The 2018 Grammy Awards were handed out during a ceremony at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday night.
The Grammys once again played it safe in the major categories. Last year it was Adele topping Beyoncé. This year, Bruno Mars was given Album of the Year in a category that included four much more worthy contenders in Kendrick Lamar, JAY-Z, Lorde, and Childish Gambino.
Adding insult to injury, the title track to Mars’ 24K Magic took home Record of the Year over Kendrick, JAY-Z, and Gambino. Mars also won Song of the Year for “That’s What I Like”.
Not that it’s much of a consolation, but Kendrick Lamar did sweep the hip-hop category. DAMN. claimed the title of Best Rap Album, “LOYALTY.” featuring Rihanna was named Best Rap/Sung Performance, and “HUMBLE.” won the Grammys for Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video.
Both Lorde and JAY-Z walked away completely empty handed, as neither artist won a single Grammy. Childish Gambino at least won Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Redbone”.
Kendrick’s TDE labelmate, SZA, lost out on Best New Artist to Alessia Cara.
In the genre specific categories, LCD Soundsystem’s “Tonite” earned Best Dance Recording, topping songs by Gorillaz, Bonobo, and Odesza. Kraftwerk’s 3-D The Catalogue won the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album, besting records from Sylvan Esso, Odesza, Bonobo, and Mura Masa.
Leonard Cohen posthumously won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance. His song “You Want It Darker” beat out Chris Cornell’s “The Promise”, Foo Fighters’ “Run”, and more. Foo Fighters’ “Run” did, however, earn the Grammy for Best Rock Song.
The War on Drugs’ A Deeper Understanding won the Grammy for Best Rock Album and The National’s Sleep Well Beast took home the Grammy for Best Alternative Album.
Mastodon’s “Sultan’s Curse” won Best Metal Performance.
In a surprise victory, Portugal. the Man’s “Feel It Still” topped the likes of Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee, The Chainsmokers, and Imagine Dragon to win Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. It’s the band’s first-ever Grammy Award.
The Weeknd’s Starboy topped Gambino, SZA, and Khalid to win Best Urban Contemporary Album.
Chris Stapleton claimed Best Country Album for From A Room; Volume 1. Additionally, “Either Way” won Best Country Performance and “Broken Halos” was crowned Best Country Song.
The late, great Carrie Fisher won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for The Princess Diarist.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original contribution for Moana, “How Far I’m Go”, won the Grammy for Best Song Written For Visual Media. Meanwhile, La La Land won both Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media and Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media.
Greg Kurstin, who helmed albums for Foo Fighters and Beck, was awarded the Grammy for Producer of the Year.
Other notable winners included Aimee Mann, whose album Mental Illness won the Grammy for Best Folk Album; Alabama Shakes, whose song “Killer Diller Blues” won Best American Roots Performance; and Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, who won Grammys for both Best American Roots Song (“If Were Wore Vampires”) and Best Americana Album (The Nashville Sound).
See the night’s notable winners below:
Album of the Year:
Childish Gambino – “Awaken, My Love!”
JAY-Z – 4:44
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
Lorde – Melodrama
Bruno Mars – 24K Magic
Record of the Year:
Childish Gambino – “Redbone”
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber – “Despacito”
JAY-Z – “The Story of O.J.”
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Bruno Mars – “24K Magic”
Song of the Year:
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber – “Despacito”
JAY-Z “4:44”
Julia Michaels – “Issues”
Logic – “1-800-273-8255”
Bruno Mars – “That’s What I Like”
Best New Artist:
Alessia Cara
Khalid
Lil Uzi Vert
Julia Michaels
SZA
Best Solo Pop Performance:
Kelly Clarkson – “Love So Soft”
Kesha – “Praying”
Lady Gaga – “Million Reasons”
P!nk – “What About Us”
Ed Sheeran – “Shape Of You”
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
The Chainsmokers and Coldplay – “Something Just Like Us”
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber – “Despacito”
Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
Portugal. the Man – “Feel It Still”
Zedd and Alessia Cara – “Stay”
Best Pop Vocal Album:
Coldplay – Kaleidoscope EP
Lana Del Rey – Lust For Life
Imagine Dragons – Evolve
Kesha – Rainbow
Lady Gaga – Joanne
Ed Sheeran – ÷ (Divide)
Best Dance Recording:
Bonobo featuring Innov Gnawa – “Bambro Koyo Ganda”
Camelphat and Elderbrook – “Cola”
Gorillaz featuring DRAM – “Andromeda”
LCD Soundsystem – “Tonite”
Odesza featuring WYNNE and Mansionair – “Line of Sight”
Best Dance/Electronic Album:
Bonobo – Migration
Kraftwerk – 3-D The Catalogue
Mura Masa – Mura Masa
Odesza – A Moment Apart
Sylvan Esso – What Now
Best Rock Performance:
Leonard Cohen – “You Want It Darker”
Chris Cornell – “The Promise”
Foo Fighters – “Run”
Kaelo – “No Good”
Nothing More – “Go To War”
Best Rock Song:
Metallica – “Atlas, Rise!”
