BMI Salutes its 2016 GRAMMY Winners
BMI songwriters had an amazing night at the 58th GRAMMYs at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA, on Monday, taking home top awards across the board. Taylor Swift continued her ascendance by winning Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of The Year for 1989, Mark Ronson snagged Record of The Year for the irresistible “Uptown Funk,” Ed Sheeran won both Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Thinking Out Loud,” Little Big Town claimed Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Girl Crush,” and Alabama Shakes earned both Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Don’t Wanna Fight,” as well as Best Alternative Music Album for Sound & Color.
But beyond the GRAMMY gold, it was a spirited evening of live music. Swift kicked off the event with a commanding performance of her anthem “Out of the Woods,” while Little Big Town delivered a lushly string-laden rendition of the Best Country Song-winning “Girl Crush.” Other highlights included Adele wowing the Staples Center with a stirring version of “All I Ask,” and the Alabama Shakes howling and riffing their way through a gritty reading of their award-winning “Don’t Wanna Fight.”
As one of the most anticipated moments of the night, Lady Gaga paid tribute to the late David Bowie with a dazzling medley of the Thin White Duke’s most memorable hits, flanked by BMI Icon and fabled Bowie collaborator Nile Rodgers on guitar. Gary Clark Jr. leant his incendiary guitar talents to a rendition of “The Thrill is Gone” to honor blues pioneer B.B. King, while Johnny Depp and the inimitable Alice Cooper steered the Hollywood Vampires through a high decibel homage to fallen Motorhead front-man, Lemmy Kilmister.
Near the end of the evening, Recording Academy President Neil Portnow and Common took a moment to shine a spotlight on the critical need for fair compensation for music creators in the age of streaming technology. Capping off the evening’s celebration, Pitbull delivered a rousing performance of “El Taxi” and his newest single, “Bad Man.”
Congratulations to all the BMI winners! Below is the complete list.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
“Uptown Funk”
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars*
Jeff Bhasker & Mark Ronson, producers;
Boo Mitchell & Mark Ronson, engineers/mixers
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
1989
Taylor Swift
Jack Antonoff, Nathan Chapman, Taylor Swift & Noel Zancanella, producers; Jack Antonoff & Nathan Chapman, engineers/mixers
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Thinking Out Loud”
Ed Sheeran, songwriter (Ed Sheeran)
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
“Thinking Out Loud”
Ed Sheeran
BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
“Uptown Funk”
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars*
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
1989
Taylor Swift
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
“Don’t Wanna Fight”
Alabama Shakes
BEST ROCK SONG
“Don’t Wanna Fight”
Alabama Shakes, songwriters (Alabama Shakes)
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
Sound & Color
Alabama Shakes
BEST R&B SONG
“Really Love”
Kendra Foster, songwriter (D’Angelo* and The Vanguard*)
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
“These Walls”
Kendrick Lamar* Featuring Bilal
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Traveler
Chris Stapleton*
Dave Cobb, producer
BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
“Girl Crush”
Little Big Town
BEST COUNTRY SONG
“Girl Crush”
Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)
BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO
“Cherokee”
Christian McBride, soloist
BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM
For One to Love
Cécile McLorin Salvant
BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Past Present
John Scofield
BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM
Made in Brazil
Eliane Elias
BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE/SONG
“Wanna Be Happy?”
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin, songwriter
BEST GOSPEL ALBUM
Covered: Alive in Asia [Live] (Deluxe)
Israel & Newbreed
BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM
This is Not a Test
Tobymac
BEST LATIN POP ALBUM
A Quien Quiera Escuchar (Deluxe Edition)
Ricky Martin
BEST LATIN ROCK, URBAN OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
Dale
Pitbull
BEST REGIONAL MEXICAN MUSIC ALBUM (INCLUDING TEJANO)
Realidades (Deluxe Edition)
Los Tigres Del Norte
BEST AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE
“See That My Grave is Kept Clean”
Mavis Staples
BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG
“24 Frames”
Jason Isbell, songwriter; Dave Cobb, producer (Jason Isbell)
BEST AMERICANA ALBUM
Something More Than Free
Jason Isbell
Dave Cobb, producer
BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM
The Muscle Shoals Recordings
The Steeldrivers
BEST BLUES ALBUM
Born to Play Guitar
Buddy Guy
BEST FOLK ALBUM
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn*
BEST REGIONAL ROOTS MUSIC ALBUM
Go Go Juice
Jon Cleary
BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM
Hamilton
Daveed Diggs, Christopher Jackson, principal soloists; Alex Lacamoire, producers (Original Broadway Cast)
BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Birdman
Antonio Sanchez, composer
BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA
“Glory”
Lonnie Lynn & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)
BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION
“The Afro Latin Jazz Suite”
Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa)
BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTAL OR A CAPPELLA
“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”
Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstin Maldonado & Kevin Olusola, arrangers (Pentatonix)
BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM
The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11
Steve Berkowitz, compilation producer; (Bob Dylan* And The Band*)
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL
Jeff Bhasker
BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL
Ask Your Mama
Leslie Ann Jones & Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
“Bad Blood”
Taylor Swift
BEST MUSIC FILM
Amy
Amy Winehouse
*Not affiliated with BMI
Community
Connect with BMI & Professional Songwriters