2016 Grammy Award Winners

2016 Grammy Award Winners

  • Winners were unveiled on February 16, 2016
  • The Staples Center in Los Angeles served as the host venue, a frequent location for the Grammys
  • LL Cool J was the master of ceremonies, marking his fifth consecutive year as host
  • Music released between October 1, 2014, and September 30, 2015, was up for consideration
  • Noteworthy Moments: Taylor Swift’s 1989 won Album of the Year; Kendrick Lamar took home five awards, including Best Rap Album for To Pimp a Butterfly; Meghan Trainor was named Best New Artist
  • Trivia:
    1. Kendrick Lamar’s performance was highly political, focusing on issues like racial inequality, which resonated with many viewers
    2. Taylor Swift became the first woman to win Album of the Year twice for her own albums, previously winning for Fearless
    3. Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and his cast performed the opening number via satellite from New York, and also won Best Musical Theater Album
    4. Lady Gaga performed a David Bowie tribute, covering a medley of his songs to honor the late artist
    5. A tribute to late Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister was performed by The Hollywood Vampires, featuring Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper, and Joe Perry
Record of the Year:
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
Album of the Year:
1989 – Taylor Swift
Song of the Year:
Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
Best New Artist:
Meghan Trainor
Best Musical Theater Album:
Hamilton
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
Best Pop Solo Performance:
Thinking Out Loud -Ed Sheeran
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
The Songs of Jerome Kern – Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap
Best Rap Album:
To Pimp a Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap Song:
Alright – Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap Performance:
Alright – Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:
These Walls – Kendrick Lamar feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat
Best Alternative Music Album:
Sound & Color -Alabama Shakes
Best Rock Performance:
Don’t Wanna Fight – Alabama Shakes
Best Rock Album:
Drones – Muse
Best Rock Song:
Don’t Wanna Fight – Alabama Shakes
Best R&B Album:
Black Messiah – D’Angelo and the Vanguard
Best Urban Contemporary Album:
Beauty Behind the Madness – The Weeknd
Best R&B Performance:
Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey) – The Weeknd
Best R&B Song:
Really Love – D’Angelo and The Vanguard
Best Traditional R&B Performance:
Little Ghetto Boy – Lalah Hathaway
Best Dance/Electronic Album:
Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü – Skrillex and Diplo
Best Dance Recording:
Where Are Ü Now – Skrillex and Diplo With Justin Bieber
Best Music Video:
Bad Blood – Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar
Best Country Album:
Traveler – Chris Stapleton
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
Girl Crush – Little Big Town
Best Country Song:
Girl Crush – Little Big Town
Best Music Film:
Amy – Amy Winehouse
Best Rap/Song Collaboration:
Glory – Common & John Legend
Best Pop Vocal Album:
1989 – Taylor Swift
Best Country Solo Performance:
Traveler – Chris Stapleton
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album:
This Is Not a Test – Tobymac
Best Roots Gospel Album:
Still Rockin’ My Soul – The Fairfield Four
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album:
Dale – Pitbull
Best Latin Pop Album:
A Quien Quiera Escuchar (Deluxe Edition) – Ricky Martin
Best Comedy Album:
Live at Madison Square Garden – Louis C.K.
Best Spoken Word Album:
A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety – Jimmy Carter
Score Soundtrack for Visual Media:
Birdman
Best Gospel Album:
Covered: Alive Is Asia [Live] (Deluxe) – Israel & Newbreed
Best Gospel Performance/Song:
Wanna Be Happy? – Kirk Franklin
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song:
Holy Spirit – Francesca Battistelli
Best Contemporary Classical Composition:
Paulus: Prayers & Remembrances – Stephen Paulus
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album:
Joyce & Tony – Live From Wigmore Hall – Joyce DiDonato and Antonio Pappano
Best Classical Instrumental Solo:
Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L’Arbre Des Songes- Augustin Hadelich
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance:
Filament – Eighth Blackbird
Best Choral Performance:
Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil- Charles Bruffy
Best Opera Recording:
Ravel: L’Enfant Et Les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade – Saito Kinen Orchestra; SKF Matsumoto Chorus & SKF Matsumoto Children’s Chorus
Producer of the Year, Classical:
Judith Sherman
Best Regional Roots Music Album:
Go Go Juice – Jon Cleary
Best Folk Album:
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn – Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn
Best Blues Album:
Born to Play Guitar – Buddy Guy
Best Bluegrass Album:
The Muscle Shoals Recordings – The Steeldrivers
Best Americana Album:
Something More Than Free – Jason Isbell
Best American Roots Song:
24 Frames – Jason Isbell
Best American Roots Performance:
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean – Mavis Staples
Best Tropical Latin Album:
Son De Panamá – Rubén Blades With Roberto Delgado & Orchestra
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano):
Realidades – Deluxe Edition – Los Tigres Del Norte
Best Children’s Album:
Home – Tim Kubart
Best World Album:
Sings – Angélique Kidjo
Best Reggae Album:
Strictly Roots – Morgan Heritage
Best Latin Jazz Album:
Made in Brazil – Eliane Elias
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album:
The Thompson Fields – Maria Schneider
Best Jazz Instrumental Album:
Past Present – John Scofield
Best Jazz Vocal Album:
For One To Love – Cécile McLorin Salvant
Best Surround Sound Album:
Amused To Death – James Guthrie and Joel Plante
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical:
Uptown Funk (Dave Audé Remix) – Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical:
Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes
Best Historical Album:
The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11 – Various artists
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package:
The Rise & Fall Of Paramount Records, Volume Two (1928-32) – Various Artists
Best Album Notes:
Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting To Be Danced – Joni Mitchell
Best Recording Package:
Still the King: Celebrating the Music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys – Sarah Dodds, Shauna Dodds & Dick Reeves (Asleep at the Wheel)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals:
Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime) – Maria Schneider
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella:
Olusola; “Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy – Avi Kaplin, Kirstin Taylor, Kevin K.O.
Best Instrumental Composition:
The Afro Latin Jazz Suite – Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
MusiCares Person of the Year:
Lionel Richie