Beck, St. Vincent win big at Grammys

The Grammy Awards held pleasant surprises for some and heartbreak for others

Geoffrey Young, Reporter
February 22, 2015

The 57th Grammy Awards show, hosted for the fourth time by LL Cool J, was held Feb. 8 at Los Angeles’ Staples Center.

Last year’s Grammy Awards generated overly positive reviews; highlights included 33 homosexual couples were wed live on television, Kendrick Lamar’s collaboration with Imagine Dragons, Stevie Wonder’s performance with Album of the Year winner Daft Punk, and not to mention Nine Inch Nails’ performance with Queens of the Stone Age.

How did 2015 compare?

  • Album of the Year:

(Winner) Beck for “Morning Phase,” Beyoncé for “Beyoncé,” Ed Sheeran for “X,” Sam Smith for “In the Lonely Hour” and Pharrell Williams for “Girl.”

Beck’s “Morning Phase” surprised many by beating out Beyoncé and Sam Smith for Album of the Year. The results gained notoriety once Kanye West approached the microphone and swiftly turned away. But most controversial was West’s remarks following Beck’s acceptance speech, where West insisted that Beyoncé deserved the Grammy due to a lack of “respect” on Beck’s part.

  • Record of the Year:

(Winner) Sam Smith for “Stay With Me,” Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX for “Fancy,” Sia for “Chandelier,” Taylor Swift for “Shake it Off” and Meghan Trainor for “All About That Bass.”

Record of the Year would be one of four Grammy wins Sam Smith would take home, the other three being “Best Pop Vocal Album,” “Song of the Year” and “Best New Artist.”

  • Best Rock Album:

(Winner) Beck for “Morning Phase,” Ryan Adams for his self-titled debut “Ryan Adams,” The Black Keys for “Turn Blue,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for “Hypnotic Eye” and U2 for “Songs of Innocence.”

Despite Beck’sthree separate Grammys for “Morning Phase,” another musician listed about won’t be leaving empty handed. The Florida rocker Tom Petty, of the Heartbreakers, has been awarded 12.5% royalties of two Grammy-winning singles, including “Stay with Me (Darkchild Version).”

  • Best Alternative Music Album:

(Winner) St. Vincent for “St. Vincent,” Alt-J for “This is All Yours,” Arcade Fire for “Reflektor,” Cage the Elephant for “Melophobia” and Jack White for “Lazaretto.”

Although Jack White’s “Lazaretto” sold the most vinyl records since 1994, his record could not fare against the one-time Nirvana fill-in and David Byrne collaborator St. Vincent.

The full list of winners and nominees are available to view over at the Grammy website.