50th Grammy Awards

Infobox Grammy Awards
name = 50th


imagesize =
caption ="
date= February 10, 2008
venue = Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Person of the Year = Aretha Franklin
host = none
network = CBS
last = 2007
next = 2009The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10, 2008, starting at 8PM EST. It honored musical achievement of the 2007 year in which albums were released between October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007. The primary ceremonies were televised in the United States on CBS; however, as has become the custom, most of the awards were handed out during a pre-telecast portion of the show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and broadcast on XM Satellite Radio. Two nights prior to the show Aretha Franklin was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year.

This year's big winner was Amy Winehouse, who won a total of five awards out of her six nominations. The 24-year-old singer had recently entered a drug rehabilitation program and did not come to Los Angeles. American officials initially refused her a work visa; they reversed the decision, but by then it was too late for her to make the trip from the UK. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/arts/09arts-ALLOWEDINWIN_BRF.html?scp=7&sq=amy+winehouse+visa&st=nyt nytimes.com] ] She became the fifth female solo artist to get five awards in one night, behind Lauryn Hill, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, and Beyoncé.

Herbie Hancock's "" won Album of the Year, marking the first time in 43 years that a jazz album received the award. The honor was given in 1965 for "Getz/Gilberto" by Stan Getz and João Gilberto. Many were surprised by Hancock's victory over the likes of Winehouse and Kanye West.

The golden anniversary of the Grammys and NARAS was noted in references and performances throughout this year's ceremony. Alicia Keys was the evening's opening musician, singing and playing piano alongside archived video and audio of Frank Sinatra. Other collaborative performances linking contemporary and past musicians included Beyoncé with Tina Turner, Rihanna with The Time, classical pianist Lang Lang with jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, and inaugural Grammy winner Keely Smith with Kid Rock. Special recognition of the musical contributions of The Beatles was also featured.

Presenters

The following is an alphabetical list of presenters.
*Akon
*Jason Bateman
*Tony Bennett
*Dierks Bentley
*Chris Brown
*Cher
*Natalie Cole
*Mike Shinoda
*Fergie
*Nelly Furtado
*Cuba Gooding, Jr.
*Juanes
*Tom Hanks
*Quincy Jones
*Carole King
*Solange Knowles
*Cyndi Lauper
*John Legend
*George Lopez
*Lyle Lovett
*Ludacris
*Joe Mantegna
*Bette Midler
*Prince
*Bonnie Raitt
*Roselyn Sanchez
*Keely Smith
*Ringo Starr
*Dave Stewart
*Taylor Swift
*Usher
*will.i.am
*Andy Williams
*Stevie Wonder

pecialized awards

MusiCares Person of the Year

*Aretha Franklin

Lifetime Achievement Award Winners

*Burt Bacharach
*The Band
*Cab Calloway
*Doris Day
*Itzhak Perlman
*Max Roach
*Earl Scruggs

Trustees Award Winners

*Clarence Avant
*Jac Holzman
*Willie Mitchell

Technical GRAMMY Award Winners

*Ampex Corporation
*John Eargle

General Field

Record of the Year

*"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse
**Mark Ronson, producer; Tom Elmhirst, engineer/mixer

Album of the Year

*' - Herbie Hancock"'
**Leonard Cohen, Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, Corinne Bailey Rae, Luciana Souza & Tina Turner, featured artists; Herbie Hancock & Larry Klein, producers; Helik Hadar, engineer/mixer; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer

ong of the Year

*"Rehab" – Amy Winehouse (Amy Winehouse)

Best New Artist

*Amy Winehouse

Pop Field

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

*"Rehab" – Amy Winehouse

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

*"What Goes Around.../...Comes Around" – Justin Timberlake

Best Pop Performance by a Duo/Group w/ Vocals

*"Makes Me Wonder" – Maroon 5

Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals

*"Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Best Pop Instrumental Performance

