Did you know that there are 84 different categories for the Grammy Awards? It’s reasonable if you didn’t since the televised award show only features a handful of categories focusing on specific genres of music. This is good news if you are in that target demo. If not, there isn’t really any reason to tune in. And given that we are still fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, many people didn’t.

Following the trend of recent award shows, this year’s Grammy Awards’ ratings fell 53% from last year’s show! This of course has more to do with the COVID-19 pandemic than anything else as some of the glitz and glamour and all of the audience are gone – temporarily. And while some viewers were shocked by some of the performances, others, like Entertainment Weekly praised the show for being “surprisingly good.” (Personally, I like Scott Shetler from Total Music Awards on his take on this year’s performances.)

This year, like many other years, the names that are getting all of the headlines are familiar: Beyoncé, Swift and Eilish. Beyoncé Knowles set a new record for most wins by a female artist and most wins by a singer – male or female. Taylor Swift is now known for the first female to win the Album of the Year Award three times (including “Folklore). And Billie Eilish has won the Record of the Year Award for the second year in a row for “Everything I Wanted.” This is all very impressive, but does anyone know who won for Best Contemporary Classical Composition? Best Opera Recording? Best Historical Album? (Okay, I do but only because I looked. They are Christopher Rouse, “Porgy and Bess” and “It’s Such a Good Feeling: The Best of Mister Rogers” by Lee Lodyga and Cheryl Pawelski.)

Now, of course CBS can’t allow for all of the categories to be represented or the show would run for three days, but couldn’t they squeeze in a little more for an award show that is supposed to celebrate all forms of recordings?  With that said, here are some of the big winners this year:

• Record of the Year: “Everything I Wanted” by Billie Eilish
• Album of the Year: “Folklore” by Taylor Swift
• Song of the Year: “I Can’t Breathe” by Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas
• Best New Artist: Megan Thee Stallion
• Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “American Standard” by James Taylor
• Best Pop Vocal Album: “Future Nostaligia” by Dua Lipa
• Best Rock Song: “Stay High” by Brittany Howard
• Best Rock Album: The New Abnormal” by The Strokes
• Best R&B Song: “Better Than I Imagined” by Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilsoon
• Best R&B Album: “Bigger Love” by John Legend
• Best Country Song: “Crowded Table” by The Highwomen
• Best Country Album: “Wildcard” by Miranda Lambert
• Best Gospel Song: “Movin’ On” by Johnathan McReynolds & Mali Music
• Best Gospel Album: “Gospel According to PJ” by PJ Morton
• Best Contemporary Christian Music Song: “There Was Jesus” by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton
• Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: “Jesus is King” by Kanye West
• Best Comedy Album: “Black Mitzvah” by Tiffany Haddish
• Best Musical Theater Album: “Jagged Little Pill”
• Best Score Soundtrack: “Joker” by Hildur Guðnadóttir

For a complete list of all of this year’s winners, visit Grammy.com.

Main image: CBS