As the Grammy Awards wound to a close for the 50th time Sunday night, Amy Winehouse appeared poised to dominate the major prizes, having already won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Pop Vocal Album for Back to Black and its infectious neo-soul single, "Rehab."
But the Grammys have never shied away from honoring older, more venerable artists, and the awards' selectors threw in a surprise right at the end of the telecast: Album of the Year honors went to Herbie Hancock and his jazz tribute to Joni Mitchell, River: The Joni Letters.
The other Album of the Year nominees — Foo Fighters, Vince Gill, and Kanye West — had to settle for other awards. Here's a look at the nominees and winners in many key categories; for a complete list, visit the Grammys' Web site.
Album of the Year
Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Vince Gill, These Days
WINNER: Herbie Hancock, River: The Joni Letters
Kanye West, Graduation
Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
Record Of The Year
Beyoncé, "Irreplaceable"
Foo Fighters, "The Pretender"
Rihanna featuring Jay-Z, "Umbrella"
Justin Timberlake, "What Goes Around... Comes Around"
WINNER: Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"
Best New Artist
Paramore
Taylor Swift
WINNER: Amy Winehouse
Song Of The Year
"Before He Cheats," John Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)
"Hey There Delilah," Tom Higgenson, songwriter (Plain White T's)
"Like a Star," Corinne Bailey Rae, songwriter (Corinne Bailey Rae)
WINNER: "Rehab," Amy Winehouse, songwriter (Amy Winehouse)
"Umbrella," Shawn Carter, Kuk Harrell, Terius "Dream" Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z)
Best Pop Vocal Album
Bon Jovi, Lost Highway
Feist, The Reminder
Maroon 5, It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Paul McCartney, Memory Almost Full
WINNER: Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
Best Rock Album
Daughtry, Daughtry
John Fogerty, Revival
WINNER: Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Bruce Springsteen, Magic
Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
Best Classical Album
Cherubini: Missa Solemnis In E, Riccardo Muti, conductor
Grechaninov: Passion Week, Charles Bruffy, conductor
Homage: The Age Of The Diva, Renée Fleming
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
WINNER: Tower: Made In America, Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Best Contemporary R&B Album
Akon, Konvicted
Keyshia Cole, Just Like You
Fantasia, Fantasia
Emily King, East Side Story
WINNER: Ne-Yo, Because Of You
Best Rap Album
Common, Finding Forever
Jay-Z, Kingdom Come
Nas, Hip Hop Is Dead
T.I., T.I. vs T.I.P.
WINNER: Kanye West, Graduation
Best Country Album
Dierks Bentley, Long Trip Alone
WINNER: Vince Gill, These Days
Tim McGraw, Let It Go
Brad Paisley, 5th Gear
George Strait, It Just Comes Natural
Best Contemporary Jazz Album
Will Bernard, Party Hats
Brian Bromberg, Downright Upright
WINNER: Eldar, Re-Imagination
Herbie Hancock, River: The Joni Letters
Jeff Lorber, He Had a Hat
Best Alternative Music Album
Lily Allen, Alright, Still...
Arcade Fire, Neon Bible
Bjork, Volta
The Shins, Wincing the Night Away
WINNER: The White Stripes, Icky Thump
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
