Zac Brown Band, Best New Artist

A number of musicians regularly covered on Jambands.com and in the pages of Relix won Grammy awards last night. Most notably, the Kings of Leon took home trophies in the Record of the Year, Rock Performance, Duo or Group With Vocals and Rock Song categories. The Kings of Leon were first profiled in Relix’s Spotlight section in June, 2003—long before the band scored much mainstream ink. In that article Warren Haynes describes the band as “straight out of ’66.”

Bela Fleck, the artist who has been nominated in the most categories in Grammy history, took home the Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Contemporary World Music Album awards for Throw Down Your Heart. Derek Trucks Band won the Best Traditional Blues Album award for Already Free —beating out his wife Susan Tedeschi. Meanwhile, Booker T. Jones was awarded the Pop Instrumental Album award for Potato Hole, Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was named best Alternative Music Album and Neil Young received his first Grammy when his Neil Young Archives Vol. I (1963-1972) was named Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package.

The country-jamband Zac Brown Band was named best New Artist, beating out another artist with strong roots in the jamband scene, MGMT. Brown, who was first profiled in Relix’s On the Verge section and recently contributed a MyPage essay, features former Oteil & the Peacemaker’s member Chris Fryar. The Zac Brown Band also performed at the award show and was described as having a “jamband aesthetic.” As he took the stage his receive his award, Brown shook hands with his summer tour companion Dave Matthews in the audience. Dave Matthews Band later performed its single “You & Me” with its expanded touring lineup that includes Tim Reynolds, Jeff Coffin and Rashawn Ross.

Here is a select list of Grammy winners:

Record of the Year: Use Somebody, Kings of Leon

Rock Song:“Use Somebody, Kings of Leon

Best Musical Album For Children: Family Time, Ziggy Marley

Pop Instrumental Performance: Throw Down Your Heart, Béla Fleck

Pop Instrumental Album: Potato Hole, Booker T. Jones

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: Use Someone, Kings of Leon

Alternative Music Album: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Phoenix

Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: Neil Young Archives Vol. I (1963-1972), Gary Burden, Jenice Heo and Neil Young

Best Pop Instrumental Performance: Throw Down Your Heart, Bela Fleck

Best Reggae Album, Vocal or Instrumental: Mind Control – Acoustic, Stephen Marley

Best Contemporary World Music Album: Throw Down Your Heart, Bela Fleck

Best Traditional Blues Album: Already Free, The Derek Trucks Band

Best New Artist: Zac Brown Band

Solo Rock Vocal Performance: Working on a Dream, Bruce Springsteen

Hard Rock Performance: War Machine, AC/DC

Rock Instrumental Performance: A Day in the Life, Jeff Beck

Long-Form Music Video: The Beatles Love. All Together Now

Best Traditional Blues Album: A Stranger Here, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott

Best Traditional Folk Album: High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, Loudon Wainwright III

Best Contemporary Folk Album: Townes, Steve Earle

Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album, Vocal or Instrumental: Lay
Your Burden Down, Buckwheat Zydeco