K.Flay – “Blood in the Cut”
Nothing More – “Go to War”
Foo Fighters – “Run”
Avenged Sevenfold – “The Stage”
Best Rock Album:
Mastodon – Emperor of Sand
Metallica – Hardwired…To Self-Destruct
Nothing More – The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Queens of the Stone Age – Villains
The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
Best Alternative Music Album:
Arcade Fire – Everything Now
Gorillaz – Humanz
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
Father John Misty – Pure Comedy
The National – Sleep Well Beast
Best Metal Performance:
August Burns Red – “Invisible Enemy”
Body Count – “Black Hoodie”
Code Orange – “Forever”
Mastodon – “Sultan’s Curse”
Meshuggah – “Clockworks”
Best R&B Performance:
Daniel Caesar featuring Kali Uchis – “Get You”
Kehlani – “Distraction”
Ledisi – “High”
Bruno Mars – “That’s What I Like”
SZA – “The Weekend”
Best R&B Song:
PJ Morton – “First Began”
Khalid – “Location”
Childish Gambino – “Redbone”
SZA – “Supermodel”
Bruno Mars – “That’s What I Like”
Best Urban Contemporary Album:
6LACK – Free 6LACK
Childish Gambino – “Awaken, My Love!”
Khalid – American Teen
SZA – Ctrl
The Weeknd – Starboy
Best R&B Album:
Daniel Caesar – Freudian
Ledisi – Let Love Rule
Bruno Mars – 24K Magic
PJ Morton – Gumbo
Musiq Soulchild – Feel the Real
Best Rap Performance:
Big Sean – “Bounce Back”
Cardi B – “Bodak Yellow”
JAY-Z – “4:44”
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Migos featuring Lil Uzi Vert – “Bad and Boujee”
Best Rap/Sung Performance:
6LACK – “Prblms”
Goldlink featuring Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy – “Crew”
JAY-Z featuring Beyoncé – “Family Feud”
Kendrick Lamar featuring Rihanna – “LOYALTY.”
SZA featuring Travis Scott – “Love Galore”
Best Rap Song:
Cardi B – “Bodak Yellow”
Danger Mouse featuring Run the Jewels and Big Boi – “Chase Me”
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Rapsody – “Sassy”
JAY-Z – “The Story of O.J.”
Best Rap Album:
JAY-Z – 4:44
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
Migos – Culture
Rapsody – Laila’s Wisdom
Tyler, the Creator – Flower Boy
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:
Baby Driver
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.: Awesome Mix Vol. 2
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Moana: The Songs
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media:
Jóhann Jóhannsson – Arrival
Hans Zimmer – Dunkirk
Ramin Djawadi – Game of Thrones: Season 7
Benjamin Wallfisch, Pharrell Williams & Hans Zimmer – Hidden Figures
Justin Hurowitz – La La Land
Best Comedy Album:
Dave Chappelle – The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas
Jim Gaffigan – Cinco
Jerry Seinfeld – Jerry Before Seinfeld
Sarah Silverman – A Speck of Dust
Kevin Hart – What Now?
Best Spoken Word Album:
Neil deGrasse Tyson – Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run
Shelly Peiken – Confessions of a Serial Songwriter
Bernie Sanders and Mark Ruffalo – Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In
Carrie Fisher – The Princess Diarist
Best Song Written For Visual Media
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone – “City of Stars” (La La Land)
Lin Manuel Miranda – “How Far I’ll Go” (Moana)
Zayn and Taylor Swift – “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” (Fifty Shades Darker)
Sia – “Never Give Up” (Lion)
Andra Day featuring Common – “Stand Up For Something” (Marshall)
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical:
Calvin Harris
Greg Kurstin
Blake Mills
No I.D.
The Stereotypes
Best Music Video:
Beck – “Up All Night”
Jain – “Makeba”
JAY-Z – “The Story of O.J.”
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid – “1-800=273-8255”