The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted the show. It was the first time in seven years that the event had an official host.[2] Nominations were announced on November 30, 2011, on prime-time television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night", a one-hour special broadcast live on CBS from Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live.[3][4] Kanye West received the most nominations with seven. Adele, Foo Fighters, and Bruno Mars each received six nominations. Lil Wayne, Skrillex, and Radiohead all earned five nominations. The nominations were criticised by many music journalists as Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy missed out on a nomination for Album of the Year despite being highly critically acclaimed and topping many end of year charts.[5][6] West's album went on to win Best Rap Album.[7]
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A total of 78 awards were presented following the Academy's decision to restructure the Grammy Award categories. Paul McCartney received the MusiCares Person of the Year award on February 10, 2012, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, two nights prior to the Grammy telecast.[8]
On February 8, 2012, the Academy announced that the 54th Grammy Pre-Telecast Ceremony would stream live internationally. The ceremony took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center and was streamed live in its entirety internationally at Grammy's official website and CBS Television Network. The ceremony was co-hosted by Dave Koz and MC Lyte. A total of 68 awards were presented in the Pre-Telecast ceremony.[9] The official poster was designed by Architect Frank Gehry.[10]
The day before the ceremony, Whitney Houston died in Los Angeles, and the show's producers quickly planned a tribute in the form of Jennifer Hudson singing Houston's "I Will Always Love You".[11] The awards show began with a Bruce Springsteen performance followed by an LL Cool J prayer for Whitney Houston. Adele won all of her six nominations, equalling the record for most wins by a female artist in one night, first held by Beyoncé.[7][12] Adele became only the second artist in history, following Christopher Cross in 1981, to have won all four of the general field (Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year) awards throughout her career.[13] Foo Fighters and Kanye West followed with five and four awards, respectively.[7][14] With his win for Best Musical Theater Album (for The Book of Mormon: Original Broadway Cast Recording), producer Scott Rudin became the 11th person to become an EGOT winner.[15]
The anticipation for the show's tributes to the late Whitney Houston greatly helped increased the ratings for the 54th Grammy Awards, which became the second highest in its history with 39.9 million viewers (trailing only behind the 1984 Grammys with 51.67 million viewers). The rating was 50% higher than in 2011.[16] This remains the highest-rated Grammy telecast on 21st-century U.S. television.
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The following performed:
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- Maceo Parker was scheduled to pay tribute to Clarence Clemons following the montage of those that had died in 2011 although his tribute was dropped in the 24 hours leading up to the awards show to make room for the Jennifer Hudson tribute to Whitney Houston.[18]
The winners per category were:[19][20]
General
Record of the Year
Album of the Year
- 21 – Adele
- Ryan Tedder, Jim Abbiss, Adele Adkins, Paul Epworth, Rick Rubin, Fraser T Smith & Dan Wilson, producers; Jim Abbiss, Philip Allen, Beatriz Artola, Ian Dowling, Tom Elmhirst, Greg Fidelman, Dan Parry, Steve Price, Mark Rankin, Andrew Scheps, Fraser T Smith & Ryan Tedder, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
- Wasting Light – Foo Fighters
- Born This Way – Lady Gaga
- Paul Blair, DJ Snake, Fernando Garibay, Lady Gaga, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Jeppe Laursen, RedOne & Clinton Sparks, producers; Fernando Garibay, Lady Gaga, Bill Malina, Trevor Muzzy, RedOne, Dave Russell, Justin Shirley Smith, Horace Ward & Tom Ware, engineers/mixers; Gene Grimaldi, mastering engineer
- Doo-Wops & Hooligans – Bruno Mars
- Loud – Rihanna
