2014 saw the rise of some incredible new artists and the release of even better new albums. The 57th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by LL Cool J, did an excellent job of honoring 2014’s best artists, albums and songs, while honoring some of the best artists of the past.
Beck may have taken home the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, but it was newcomer Sam Smith who left Sunday night’s awards ceremony with the most trophies, including Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album and Song of the Year.
Other notable Grammy winners were Beyonce, whose song “Drunk in Love” took home best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song; Pharrell Williams, who won Best Music Video, Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best Pop Solo Performance; and Beck, whose record, “Morning Phase” won Album of the Year and Best Rock Album.
This year’s awards were also highlighted by several outstanding performances by artists from AC/DC to Kanye West to Ed Sheeran and John Mayer. The awards show aimed to pair today’s best and brightest stars with music legends of the past, to showcase the best artists of today and to pay respects to the best artists of decades past. Some of these duet performances included Usher and Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Hozier and Annie Lennox and Ed Sheeran and Jeff Lynne of ELO.
2014 also saw the deaths of several music legends, and the Grammys made a point to pay their respects in a touching tribute to those legends, most notably Joe Cocker, Big Bank Hank of the Sugarhill Gang and Tommy Ramone of The Ramones.
This year’s Grammy Awards was one that will absolutely not be forgotten, and featured performances that might go down as some of the best broadcast music performances of all time. The Cardinal & Cream will continue coverage of the 2015 entertainment award season with the Oscar awards, which will be held Sunday, February 22.
