The following categories are being announced on the Grammy pre-show. Winners will be posted as they are announced.
Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Gaither Vocal Band, Lovin’ Life
Best Traditional Folk Album: Pete Seeger, At 89
Best Contemporary Folk Album: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Raising Sand
Best Female Country Vocal Performance: Carrie Underwood, “Last Name”
Best Male Country Vocal Performance: Brad Paisley, “Letter to Me”
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Killing the Blues”
Best Country Instrumental Performance: Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Steve Wariner, etc. “Cluster Pluck”
Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass
Best Country Song: Jennifer Nettles, “Stay”
Best Country Album: George Strait, Troubadour
The one country category being announced during the ceremony is Best Vocal Duo/Group performance, a clear tip-off that Sugarland is going home with a Grammy (they will be performing with Adele).
It’s not a tip-off at all. The performances don’t necessarily line up with the winners.
Eh. I’m jaded and cynical like that. I remember one year that George Strait was picked to perform, got sick and Vince Gill had to step in last minute. Vince actually ended up winning, so I suppose you’re right. But, well, I think the Grammy “people” expect Sugarland to win. I’ll change my mind if the SteelDrivers stun ’em!
I will say that I picked Sugarland to win, and they would earn my vote as well.
Seeing the industry crowd groovin’ to classic Heavy D is worth some sort of award.
I think Sugarland is a heavy favorite, but LeAnn Rimes and Shania Twain can warn them that the performance slot doesn’t guarantee the win. Makes for better TV though.
Jennifer Nettles would probably make an expressive face when she screamed, “What?!”
Faith, I know you were kidding. I promise. I love you, red umbrellas and all.
Why is group/duo the country category that’ll be announced on the regular telecast?
Dude, Sugarland with Adele? That might almost make up for the inevitable suckitude of the Taylor Swift/Miley performance.
They should have Country Album on the telecast at least. How can they not air more country categories? At least we get a Miley-Taylor Grammy duet. That’s so much better than Patty or Trisha. NOT!
I’m just baffled by the choice of that particular category being the one to make it.
I’m already 0 for 4.
Raising Sand won. Knock me over with a feather.
Patty-Trisha; that would be an intriguing duet. Two years ago, Carrie and the Flatts were the only country artists, so I suppose having Sugarland, Swift, Chesney and Urban on stage tonight is an attempt to make up for it. More than one Grammy category would be nice, and honestly, Duo/Group is not one of the marquee ones.
AK/RP’s first of probably many.
Yay for Team Krauss/Plant!
None of the album contenders are make huge splashes commercially right now, with George Strait selling the most. They probably wanted a category with one of the performers in it.
Oh, my. Carrie Underwood. Three in a row, defeating Trisha, Martina and Miranda twice and Leann Rimes three times in that stretch.
This might be the first time ever that both a male and female artist won all three industry awards in one year (Carrie, Brad.)
Grammys either for their favorites (like Krauss) or the most commercially successful. That’s why the Country Album is fascinating because none have sold millions of copies, and vets like Strait and Loveless have had very little Grammy success for decades.
Given the stellar set of nominees, I wouldn’t have imagined that I would be so underwhelmed with the end results. I congratulate Strait, though, on finally winning a Grammy.
Well, the country nominees went exactly the way I thought they would. I was hoping for a pleasant surprise, but oh well.
Oh well. Patty sang on the album so I take some consolation in that. I have never thought any of George’s albums were masterpieces, just a collection of some good songs with a lot of filler.
I’m underwhelmed by the end results here too. The possibilities were much more exciting.
I was pretty excited with the nominations, but not so much with the winners.
Underwood has become a Grammy darling.
Then again, looking at the winners again, I suppose the only ones I’m really underwhelmed by are female vocal performance and album. I was hoping for a Steeldrivers win, but didn’t ever expect it.
One question, do the same people vote for all genres, or do specific people vote for the genres seperately? I’m not too familiar with who votes
I’m sticking with my Plant / Krauss sweep prediction.
And I’ll risk the descending hell-plague from the fanclub: The bottom has to fall out of Underwood’s awards show dominance sometime, but if this wasn’t the time for it to happen, I can’t imagine when that time might be.
Of the entire Country field, “Cluster Pluck” is easily my favorite winner. There’s just too much assembled talent on that cut not to recognize it. “Stay” and “Letter to Me” are fine choices, as well. Strait’s album was the weakest of the five nominees, but I still prefer it to some other albums that have won in that category, so I can’t get too worked up over it.
And (CMA performer!) Lil’ Wayne is already up to 3 wins.
There goes Western Civilization…
Hmm…I’m just as confused as the rest of you as to why Album of the Year has already been announced. For those watching the Live Grammys webcast, have any of the country artists accepted in person so far?
Overall, I feel like Blake – a rather boring/expected winners list.