- Drake, Eminem & Nicki Minaj, featured artists; Ester Dean, Alex da Kid, Kuk Harrell, Mel & Mus, Awesome Jones, Makeba Riddick, The Runners, Sham, Soundz, Stargate, Chris "Tricky" Stewart, Sandy Vee & Willy Will, producers; Ariel Chobaz, Cary Clark, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Alex da Kid, Josh Gudwin, Kuk Harrell, Jaycen Joshua, Manny Marroquin, Dana Nielsen, Chad "C-Note" Roper, Noah "40" Shebib, Corey Shoemaker, Jay Stevenson, Mike Strange, Phil Tan, Brian "B-Luv" Thomas, Marcos Tovar, Sandy Vee, Jeff "Supa Jeff" Villanueva, Miles Walker & Andrew Wuepper, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
Song of the Year
Best New Artist
Children's
- Best Children's Album
- All About Bullies ... Big and Small – Steve Pullara, Jim Cravero, Pat Robinson, Kevin Mackie and Gloria Domina, producers (Various Artists)
- Are We There Yet? – The Papa Hugs Band
- Fitness Rock & Roll – Miss Amy
- GulfAlive – The Banana Plant
- I Love: Tom T. Hall's Songs of Fox Hollow – Various Artists
Notes
- Best Album Notes
- Hear Me Howling!: Blues, Ballads & Beyond as Recorded by the San Francisco Bay by Chris Strachwitz in the 1960s
- Adam Machado, album notes writer (Various Artists)
- The Bang Years 1966-1968
- The Bristol Sessions, 1927–1928: The Big Bang of Country Music
- Ted Olson & Tony Russell, album notes writers (Various Artists)
- Complete Mythology
- The Music City Story: Street Corner Doo Wop, Raw R&B and Soulful Sounds from Berkeley, California 1950–75
Historical
- Best Historical Album
- Band on the Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection – Deluxe Edition)
- Paul McCartney, compilation producer; Sam Okell & Steve Rooke, mastering engineers (Paul McCartney & Wings)
- The Bristol Sessions, 1927–1928: The Big Bang of Country Music
- Christopher C. King & Ted Olson, compilation producers; Christopher C. King & Chris Zwarg, mastering engineers (Various Artists)
- Complete Mythology
- Tom Lunt, Rob Sevier & Ken Shipley, compilation producers; Jeff Lipton, mastering engineer (Syl Johnson)
- Hear Me Howling!: Blues, Ballads & Beyond as Recorded by the San Francisco Bay by Chris Strachwitz in the 1960s
- Chris Strachwitz, compilation producer; Mike Cogan, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
- Young Man with the Big Beat: The Complete '56 Elvis Presley Masters
- Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, compilation producer; Vic Anesini, mastering engineer (Elvis Presley)
Production, Surround Sound
- Best Surround Sound Album
- Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (Super Deluxe Edition)
- Elliot Scheiner, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering engineer; Bill Levenson & Elliot Scheiner, surround producers (Derek and the Dominos)
- An Evening with Dave Grusin
- Frank Filipetti & Eric Schilling, surround mix engineers; Frank Filipetti, surround mastering engineer; Phil Ramone, surround producer (Various Artists)
- Grace for Drowning
- Steven Wilson, surround mix engineer; Paschal Byrne, surround mastering engineer; Steven Wilson, surround producer (Steven Wilson)
- Kind
- Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Kjetil Almenning, Ensemble 96 & Nidaros String Quartet)
- Spohr: String Sextet in C Major, Op. 140 & Nonet in F Major, Op. 31
- Andreas Spreer, surround mix engineer; Robin Schmidt & Andreas Spreer, surround mastering engineer; Andreas Spreer, surround producer (Camerata Freden)
Production, Classical
- Best Engineered Album, Classical
Aldridge: Elmer Gantry
- Byeong-Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Jesse Lewis, mastering engineer (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
- Glazunov: Complete Concertos
- Mackey: Lonely Motel – Music From Slide
- Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4
- Weinberg: Symphony No. 3 & Suite No. 4 From 'The Golden Key'
- Producer of the Year, Classical
Judith Sherman
- Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony; String Quartet (John Adams, St. Lawrence String Quartet & International Contemporary Ensemble)
- Capricho Latino (Rachel Barton Pine)
- 85th Birthday Celebration (Claude Frank)
- Insects & Paper Airplanes – Chamber Music of Lawrence Dillon (Daedalus Quartet & Benjamin Hochman)
- Midnight Frolic – The Broadway Theater Music of Louis A. Hirsch (Rick Benjamin & Paragon Ragtime Orchestra)
