French dance music producers Daft Punk won Album of the Year for Random Access Memories and Record of the Year for their hit “Get Lucky” at the 56th annual Grammy awards on Sunday night. In a ceremony heavy on collaborative performances (Robin Thicke with Chicago, Kendrick Lamar with Imagine Dragons and Metallica with Lang Lang were a few of the more random pairings) and light on surprise, no single artist dominated.
Daft Punk, whose last album, Human After All, came out in 2005, won four awards in all, including Best Dance/Electronica Album and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The two musicians behind the group, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, appeared behind their trademark “robot” helmets and didn’t speak a word into a microphone all night, letting their collaborators, including the two performers featured on “Get Lucky,” Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, accept awards on their behalf. (Random Access Memories won a fifth award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical)
Williams, who acted as Daft Punk’s main spokesman for most of the night, was nominated for seven awards and won four, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. The three he lost (for producing Robin Thicke’s Record and Pop Duo/Group nominee “Blurred Lines” and Kendrick Lamar’s Album nominee good kid m.A.A.d city) were also awards he won.
The chart-topping Seattle-based hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis also won four Grammys, including Best New Artist and three rap awards. New Zealand’s Lorde won the other major award, Song of the Year, as well as Best Pop Solo Performance, for “Royals,” which dominated the singles chart for two months in the fall.
Other multiple award winners included country newcomer Kacey Musgraves, R&B and rap collaborators Justin Timberlake and Jay Z, gospel singer Ty Tribbett and classical composer Maria Schneider.
Schneider was among the winners announced at a ceremony before the night’s main event, where, as NPR’s Mandalit Del Barco reported on Morning Edition, most of this year’s 82 awards were handed out. That spotlight, however comparably dim, still meant something huge to those who picked up Grammys.
“Most of us who are coming through here that you’re seeing this afternoon, we’re funding our own records,” Schneider said back stage.
Listen to Mandalit Del Barco’s report at the audio link on this page. The complete list of Grammy winners is below.
- Record of the Year – “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers
- Album of the Year – Random Access Memories by Daft Punk
- Song of the Year – “Royals” by Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor, songwriters (Lorde)
- Best New Artist – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- Best Pop Solo Performance – “Royals” by Lorde
- Best Pop Duo/Group Performance – “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers
- Best Pop Instrumental Album – Steppin’ Out by Herb Alpert
- Best Pop Vocal Album – Unorthodox Jukebox by Bruno Mars
- Best Dance Recording – “Clarity” by Zedd featuring Foxes
- Best Dance/Electronica Album – Random Access Memories by Daft Punk
- Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album – To Be Loved by Michael Bublé
- Best Rock Performance – “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons
- Best Metal Performance – “God Is Dead?” by Black Sabbath
- Best Rock Song – “Cut Me Some Slack” by Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear, songwriters (Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear)
- Best Rock Album – Celebration Day by Led Zeppelin
- Best Alternative Music Album – Modern Vampires of the City by Vampire Weekend
- Best R&B Performance – “Something” by Snarky Puppy with Lalah Hathaway
- Best Traditional R&B Performance – “Please Come Home” by Gary Clark Jr.
- Best R&B Song – “Pusher Love Girl” by James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)
- Best Urban Contemporary Album – Unapologetic by Rihanna
- Best R&B Album – Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys
- Best Rap Performance – “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
- Best Rap/Sung Collaboration – “Holy Grail” by Jay Z featuring Justin Timberlake
- Best Rap Song – “Thrift Shop” by Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)
- Best Rap Album – The Heist by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- Best Country Solo Performance – “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker
- Best Country Duo/Group Performance – “From This Valley” by The Civil Wars
- Best Country Song – “Merry Go Round” by Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
- Best Country Album – Same Trailer Different Park by Kacey Musgraves
- Best New Age Album – Love’s River by Laura Sullivan
- Best Improvised Jazz Solo – “Orbits” by Wayne Shorter, soloist
- Best Jazz Vocal Album – Liquid Spirit by Gregory Porter
- Best Jazz Instrumental Album – Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue by Terri Lyne Carrington
- Best large Jazz Ensemble Album – Night in Calisia by Randy Brecker, Włodek Pawlik Trio & Kalisz Philharmonic
- Best Latin Jazz Album – Song for Maura by Paquito D’Rivera And Trio Corrente
- Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance – “Break Every Chain [Live]” by Tasha Cobbs
- Best Gospel Song – “If He Did It Before … Same God [Live]” by Tye Tribbett, songwriter (Tye Tribbett)
- Best Contemporary Christian Music Song – “Overcomer” by David Garcia, Ben Glover & Christopher Stevens, songwriters (Mandisa)
- Best Gospel Album – Greater Than [Live] by Tye Tribbett
- Best Contemporary Christian Music Album – Overcomer by Mandisa
- Best Latin Pop Album – Vida by Draco Rosa
- Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album – Treinta Dias by La Santa Cecilia
- Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano) – A Mi Manera by Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea
- Best Tropical Latin Album – Pacific Mambo Orchestra by Pacific Mambo Orchestra
- Best American Roots Song – “Love Has Come for You” by Edie Brickell & Steve Martin, songwriters (Steve Martin & Edie Brickell)
- Best Americana Album – Old Yellow Moon by Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
- Best Bluegrass Album – The Streets of Baltimore by Del McCoury Band
- Best Blues Album – Get Up! by Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite
- Best Folk Album – My Favorite Picture of You by Guy Clark
- Best Regional Roots Music Album – Dockside Sessions by Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience
- Best Reggae Album – Ziggy Marley in Concert by Ziggy Marley
- Best World Music Album (TIE) – Savor Flamenco by Gipsy Kings AND Live: Singing for Peace Around the World by Ladysmith Black Mambazo
- Best Children’s Album – Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well by Jennifer Gasoi
- Best Spoken Word Album – America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t by Stephen Colbert
- Best Comedy Album – Calm Down Gurrl by Kathy Griffin
- Best Musical Theater Album – Kinky Boots by Billy Porter & Stark Sands, principal soloists; Sammy James Jr., Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Oremus & William Wittman, producers; Cyndi Lauper, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast with Stark Sands, Billy Porter & Others)
- Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media – Sound City: Real to Reel by Butch Vig, compilation producer
- Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media – Skyfall by Thomas Newman, composer
- Best Song Written For Visual Media – “Skyfall” by Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)
- Best Instrumental Composition – “Pensamientos for Solo Alto Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra” by Clare Fischer, composer (The Clare Fischer Orchestra)
- Best Instrumental Arrangement – “On Green Dolphin Street” by Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)
- Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) – “Swing Low” by Gil Goldstein, arranger (Bobby McFerrin & Esperanza Spalding)
- Best Recording Package – Long Night Moon by Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly)
- Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package – Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition) by Simon Earith & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney And Wings)
- Best Album Notes – Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered & Expanded) by Neil Tesser, album notes writer (John Coltrane)
- Best Historical Album (TIE) – Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965 by Teri Landi, Andrew Loog Oldham & Steve Rosenthal, compilation producers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (The Rolling Stones) AND The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums by Leo Sacks, compilation producer; Joseph M. Palmaccio, Tom Ruff & Mark Wilder, mastering engineers (Bill Withers)
- Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical – Random Access Memories by Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta & Daniel Lerner, engineers; Antoine “Chab” Chabert, Bob Ludwig, mastering engineers (Daft Punk)
- Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical – Pharrell Williams
- Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical – “Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)” by Cedric Gervais, remixer (Lana Del Rey)
- Best Surround Sound Album – Live Kisses by Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney)
- Best Engineered Album, Classical – Winter Morning Walks by David Frost, Brian Losch & Tim Martyn, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider, Australian Chamber Orchestra & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
- Producer Of The Year, Classical – David Frost
- Best Orchestral Performance – Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4 by Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra)
- Best Opera Recording – Adés: The Tempest by Thomas Adès, conductor; Simon Keenlyside, Isabel Leonard, Audrey Luna & Alan Oke; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
- Best Choral Performance – Pärt: Adam’s Lament by Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor (Tui Hirv & Rainer Vilu; Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Sinfonietta Riga & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; Latvian Radio Choir & Vox Clamantis)
- Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance – Roomful of Teeth by Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth
- Best Classical Instrumental Solo – Corigliano: Conjurer – Concerto For Percussion & String Orchestra by Evelyn Glennie; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)
- Best Classical Vocal Solo – “Winter Morning Walks” by Dawn Upshaw (Maria Schneider; Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough & Scott Robinston; Australian Chamber Orchestra & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
- Best Classical Compendium – Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik by Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
- Best Contemporary Classical Composition – “Schneider, Maria: Winter Morning Walks” by Maria Schneider, composer (Dawn Upshaw, Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough, Scott Robinson & Australian Chamber Orchestra)
- Best Music Video – “Suit & Tie” by Justin Timberlake Featuring Jay Z (David Fincher, video director; Timory King, video producer)
- Best Music Film – Live Kisses by Paul McCartney (Jonas Åkerlund, video director; Violaine Etienne, Aron Levine & Scott Rodger, video producers)
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