John Legend and Jay-Z Bring Home 3 Awards Each at 53rd Annual Grammy Awards

John Legend and Jay-Z Bring Home 3 Awards Each at 53rd Annual Grammy Awards

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards blew into the Los Angeles Staples Center with the promise of being a night to remember. That promise was kept and then some. At the outset, much of the chatter surrounded Eminem and singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, who entered the fray with 10 and seven nominations, respectively. They would mostly be denied on this night. However, two dark horse candidates — John Legend and Jay-Z — emerged as the leaders of the pack when it came to urban America’s Grammy haul.

Both Legend and Jay-Z would bring home three awards apiece, and, for Legend, the thrill of Grammy gold is something that can never get old.


“I love it every time,” he shared. “I don’t take it for granted. It never gets old. Unfortunately, there were no R&B awards shown on TV this year, so we didn’t get a chance to talk.”


The lack of urban awards during the primetime show was one of the few lowlights, as this year’s telecast was high on energy and killer performances. The highest performance note was perhaps a glimpse into music’s future when Mars, Janelle Monae and B.o.B. took to the stage with the type of passion that befits a trio determined to seize the day and claim their rightful place as “generation next.”

All told, the awards show was full of talking points — both good and bad. So, we decided to point out a few that caught our eye.


The Highlights

Janelle Monae, B.o.B and Bruno Mars Shine

We’ve already mentioned their performance, but it deserves a 2nd mention. The performance by these up-and-comers was inspiring, and it hinted to a future that appears to be bright for each performer.

The Roots Bring Home Two Awards

As critically-acclaimed as the legendary Roots crew may be, they’ve been surprisingly quiet with their career Grammy haul. That was all but erased as the group brought home two awards for their work with John Legend. Following the win, bandleader Questlove exclaimed, “Does this mean that we can stop complaining now since we’re 4 time Grammy winners?” We think so.

The Lowlight

The Lack of Black Awards During the Telecast

If you were looking for your favorite R&B and rap stars to take the stage during the telecast, then you were sadly disappointed. That’s because the Grammy Foundation decided to make the executive decision to omit all of the urban categories from the live show. The only urban category to make it was “Rap Album of the Year,” which was not-so-surprisingly won by Eminem.

The Shockers

Justin Bieber and Drake Are Denied

The surprise of the night had to be jazz artist Esperanza Spalding who shocked Justin Bieber and Drake to bring home the Grammy for “Best New Artist.” Spalding took the stage and promised the world that she’d do her “damndest to make good music.”

Aretha’s Slim Frame

Following a passionate opening tribute to the Queen of Soul, a video tribute was played where Franklin thanked the audience and her fans throughout this tumultuous time with her troublesome health. The surprise for many was Franklin’s slender frame, which was in vast contrast to the morbidly obese woman that we had come to know and expect.

Cee Lo Dresses as a Peacock

For Cee Lo’s performance of “Forget You” the singer pulled out all of the stops. Not only did he come armed with Gwyneth Paltrow to join him onstage, but he was also backed by a fully Muppet band. But all of that paled in comparison to Cee Lo’s outfit, and he dressed in a get up that can only be described as an interesting take on the NBC peacock. It was simultaneously genius and disturbing, which makes him all the more brilliant for the fashion move.

Check out some of the pics below, and share your favorite Grammy moments. –djr

Arrivals at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards

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