- Notable Women – Trios by Today's Female Composers (Lincoln Trio)
- The Soviet Experience, Vol. 1 – String Quartets by Dmitri Shostakovich & His Contemporaries (Pacifica Quartet)
- Speak! (Anthony De Mare)
- State of the Art – The American Brass Quintet at 50 (The American Brass Quintet)
- Steve Reich: WTC 9/11; Mallet Quartet; Dance Patterns (Kronos Quartet, Steve Reich Musicians & So Percussion)
- Winging It – Piano Music of John Corigliano (Ursula Oppens)
- Blanton Alspaugh
- Aldridge: Elmer Gantry (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
- Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas (Peter Takács)
- Osterfield: Rocky Streams (Paul Osterfield, Todd Waldecker & Various Artists)
- Manfred Eicher
- Bach: Concertos & Sinfonias for Oboe; Ich Hatte Viel Bekümmernis (Heinz Holliger, Eric Höbarth & Camerata Bern)
- Hymns & Prayers (Gidon Kremer & Kremerata Baltica)
- Manto & Madrigals (Thomas Zehetmair & Ruth Killius)
- Songs of Ascension (Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble, Todd Reynolds Quartet, The M6 & Montclair State University Singers)
- Tchaikovsky/Kissine: Piano Trios (Gidon Kremer, Giedre Dirvanauskaite & Khatia Buniatishvili)
- A Worcester Ladymass (Trio Mediaeval)
- David Frost
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass Live (Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass)
- Mackey: Lonely Motel – Music from Slide (Rinde Eckert, Steven Mackey & Eighth Blackbird)
- Prayers & Alleluias (Kenneth Dake)
- Sharon Isbin & Friends – Guitar Passions (Sharon Isbin & Various Artists)
- Peter Rutenberg
- Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 (Patrick Dupré Quigley, James K. Bass, Seraphic Fire & Professional Choral Institute)
- The Vanishing Nordic Chorale (Philip Spray & Musik Ekklesia)
Classical
- Best Orchestral Performance
"Brahms: Symphony No. 4"
- Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
- "Bowen: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2"
- "Haydn: Symphonies 104, 88 & 101"
- "Henze: Symphonies Nos. 3–5"
- Martinu: The 6 Symphonies
- Best Opera Recording
"Adams: Doctor Atomic"
- Alan Gilbert, conductor; Meredith Arwady, Sasha Cooke, Richard Paul Fink, Gerald Finley, Thomas Glenn & Eric Owens; Jay David Saks, producer (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
- "Britten: Billy Budd"
- Mark Elder, conductor; John Mark Ainsley, Phillip Ens, Jacques Imbrailo, Darren Jeffery, Iain Paterson & Matthew Rose; James Whitbourn, producer (London Philharmonic Orchestra; Glyndebourne Chorus)
- "Rautavaara: Kaivos"
- Hannu Lintu, conductor; Jaakko Kortekangas, Hannu Niemelä, Johanna Rusanen-Kartano & Mati Turi; Seppo Siirala, producer (Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra; Kaivos Chorus)
- "Verdi: La Traviata"
- Antonio Pappano, conductor; Joseph Calleja, Renée Fleming & Thomas Hampson; James Whitbourn, producer (Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus)
- "Vivaldi: Ercole Sul Termodonte"
- Fabio Biondi, conductor; Romina Basso, Patrizia Ciofi, Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato, Vivica Genaux, Philippe Jaroussky, Topi Lehtipuu & Rolando Villazón; Daniel Zalay, producer (Europa Galante; Coro Da Camera Santa Cecilia Di Borgo San Lorenzo)
- Best Choral Performance
"Light & Gold"
- Eric Whitacre, conductor (Christopher Glynn & Hila Plitmann; The King's Singers, Laudibus, Pavão Quartet & The Eric Whitacre Singers)
- "Beyond All Mortal Dreams – American A Cappella"
- Stephen Layton, conductor (Choir of Trinity College Cambridge)
- "Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45"
- Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor; James K. Bass, chorus master (Justin Blackwell, Scott Allen Jarrett, Paul Max Tipton & Teresa Wakim; Professional Choral Institute & Seraphic Fire)
- "Kind"
- Kjetil Almenning, conductor (Nidaros String Quartet; Ensemble 96)
- "The Natural World of Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen"
- Paul Hillier, conductor (Ars Nova Copenhagen)
- Best Small Ensemble Performance
"Mackey: Lonely Motel – Music from Slide" – Rinde Eckert & Steven Mackey; Eighth Blackbird
- "Frank: Hilos" – Gabriela Lena Frank; ALIAS Chamber Ensemble
- "The Kingdoms of Castille – Richard Savino, conductor; El Mundo