*"One Week Last Summer" – Joni Mitchell

Best Pop Instrumental Album

*"The Mix-Up" – Beastie Boys

Best Pop Vocal Album

*"Back to Black" – Amy Winehouse

Dance Field

Best Dance Recording

*"LoveStoned/I Think She Knows Interlude" - Justin Timberlake:Nate (Danja) Hills, Timbaland & Justin Timberlake, producers; Jimmy Douglass & Timbaland, mixers

Best Electronic/Dance Album

*"We Are the Night" – The Chemical Brothers

Traditional Pop Field

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

*"Call Me Irresponsible" - Michael Bublé

Rock Field

Best Rock Solo Vocal Performance

*"Radio Nowhere" - Bruce Springsteen

Best Rock Performance By a Duo/Group w/ Vocals

*"Icky Thump" - The White Stripes

Best Hard Rock Performance

*"The Pretender" - Foo Fighters

Best Metal Performance

*"Final Six" - Slayer

Best Rock Instrumental Performance

*"Once Upon a Time in the West" - Bruce Springsteen

Best Rock Song

*"Radio Nowhere" - Bruce Springsteen (Bruce Springsteen)

Best Rock Album

*"Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" - Foo Fighters

Alternative Field

Best Alternative Music Album

*"Icky Thump" - The White Stripes

R&B Field

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance

*"No One" - Alicia Keys

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance

*"Future Baby Mama" - Prince

Best R&B Performance By a Duo/Group W/ Vocals

*"Disrespectful" - Chaka Khan featuring Mary J. Blige

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance

*"In My Songs" - Gerald Levert

Best Urban/Alternative Performance

*"Daydreamin'" - Lupe Fiasco featuring Jill Scott

Best R&B Song

*"No One" - Dirty Harry, Kerry Brothers & Alicia Keys (Alicia Keys)

Best R&B Album

*"Funk This" - Chaka Khan

Best Contemporary R&B Album

*"Because of You" - Ne-Yo

Rap Field

Best Rap Solo Performance

*"Stronger" - Kanye West

Best Rap Performance By a Duo/Group

*"Southside" - Common featuring Kanye West

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

*"Umbrella" - Rihanna featuring Jay-Z

Best Rap Song

*"Good Life" - Alrin Davis, Faheem Najm & Kanye West (James Ingram & Quincy Jones) (Kanye West featuring T-Pain)

Best Rap Album

*"Graduation" - Kanye West

Country Field

Best Female Country Vocal Performance

*"Before He Cheats" - Carrie Underwood

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

*"Stupid Boy" - Keith Urban

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

*"How Long" - Eagles

Best Country Collaboration w/ Vocals

*"Lost Highway" - Willie Nelson & Ray Price

Best Country Instrumental Performance

*"Throttleneck" - Brad Paisley

Best Country Song

*"Before He Cheats" - Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)

Best Country Album

*"These Days" - Vince Gill

Best Bluegrass Album

*"The Bluegrass Diaries" - Jim Lauderdale

New Age Field

Best New Age Album

*"Crestone" - Paul Winter Consort

Jazz Field

Best Contemporary Jazz Album

*"" - Herbie Hancock

Best Jazz Vocal Album

*"Avant Gershwin" - Patti Austin

Best Jazz Instrumental Solo Performance

*"Anagram" - Michael Brecker, soloist

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group

*"Pilgrimage" - Michael Brecker

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

*"A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)" - Terence Blanchard

Best Latin Jazz Album

*"Funk Tango" - Paquito Rivera Quintet

Gospel Field

Best Gospel Performance

Tie
*"Never Gonna Break My Faith" - Aretha Franklin & Mary J. Blige (Featuring The Harlem Boys Choir)
*"Blessed & Highly Favored" - The Clark Sisters

Best Gospel Song

*"Blessed & Highly Favored" - Karen Clark-Sheard, songwriter (The Clark Sisters)

Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album

*"Before the Daylight's Shot" - Ashley Cleveland

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album

*"A Deeper Level" - Israel and New Breed

Best Southern/Country/Bluegrass Album

*"Salt of the Earth" - Ricky Skaggs & The Whites

Best Traditional Gospel Album

*"" - The Clark Sisters

Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album

*"Free to Worship" - Fred Hammond

Latin Field

Best Latin Pop Album

*"El Tren de los Momentos" - Alejandro Sanz

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

*"No Hay Espacio" - Black Guayaba

Best Latin Urban Album

*"Residente O Visitante" - Calle 13

Best Tropical Latin Album

*"La Llave de mi Corazón" - Juan Luis Guerra

Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album

*"100% Mexicano - Pepe Aguilar

Best Tejano Album

*"Before the Next Teardrop Falls" - Little Joe & La Familia

Best Norteño Album

*"Detalles y Emociones" - Los Tigres Del Norte

Best Banda Album

*"Te Va a Gustar" - El Chapo

Blues Field

Best Traditional Blues Album

*"" - Henry James Townsend, Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins, Robert Lockwood, Jr. & David Honeyboy Edwards

Best Contemporary Blues Album

*"The Road to Escondido" - JJ Cale & Eric Clapton

Folk Field

Best Traditional Folk Album

*"Dirt Farmer" - Levon Helm

Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album

*"Washington Square Serenade" - Steve Earle

Best Native American Music Album

*"Totemic Flute Chants" - Johnny Whitehorse

Best Hawaiian Music Album

*"Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar" - Various Artists (Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku, Jr., Paul Konwiser & Wayne Wong, producers)

Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album

*"Live! Worldwide" - Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience"'

Reggae Field

Best Reggae Album

*"Mind Control" - Stephen Marley

World Music Field

Best Traditional World Music Album

*"African Spirit" - Soweto Gospel Choir

Best Contemporary World Music Album

*"Djin Djin" - Angelique Kidjo

Polka Field

Best Polka Album

*"Come Share the Wine" - Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra

Children's Field

Best Children's Music Album

*"" - The Muppets (Ted Kryczko & Ed Mitchel, producers)

Best Children's Spoken Word Album

*"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" - Jim Dale

poken Word Field

Best Spoken Word Album

*"" - Barack Obama

Comedy Field

Best Comedy Album

*"The Distant Future" - Flight of the Conchords

Musical Show Field

Best Musical Show Album

*"Spring Awakening" - Duncan Sheik, producer; Duncan Sheik, composer; Steven Sater, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast with Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele & Others)

Film, Television And Other Visual Media Field

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album

*"Love" - George Martin & Giles Martin (The Beatles)

Best Score Soundtrack Album

*"Ratatouille" - Michael Giacchino, composer

Best Song-Motion Picture, TV, Visual Media

*"Love You I Do" (from "Dreamgirls")

Composing/Arranging Field

Best Instrumental Composition

*"Cerulean Skies" - Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider Orchestra)

Best Instrumental Arrangement

*"In a Silent Way" - Vince Mendoza, arranger (Joe Zawinul)

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

*"I'm Gonna Live Till I Die" - John Clayton, arranger (Queen Latifah)

Package Field

Best Recording Package

*"Cassadaga" - Zack Nipper, art director (Bright Eyes)

Best Boxed/Special Limited Edition

*"What It Is!: Funky Soul and Rare Grooves (1967-1977)" - Masaki Koike, art director (Various Artists)

Notes Field

Best Album Notes

*"John Work, III: Recording Black Culture" - Bruce Nemerov (Various Artists)

Historical Field

Best Historical Album

*"The Live Wire: Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949"
**Nora Guthrie & Jorge Arévalo Mateus, compilation producers; Jamie Howarth, Steve Rosenthal, Warren Russell-Smith & Dr. Kevin Short, mastering engineers (Woody Guthrie)

Production, Non Classical Field

Best Engineered Album, Non Classical

*"Beauty & Crime"
**Tchad Blake, Cameron Craig, Emery Dobyns & Jimmy Hogarth, engineers (Suzanne Vega)

Producer of the Year, Non Classical

*Mark Ronson
**Back to Black (Amy Winehouse) (T)
**Littlest Things (Lily Allen) (T)
**Rehab (Amy Winehouse) (T)
**"Version" (Mark Ronson) (A)
**You Know I'm No Good (Amy Winehouse) (T)

Best Remixed Recording

*"Bring the Noise" (Benny Benassi Sfaction Remix)
**Benny Benassi, remixer (Public Enemy)

Production, Surround Sound Field

Best Surround Sound Album

*"Love"
**Paul Hicks, surround mix engineer; Tim Young, surround mastering engineer; George Martin & Giles Martin, surround producers (The Beatles)

Production, Classical Field

Best Engineered Album, Classical

*""
**John Newton, engineer (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Bach Choir & Kansas City Chorale)

Producer of the Year, Classical

*Judith Sherman
** American Virtuosa: Tribute To Maud Powell (Rachel Barton Pine & Matthew Hagle)
** From Barrelhouse To Broadway: The Musical Odyssey Of Joe Jordan (Rick Benjamin & The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra)
** Górecki: String Quartet No. 3 '...Songs Are Sung' (Kronos Quartet)
** Strange Imaginary Animals (Eighth Blackbird)
** Tchaikovsky: Three String Quartets, Souvenir De Florence (Ying Quartet)

Classical Field

Best Classical Album

*"Tower: Made In America"
**Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Tim Handley, producer (Nashville Symphony)

Best Orchestra Performance

*"Tower: Made in America"
**Leonard Slatkin, conductor (Nashville Symphony)

Best Opera Recording

*"Humperdinck: Hansel & Gretel"
**Sir Charles Mackerras, conductor; Rebecca Evans, Jane Henschel & Jennifer Larmore; Brian Couzens, producer (Sarah Coppen, Diana Montague & Sarah Tynan; New London Children's Choir; Philharmonia Orchestra)

Best Choral Performance

*"Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem"
**Simon Rattle, conductor; Simon Halsey, chorus master (Thomas Quasthoff & Dorothea Röschmann; Rundfunkchor Berlin; Berliner Philharmoniker)

Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra)

*"Barber/Korngold/Walton: Violin Concertos"
**Bramwell Tovey, conductor; James Ehnes (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra)

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra)

*"Beethoven Sonatas, Vol. 3" - Garrick Ohlsson

Best Chamber Music Performance

*"Strange Imaginary Animals" - eighth blackbird

Best Small Ensemble Performance

*"Stravinsky: Apollo, Concerto in D; Prokofiev: 20 Visions Fugitives" - Yuri Bashmet, conductor; Moscow Soloists

Best Classical Vocal Performance

*"Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs"
**Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (James Levine; Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Best Classical Contemporary Composition

*"Made in America"
**Joan Tower (Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Nashville Symphony Orchestra)

Best Classical Crossover Album

*"A Love Supreme: The Legacy of John Coltrane" - Turtle Island String Quartet

Music Video Field

Best Short Form Music Video

*"God's Gonna Cut You Down" - Johnny Cash — Tony Kaye, video director; Rachel Curl, video producer

Best Long Form Music Video

*"The Confessions Tour" - Madonna — Jonas Akerlund, video director; Sara Martin and David May, video producers

My Night at the Grammys

"My Night at the Grammys" was a special that CBS aired on November 30, 2007 at 8PM ET. It was part of NARAS' 50th anniversary celebration and featured the top 25 moments in Grammy history which was be determined by vote.

References

External links

* [http://www.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/Fifty_Years/ Official Site]
* [http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/50th_Show/list.aspx Winners and Nominees]
* [http://www.grammy.com NARAS]
* [http://www.cbs.com/specials/50grammys/ CBS GRAMMY Site]