Grammys Go to Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves, Punch Brothers, and More

For most of us in the roots music world, the important Grammys are given out while the pop stars are still shimmying into their red carpet gowns. We’re talking about the American Roots categories, of course, which include awards for Americana, bluegrass, and folk albums, performances, and songs.

Here’s a curated list of nominees and winners (in bold) from those categories, starting with last night’s big Album of the Year win for Kacey Musgraves! (Golden Hour was in ND readers’ Top Ten for 2018, as was Brandi Carlile’s By The Way, I Forgive You – an album likely getting a lot of new spins today after Carlile’s show-stopping performance of “The Joke” on last night’s prime-time broadcast.) You can find the full list of nominees and winners at Grammy.com.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Invasion of Privacy – Cardi B; Leslie Brathwaite & Evan LaRay, engineers/mixers; Belcalis Almanzar & Jorden Thorpe, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

By the Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile; Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Dave Cobb & Eddie Spear, engineers/mixers; Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer

Scorpion – Drake; Noel Cadastre, Noel “Gadget” Campbell & Noah Shebib, engineers/mixers; Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters; Chris Athens, mastering engineer

H.E.R. – H.E.R.; Darhyl “Hey DJ” Camper Jr, David ‘Swagg R’Celious’ Harris, H.E.R., Walter Jones & Jeff Robinson, producers; Miki Tsutsumi, engineer/mixer; Darhyl Camper Jr & H.E.R., songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer

Beerbongs & Bentleys – Post Malone; Louis Bell & Post Malone, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Louis Bell & Austin Post, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

Dirty Computer – Janelle Monáe; Chuck Lightning & Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate “Rocket” Wonder, producers; Mick Guzauski, Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate “Rocket” Wonder, engineers/mixers; Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Taylor Parks & Janelle Monáe Robinson, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer

Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves; Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, producers; Craig Alvin & Shawn Everett, engineers/mixers; Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers

Black Panther: The Album, Music From and Inspired By – various artists; Kendrick Lamar, featured artist; Kendrick Duckworth & Sounwave, producers; Matt Schaeffer, engineer/mixer; Kendrick Duckworth & Mark Spears, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

 

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE

Kick Rocks – Sean Ardoin

Saint James Infirmary Blues – Jon Batiste

The Joke – Brandi Carlile

All on My Mind – Anderson East

Last Man Standing – Willie Nelson

 

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG

All the Trouble – Waylon Payne, Lee Ann Womack & Adam Wright, songwriters (Lee Ann Womack)

Build a Bridge – Jeff Tweedy, songwriter (Mavis Staples)

The Joke – Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)

Knockin’ on Your Screen Door – Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)

Summer’s End – Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)

 

BEST AMERICANA ALBUM

By the Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile

Things Have Changed – Bettye LaVette

The Tree of Forgiveness – John Prine

The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone – Lee Ann Womack

One Drop of Truth – The Wood Brothers

 

BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM

Portraits in Fiddles – Mike Barnett

Sister Sadie II – Sister Sadie

Rivers and Roads – Special Consensus

The Travelin’ McCourys – The Travelin’ McCourys

North of Despair – Wood & Wire

 

BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM

Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here – Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio

Benton County Relic – Cedric Burnside

The Blues Is Alive and Well – Buddy Guy

No Mercy in This Land – Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite

Don’t You Feel My Leg (The Naughty Bawdy Blues of Blue Lu Barker) – Maria Muldaur

 

BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM

Please Don’t Be Dead – Fantastic Negrito 

Here In Babylon – Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps

Cry No More – Danielle Nicole

Out Of The Blues – Boz Scaggs

Victor Wainwright and the Train – Victor Wainwright and the Train

 

BEST FOLK ALBUM

Whistle Down The Wind – Joan Baez

Black Cowboys – Dom Flemons

Rifles & Rosary Beads – Mary Gauthier

Weed Garden – Iron & Wine

All Ashore – Punch Brothers

 

BEST REGIONAL ROOTS MUSIC ALBUM

Kreole Rock and Soul – Sean Ardoin

Spyboy – Cha Wa

Aloha from Na Hoa – Na Hoa

No ‘Ane’i – Kalani Pe’a

Mewasinsational – Cree Round Dance Songs – Young Spirit

 

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE

Wouldn’t It Be Great? – Loretta Lynn

Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters – Maren Morris

Butterflies – Kacey Musgraves

Millionaire – Chris Stapleton

Parallel Line – Keith Urban

 

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE

Shoot Me Straight – Brothers Osborne

Tequila – Dan + Shay

When Someone Stops Loving You – Little Big Town

Dear Hate – Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill

Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

 

BEST COUNTRY SONG

Break Up In The End – Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill & Jon Nite, songwriters (Cole Swindell)

Dear Hate – Tom Douglas, David Hodges & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill)

I Lived It – Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley & Ben Hayslip, songwriters (Blake Shelton)

Space Cowboy – Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)

Tequila – Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds & Dan Smyers, songwriters (Dan + Shay)

When Someone Stops Loving You – Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Little Big Town)

 

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM

Unapologetically – Kelsea Ballerini

Port Saint Joe – Brothers Osborne

Girl Going Nowhere – Ashley McBryde

Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves

From A Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton

 

Here are some of the big categories so you know what everyone’s talking about today …

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Invasion of Privacy – Cardi B; Leslie Brathwaite & Evan LaRay, engineers/mixers; Belcalis Almanzar & Jorden Thorpe, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

By the Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile; Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Dave Cobb & Eddie Spear, engineers/mixers; Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer

Scorpion – Drake; Noel Cadastre, Noel “Gadget” Campbell & Noah Shebib, engineers/mixers; Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters; Chris Athens, mastering engineer

H.E.R. – H.E.R.; Darhyl “Hey DJ” Camper Jr, David ‘Swagg R’Celious’ Harris, H.E.R., Walter Jones & Jeff Robinson, producers; Miki Tsutsumi, engineer/mixer; Darhyl Camper Jr & H.E.R., songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer

Beerbongs & Bentleys – Post Malone; Louis Bell & Post Malone, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Louis Bell & Austin Post, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

Dirty Computer – Janelle Monáe; Chuck Lightning & Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate “Rocket” Wonder, producers; Mick Guzauski, Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate “Rocket” Wonder, engineers/mixers; Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Taylor Parks & Janelle Monáe Robinson, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer

Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves; Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, producers; Craig Alvin & Shawn Everett, engineers/mixers; Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers

Black Panther: The Album, Music From and Inspired By – various artists; Kendrick Lamar, featured artist; Kendrick Duckworth & Sounwave, producers; Matt Schaeffer, engineer/mixer; Kendrick Duckworth & Mark Spears, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

 

SONG OF THE YEAR
All the Stars – Kendrick Duckworth, Solána Rowe, Al Shuckburgh, Mark Spears & Anthony Tiffith, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar & SZA)

Boo’d Up – Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai & Dijon McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)

God’s Plan – Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)

In My Blood – Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes & Geoffrey Warburton, songwriters (Shawn Mendes)

The Joke – Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)

The Middle – Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha & Anton Zaslavski, songwriters (Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey)

Shallow – Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)

This Is America – Donald Glover, Ludwig Goransson & Jeffery Lamar Williams, songwriters (Childish Gambino)

 

RECORD OF THE YEAR

I Like It – Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin; Invincible, JWhiteDidIt, Craig Kallman & Tainy, producers; Leslie Brathwaite, Kuk Harrell, Evan LaRay & Simone Torres, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

The Joke – Brandi Carlile; Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Tom Elmhirst & Eddie Spear, engineers/mixers; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer

This Is America ­– Childish Gambino; Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, producers; Derek “MixedByAli” Ali, Riley Mackin & Shaan Singh, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

God’s Plan – Drake; Boi-1Da, Cardo & Young Exclusive, producers; Noel Cadastre, Noel “Gadget” Campbell & Noah Shebib, engineers/mixers; Chris Athens, mastering engineer

Shallow – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper; Lady Gaga & Benjamin Rice, producers; Brandon Bost & Tom Elmhirst, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

All the Stars – Kendrick Lamar & SZA; Al Shux & Sounwave, producers; Sam Ricci & Matt Schaeffer, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

Rockstar – Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage; Louis Bell & Tank God, producers; Louis Bell, Lorenzo Cardona, Manny Marroquin & Ethan Stevens, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

The Middle – Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey; Grey, Monsters & Strangerz & Zedd, producers; Grey, Tom Norris, Ryan Shanahan & Zedd, engineers/mixers; Mike Marsh, mastering engineer

 

Best New Artist

Chloe x Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith

 

And what would the Grammys be without a few surprises? …

 

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM

Love Is Here to Stay – Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
My Way – Willie Nelson
Nat “King” Cole & Me – Gregory Porter
Standards (Deluxe) – Seal
The Music…The Mem’ries…The Magic! – Barbra Streisand

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