The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015. The "pre-telecast" ceremony, officially known as the Premiere Ceremony, in which the majority of awards were presented, was held at the nearby Microsoft Theater. It was the 16th Grammy ceremony to be held at the Staples Center, tying the Shrine Auditorium, also in Los Angeles, for hosting the most Grammy ceremonies. It also marks the latest date for a Grammy ceremony since 2003, which was held on February 23.
Unlike previous years, where it was held on a Sunday, the 2016 edition was held on a Monday for the first time to take advantage of the U.S. Presidents' Day long weekend. The ceremony was televised in the United States by CBS; for the first time, CBS affiliates in the West Coast and United States territories outside the continental region, including Hawaii and Alaska, had the option of broadcasting the Grammys live from the East Coast feed, in addition to an encore in local primetime.
Nominations for the 58th Grammy Awards ceremony were announced on December 7, 2015, returning to the traditional format of an immediate press conference/release reveal of all nominees rather than the "all-day event" unveiling attempted by The Recording Academy and CBS over the previous few years. Kendrick Lamar received the most nominations with 11, and became the rapper with the most nominations in a single night, and second overall behind Michael Jackson (12 nominations in 1984). Taylor Swift and The Weeknd received seven nominations each. Producer Max Martin received the most nominations for a non-performing artist, with six. LL Cool J hosted for the fifth consecutive year. As part of a commercial break on the U.S. broadcast paid for by Target, Gwen Stefani also presented a live music video for her new single "Make Me Like You".
Kendrick Lamar led the winners with five trophies, including Best Rap Album for To Pimp a Butterfly. Taylor Swift won three awards, including Album of the Year for 1989, becoming the first female artist to win Album of the Year twice as main credited artist. Alabama Shakes also won three including Best Alternative Music Album for Sound & Color. Ed Sheeran won two including Song of the Year for "Thinking Out Loud". Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" won for Record of the Year and Meghan Trainor won for Best New Artist.
Performers
Artist(s) Song(s) Taylor Swift "Out of the Woods" Carrie UnderwoodSam Hunt "Take Your Time""Heartbeat" The Weeknd"Can't Feel My Face""In the Night" Ellie GouldingAndra Day "Love Me like You Do""Rise Up"John LegendDemi LovatoLuke BryanMeghan TrainorTyrese GibsonLionel Richie Tribute to Lionel Richie"Easy""Hello""Penny Lover""You Are""Brick House""All Night Long (All Night)" Little Big Town "Girl Crush" Stevie WonderPentatonix Tribute to Maurice White"That's the Way of the World" EaglesBernie LeadonJackson Browne Tribute to Glenn Frey"Take It Easy" Tori KellyJames Bay "Hollow""Let It Go" The cast of Hamilton "Alexander Hamilton"(Live from the Richard Rodgers Theatre) Kendrick Lamar "untitled 05 09.21.2014." MiguelGreg Phillinganes Tribute to Michael Jackson"She's Out of My Life" Adele "All I Ask" Justin BieberDiploSkrillex "Love Yourself""Where Are Ü Now" Lady GagaNile Rodgers Tribute to David Bowie"Space Oddity""Changes""Ziggy Stardust""Suffragette City""Rebel Rebel""Fashion""Fame""Under Pressure""Let's Dance""Heroes" Chris StapletonGary Clark Jr.Bonnie Raitt Tribute to B.B. King"The Thrill Is Gone" Alabama Shakes "Don't Wanna Fight" The Hollywood Vampires Tribute to Lemmy"As Bad as I Am""Ace of Spades" Joey Alexander Piano solo PitbullSofía VergaraRobin ThickeTravis Barker Joe Perry "El Taxi""Bad Man"
Presenters
Nominees and winners
Note: Winners are listed in bold.
