This past Sunday, January 31, marked the 52nd time the Recording Academy gathered music’s best and brightest in one room and recognized the past year’s achievements at the Grammy Awards. At these, the most prestigious awards in music, it can feel like an artist’s greatest accomplishment to win just one (an “impossible dream,” in the words of Taylor Swift, winner of 4 Grammys this year), but there are some who have added so many of those coveted golden gramophones to their collection that they have joined the ranks of Guinness World Record holders as well as Grammy winners.
The big story this weekend was the 3-D tribute to Michael Jackson, current holder of 10 Guinness World Records. Sunday’s show included a star-studded performance of “Earth Song” featuring, along with a recording of Jackson’s voice, Celine Dion, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson. In 1984, Jackson set a record for MOST GRAMMY AWARDS WON IN A SINGLE YEAR BY AN INDIVIDUAL when he won a total of 8 awards with his album Thriller, itself a record holder as the BEST SELLING ALBUM ever. Beyoncé Knowles took home the most awards in 2010, with 6, but did not win enough of her 10 categories to set a new single-year record. Her near-ubiquitous song “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” was crowned Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song.
The original moonwalker also has some very distinguished company among Grammy record holders. Here are just a few of the most notable Guinness World Records set at the Grammy Awards:
MOST GRAMMY AWARDS WON BY AN INDIVIDUAL – LIFETIME:
Georg Solti (UK), a Hungarian-born British conductor, won a total of 31 Grammys in his lifetime, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. He won his first Grammy in 1958, the inaugural year of the ceremony. With her win this year, Allison Kraus tied producer Quincy Jones in 2nd place, with 27 wins.
MOST GRAMMY AWARD WINS BY A GROUP:
U2 (Ireland) won 22 Grammys over an 18-year span from 1988 (Joshua Tree) through 2006 (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb). Both albums took home “Album of the Year,” and three other years the band won one or more of the “Big Four” awards (Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist). In 1987, the band joined The Beatles and The Monkees as co-record holders for MOST ALBUMS ON THE U.S. CHART SIMULTANEOUSLY (7).
EARLIEST WINNER OF THE “BIG FOUR” GRAMMY AWARDS IN ONE YEAR:
Speaking of those much-coveted “Big Four,” Christopher Cross (USA) swept them all in 1981 when in addition to winning in the Best New Artist category, his self-titled debut album took home Album of the Year, while the song “Sailing” garnered both Song and Record of the Year. Although the Recording Academy no longer allows nominees for Song, Record or Album of the year to be eligible for Best New Artist, both Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga were each nominated in all of the remaining “Big Four” categories.
MOST GRAMMY AWARDS WON IN A SINGLE YEAR BY A GROUP:
In 2000, Santana’s (USA) Supernatural picked up 8 awards. The album itself, a series of collaborations by Santana with other contemporary artists, earned Album of the Year and Best Rock Album, while that year’s most ear-catching single, “Smooth” featuring Rob Thomas, nabbed both Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals. Supernatural also holds the Guinness World Record for BEST SELLING ALBUM BY A LATIN ARTIST, as well as granting Santana the LONGEST GAP BETWEEN FIRST CHART ENTRY AND FIRST NO. 1 SINGLE (30 years) and the LONGEST GAP BETWEEN U.S. CHART ALBUM HITS (28 years). This year, Carlos Santana presented the Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift for 2009’s best-selling album, Fearless.
MOST GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES:
Banjoist Béla Fleck (USA) has proved Grammy’s most versatile musician, earning 20 nominations and 9 wins in 8 different categories: country, pop, jazz, bluegrass, classical, folk, spoken word and composition and arranging. Her 9th win came in 2010 when “Throw Down Your Heart” nabbed Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
YOUNGEST GRAMMY NOMINEE – SOLO ARTIST:
At just 9 years 313 days old, “Miguelito”, born Miguel A. Valenzuela Morales (Puerto Rico), won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Album for Children for El Heredero on 13 November 2008. Now 11, Miguelito continues to record music. He released his latest album, Los Pitchers, in August of 2009.
Since their inaugural year, the Grammys have evolved from a modest 28-category affair at the Beverly Hills Hotel to the massive event now held at the Staples Center. With 109 categories, 18 performers, and even the very first 3-D awards show broadcast, this year’s ceremony was certainly one to remember!
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