Another year in music has come and gone, and to help celebrate what is only popular according to the recording industry and in mainstream pop culture, we thankfully have the Grammy Awards.  Detect the sarcasm in that statement?  Of course you do.  But that is not to say that these acts are not talented, or deserving of any recognition.  Because, to be honest, some of the acts that performed are pretty damn good and talented in their own right.  One may not like a particular genre, style or sound, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t good music.  In many instances, from a fan’s perspective, music is apples and oranges; you either love it, or you hate it, you typically don’t find too much common middle ground.  For those that truly appreciate music, respect is a word that comes to mind; you may not like it, but you can give credit where credit is due.  For those that hate, you can hate as much as you want, but that hate is typically of a uninformed and uneducated nature.

As a consummate fan of music, but with an affinity towards all things that jam, bring the funk, and just straight fuckin’ rock, it is very difficult to watch the Grammy Awards without just a touch of distaste.  I mean, no Live Album of the Year award?  No Best Tour of the Year?  No Best Funk Act?  Best Live Act?  It hurts my soul.  So many great acts that go without any recognition; why are we not celebrating those bands that are on the road day in, day out, playing their asses off on stage?  I get that the Grammy’s are about record sales and the all-powerful dollar sign, but why are we not celebrating all of the unbelievable music that is out there?  Oh, Jammy Awards, where have you gone?  How I miss thee!

Before this goes into some rant, I will end it with this – while there isn’t much love on this end for the industrial-sized beast that the Grammy’s is, there is some serious talent that does get recognized, as well as some performances that send a chill down your spine.  You don’t get to see Elton John, Mumford & Sons, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown, T-Bone Burnett and Brittany Howard of The Alabama Shakes (good for her and the band, by the way) perform “The Weight” on a nightly basis.  And the Bruno Mars, Sting, Rihanna, Ziggy & Damien Marley segment didn’t exactly suck either.  So, in short, while the Grammy’s is definitely a mainstream/popular music industry event that many of us “true music-heads” abhor with a passion, there is a redeeming quality in it as well.  Mainly, that some of these acts started from nothing and made it to the big time.  And, honestly, good for them.  It’s hard to take away anything from bands like The Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, Mumford & Sons and….hmmm, who am I missing?….oh yeah, R. Kelly.  Definitely can’t take away anything from R. Kelly.  The man pees on women and still gets nominated for a Grammy.  What a world we live in, right?

Here is the list of awards and winners of this year’s Grammy Awards.  Be sure to check out videos of some of the performances below!

Album of the year
El Camino,The Black Keys
Some Nights, fun.
WINNER: Babel, Mumford & Sons
Channel Orange, Frank Ocean
Blunderbuss, Jack White

Record
Lonely Boy, The Black Keys
Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You), Kelly Clarkson
We Are Young, fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
WINNER: Somebody That I Used to Know, Gotye featuring Kimbra
Thinkin Bout You, Frank Ocean
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Taylor Swift

Song (goes to writer)
The A Team (performed by Ed Sheeran)
Adorn (Miguel)
Call Me Maybe (Carly Rae Jepsen)
Stronger (Kelly Clarkson)
WINNER: We Are Young (fun.)

Best new artist
Alabama Shakes
WINNER: fun.
Hunter Hayes
The Lumineers
Frank Ocean

Pop vocal album
WINNER: Stronger, Kelly Clarkson
Ceremonials, Florence + The Machine
Some Nights, fun.
Overexposed, Maroon 5
The Truth About Love, Pink

Dance/electronica album
Wonderland, Steve Aoki
Don’t Think, The Chemical Brothers
> Album Title Goes Here <, Deadmau5
Fire & Ice, Kaskade
WINNER: Bangarang, Skrillex

Rock album
WINNER: El Camino, The Black Keys
Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay
The 2nd Law, Muse
Wrecking Ball, Bruce Springsteen
Blunderbuss, Jack White

Alternative album
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser …, Fiona Apple
Biophilia, Björk
WINNER: Making Mirrors, Gotye
Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, M83
Bad As Me, Tom Waits

R&B album
WINNER: Black Radio, Robert Glasper Experiment
Back to Love, Anthony Hamilton
Write Me Back, R. Kelly
Beautiful Surprise, Tamia
Open Invitation, Tyrese

Rap album
WINNER: Take Care, Drake
Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1, Lupe Fiasco
Life Is Good, Nas
Undun, The Roots
God Forgives, I Don’t, Rick Ross
Based On A T.r.u. Story, 2 Chainz

Country album
WINNER: Uncaged, Zac Brown Band
Hunter Hayes, Hunter Hayes
Living for A Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran, Jamey Johnson
Four the Record, Miranda Lambert
The Time Jumpers, The Time Jumpers

Americana album
The Carpenter, The Avett Brothers
From the Ground Up, John Fullbright
The Lumineers, The Lumineers
Babel, Mumford & Sons
WINNER: Slipstream, Bonnie Raitt

Pop solo performance
WINNER: Set Fire to the Rain (Live), Adele
Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You), Kelly Clarkson
Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen
Wide Awake, Katy Perry
Where Have You Been, Rihanna

