Independent Labels Account For Over 40% of Wins At 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards

New York, NY: It was a great year for the independent community, taking 36 out of 84 categories! A2IM would like to congratulates its member labels for their wins – (in alphabetical order): 4AD (Beggars Group), ATO Records, Big Machine Label Group, Concord Music Group, Compass Records, eOne, Mack Avenue Records, Motema, Naxos, Sub Pop Records and Thirty Tigers.

“Independent artists swept more than forty percent of last night’s wins at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in New York City,” said A2IM CEO Richard James Burgess. “A2IM is gratified that our peers, The Recording Academy voting members, so powerfully endorsed the diverse musical values and relevance of our independent community.”

Some of the main categories were won by indies: ATO Records’ Alabama Shakes took home the Best American Roots Performance. The National (4AD) won Best Alternative Music Album and Compass Records’ The Infamous Stringdusters were awarded Best Bluegrass Album. Best Contemporary Blues Album was taken by Concord Records withTaj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’, ‘TajMo’ and Aimee Mann’s ‘Mental Illness’ won Best Folk Album for SuperEgo Records.

Thirty Tigers took home a grand total of four awards! Two Grammys go to Jason Isbell for Best Americana Album for ‘The Nashville Sound’ and Best American Roots Song for ‘If We Were Vampires’! Thirty Tigers also claims another two wins with CeCe Winans for Best Gospel Performance/Song and Best Gospel Album.

Mack Avenue Records also hit it big by winning in three Jazz categories! Billy Childs taking the Grammy in Best Jazz Instrumental Album for ‘Rebirth’, Christian McBride Big Band received Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for ‘Bringin’ It’, and Best Jazz Vocal Album for Cécile McLorin Salvant’s ‘Dreams and Daggers’.

Naxos cleaned up with three awards in the Classic Album category with Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for ‘Death & The Maiden’ by Patricia Kopatchinskaja & The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Best Classical Compendium for ‘Higdon: All Things Majestic, Viola Concerto & Oboe Concerto’ by Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor. Tim Handley, producer (James Button, Roberto Díaz & Nashville Symphony), and ‘Viola Concerto’ by Jennifer Higdon, composer (Roberto Díaz, Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony) for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

List of all Independent Label Winners:
In alphabetical order by category

The National, ‘Sleep Well Beast’ (4AD)

Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit, ‘The Nashville Sound’ (Thirty Tigers)

Alabama Shakes, ‘Killer Diller Blues’ (ATO Records)

Best American Roots Song: “If We Were Vampires” – Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit) (Thirty Tigers)

John Williams, arranger (John Williams), ‘Escapades For Alto Saxophone And Orchestra From Catch Me If You Can’ (Ropeadope LLC Waterbaby Music Inc/Ropeadope LLC)

The Infamous Stringdusters, ‘Laws of Gravity’ (Compass Records)

Rhonda Vincent And The Rage, ‘All The Rage – In Concert Volume One [Live]’ (Upper Management)

Lawrence Azerrad, Timothy Daly & David Pescovitz, art directors (Various Artists), ‘The Voyager Golden Record: 40th Anniversary Edition’ (Ozma Records)

Patricia Kopatchinskaja & The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, ‘Death & The Maiden’ (Naxos)

Lisa Loeb, ‘Feel What U Feel’ (Furious Rose Productions)

Barbara Hannigan (Ludwig Orchestra), ‘Crazy Girl Crazy’ (Alpha)

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor. Tim Handley, producer (James Button, Roberto Díaz & Nashville Symphony), ‘Higdon: All Things Majestic, Viola Concerto & Oboe Concerto’ (Naxos)

Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’, ‘TajMo’ (Self Release (Concord))

Jennifer Higdon, composer (Roberto Díaz, Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony), ‘Viola Concerto’ (Naxos)

Jeff Lorber Fusion, ‘Prototype’ (eOne)

Mark Donahue, engineer (Manfred Honeck & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra), ‘Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio’ (Reference Recordings)

Aimee Mann, ‘Mental Illness’ (Aimee Mann/SuperEgo Records)

CeCe Winans, ‘Never Have to Be Alone’ (PureSprings Gospel)

John McLaughlin, ‘Miles Beyond’ (Abstract Logix)

Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & Chucho Valdés), ‘Three Revolutions'(Self Release/Motema)

Cécile McLorin Salvant, ‘Dreams and Daggers’ (Mack Avenue Records)

Billy Childs, ‘Rebirth’ (Mack Avenue Records)

Christian McBride Big Band, ‘Bringin’ It’ (Mack Avenue Records)

Pablo Ziegler Trio, ‘Jazz Tango’ (Zoho Music)

Various Artists, ‘The Defiant Ones’ (HBO)

Peter Kater, ‘Dancing on Water’ (Point of Light)

Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra), ‘Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio’ (Reference Recordings)

Aida Cuevas, ‘Arriero Somos Versiones Acústicas’ (Self-Release/Cuevas)

Sasha Barr, Ed Steed & Josh Tillman, art directors (Father John Misty), ‘Pure Comedy (Deluxe Edition)’ (Sub Pop)

Lost Bayou Ramblers, ‘Kalenda’ (Lost Bayou Ramblers)

Reba McEntire, ‘Sing It Now: Songs Of Faith & Hope’ (Rockin’ R Records/Big Machine)

Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Auli’i Cravalho), ‘How Far I’ll Go’ (Disney)

Jim Anderson, surround mix engineer; Darcy Proper, surround mastering engineer; Jim Anderson & Jane Ira Bloom, surround producers (Jane Ira Bloom), ‘Early Americans’ (Outline Records)

Childish Gambino, ‘Redbone’ (Glassnote Records)

Rubén Blades Con Roberto Delgado & Orquesta, ‘Salsa Big Band’ (Self-Release)

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, ‘Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th Anniversary Celebration’ (Ladysmith Black Mambazo)