Do we have five country performers this evening: Carrie, Sugarland, Kenny, Taylor and Alison Krauss?
This comment isn’t likely to gain me many fans, but Underwood won on name recognition. I would’ve voted for her two years ago (“Jesus, Take the Wheel”), and last year I felt she deserved victory (“Before He Cheats”) even though I would’ve picked Yearwood. This year’s outcome is flat-out disappointing, and overrewarding acts (not just Underwood) leads to an eventual backlash.
Only Ricky Skaggs (Bluegrass album) and Underwood personally accepted in the “country” fields.
Keith Urban is also featured in one segment, in addition to the performers you mentioned, Lynn.
Share the wrath with me, Jonathan.
Wow, good job totally owning the country predictions, Kevin.
Start the live blog for me, Blake. I have to run back to Best Buy to return a defective computer, and I might not be back in time!
Congrats to George on his first Grammy win!
Blake, I’ll share the wrath with you. I wrote a similar comment but then erased it earlier. Who votes in the country categories? I’m not positive the voters listened (or gave a fair shake) to all of the nominees. Popularity contest? Hmm…
I’m a huge Carrie fan but there were three ladies in that category that deserved the award more. I feel bad for Trisha, Lee Ann, and Leann for losing this award after having some of the best songs of their careers nominated. Had Carrie had a different song nominated, then I would have felt prouder. But “Last Name” is probably the worst song to win a Grammy for. I was actually shocked to come on see she had won.
On the other hand, I’m very happy with Brad winning for “Letter to Me.” I think he deserved it. I’m very happy for Jennifer Nettles as well. I knew she’d win, “Stay” is an amazing song!
And lastly, way to go George!!! Finally, he picked up his first Grammy. Personally, he should already have a couple on his mantle. But yay, to him finally getting one!
Carrie surely shouldn’t have won for this song. Last year, yes, but not this time.
Well, the Grammys aren’t like the “Best Foreign Language Film” Oscar, where voters have to prove that they’ve seen all five of the nominees before they’re allowed to cast their ballots in that category. Not that AMPAS makes particularly good choices in that category at all, but it’s really the only non-fan-based-voting alternative to the system that’s in place at the Grammys and other major awards shows to address “name recognition” voting. If that system were in place, one has to wonder how differently the awards would look over the years.
But I’m with ya, Blake and Lynn, on the wrath-sharing.
i am a huge carrie fans but i think trisha deserved this awards more, her song is just amazing, if carrie was nominated for just a dream then great but last name its not so strong
I too am shocked Carrie won in the country female category. I thought her reign at the Grammy’s would come to an end. Guess I was wrong.
It’s great to see Jennifer Nettles win Country Song for ‘Stay’. That’s a small vindication for shutting out Trisha Yearwood in the former race.
Yeah, Congrats to George Strait from me as well…I like the album and love his duet with Patty..
Disappointed with the result of course, I was hoping that Patty would win her first solo Grammy…But at least it went to someone like Mr. Strait who had been unfairly shut-out in the past..
I was also hoping for a victory for the Steeldrivers
And ya know, it may be a cliche, but it really IS an honor for someone to be nominated. The way I look at it is this,: Each nominee is more than a contender, they are one of five winners in any given category, the years best. And the actual winner is more of a “first among equals” kind of thing. So yeah, all the fine nominees have something to be really proud of, in addition to the intrinsically outstanding quality of their work.
That’s a positive outlook, Steve.:)
wow….one category on the live telecast. Carrie suprised me winning with that award. The grammys are going to go back to being pretty boring like they were when Mary Chapin just won non stop. Trisha deserves album and female I cant believe she got shut out from both. Maybe label politics are starting to play a bigger role in the grammys than they used to. Oh well….
I’m with Cory. Trisha was robbed as far as I’m concerned. It’s almost as big a crime as country radio ignoring her lately.
If Real Live Woman and now Hearts In Armor were passed over for album of the year, what is it going to take for the artist who has been nominated the most for the category to finally win it? Does she need to have a album produced after she passes away? Then will they finally acknowledge her?
Opps I to say “Heaven Heartache and the Power of Love” above, sorry
I hope the Grammy voters don’t wait until after Trisha Yearwood is gone gone acknowledge her. I really thought she had a chance this year …
And I have to add congratulations to King George on the Country Album win. I thought Jamey Johnson would get the Grammy love this year. But I can’t argue with Strait’s win – awesome album too.
that should have said: *is gone to acknowledge her.
Carrie winning Best Female Country Vocal Performance: The Grammys have officially become a *popularity contest*. Many times this was true, but never more obvious than this year. Soooo upset.
Very happy for Brad Paisley’s wins.
Doesn’t Alison Krauss have like 30 Grammys by now?? That woman is truly a phenomenon. Most people are lucky to have one, let alone close to 30.
Alison Krauss owns 26 Grammys now, 3rd all time among all artists.