General Record of the Year "Uptown Funk" – Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars Jeff Bhasker, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson, producers; Josh Blair, Riccardo Damian, Serban Ghenea, Wayne Gordon, John Hanes, Inaam Haq, Boo Mitchell, Charles Moniz & Mark Ronson, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer "Really Love" – D'Angelo and the Vanguard D'Angelo & Brent Fischer, producers; Russell Elevado, Ben Kane & Rafa Sardina, engineers/mixers; Dave Collins, mastering engineer "Thinking Out Loud" – Ed Sheeran Jake Gosling, producer; Jake Gosling, Mark 'Spike' Stent & Geoff Swan, engineers/mixers; Stuart Hawkes, mastering engineer "Blank Space" – Taylor Swift Max Martin & Shellback, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Sam Holland & Michael Ilbert, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer "Can't Feel My Face" – The Weeknd Max Martin & Ali Payami, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes & Sam Holland, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
Album of the Year 1989 – Taylor Swift Jack Antonoff, Nathan Chapman, Imogen Heap, Max Martin, Mattman & Robin, Ali Payami, Shellback, Taylor Swift, Ryan Tedder & Noel Zancanella, producers; Jack Antonoff, Mattias Bylund, Smith Carlson, Nathan Chapman, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Imogen Heap, Sam Holland, Michael Ilbert, Brendan Morawski, Laura Sisk & Ryan Tedder, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes Alabama Shakes & Blake Mills, producers; Shawn Everett, engineer/mixer; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer To Pimp a Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar Bilal, George Clinton, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley, Rapsody, Snoop Dogg, Thundercat & Anna Wise, featured artists; Taz Arnold, Boi-1Da, Ronald Colson, Larrance Dopson, Flying Lotus, Fredrik "Tommy Black" Halldin, Knxwledge, Koz, Lovedragon, Terrace Martin, Rahki, Sounwave, Tae Beast, Thundercat, Whoarei & Pharrell Williams, producers; Derek "Mixedbyali" Ali, Thomas Burns, Andrew Coleman, Hart Gunther, James "The White Black Man" Hunt, Mike Larson, 9th Wonder & Matt Schaeffer, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer Traveller – Chris Stapleton Dave Cobb & Chris Stapleton, producers; Vance Powell, engineer/mixer; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer Beauty Behind the Madness – The Weeknd Lana Del Rey, Labrinth & Ed Sheeran, featured artists; DannyBoyStyles, Mike Dean, Ben Diehl, Labrinth, Mano, Max Martin, Stephan Moccio, Carlo Montagnese, Ali Payami, The Pope, Jason Quenneville, Peter Svensson, Abel Tesfaye & Kanye West, producers; Jay Paul Bicknell, Mattias Bylund, Serban Ghenea, Noah Goldstein, John Hanes, Sam Holland, Jean Marie Horvat, Carlo Montagnese, Jason Quenneville & Dave Reitzas, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne & Dave Kutch, mastering engineers
Song of the Year "Thinking Out Loud" Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge, songwriters (Ed Sheeran) "Alright" Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar) "Blank Space" Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift) "Girl Crush" Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town) "See You Again" Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charlie Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth)
Best New Artist Meghan Trainor Courtney Barnett James Bay Sam Hunt Tori Kelly
Pop Best Pop Solo Performance "Thinking Out Loud" – Ed Sheeran "Heartbeat Song" – Kelly Clarkson "Love Me Like You Do" – Ellie Goulding "Blank Space" – Taylor Swift "Can't Feel My Face" – The Weeknd
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance "Uptown Funk" – Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars "Ship to Wreck" – Florence + The Machine "Sugar" – Maroon 5 "Bad Blood" – Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar "See You Again" – Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern – Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap Shadows in the Night – Bob Dylan Stages – Josh Groban No One Ever Tells You – Seth MacFarlane My Dream Duets – Barry Manilow (& Various Artists)
