Grammys 2019: Kacey Musgraves wins Album of the Year on night that celebrated female artists

Music's biggest night took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles

Grammys 2019: Casey Musgrave wins Album of the Year

The 61st annual Grammy Awards have come to a close, on a night that finally seemed to acknowledge women in the music industry.

The ceremony itself was decidely female-focused, with superb performances from Janelle Monae, Cardi B, Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Lopez, Brandie Carlisle and Kacey Musgraves, plus a powerful opening speech from host Alicia Keys, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Michelle Obama.

The main prizes were handed out to a female majority, including H.E.R for Best R&B Album, and Cardi B, who became the first female solo artist in Grammys history to win Best Rap Album. British artist Dua Lipa, who had performed a medley of her song "One Love" with St Vincent's "My Seduction" just moments before, was awarded the prize for Best New Artist.

The biggest prize of the night, Album of the Year, went to Kacey Musgraves, who looked overwhelmed as she realised she had beaten competition from the likes of Janelle Monae, Cardi B, Drake, H.E.R and Kendrick Lamar.

The change-up follows an outcry over the lack of female winners last year, after which Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said that women needed to "step up" if they wanted to be recognised.

In response to the backlash, the Recording Academy appointed a task force led by Tina Tchen, a former chief of staff to Michelle Obama, to “identify the various barriers and unconscious biases faced by underrepresented communities” at the academy.

Despite the positive change in acknowledging women at the ceremony, it appeared that the Grammys have done little to soothe their troubled relationship with the hip hop community.

Drake made a surprise appearance to pick up his award for Best Rap Song, unfortunately appearing to get cut off as he spoke about what success meant. He and fellow hip hop artists like Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar have a difficult relationship with the Grammys, with Lamar snubbed for Album of the Year three times.

And while Childish Gambino won two out of the four biggest prizes of the night, for Record of the Year and Song of the Year with "This is America", he was noticeable absent from the ceremony. According to the show's longtime producer Ken Erlich, Kendrick, Chilidish Gambino and Drake all turned down offers to perform at the Grammys this year.

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“The fact of the matter is, we continue to have a problem in the hip-hop world,” Ehrlich told the New York Times. “When they don't take home the big prize, the regard of the academy, and what the Grammys represent, continues to be less meaningful to the hip-hop community, which is sad."

Key Points

• Kacey Musgraves takes home top prize for Album of the Year
• Cardi B makes history with Best Rap Album win
• Shallow wins the award for Best Pop Duo / Group Performance
• Childish Gambino wins Song of the Year and Record of the Year for This is America
• Dua Lipa wins the Grammy for Best New Artist
• Cardi B wins Best Rap Album

[10 February 2019 15:00 · roisin.oconnor]

This year's Grammy Awards ceremony comes in the wake of a particularly bleak study about women in music. 

USC's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which examines music on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from 2012 to 2018, found that during those seven years and out of 700 song samples, female artists, producers and songwriters were difficult to find. 

Out of the 1,064 people who were nominated for Grammys in the five main categories between 2013 to 2019, 89.6 per cent were male, and 10.4 per cent were female.

Women in the music industry clearly feel affected by this bias, as 43 per cent reported feeling their skills were discounted. 39 per cent said they had experienced stereotyping and sexualisation. 

Stacy Smith, lead author of the report and founder of the initiative, told Rolling Stone: “A lot of what we are seeing is just a rinse and repeat of last year. When you look at songwriting credits, you see almost 25 per cent of the 700 most popular songs have 10 male songwriters attached. That means 10 men are setting the agenda for a quarter of the most popular content being distributed lyrically in the music space.”

[10 February 2019 15:30 · roisin.oconnor]

Here's a reminder of the nominees in the four big categories:

Album of the Year

H.E.R. – H.E.R.

Brandie Carlile – By the Way, I Forgive You

Drake – Scorpion

Various Artists – Black Panther: The Album

Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

Post Malone – Beerbongs & Bentleys

Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy

Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

Record of the Year

Cardi B – I Like It

Brandi Carlile – The Joke

Childish Gambino – This Is America

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow

Drake – God’s Plan

Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars

Post Malone & 21 Savage – Rockstar

Zedd & Maren Morris – The Middle

Song of the Year

Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars

Ella Mai – Boo’d Up

Drake – God’s Plan

Shawn Mendes – In My Blood

Brandy Carlile – The Joke

Zedd & Maren Morris – The Middle

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow

Childish Gambino – This Is America

Best New Artist

Chloe x Halle

Luke Combs

Greta Van Fleet

H.E.R.

Dua Lipa

Margo Price

Bebe Rexha

Jorja Smith

[10 February 2019 16:00 · roisin.oconnor]

Who do we think will take home the top prize, for Album of the Year? I've been thinking about this a lot. Kendrick is arguably he most snubbed, yet deserving, artist in the history of the Grammys. While he's been ridiculously humble (joke intended) about it in the past, at last year's awards show, where he lost out to Bruno Mars' 24K Magic, the mask appeared to slip for a moment. 

In 2014 the hip hop community was stunned when Lamar's critically acclaimed, major label debut Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City lost for best rap album to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' The Heist. 

“[The Grammy defeats] would have been upsetting to me if I’d known that was my best work, if I had nothing new to offer,” Lamar told Billboard in 2016, ahead of the 58th ceremony. “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is great work, but it’s not my best work. To Pimp a Butterfly is great. I’m talking about the connection the record made. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City made a connection. But To Pimp a Butterfly made a bigger connection.”

So when Lamar lost out on the Album of the Year prize in 2016, this time to Taylor Swift's album 1989, there was considerable uproar. While the general consensus was that Swift's album was superb, many felt that Lamar's was the more deserving of the two. The moment played a factor in Frank Ocean not submitting his album, Blonde, for the 2017 awards, when he called out the show's producers directly for the Lamar snub.

"I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN TUNING INTO CBS AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR FOR A WHILE TO SEE WHO GETS THE TOP HONOUR AND YOU KNOW WHAT’S REALLY NOT ‘GREAT TV’ GUYS? 1989 GETTING ALBUM OF THE YEAR OVER TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY," he wrote. "HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE MOST 'FAULTY’ TV MOMENTS I’VE SEEN. BELIEVE THE PEOPLE. BELIEVE THE ONES WHO’D RATHER WATCH SELECT PERFORMANCES FROM YOUR PROGRAM ON YOUTUBE THE DAY AFTER BECAUSE YOUR SHOW PUTS THEM TO SLEEP. USE THE OLD GRAMOPHONE TO ACTUALLY LISTEN BRO, I’M ONE OF THE BEST ALIVE. AND IF YOU’RE UP FOR A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CULTURAL BIAS AND GENERAL NERVE DAMAGE THE SHOW YOU PRODUCE SUFFERS FROM THEN I’M ALL FOR IT. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT."

Matters were made considerably worse when Kendrick was snubbed, AGAIN, for Mars' 24k Magic. After receiving seven nominations, including Album of the Year for his commercially and critically successful record, DAMN., it seemed as though it would be his night. But as Mars triumphed in the Song and Record of the Year categories, there were heartbreaking camera shots of Kendrick's face that showed him apparently realising that, once again, it was not to be. 

So where do we stand this year? Black Panther is an incredible piece of work, but it's a collaborative, multiple artist-featuring album, so an accolade now would likely mean less to Kendrick than had he won for DAMN. or To Pimp a Butterfly. He's also up against some strong competition, including Janelle Monae and Cardi B. The worst possible outcome would be Post Malone, the white hip hop artist who moved from country music to hip hop, and at one point declared that: "If you're looking to think about life, don't listen to hip hop."

[10 February 2019 16:19 · roisin.oconnor]

Here's an interview The Independent's Alexandra Pollard did with Album of the Year nominee Kacey Musgraves 

[10 February 2019 16:40 · roisin.oconnor]

Dua Lipa is looking pretty glam already, ahead of tonight's ceremony. The Grammy Best New Artist nominee be appearing on stage in a collaborative performance with St Vincent.

[10 February 2019 17:10 · roisin.oconnor]

Circling back to those thoughts on Kendrick – here's a piece I wrote after last year's Grammys results, which predicted that there was a strong chance he might not come back this year after such an appalling history of snubs. From the sound of it he's definitely not performing... will he even attend the ceremony?

[10 February 2019 17:30 · roisin.oconnor]

Nominations in full...

Album of the Year

H.E.R. – H.E.R.

Brandie Carlile – By the Way, I Forgive You

Drake – Scorpion

 Various Artists – Black Panther: The Album

Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

Post Malone – Beerbongs & Bentleys

Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy

Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

Record of the Year

Cardi B – I Like It

Brandi Carlile – The Joke

Childish Gambino – This Is America

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow

Drake – God’s Plan

Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars

Post Malone & 21 Savage – Rockstar

Zedd & Maren Morris – The Middle

Song of the Year

Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars

Ella Mai – Boo’d Up

Drake – God’s Plan

Shawn Mendes – In My Blood

Brandy Carlile – The Joke

Zedd & Maren Morris – The Middle

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow

Childish Gambino – This Is America

Best New Artist

Chloe x Halle

Luke Combs

Greta Van Fleet

H.E.R.

Dua Lipa

Margo Price

Bebe Rexha

Jorja Smith

Pop

Best Pop Solo Performance

Beck – Colors

Camila Cabello – Havana (Live)

Ariana Grande – God Is a Woman

Lady Gaga – Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)

Post Malone – Better Now

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato – Fall In Line

Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – Shallow

Maroon 5 and Cardi B – Girls Like You

Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton – Say Something

Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – The Middle

Best Pop Vocal Album

Camila Cabello – Camila

Kelly Clarkson – Meaning of Life

Ariana Grande – Sweetener

Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes

Pink – Beautiful Trauma

Taylor Swift – Reputation

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Tony Bennett & Diana Krall – Love Is Here to Stay

Willie Nelson – My Way

Gregory Porter – Nat “King” Cole & Me

Seal – Standards (Deluxe)

Barbra Streisand – The Music... The Mem’ries... The Magic!

Rap

Best Rap Performance

Cardi B – Be Careful

Drake – Nice for What

Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, & James Blake – King’s Dead

Anderson .Paak – Bubblin

Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk, & Swae Lee – Sicko Mode

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Christina Aguilera ft. Goldlink – Like I Do

6LACK ft. J. Cole – Pretty Little Fears

Childish Gambino – This Is America

Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars

Post Malone ft. 21 Savage – Rockstar

Best Rap Song

Drake – God’s Plan

Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, & James Blake – King’s Dead

Eminem – Lucky You

Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk, & Swae Lee – Sicko Mode

Jay Rock ft. Kendrick Lamar – Win

Best Rap Album

Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy

Mac Miller – Swimming

Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap

Pusha-T – Daytona

Travis Scott – Astroworld

Dance

Best Dance Recording

Northern Soul – Above & Beyond Featuring Richard Bedford

Ultimatum – Disclosure (Featuring Fatoumata Diawara)

Losing It – Fisher

Electricity – Silk City & Dua Lipa Featuring Diplo & Mark Ronson

Ghost Voices – Virtual Self

Best Dance/Electronic Album

Singularity – Jon Hopkins

Woman Worldwide – Justice

Treehouse – Sofi Tukker

Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides – SOPHIE

Lune Rouge – TOKiMONSTA

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

The Emancipation Procrastination – Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah

Steve Gadd Band – Steve Gadd Band

Modern Lore – Julian Lage

Laid Black – Marcus Miller

Protocol 4 – Simon Phillips

Rock

Best Rock Performance

Four Out Of Five – Arctic Monkeys

When Bad Does Good – Chris Cornell

Made An America – THE FEVER 333

Highway Tune – Greta Van Fleet

Halestorm – Uncomfortable

Best Metal Performance

Condemned To The Gallows – Between The Buried And Me

Honeycomb – Deafheaven

Electric Messiah – High On Fire

Betrayer – Trivium

On My Teeth – Underoath

Best Rock Song

Black Smoke Rising – Greta Van Fleet

Jumpsuit – Twenty One Pilots

MANTRA – Bring Me The Horizon

Masseduction – St Vincent

Rats – Ghost

Best Rock Album

Rainier Fog – Alice In Chains

M A N I A – Fall Out Boy

Prequelle – Ghost

From The Fires – Greta Van Fleet

Pacific Daydream – Weezer

Best Alternative Rock Album

Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino – Arctic Monkeys

Colors​ – Beck

Utopia – Björk

American Utopia – David Byrne

Masseduction​ – St Vincent

Visual Media

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

Call Me By Your Name – (Various Artists)

Deadpool 2 – (Various Artists)

The Greatest Showman – (Various Artists)

Lady Bird – (Various Artists)

Stranger Things – (Various Artists)

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media

Black Panther

Blade Runner 2049

Coco

The Shape Of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Song Written for Visual Media

All The Stars – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (Black Panther)

Mystery Of Love – Sufjan Stevens (Call Me By Your Name)

Remember Me – Miguel Featuring Natalia Lafourcade (Coco)

Shallow – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born)

This Is Me – Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble (The Greatest Showman)

[10 February 2019 17:31 · roisin.oconnor]

Here's a handy guide of how to watch the Grammys if you're in the US 

[10 February 2019 18:20 · roisin.oconnor]

One of the favourites to win this year's Album of the Year is Janelle Monae, with her superb record Dirty Computer. The Independent named it among its top 5 (#3) favourite albums of 2018. You can read our review, below: 

[10 February 2019 18:28 · roisin.oconnor]