- "A Seraphic Fire Christmas" – Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor; Seraphic Fire
- "Sound the Bells!" – The Bay Brass
- Best Classical Instrumental Solo
"Schwantner: Concerto for Percussion & Orchestra"
- Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Christopher Lamb (Nashville Symphony)
- "Chinese Recorder Concertos – East Meets West"
- Lan Shui, conductor; Michala Petri (Copenhagen Philharmonic)
- "Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18; Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini"
- Claudio Abbado, Yuja Wang (Mahler Chamber Orchestra)
- "Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4"
- Leif Ove Andsnes, Antonio Pappano (London Symphony Orchestra)
- "Winging It – Piano Music of John Corigliano"
- Best Classical Vocal Solo
"Diva Divo"
- Joyce DiDonato (Kazushi Ono; Orchestre De L'Opéra National De Lyon; Choeur De L'Opéra National De Lyon)
- "Grieg/Thommessen: Veslemøy Synsk"
- Marianne Beate Kielland (Nils Anders Mortensen)
- "Handel: Cleopatra"
- Natalie Dessay (Emmanuelle Haïm; Le Concert D'Astrée)
- "Purcell: O Solitude"
- "Three Baroque Tenors"
- Ian Bostridge (Bernard Labadie; Mark Bennett, Andrew Clarke, Sophie Daneman, Alberto Grazzi, Jonathan Gunthorpe, Benjamin Hulett & Madeline Shaw; The English Concert)
- Best Contemporary Classical Composition
"Aldridge, Robert: Elmer Gantry" – Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein
- "Crumb, George: The Ghosts of Alhambra" – George Crumb
- "Friedman, Jefferson: String Quartet No. 3" – Jefferson Friedman
- "Mackey, Steven: Lonely Motel – Music From Slide" – Steven Mackey
- "Ruders, Poul: Piano Concerto No. 2" – Poul Ruders
Music Video
- Best Short Form Music Video
- Best Long Form Music Video
- Foo Fighters: Back and Forth – Foo Fighters
- I Am... World Tour – Beyoncé
- Beyoncé, Ed Burke & Frank Gatson, Jr., video directors; Beyoncé & Camille Yorrick, video producers
- Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon – Kings of Leon
- Stephen C. Mitchell, video director; Casey McGrath, video producer
- Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest – A Tribe Called Quest
- Michael Rapaport, video director; Robert Benavides, Debra Koffler, Eric Matthies, Frank Mele, Edward Parks & A Tribe Called Quest, video producers
- Nine Types of Light – TV on the Radio
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The following artists received multiple nominations:
- Seven: Kanye West
- Six: Adele, Bruno Mars, Foo Fighters
- Five: Lil Wayne, Radiohead, Skrillex
- Four: Bon Iver, Drake, Jay-Z, Mumford & Sons, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna
- Three: Blake Shelton, Brandon Heath, Cee Lo Green, Chris Brown, Chris Tomlin, Coldplay, Deadmau5, Fergie, Jason Aldean, Kelly Price, Lady Gaga, Ledisi, Lupe Fiasco, Taylor Swift, Eminem
- Two: Alexandre Desplat, Beyoncé, Charlie Wilson, Christina Aguilera, Daft Punk, David Guetta, Dr. Dre, Foster the People, Gillian Welch, Katy Perry, Kenny Chesney, Kirk Franklin, Kings of Leon, Marsha Ambrosius, Mary Mary, Robyn, R. Kelly, Seth MacFarlane, Skylar Grey, Thompson Square, The Civil Wars, Tony Bennett, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Wiz Khalifa, Afrojack
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The following artists received multiple awards:
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Amy Winehouse, Nick Ashford, Phoebe Snow, Jerry Leiber, Steve Jobs, Heavy D, Sylvia Robinson, Nate Dogg, M-Bone, Jimmy Castor, George Shearing, Roger Williams, Ray Bryant, Gil Cates, Fred Steiner, Dobie Gray, Ferlin Husky, Larry Butler, Wilma Lee Cooper, Harley Allen, Liz Anderson, Charlie Craig, Barbara Orbison, Frank DiLeo, Steve Popovich, Tal Herzberg, Bruce Jackson, Johnny Otis, Benny Spellman, Don DeVito, Roger Nichols, Stan Ross, Joe Arroyo, Facundo Cabral, Marv Tarplin, Esther Gordy Edwards, Carl Gardner, Cornell Dupree, Jerry Ragovoy, Gene McDaniels, Joe Morello, Gil Bernal, Frank Foster, Ralph MacDonald, Leonard Dillon, Clare Fischer, Bert Jansch, Andrew Gold, Bill Morrissey, Warren Hellman, Hazel Dickens, Gary Moore, Gerard Smith, Doyle Bramhall, Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Camilla Williams, Milton Babbitt, David Mason, Andy Kazdin, Alex Steinweiss, Bill Johnson, Jessy Dixon, Don Butler, Clarence Clemons and Whitney Houston.
