Justin Bieber, shown performing in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Dec. 31, 2020, has won the Grammy for best country duo or group performance along with country pair Dan and Shay for their collaboration on the hit single 10,000 Hours.Jeff Kravitz/AFP/Getty Images
Kaytranada lived up to his reputation as one of Canada’s respected, but stealth, music producers as he swept through the Grammy Awards on Sunday with a double win that needed little fanfare.
The Montreal-raised DJ picked up best dance recording for his song “10%,” featuring Kali Uchis, and best dance or electronic album for “Bubba” in a matter of minutes.
And it all happened at the outset of a streaming ceremony, before the television broadcast, where most of the awards were handed out.
“This is crazy. This is insane,” Kaytranada, born Louis Celestin, said in a remote video feed as he accepted the second of his two awards.
“I’m taking this one back to Montreal.”
His blink-and-you’ll-miss him appearance helped set the tone for a night of speedy celebrations that culminated with the physically distanced broadcast show from downtown Los Angeles, where a select group of nominees attended in person.
Celestin lost the third of his nominations for best new artist to Megan Thee Stallion.
Justin Bieber became the owner of a country Grammy, the latest twist in his pursuit of being considered an R&B singer, rather than a pop star.
The Stratford, Ont.-raised musician won best country duo or group performance for “10,000 Hours,” a hit single recorded with country pair Dan and Shay.
Bieber had expressed displeasure ahead of the Grammys over seeing his music nominated in pop categories when he felt it was R&B music.
Other Canadian winners included Jim (Kimo) West, who ran into a familiar pandemic technical glitch when his name was called for best new age album Grammy but his microphone was muted at home.
Viewers couldn’t hear his acceptance speech, so producers quickly shuffled on to the next category leaving West without a chance to thank the fellow artists who collaborated on his Hawaiian slack-key guitar album, “More Guitar Stories.” But the Los Angeles-based musician maintained his sense of humour about the gaffe.
“(Usually) after the main show you go to some nice parties, and now I’m just going to order some takeout, hang out and watch TV,” said the Toronto-born guitarist for “Weird Al” Yankovic.
“I really want to win another one so that I can have the real experience.”
Shawn Everett, raised in Bragg Creek, Alta., won a Grammy for best engineered album, non-classical for Beck’s “Hyperspace.” Everett shares the award with a team of fellow engineers who worked on the album, but it was Beck who accepted the award on their behalf.
A musical adaptation of Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill” won best musical theatre album for the main vocalists and producers involved in the project.
Other major contenders on Sunday’s Grammys broadcast include song of the year nominee JP Saxe who splits his honour with girlfriend Julia Michaels for their duet “If the World Was Ending.”
Drake’s “Laugh Now, Cry Later” will be contending for best rap song and best melodic rap performance.
Producer Frank Dukes, born Adam Feeney, is up for two major awards. His work with Post Malone earned nods for both record and album of the year.
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