Pop duo/group performance
Shake It Out, Florence & The Machine
We Are Young, fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
WINNER: Somebody That I Used to Know, Gotye featuring Kimbra
Sexy and I Know It, LMFAO
Payphone, Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa

Dance recording
Let’s Go, Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo
WINNER: Bangarang, Skrillex featuring Sirah
Don’t You Worry Child, Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin
I Can’t Live Without You, Al Walser

Traditional pop vocal album
Christmas, Michael Bublé
A Holiday Carole, Carole King
WINNER: Kisses on the Bottom, Paul McCartney

Rock performance
Hold On, Alabama Shakes
WINNER: Lonely Boy, The Black Keys
Charlie Brown, Coldplay
I Will Wait, Mumford & Sons
We Take Care of Our Own, Bruce Springsteen

Hard rock/metal performance
I’m Alive, Anthrax
WINNER: Love Bites (So Do I), Halestorm
Blood Brothers, Iron Maiden
Ghost Walking, Lamb of God
No Reflection, Marilyn Manson
Whose Life (Is It Anyways?), Megadeth

Rock song (goes to writer)
Freedom at 21 (performed by Jack White)
I Will Wait (performed by Mumford & Sons)
WINNER: Lonely Boy (performed by the Black Keys)
Madness (performed by Muse)
We Take Care of Our Own (performed by Bruce Springsteen)

R&B song (goes to writer)
WINNER: Adorn (performed by Miguel)
Beautiful Surprise (performed by Tamia)
Heart Attack (performed by Trey Songz)
Pray for Me (performed by Anthony Hamilton)
Refill (performed by Elle Varner)

Traditional R&B performance
Lately, Anita Baker
WINNER: Love on Top, Beyoncé
Wrong Side of a Love Song, Melanie Fiona
Real Good Hands, Gregory Porter
If Only You Knew, SWV

R&B performance
Thank You, Estelle
Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.), Robert Glasper Experiment featuring Ledisi
I Want You, Luke James
Adorn, Miguel
WINNER: Climax, Usher

Urban contemporary album
Fortune, Chris Brown
Kaleidoscope Dream, Miguel
WINNER: Channel Orange, Frank Ocean

Rap performance
HYFR, Drake featuring Lil’ Wayne
WINNER: N—– In Paris, Jay-Z and Kanye West
Daughters, Nas
Mercy, Kanye West featuring Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz
I Do, Young Jeezy featuring Jay-Z and André 3000

Rap/sung collaboration
Wild Ones, Flo Rida featuring Sia
WINNER: No Church in the Wild, Jay-Z & Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean and The-Dream
Tonight (Best You Ever Had), John Legend featuring Ludacris
Cherry Wine, Nas featuring Amy Winehouse
Talk That Talk, Rihanna featuring Jay-Z

Rap song (goes to writer)
Daughters (performed by Nas)
Lotus Flower Bomb (performed by Wale featuring Miguel)
Mercy (performed by Kanye West featuring Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz)
The Motto (performed by Drake featuring Lil’ Wayne)
WINNER: N—– In Paris (performed by Jay-Z and Kanye West)
Young, Wild & Free (performed by Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa featuring Bruno Mars)

Country solo performance
Home, Dierks Bentley
Springsteen, Eric Church
Cost of Livin’, Ronnie Dunn
Wanted, Hunter Hayes
Over, Blake Shelton
WINNER: Blown Away, Carrie Underwood

Country duo/group performance
Even If It Breaks Your Heart, Eli Young Band
WINNER: Pontoon, Little Big Town
Safe & Sound, Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars
On the Outskirts of Town, The Time Jumpers
I Just Come Here for the Music, Don Williams featuring Alison Krauss

Country song (goes to writer)
WINNER: Blown Away (performed by Carrie Underwood)
Cost Of Livin’ (performed by Ronnie Dunn)
Even If It Breaks Your Heart (performed by Eli Young Band)
So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore (performed by Alan Jackson)
Springsteen (performed by Eric Church)

Producer (non-classical)
WINNER: Dan Auerbach
Jeff Bhasker
Diplo
Markus Dravs
Salaam Remi

“The Weight” – Levon Helm Tribue w/ Elton John, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown, Mumford & Sons, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, and T-Bone Burnett:

Bruno Mars w/ Sting, Rihanna, Ziggy and Damien Marley on “Locked Out of Heaven>Walking on the Moon>Could You Be Loved”:

Bruno Mars, Sting, Rihanna & Ziggy Marley… by IdolxMuzic

Jack White – “Love Interruption” & “Freedom at 21″:

Jack White – Love Interruption & Freedom At 21… by IdolxMuzic

Justin Timberlake making his return to the Grammy’s w/ Jay-Z on “Suit and Tie”:

Justin Timberlake – Suit and Tie Ft… by IdolxMuzic

Kelly Clarkson tribute to Patti Page and Carole King:

Kelly Clarkson Tribute to Patti Page and Carole… by IdolxMuzic

fun. “Carry On”:

Fun – Carry On – Grammys 2013 by IdolxMuzic

And it wouldn’t be an awards show without Taylor Swift. Here she is on “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”:

Taylor Swift – We Are Never Ever Getting Back… by IdolxMuzic