At Sunday’s 63rd annual Grammy Awards, bluegrass firebrand Billy Strings picked up his first win on his first-ever nomination with a “Best Bluegrass Album” statuette for 2019’s Home.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, only the presenters and nominees for the major televised awards were on hand at L.A.’s Staples Center for the ceremony. The early-day, untelevised awards played out much like the recent Golden Globes, with winners popping up via video call to accept their honors.

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In a clip posted to Billy Strings’ Instagram page, we see the behind-the-scenes view of the lead-up to Billy’s big win. “I’m so nervous, oh my God,” Billy exclaims as he sits in front of his computer awaiting the verdict, a Grateful Dead Avalon ’66 poster behind him. As the presenter read the list of nominees, a humble Strings muses, “If Danny [Barnes] won it, I’d be pretty stoked.”

“My heart is, like, pounding,” Billy says as the announcement approaches. When his name is called, his response is simple yet entirely appropriate for one’s first-ever Grammy win: “Holy s—. Wow. Holy s—.”

After a quick, grateful acceptance speech thanking his band and team, Billy takes a sincere moment (“last, but most of all”) to thank his fans who come out to see him play. As the live feed cuts out, Billy settles back in his chair. “Damn,” he sighs, smiling.

While this may not be the setting he imagined for his first Grammy award acceptance, we’re sure he’ll be up for plenty more in the future. Watch the home video of Billy Strings accepting his 2021 Grammy for “Best Bluegrass Album”, see the appearance as shown to Grammy viewers, read his follow-up post below.

Billy Strings Wins Best Bluegrass Album – 63rd Annual Grammy Awards – Home Feed

 

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Billy Strings Wins Best Bluegrass Album – 63rd Annual Grammy Awards – Official Feed

[Video: Recording Academy / GRAMMYs]

 

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A post shared by Billy Strings (@billystrings)

The award continues a landmark year for Strings, who will perform a series of in-person concerts this spring including shows at St. Augustine FL’s Saint Augustine Amphitheatre (3/19–3/21), Columbia, SC’s Columbia Speedway Entertainment Center (4/1–4/4), Mobile, AL’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium (4/9–4/11) and in Austin, TX as part of Luck Reunion and the Long Center’s “Long Live Music” concert series. Full tour details can be found here.

Related: Billy Strings Wraps ‘Deja Vu Experiment’ With More New Originals, Grateful Dead Debuts On Night Six [Watch]

The performances follow an ambitious series of virtual concerts held over the last year, which will continue later this month: March 24th and 25th from New Orleans’ Tipitina’s and March 26th from Austin’s Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. For more information, head here.