Grammys 2016: Alabama Shakes, Jason Isbell, Muse Among the Winners
Despite losing Album of the Year to the ubiquitous Taylor Swift, Alabama Shakes took home a massive haul from the Grammy Awards on Monday with three big wins: Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Performance for their sophomore album, Sound & Color, and Best Rock Song for “Don’t Wanna Fight."
The Grammy wins are the first for the Alabama five-piece who formed in 2009 and skyrocketed to fame on the strength of their 2012 debut, Boys & Girls. The band also played during Grammys, which also featured performances by Adele, Chris Stapleton, Lady Gaga and the television debut of supergroup Hollywood Vampires (featuring Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Aerosmith's Joe Perry).
Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell also took home a pair of Grammys during the non-televised Premiere ceremony: Best Americana Album for Something More Than Free and Best American Roots Song for “24 Frames.” Isbell, dressed in an all-black suit, referred to his past troubles with alcoholism during one of his speeches. “My life turned around a few years ago, so I started working harder and documenting the changes. I’m just happy to be able to work now and have a family and take care of them. It’s nice to write records… to explain my own feelings to myself.”
Jack U – the collaboration between Skrillex and Diplo – also won two Grammys: Best Dance or Electronic Album for Jack U and Best Dance Recording for “Where Are U Now” featuring Justin Bieber.
Muse won Best Rock Album for Drones, beating out James Bay, Death Cab for Cutie, Highly Suspect and Slipknot. Masked Swedish outfit Ghost won Best Metal Performance for their album Cirise over August Burns Red, Lamb of God, Sevendust and Slipknot.
Jack White also won a Grammy – but not for music. He was one of the artistic directors on the Third Man Records compilation The Rise & Gall of Paramount Records, Volume Two (1928-32), and the packaging won Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. White was also nominated for his design work on Third Man’s Elvis Presley release My Happiness. That award, however, went to a collection by country group Asleep at the Wheel.
Other highlights: Mavis Staples won Best American Roots Performance for “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean”; the Steeldivers won Best Bluegrass Album for The Muscle Shoals Recordings and Buddy Guy won Best Blues Album for Born To Play Guitar.
Foo Fighters’ documentary Sonic Highways was nominated in the Best Music Film category, but that award went to the Amy Winehouse documentary Amy.