Best Pop Vocal Album 1989 – Taylor Swift Piece by Piece – Kelly Clarkson How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful – Florence and the Machine Before This World – James Taylor Uptown Special – Mark Ronson
Dance/Electronic Best Dance Recording "Where Are Ü Now" – Skrillex and Diplo with Justin Bieber Sonny Moore & Thomas Pentz, producers; Sonny Moore & Thomas Pentz, mixers "We're All We Need" – Above & Beyond featuring Zoë Johnston Andrew Bayer, Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness & Paavo Siljamäki, producers; Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness & Paavo Siljamäki, mixers "Go" – The Chemical Brothers featuring Q-Tip Tom Rowlands & Ed Simons, producers; Steve Dub Jones & Tom Rowlands, mixers "Never Catch Me" – Flying Lotus featuring Kendrick Lamar Steven Ellison, producer; Kevin Marques Moo, mixer "Runaway (U & I)" – Galantis Linus Eklöw, Christian Karlsson & Svidden, producers; Linus Eklöw, Niklas Flyckt & Christian Karlsson, mixers
Best Dance/Electronic Album Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü – Skrillex and Diplo Our Love – Caribou Born in the Echoes – The Chemical Brothers Caracal – Disclosure In Colour – Jamie xx
Contemporary Instrumental Best Contemporary Instrumental Album Sylva – Snarky Puppy & Metropole Orkest Guitar in the Space Age! – Bill Frisell Love Language – Wouter Kellerman Afrodeezia – Marcus Miller The Gospel According to Jazz, Chapter IV – Kirk Whalum
Rock Best Rock Performance "Don't Wanna Fight" – Alabama Shakes "What Kind of Man" – Florence + The Machine "Something from Nothing" – Foo Fighters "Ex's & Oh's" – Elle King "Moaning Lisa Smile" – Wolf Alice
Best Metal Performance "Cirice" – Ghost "Identity" – August Burns Red "512" – Lamb of God "Thank You" – Sevendust "Custer" – Slipknot
Best Rock Song "Don't Wanna Fight" Alabama Shakes, songwriters (Alabama Shakes) "Ex's & Oh's" Dave Bassett & Elle King, songwriters (Elle King) "Hold Back the River" Iain Archer & James Bay, songwriters (James Bay) "Lydia" Richard Meyer, Ryan Meyer & Johnny Stevens, songwriters (Highly Suspect) "What Kind of Man" John Hill, Tom Hull & Florence Welch, songwriters (Florence + The Machine)
Best Rock Album Drones – Muse Chaos and the Calm – James Bay Kintsugi – Death Cab for Cutie Mister Asylum – Highly Suspect .5: The Gray Chapter – Slipknot
Alternative Best Alternative Music Album Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes Vulnicura – Björk The Waterfall – My Morning Jacket Currents – Tame Impala Star Wars – Wilco
R&B Best R&B Performance "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)" – The Weeknd "If I Don't Have You" – Tamar Braxton "Rise Up" – Andra Day "Breathing Underwater" – Hiatus Kaiyote "Planez" – Jeremih featuring J. Cole
Best Traditional R&B Performance "Little Ghetto Boy" – Lalah Hathaway "He Is" – Faith Evans "Let It Burn" – Jazmine Sullivan "Shame" – Tyrese "My Favorite Part of You" – Charlie Wilson
Best R&B Song "Really Love" D'Angelo, Gina Figueroa & Kendra Foster, songwriters (D'Angelo and The Vanguard) "Coffee" Brook Davis & Miguel Pimentel, songwriters (Miguel) "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)" Ahmad Balshe, Stephan Moccio, Jason Quenneville & Abel Tesfaye, songwriters (The Weeknd) "Let It Burn" Kenny B. Edmonds, Jazmine Sullivan & Dwane M. Weir II, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan) "Shame" Warryn Campbell, Tyrese Gibson & D.J. Rogers Jr, songwriters (Tyrese)
Best Urban Contemporary Album Beauty Behind the Madness – The Weeknd Ego Death – The Internet You Should Be Here – Kehlani Blood – Lianne La Havas Wildheart – Miguel
Best R&B Album Black Messiah – D'Angelo and The Vanguard Coming Home – Leon Bridges Cheers to the Fall – Andra Day Reality Show – Jazmine Sullivan Forever Charlie – Charlie Wilson
Rap Best Rap Performance "Alright" – Kendrick Lamar "Apparently" – J. Cole "Back to Back" – Drake "Trap Queen" – Fetty Wap "Truffle Butter" – Nicki Minaj featuring Drake & Lil Wayne "All Day" – Kanye West featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration