Alabama Shakes won four Grammys at last night’s annual awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
They took home Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for Don’t Wanna Fight – which they played live during the ceremony – plus Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album (Non-classical) for Sound & Color.
Bandleader Brittany Howard admitted it had been a “crazy” night for the band, adding: “What an honour. We never even dreamed of this moment.
“When we started this we were in high school and we just did it for fun. We never thought we’d win any recognition like this. It’s beautiful – and I promise we’re going to keep going.”
Buddy Guy received the Best Blues Album award for Born To Play Guitar while Mavis Staples’ version of See That My Grave Is Kept Clean won Best American Roots Performance.
Meanwhile, The Rise & Fall Of Paramount Records, Volume Two (1928-32) was named Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package.
It’s Alabama Shakes’ first-ever Grammys haul, although they’d been nominated three times previously. Guy has now achieved seven wins. In his acceptance speech, he said: “At least I know the blues is not dead yet,” and later added: “To my fans back in Chicago at my club, and all the fans that support the blues – thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Staples commented via Facebook: “Oh my goodness, I won my second Grammy – I can’t believe it! Thank you to The voters, Anti Records, producer Son Little and to my awesome band who played and sang on the track. Amazing!”
Blues-related Grammy Awards 2016
Best Rock Song: Alabama Shakes, Don’t Wanna Fight
Best Rock Performance: Alabama Shakes, Don’t Wanna Fight
Best Blues Album: Buddy Guy, Born To Play Guitar
Best American Roots Performance: Mavis Staples, See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
Best American Roots Song: Jason Isbell, Frames
Best Americana Album: Jason Isbell, Something More Than Free
Best Bluegrass Album: The Steeldrivers, The Muscle Shoals Recordings
