Faith – A Journey For All, Jimmy Carter

Best Children’s Album — All The Sounds, Lucy Kalantari & The Jazz Cats

Best Folk Album — All Ashore, Punch Brothers

Best Contemporary Blues Album — Please Don’t Be Dead, Fantastic Negrito

Best Traditional Blues Album — The Blues Is Alive And Well, Buddy Guy

Best Bluegrass Album — The Travelin’ Mccourys, The Travelin’ Mccourys

Best Americana Album — By The Way, I Forgive You, Brandi Carlile

Best American Roots Song — The Joke, Brandi Carlile

Best American Roots Performance — The Joke, Brandi Carlile

Best New Age Album — Opium Moon, Opium Moon

Best Song Written For Visual Media — “Shallow,” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media — Black Panther, Ludwig Göransson

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media — The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman (& Various Artists)

Best World Music Album — Freedom, Soweto Gospel Choir

Best Roots Gospel Album — Unexpected, Jason Crabb

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album — Look Up Child, Lauren Daigle

Best Gospel Album — Hiding Place, Tori Kelly

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song — “You Say,” Lauren Daigle

Best Gospel Performance/Song — “Never Alone,” Tori Kelly Featuring Kirk Franklin

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album — Steve Gadd Band, Steve Gadd Band

Best Immersive Audio Album — Eye In The Sky – 35th Anniversary Edition, The Alan Parsons Project

Best Remixed Recording — “Walking Away (Mura Masa Remix),” Haim

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical — Colors, Beck

Best Historical Album — Voices Of Mississippi: Artists And Musicians Documented By William Ferris

Best Album Notes — Voices Of Mississippi: Artists And Musicians Documented By William Ferris

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package — Squeeze Box: The Complete Works Of “Weird Al” Yankovic, Weird Al Yankovic

Best Recording Package — Masseduction, St. Vincent

Best Arrangement, Instruments And Vocals — “Spiderman Theme,” Randy Waldman Featuring Take 6 & Chris Potter

Best Arrangement, Instrumental Or A Cappella — “Stars And Stripes Forever,” John Daversa Big Band Featuring Daca Artists

Best Instrumental Composition — Blut Und Boden (Blood And Soil), Terence Blanchard

Best Alternative Music Album — “Colors,” Beck

Best Musical Theater Album — The Band’s Visit, Original Broadway Cast

Best Comedy Album — Equanimity & The Bird Revelation, Dave Chappelle