And the Grammy goes to…

Beyonce, Jay-Z This performance was insane, meaning everything that came after sucked even more!

Truth be told, I hate the Grammys. I hate them for multiple reasons. They exist to raffirm who is popular. They do not support the critically acclaimed underdogs. They have no respect for hip hop and its culture (seriously Macklemore won best rap album/song/performance? Do they even understand how hip hop works??? Basically if there is a successful white guy who raps and he isn’t Eminem, he is a sure bet to bring home the Grammy!) But then, perhaps they are only catering to their audience. To continue to rag on their approach to rap, they didn’t even air the rap awards on television, like it is some toxic category like the technical Oscars.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually really like a lot of mainstream music. I thought Beyonce’s new album was fantastic (and that performance with Jay Z was so f’ing insane! #surfbort), and I actually listened to Swifty’s Red more than a handful of times. But this is an award show set up to undercut the new, young and innovative, and push forward a status quo. Keep the top artists on top, no room for the little guy.

Okay, rant over. I actually loved Random Access Memories (although I think Good Kid, M.A.A.D City was the best album nominated), and like seeing Lorde getting the well deserved attention she is receiving. But there are still so many artists who are simply overlooked by the industry decision makers that you will never see on this award show, and that is a real shame. Here are your winners from last night’s show:

Album of the Year
The Blessed Unrest, Sara Bareilles
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Kendrick Lamar
The Heist, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
WINNER: Random Access Memories, Daft Punk
Red, Taylor Swift

Record of the Year
“Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell
WINNER: “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers
“Locked Out of Heaven,” Bruno Mars
“Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons
“Royals,” Lorde

Song of the Year
“Just Give Me A Reason,” Pink featuring Nate Ruess
“Locked Out of Heaven,” Bruno Mars
“Roar,” Katy Perry
WINNER: “Royals,” Lorde
“Same Love,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert

Best Country Album
Based on a True Story, Blake Shelton
Night Train, Jason Aldean
Red, Taylor Swift
WINNER: Same Trailer Different Park, Kacey Musgraves
Two Lanes of Freedom, Tim McGraw

Best Pop Vocal Album
Blurred Lines, Robin Thicke
Paradise, Lana Del Rey
Pure Heroine, Lorde
The 20/20 Experience — The Complete Experience, Justin Timberlake
WINNER: Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars

Best New Artist
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
WINNER: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran

Best Pop Solo Performance
“Brave,” Sara Bareilles
“Roar,” Katy Perry
WINNER: “Royals,” Lorde
“Mirrors,” Justin Timberlake
“When I Was Your Man,” Bruno Mars

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell
WINNER: “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
“Just Give Me a Reason,” Pink featuring Nate Ruess
“Stay,” Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko
“Suit & Tie,” Justin Timberlake & Jay Z

Best Alternative Music Album
Hesitation Marks, Nine Inch Nails
Lonerism, Tame Impala
WINNER: Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend
Trouble Will Find Me, The National
The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, Neko Case

Best Rock Performance
“Always Alright,” Alabama Shakes
“I’m Shakin’” Jack White
“Kashmir,” Led Zeppelin
“My God Is the Sun,” Queens of the Stone Age
WINNER: “Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons
“The Stars (Are Out Tonight),” David Bowie

Best Rock Song
“Ain’t Messin’ ‘Round,” Gary Clark Jr.
WINNER: “Cut Me Some Slack,” Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear
“Doom And Gloom,” The Rolling Stones
“God Is Dead?,” Black Sabbath
“Panic Station,” Muse

Best Rock Album
13, Black Sabbath
WINNER: Celebration Day, Led Zeppelin
… Like Clockwork, Queens of the Stone Age
Mechanical Bull, Kings of Leon
The Next Day, David Bowie
Psychedelic Pill, Neil Young with Crazy Horse

Best Metal Performance
“The Enemy Inside,” Dream Theater
WINNER: “God Is Dead?,” Black Sabbath
“In Due Time,” Killswitch Engage
“Room 24,” Volbeat featuring King Diamond
“T.N.T.,” Anthrax

Best Rap Performance
“Started From The Bottom,” Drake
“Berzerk,” Eminem
“Tom Ford,” Jay Z
“Swimming Pools (Drank),” Kendrick Lamar
WINNER: “Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
“Power Trip,” J. Cole featuring Miguel
“Part II (On The Run),” Jay Z featuring Beyoncé
WINNER: “Holy Grail,” Jay Z featuring Justin Timberlake
“Now Or Never,” Kendrick Lamar featuring Mary J. Blige
“Remember You,” Wiz Khalifa featuring The Weeknd

Best Rap Song
“Holy Grail,” Jay Z featuring Justin Timberlake
“New Slaves,” Kanye West
“Fuckin’ Problems,” ASAP featuring Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar
“Started From the Bottom,” Drake
WINNER: “Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz

Best Rap Album
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Kendrick Lamar
WINNER: The Heist, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Magna Carta … Holy Grail, Jay Z
Nothing Was the Same, Drake
Yeezus, Kanye West

Best R&B Performance
“Best of Me, “Anthony Hamilton
“How Many Drinks?” Miguel featuring Kendrick Lamar
“Love and War,” Tamar Braxton
“Nakamarra,” Hiatus Kaiyote featuring Q-Tip
WINNER: “Something,” Snarky Puppy with Lalah Hathaway

Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Get It Right,” Fantasia
“Hey Laura,” Gregory Porter
WINNER: “Please Come Home,” Gary Clark Jr.
“Quiet Fire,” Maysa
“Yesterday,” Ryan Shaw

Best R&B Song
“Best of Me,” Anthony Hamilton
“Love And War,” Tamar Braxton
“Only One,” PJ Morton featuring Stevie Wonder
WINNER: “Pusher Love Girl,” Justin Timberlake
“Without Me,” Fantasia featuring Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliot

Best R&B Album
Better, Chrisette Michele
WINNER: Girl on Fire, Alicia Keys
Love in the Future, John Legend
R&B Divas, Faith Evans
Three Kings, TGT

Best Dance/Electronica Album
18 Months, Calvin Harris
Atmosphere, Kaskade
A Color Map of the Sun, Pretty Lights
WINNER: Random Access Memories, Daft Punk
Settle, Disclosure

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Love and War, Tamar Braxton
New York: A Love Story, Mack Wilds
One: In The Chamber, Salaam Remi
Side Effects of You, Fantasia
WINNER: Unapologetic, Rihanna

Best Country Solo Performance
“I Drive Your Truck,” Lee Brice
“I Want Crazy,” Hunter Hayes
“Mama’s Broken Heart,” Miranda Lambert
“Mine Would Be You,” Blake Shelton
WINNER: “Wagon Wheel,” Darius Rucker

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Don’t Rush,” Kelly Clarkson featuring Vince Gill
WINNER: “From This Valley,” The Civil Wars
“Highway Don’t Care,” Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban
“You Can’t Make Old Friends,” Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton
“Your Side of the Bed,” Little Big Town

Best Country Song
“Begin Again,” Taylor Swift
“I Drive Your Truck,” Lee Brice
“Mama’s Broken Heart,” Miranda Lambert
WINNER: “Merry Go ‘Round,” Kacey Musgraves
“Mine Would Be You,” Blake Shelton

Best American Roots Song
“Build Me Up From Bones,” Sarah Jarosz
“Invisible,” Steve Earle & The Dukes (& Duchesses)
“Keep Your Dirty Lights On,” Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott
WINNER: “Love Has Come for You,” Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
“Shrimp Po-Boy, Dressed,” Allen Toussaint

Best Americana Album
Love Has Come for You, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
Buddy And Jim, Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale
WINNER: Old Yellow Moon, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell
One True Vine, Mavis Staples
Songbook, Allen Toussaint

Best Comedy Album
A Little Unprofessional, Ron White
WINNER: Calm Down Gurrl, Kathy Griffin
I’m Here To Help, Craig Ferguson
Live, Tig Notaro
That’s What I’m Talkin’ About, Bob Saget

Best Spoken Word Album
WINNER: America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t, Stephen Colbert
Carrie And Me, Carol Burnett
Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls, David Sedaris
Still Foolin’ ‘Em, Billy Crystal
The Storm King, Pete Seeger

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Rob Cavallo
Dr. Luke
Ariel Rechtshaid
Jeff Tweedy
WINNER: Pharrell Williams

Best Music Video
“Can’t Hold Us,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton
“I’m Shakin’,” Jack White
“Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film,” Jay Z
“Safe And Sound,” Capital Cities
WINNER: “Suit & Tie,” Justin Timberlake featuring Jay Z

Best Song Written for Visual Media
“Atlas,” Coldplay
“Silver Lining,” Jessie J
WINNER: “Skyfall,” Adele
“We Both Know,” Colbie Caillat featuring Gavin DeGraw
“Young And Beautiful,” Lana Del Rey
“You’ve Got Time,” Regina Spektor

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Argo, Alexandre Desplat, composer
The Great Gatsby, Craig Armstrong, composer
Life of Pi, Mychael Danna, composer
Lincoln, John Williams, composer
WINNER: Skyfall, Thomas Newman, composer
Zero Dark Thirty, Alexandre Desplat, composer

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Django Unchained
The Great Gatsby (Deluxe Edition)
Les Misérables (Deluxe Edition)
Muscle Shoals
WINNER: Sound City: Real to Reel

Best Music Film
¡Cuatro!, Green Day
I’m In I’m Out and I’m Gone: The Making of Get Up!, Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite
Live 2012, Coldplay
WINNER: Live Kisses, Paul McCartney
The Road to Red Rocks, Mumford & Sons

Best Musical Theater Album
WINNER: Kinky Boots
Matilda: The Musical
Motown The Musical