The 63rd Grammys 2021 are live on CBS on Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 8pm ET. Jhené Aiko hosts a pre-show at 3pm ET.
Grammys 2021 Winners
It was Ladies Night because women won all the top awards. They didn’t get in free. They won because they are great artists who work hard. Beyoncé was the night’s brightest star. She won four Grammys making her the female artist with the most Grammys ever.
She won Best R&B Performance for “Black Parade.” The title reminded us of “un desfile de melaza en flor” (a parade of molasses in flower) from Tite Curet Alonso’s “Las Caras Lindas” sung by Ismael Rivera. There is no reference, but she does sing about the orishas. [We refer to the Cuban/Caribbean stories.] Oshun is the orisha of fresh waters and representative of young female energy. Yemayá is the orisha of the sea and represents the mature female energy. There are more orisha references in the song.
Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” won Best Music Video.
Megan Thee Stallion won Best New Artist. Song of the Year went to “I Can’t Breathe” by Dernst Emile II and H.E.R. (Tiara Thomas). Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” won Best Pop Vocal Album.
“Savage” sung by Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé won Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.
Lady Gaga 🇮🇹 and Ariana Grande’s 🇮🇹 “Rain on Me” won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
In the Latin categories, Bad Bunny’s 🇵🇷 “YHLQMDLG” won Best Latin Pop or Urban Album. The title stands for “Yo hago lo que me de la gana” which basically means “I do whatever I want.”
“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” 🇲🇽 won Best Music Film.
Burna Boy’s 🇳🇬 “Twice as Tall” won Best Global Music Album.
“10%” by Kaytranada 🇭🇹 featuring Kali Uchis 🇨🇴 won Best Dance Recording.
“Bubba” by Kaytranada 🇭🇹 won Best Dance/Electronic Album.
“La Conquista del Espacio” by Fito Paez 🇦🇷 won Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.
“Un Canto Por Mexico, Vol. 1,” by Natalia Lafourcade 🇲🇽 won Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano).
“40” by Grupo Niche 🇨🇴 won Best Tropical Latin Album.
“Ives: Complete Symphonies” conducted by Gustavo Dudamel 🇻🇪 at the Los Angeles Philharmonic won Best Orchestral Performance.
“Gershwin: Porgy and Bess” by David Robertson, Angel Blue, Eric Owens and David Frost with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Metropolitan Opera Chorus won Best Opera Recording.
“All Blues” by Chick Corea with Christian McBride and Brian Blade won Best Improvised Jazz Solo for a track from “Trilogy 2.” The album also won Best Jazz Instrumental Album. Corea died on February 9 this year.
“Secrets Are the Best Stories” by Kurt Elling featuring Danilo Pérez 🇵🇦 won Best Jazz Vocal Album.
“Data Lords” by the Maria Schneider Orchestra won Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.
“Four Questions” by Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra 🇨🇺 won Best Latin Jazz Album. Maestro O’Farrill wins a Grammy almost every year.
So that’s it. Congratulations to the ladies, all the winners and all the nominees. Your artistry as really helped us get through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Recording Academy is Failing Because its Power Structure is Non-Representative
We completely lost faith in the Recording Academy in 2018. “Despacito” was not just the most successful song commercially, it was an international cultural phenomenon that got people around the world singing in Spanish. Even so the Academy gave the top awards to Bruno Mars. Mars is great, but his work’s impact was nowhere near the same level. What are the Grammys for if not excellence?
So we have to agree with The Weeknd that something is wrong with the Recording Academy, very wrong.
Grammys 2021 Performers
“The Daily Show’s” Trevor Noah hosts the show. Burna Boy 🇳🇬 and Lido Pimienta 🇨🇴🇨🇦 are scheduled to sing.
Joining a tribute to the 50th Anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)” are Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra, Camilo, Bebel Gilberto, Lupita Infante, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de José Hernández, Gustavo Santaolalla (Bajofondo) and Anoushka Shankar. Has it really been 50 years since that song “Things ain’t what they used to be…”.
Grammys 2021 Nominees
J Balvin 🇨🇴, Dua Lipa 🏴, Bad Bunny 🇵🇷 & Tainy 🇵🇷 song “Un Dia (One Day)” is nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
Lady Gaga’s 🇮🇹 “Chromatica” is nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album.
Arturo O’Farrill’s 🇨🇺 “Baby Jack” is nominated for Best Instrumental Composition
“Gerswhin: Porgy and Bess” by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Metropolitan Opera Chorus is nominated for Best Opera Recording.
Best Latin Jazz Album
- “Tradiciones” by Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra 🇵🇪
- “Four Questions” by Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra 🇨🇺
- “City of Dreams” by Chico Pinheiro 🇧🇷
- “Viento y Tiempo – Live at Blue Note Tokyo” by Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola 🇨🇺
- “Trane’s Delight” by Poncho Sanchez 🇲🇽
Best Latin Pop or Urban Album
- “YHLQMDLG” by Bad Bunny 🇵🇷
- “Por Primera vez” by Camilo 🇨🇴
- “Mesa para dos” by Kany García 🇵🇷
- “Pausa” by Ricky Martin 🇵🇷
- “3:33” by Debi Nova 🇨🇷
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
- “Aura” by Bajofondo 🇦🇷
- “Monstruo” by Cami 🇨🇱
- “Sobrevolando” by Cultura Profética 🇵🇷
- “La Conquista del espacio” by Fito Paez 🇦🇷
- “Miss Colombia” by Lido Pimienta 🇨🇴🇨🇦
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
- “Hecho en México” by Alejandro Fernández 🇲🇽
- “La Serenata” by Lupita Infante 🇲🇽
- “Un Canto por México, Vol. 1” by Natalia Lafourcade 🇲🇽
- “Bailando sones y huapangos con Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández” by Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández 🇲🇽
- “Ayayay!” by Christian Nodal 🇲🇽
Best Tropical Latin Album
- “Mi Tumbao” by José Alberto “El Ruisennor” 🇨🇺
- “Infinito” by Edwin Bonilla 🇵🇷
- “Sigo Cantando al Amor (Deluxe)” by Jorge Celedon 🇨🇴 & Sergio Luis 🇨🇴
- “40” by Grupo Niche 🇨🇴
- “Memorias de Navidad” by Víctor Manuelle 🇵🇷
Best Global Music Album
- “Fu Chronicles” by Antibalas 🇺🇸
- “Twice as Tall” by Burna Boy 🇳🇬
- “Agora” by Bebel Gilberto 🇧🇷
- “Love Letters” by Anoushka Shankar 🇮🇳🏴
- “Amadjar” by Tinariwen 🇲🇱
Best Music Film
- “Beastie Boys Story” by the Beastie Boys 🇺🇸
- “Black is King” by Beyoncé 🇺🇸
- “We are Freestyle Love Supreme” by Freestyle Love Supreme 🇵🇷
- “Linda Rondstadt: The Sound of My Voice” by Linda Rondstadt 🇲🇽
- “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” by ZZ Top 🇺🇸