How AllMusic Reviewed the 2020 Grammy Winners

The Grammys came and went again last night, held under the twin dark clouds of the death of Kobe Bryant and the behind the scenes controversy plaguing the Recording Academy. But awards must be and were handed out, with Billie Eilish sweeping the top categories, and artists like Lizzo, Tanya Tucker, Gary Clark Jr., Tool, and Tyler the Creator also picking up trophies. Our editors spent 2019 reviewing and contextualizing the albums featured on last night’s ceremony, so we’ve collected their reviews of the winners in one handy list.

RECORD OF THE YEAR — “Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish

ALBUM OF THE YEAR — When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Billie Eilish

BEST NEW ARTIST — Billie Eilish

BEST RAP/SUNG PERFORMANCE — “Higher,” DJ Khaled Featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend

SONG OF THE YEAR — “Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish

BEST RAP ALBUM — Igor, Tyler, The Creator

BEST COMEDY ALBUM — Sticks & Stones, Dave Chappelle

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE — “Speechless,” Dan + Shay

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE — “Truth Hurts,” Lizzo

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL — Finneas

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM — When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Billie Eilish

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM — Look Now, Elvis Costello & The Imposters

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE — “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

BEST AMERICANA ALBUM — Oklahoma, Keb’ Mo’

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG — “Call My Name,” I’m With Her

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE — “Saint Honesty,” Sara Bareilles

BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM — Celia, Angelique Kidjo

BEST R&B ALBUM — Ventura, Anderson .Paak

BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM — Cuz I Love You (Deluxe), Lizzo

BEST R&B SONG — “Say So,” PJ Morton Featuring JoJo

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE — “Jerome,” Lizzo

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE — “Come Home,” Anderson .Paak Featuring André 3000

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM — Father Of The Bride, Vampire Weekend

BEST ROCK ALBUM — Social Cues, Cage The Elephant

BEST ROCK SONG — “This Land,” Gary Clark Jr.

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE — “7empest,” Tool

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE — “This Land,” Gary Clark Jr.

BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM — Hadestown, Original Broadway Cast

BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION — Higdon: Harp Concerto, Yolanda Kondonassis, Ward Stare & The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

BEST CLASSICAL COMPENDIUM — The Poetry Of Places, Nadia Shpachenko

BEST CLASSICAL SOLO VOCAL ALBUM — Songplay, Joyce DiDonato

BEST CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTAL SOLO — Marsalis: Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite, Nicola Benedetti

BEST CHAMBER MUSIC/SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE — Shaw: Orange, Attacca Quartet

BEST CHORAL PERFORMANCE — Duruflé: Complete Choral Works, Robert Simpson

BEST OPERA RECORDING — Picker: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Gil Rose, John Brancy, Krista River, Andrew Craig Brown, Edwin Vega & Gabriel Preisser

BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE — Norman: Sustain, Gustavo Dudamel

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, CLASSICAL — Blanton Alspaugh

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL — Riley: Sun Rings, Kronos Quartet

BEST RAP SONG — “A Lot,” 21 Savage Featuring J. Cole

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE — “Racks In The Middle,” Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy

BEST TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM (tie) — Opus, Marc Anthony
and
A Journey Through Cuban Music, Aymée Nuviola

BEST REGIONAL MEXICAN MUSIC ALBUM — De Ayer Para Siempre, Mariachi Los Camperos

BEST LATIN ROCK, URBAN OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM — El Mal Querer, ROSALÍA

BEST LATIN POP ALBUM — #Eldisco, Alejandro Sanz

BEST ROOTS GOSPEL ALBUM — Testimony, Gloria Gaynor

BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM — Burn The Ships, for KING & COUNTRY

BEST GOSPEL ALBUM — Long Live Love, Kirk Franklin

BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE/SONG — “God Only Knows,” for KING & COUNTRY & Dolly Parton

BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE/SONG — “Love Theory,” Kirk Franklin

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM — While I’m Livin’, Tanya Tucker

BEST COUNTRY SONG — “Bring My Flowers Now,” Tanya Tucker

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE — “Ride Me Back Home,” Willie Nelson

BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM — Antidote, Chick Corea & The Spanish Heart Band

BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM — The Omni-American Book Club, Brian Lynch Big Band

BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM — Finding Gabriel, Brad Mehldau

BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM — 12 Little Spells, Esperanza Spalding

BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO — “Sozinho,” Randy Brecker

BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTS AND VOCALS — “All Night Long,” Jacob Collier Featuring Jules Buckley, Take 6 & Metropole Orkest

BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTAL OR A CAPPELLA — “Moon River,” Jacob Collier

BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION — “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Symphonic Suite,” John Williams

BEST CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM — Mettavolution, Rodrigo y Gabriela

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM — No Geography, The Chemical Brothers

BEST DANCE RECORDING — “Got To Keep On,” The Chemical Brothers

BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM — Becoming, Michelle Obama

BEST CHILDREN’S MUSIC ALBUM — Ageless Songs for the Child Archetype, Jon Samson

BEST REGGAE ALBUM — Rapture, Koffee

BEST REGIONAL ROOTS MUSIC ALBUM — Good Time, Ranky Tanky

BEST FOLK ALBUM — Patty Griffin, Patty Griffin

BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM — This Land, Gary Clark Jr.

BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM — Tall, Dark & Handsome, Delbert McClinton & Self-Made Men + Dana

BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM — Tall Fiddler, Michael Cleveland

BEST NEW AGE ALBUM — Wings, Peter Kater

BEST MUSIC FILM — Homecoming, Beyoncé

BEST MUSIC VIDEO — “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus

BEST IMMERSIVE AUDIO ALBUM — LUX, Anita Brevik, Trondheimsolistene & Nidarosdomens Jentekor

BEST REMIXED RECORDING — “I Rise (Tracy Young’s Pride Intro Radio Remix),” Madonna

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL — When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Billie Eilish

BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM — Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection, Pete Seeger

BEST ALBUM NOTES — Stax ’68: A Memphis Story, Various Artists

BEST BOXED OR SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PACKAGE — Woodstock: Back To The Garden - The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive, Various Artists

BEST RECORDING PACKAGE — Chris Cornell, Chris Cornell

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA — “I’ll Never Love Again,” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA — Chernobyl, Hildur Guðnadóttir

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA — A Star Is Born, Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper