2011 Grammy Award Winners

Album Of The Year
The Suburbs – Arcade Fire

Record Of The Year
Need You Now – Lady Antebellum

Best New Artist
Esperanza Spalding

Song Of The Year
Need You Now – Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

POP:
Pop Vocal Album: Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster
Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Train, “Hey, Soul Sister (Live)”
Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Michael Bublé, Crazy Love
Female Pop Vocal Performance: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance,” The Fame Monster
Male Pop Vocal Performance: Bruno Mars, “Just The Way You Are,” Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Pop Collaboration With Vocals: “Imagine,” Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare, The Imagine Project
Pop Instrumental Performance: “Nessun Dorma,” Jeff Beck, Emotion & Commotion
Pop Instrumental Album: Take Your Pick, Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto

R&B:
Female R&B Vocal Performance: Fantasia, “Bittersweet,” Back to Me
Male R&B Vocal Performance: Usher, “There Goes My Baby,” Raymond V Raymond
R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Sade, “Soldier of Love,” Soldier of Love
Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: John Legend & The Roots, “Hang On In There,” Wake Up!
R&B Song: John Legend & The Roots, “Shine,” Wake Up!
R&B Album: Wake Up!, John Legend & The Roots
Contemporary R&B Album: Raymond V Raymond, Usher

RAP:
Rap Song: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind,” The Blueprint 3
Rap/Sung Collaboration: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind,” The Blueprint 3
Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz, “On to the Next One,” The Blueprint 3
Rap Solo Performance: Eminem, “Not Afraid,” Recovery
Urban/Alternative Performance: “F*** You,” Cee Lo Green

ROCK:
Rock Album: Muse, The Resistance
Solo Rock Vocal Performance: Paul McCartney, “Helter Skelter,” Good Evening New York City
Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: The Black Keys, “Tighten Up,” Brothers
Rock Song: “Angry World,” Neil Young, Le Noise
Hard Rock Performance: New Fang, “Them Crooked Vultures,” Them Crooked Vultures
Metal Performance: “El Dorado,” Iron Maiden, The Final Frontier
Rock Instrumental Performance: Jeff Beck, “Hammerhead,” Emotion & Commotion

COUNTRY:
Country Album: Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
Female Country Vocal Performance: Miranda Lambert, ” The House That Built Me,” Revolution
Male Country Vocal Performance: Keith Urban, “‘Til Summer Comes Around”
Country Song: “Need You Now,” Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum) (Need You Now)
Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”
Country Instrumental Performance: Marty Stuart, “Hummingbyrd” (Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions)
New Age Album:Miho: Journey to the Mountain, Paul Winter Consort
Contemporary Jazz Album:The Stanley Clarke Band, The Stanley Clarke Band
Jazz Vocal Album:Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee, Dee Dee Bridgewater

Gospel:

Best Gospel Performance - BeBe & CeCe Winans "Grace"

Best Gospel Song - Jerry Peters & Kirk Whalum (songwriters Whalum & Lalah Hathaway)
"It's What I Do".

Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album - Switchfoot "Hello Hurricane"

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album - Israel Houghton "Love God. Love People."

Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album - Diamond Rio "The Reason"

Best Traditional Gospel Album - Patty Griffin - "Downtown Church"

Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album - BeBe & CeCe Winans "Still"

It is always interesting who The Academy chooses to win Grammy Awards. Many times the Academy chooses the obvious choice, and at other times they throw us a WTF?!
The Esperanza Spalding Best New Artist Win was a WTF momement, but I guess I can't say whether she deserved it or not, because I am not familiar with her Music. What I will say is that there were some people who definitely had more of a impact on the music industry as a whole (i.e. Justin Bieber and Drake)who probably were more deserving of the honor. But who are we to tell "The Academy" right? I just don't think it's fair that Music's biggest honor is chosen by a group of people that the general public doesn't even know...Although I am glad Fantasia won a Grammy, and she would have been my second choice in that category I definitely think Monica deserved to win Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, as well as Best R&B Album. Monica delivered a spectacular "R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE" on "Everything To Me." Not saying that Fantasia didn't on "Bittersweet" but when you think about chart performance and airplay "Everything To Me" was a more successful track, but once again who am I to tell "THE ACADEMY." I will say that i was surprised that Jay Z reigned more victorious then 10 time nominee Eminem (Jay Z=3 wins, Eminem=2 wins.) Jay Z definitely deserved the honors as "Empire State of Mind" was a HUGE record.

Although it always baffles me how songs get nominated in category's such as John Legend's "Shine" which won best R&B song, when I go and listen to tracks as such, it is understandable why they got the nomination, and win in some cases. On the flip-side, i think the song that is deserving of the coveted "Grammy" is a song that is a good song, but also a song or album that is well known, and successful on the charts, and in sales. But for the last time, who am I to tell "THE ACADEMY." SMH...