BMI Congratulates Its 2019 GRAMMY Winners
Music’s biggest night returned to Los Angeles’ Staple Center, last night, for the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards, and true to form, a robust showing of BMI affiliates went home with the gold. Childish Gambino’s incendiary single “This is America” made history by being the first rap song to win both the Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The song also earned GRAMMYs for Best Music Video and Best Rap/Sung Performance. Kacey Musgraves also took home four awards, claiming Best Country Solo Performance for “Butterflies,” Best Country Song for “Space Cowboy” and both Best Country Album and Album of the Year for Golden Hour. Lady Gaga made multiple trips to the stage as well to collect the awards for Best Pop Solo Performance for “Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)” and both Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Song Written for Visual Media for “Shallow.” Composer Ludwig Göransson graced the stage not only for his contribution as producer of Childish Gambino’s “This is America” earning Song of the Year, but also to collect the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media award for Black Panther.
In addition to the well-deserved accolades, the evening was punctuated by several unforgettable performances. Among the highlights, Camila Cabello, Ricky Martin, Young Thug and J Balvin kicked off proceedings with an explosive performance of “Havana,” augmented by legendary trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Lady Gaga brought the house down with an emphatic performance of “Shallow,” flanked by Mark Ronson on guitar. Shawn Mendes delivered a stirring performance of “In My Blood” as a duet with Miley Cyrus. Cyrus also joined in for an all-star tribute to Dolly Parton with Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, Little Big Town and Parton herself reprising favorites like “Here You Come Again,” “Jolene,” “Red Shoes” and more. Dan + Shay dazzled with a rendition of “Tequila” that found Shay sustaining a single note that got the room on its feet. Kacey Musgraves delivered and soulfully elegant rendition of “Rainbow,” and after medley of “Stay” and “Rockstar,” Post Malone teamed up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a performance of their song “Dark Necessities.” Jennifer Lopez performed a homage to Motown Records, Travis Scott brought a rambunctious crowd of hip-hop fans onstage for a vigorous airing of “Can’t Say” and the legendary Diana Ross rang in her 75th birthday with a rapturous performance of “The Best Years of My Life” and “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand).”
Congratulations to all the BMI winners! Below is the complete list.
Record Of The Year
“This is America”
Childish Gambino
Donald Glover & Ludwig Göransson, producers; Riley Mackin, engineer/mixer
Album Of The Year
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, producers; Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters
Song Of The Year
“This is America”
Donald Glover & Ludwig Göransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)”
Lady Gaga
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Shallow”
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
My Way
Willie Nelson
Best Dance Recording
“Electricity”
Silk City & Dua Lipa* Featuring Diplo* & Mark Ronson
Silk City, producers; Josh Gudwin, mixer
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Woman Worldwide
Justice (SACEM)
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Steve Gadd Band
Steve Gadd Band
Best Rock Song
“Masseduction”
Jack Antonoff, songwriter (St. Vincent)
Best Rock Album
From the Fires
Greta Van Fleet
Best R&B Performance
“Best Part”
H.E.R.* Featuring Daniel Caesar (SOCAN)
Best R&B Song
“Boo’d Up”
Larrance Dopson, Ella Mai & Dijon McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)
Best Rap Performance
“King’s Dead”
Jay Rock & Future
“Bubblin”
Anderson.Paak
Best Rap/Sung Performance
“This Is America”
Childish Gambino
Best Rap Song
“God’s Plan”
Daveon Jackson & Brock Korsan, songwriters (Drake)
Best Country Solo Performance
“Butterflies”
Kacey Musgraves
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Tequila”
Dan + Shay
Best Country Song
“Space Cowboy”
Kacey Musgraves, songwriter (Kacey Musgraves)
Best Country Album
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
Best New Age Album
Opium Moon
Opium Moon
Best Jazz Vocal Album
The Window
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Emanon
The Wayne Shorter Quartet
Best Latin Jazz Album
Back to the Sunset
Dafnis Prieto Big Band
Best Gospel Performance/Song
“Never Alone”
Tori Kelly* featuring Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter
Best Roots Gospel Album
Unexpected
Jason Crabb
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
¡México Por Siempre!
Luis Miguel
Best American Roots Song
“The Joke”
Dave Cobb, songwriter (Brandi Carlile)
Best Bluegrass Album
The Travelin’ McCourys
The Travelin’ McCourys
Best Traditional Blues Album
The Blues is Alive and Well
Buddy Guy
Best Folk Album
All Ashore
Punch Brothers
Best Reggae Album
44/876
Sting (PRS) & Shaggy
Best Musical Theater Album
The Band’s Visit
David Yazbek, producer; David Yazbek, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
The Greatest Showman
(Various Artists)
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
Black Panther
Ludwig Göransson, composer
Best Song Written For Visual Media
“Shallow”
Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)
Track from: A Star Is Born
Best Instrumental Composition
“Blut Und Boden (Blood And Soil)”
Terence Blanchard, composer (Terence Blanchard)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
“Spiderman Theme”
Randy Waldman, arranger (Randy Waldman Featuring Take 6 & Chris Potter)
Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of “Weird Al” Yankovic
Al Yankovic, art director (“Weird Al” Yankovic)
Best Album Notes
Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris
David Evans, album notes writer (Various Artists)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Colors
Cassidy Turbin, engineer (Beck)
Best Immersive Audio Album
Eye in the Sky – 35th Anniversary Edition
Alan Parsons, surround mix engineer; Alan Parsons, surround mastering engineer; Alan Parsons, surround producer (The Alan Parsons Project)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Anderson, Laurie: Landfall
Laurie Anderson & Kronos Quartet
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Kernis: Violin Concerto
Aaron Jay Kernis, composer (James Ehnes, Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony)
Best Music Video
“This is America”
Childish Gambino
* Not affiliated with BMI.
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