2024 Grammys Go to Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Allison Russell, and More

As expected and eternal, the Grammys made a splash Sunday night with big names and big surprises. Kacey Musgraves, who was a presenter in the prime-time ceremony, teased a new album, directing people to her website and releasing a cryptic video in a commercial that aired just after her segment. (Her website does not shed light on a title or release date for the album, though the commercial contained a lyrical snippet with the words “Saturn has returned.”)

Only a few minutes later, Taylor Swift won her first award of the night, for Best Pop Vocal Album, and thanked fans by revealing “a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years.” Her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, will land April 19, she said.

The evening was also punctuated by the presence of several beloved artists from previous generations. Mariah Carey and Celine Dion presented the first and last awards of the night, respectively. And Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, and Billy Joel made landmark performances on the Grammy stage.

Of course, the prime-time event most people know as the Grammy Awards is just the tip of the iceberg. The daytime Premiere Ceremony is where the vast majority of awards are given out, including the ones of most interest to roots music fans.

On “music’s biggest afternoon,” as Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. quipped in his opening remarks Sunday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, awards were given out in 85 categories, including American Roots and Americana, bluegrass, blues, and folk. The pace was quick, but there was plenty of spectacle, including an opening musical number that saw spoken word poetry nominee J. Ivy, Pentatonix, Jordin Sparks, Larkin Poe, and Sheila E collaborating on a cover of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” and an appearance from Joni Mitchell, accompanied by Brandi Carlile, to accept the Best Folk Album award.

In a shiny silver and black patterned suit, pop songwriter and show host Justin Tranter greeted the audience with “Good afternoon, you beautiful people! Oh wait, this is the afternoon telecast. Good afternoon you talented people!”

Here are some of the talented (and also beautiful!) people who won awards in the Premiere Ceremony, as well as the winners of the key awards from the prime-time ceremony, in case you went to bed early. Find the entire list of winners and nominees at Grammy.com.

Best American Roots Performance

“Butterfly,” Jon Batiste
“Heaven Help Us All,” The Blind Boys of Alabama
“Inventing the Wheel,” Madison Cunningham
“You Louisiana Man,” Rhiannon Giddens
“Eve Was Black,” Allison Russell

Best Americana Performance

“Friendship,” The Blind Boys of Alabama
“Help Me Make It Through the Night,” Tyler Childers
“Dear Insecurity,” Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile
“King of Oklahoma,” Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit
“The Returner,” Allison Russell

Best American Roots Song

“Blank Page,” Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter, songwriters (The War and Treaty)
“California Sober,” Aaron Allen, William Apostol & Jon Weisberger, songwriters (Billy Strings feat. Willie Nelson)
“Cast Iron Skillet,” Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit)
“Dear Insecurity,” Brandy Clark & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Brandy Clark feat. Brandi Carlile)
“The Returner,” Drew Lindsay, JT Nero & Allison Russell, songwriters (Allison Russell)

Best Americana Album

Brandy Clark, Brandy Clark
The Chicago Sessions, Rodney Crowell
You’re the One, Rhiannon Giddens
Weathervanes, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
The Returner, Allison Russell

Best Folk Album

Traveling Wildfire, Dom Flemons
I Only See the Moon, The Milk Carton Kids
Joni Mitchell at Newport [Live], Joni Mitchell
Celebrants, Nickel Creek
Jubilee, Old Crow Medicine Show
Seven Psalms, Paul Simon
Folkocracy, Rufus Wainwright

Best Traditional Blues Album

Ridin’, Eric Bibb
The Soul Side of Sipp, Mr. Sipp
Life Don’t Miss Nobody, Tracy Nelson
Teardrops For Magic Slim Live at Rosa’s Lounge, John Primer
All My Love for You, Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Death Wish Blues, Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton
Healing Time, Ruthie Foster
Live in London, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Blood Harmony, Larkin Poe
LaVette!, Bettye LaVette

Best Bluegrass Album

Radio John: Songs of John Hartford, Sam Bush
Lovin’ of the Game, Michael Cleveland
Mighty Poplar, Mighty Poplar
Bluegrass, Willie Nelson
Me/And/Dad, Billy Strings
City of Gold, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Best Country Album

Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, Kelsea Ballerini
Brothers Osborne, Brothers Osborne
Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan
Rustin’ in the Rain, Tyler Childers
Bell Bottom Country, Lainey Wilson

Best Country Solo Performance

“In Your Love,” Tyler Childers
“Buried,” Brandy Clark
“Fast Car,” Luke Combs
“The Last Thing on My Mind,” Dolly Parton
“White Horse,” Chris Stapleton

Best Country Song

“Buried,” Brandy Clark and Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (Brandy Clark)
“I Remember Everything,” Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves)
“In Your Love,” Tyler Childers and Geno Seale, songwriters (Tyler Childers)
“Last Night,” John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin and Ryan Vojtesak, songwriters (Morgan Wallen)
“White Horse,” Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

“High Note,” Dierks Bentley feat. Billy Strings
“Nobody’s Nobody,” Brothers Osborne
“I Remember Everything,” Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves
“Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold),” Vince Gill & Paul Franklin
“Save Me,” Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson
“We Don’t Fight Anymore,” Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton

Best Regional Roots Music Album (tie)

New Beginnings, Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band
Live at the 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers
Live: Orpheum Theater Nola, Lost Bayou Ramblers & Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
Made in New Orleans, New Breed Brass Band
Too Much to Hold, New Orleans Nightcrawlers
Live at the Maple Leaf, The Rumble feat. Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.

OF (ROOTS MUSIC) NOTE FROM OTHER CATEGORIES

— Best Roots Gospel Album: The Blind Boys of Alabama — Echoes of the South

— Best Global Music Performance: Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain featuring Rakesh Chaurasia — “Pashto”

— Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song: boygenius — “Not Strong Enough”

— Best Alternative Music Album: boygenius — the record

— Best Album Notes: Robert Gordon and Deanie Parker — Written in Their Souls: The Stax Songwriter Demos

— Best Historical Album: Written in Their Souls: The Stax Songwriter Demos (Robert Gordon, Deanie Parker, Cheryl Pawelski, Michele Smith, and Mason Williams, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer and restoration engineer; various artists)

— Latin Pop Album: Gaby Moreno — X Mí

— Best Arrangement, Instrumental, or A Cappella: Folsom Prison Blues (John Carter Cash, Tommy Emmanuel, Markus Illko, Janet Robin, and Roberto Luis Rodriguez, arrangers; The String Revolution feat. Tommy Emmanuel, artists)

— Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, feat. Rakesh Chaurasia — As We Speak

THE BIG ONES

For your reference, here are the winners and nominees in the Big Three Grammy categories —Album, Song, and Record of the Year — plus Best New Artist.

Best New Artist

Gracie Abrams
Fred again..
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Coco Jones
Noah Kahan
Victoria Monét
The War and Treaty

Album of the Year

World Music Radio, Jon Batiste
the record, boygenius
Endless Summer Vacation, Miley Cyrus
Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, Lana Del Rey
The Age of Pleasure, Janelle Monáe
GUTS, Olivia Rodrigo
Midnights, Taylor Swift
SOS, SZA

Song of the Year

“A&W,” Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey & Sam Dew, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
“Anti-Hero,” Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Butterfly,” Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
“Dance The Night” (from Barbie the Album), Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Miley Cyrus)
“Kill Bill,” Rob Bisel, Carter Lang & Solána Rowe, songwriters (SZA)
“Vampire,” Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Olivia Rodrigo)
“What Was I Made For?” (from the motion picture Barbie), Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

Record of the Year

“Worship,” Jon Batiste
“Not Strong Enough,” boygenius
“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus
“What Was I Made For?” (from the motion picture Barbie), Billie Eilish
“On My Mama,” Victoria Monét
“Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo
“Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift
“Kill Bill,” SZA