Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance

Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance

Gilded gramophone trophy presented to Grammy Award winners
Awarded for quality urban/alternative performances
Presented by National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
Country United States
First awarded 2003
Last awarded 2011
Official website grammy.com

The Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards,[1] to recording artists for quality urban/alternative performances. Awards in several categories are distributed annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position."[2]

The award was first awarded to India.Arie at the 45th Grammy Awards (2003) for her song "Little Things". According to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards, the award was presented to artists that had made "newly recorded urban/alternative performances with vocals". The award was intended to recognize artists "who have been influenced by a cross section of urban music" and who create music that is out of the "mainstream trends".[3]

Two-time recipients include India.Arie, Cee Lo Green (once as part of the duo Gnarls Barkley), and Jill Scott. Erykah Badu, Big Boi (a member of OutKast) and will.i.am (a member of The Black Eyed Peas) share the record for the most nominations, with three each. Sérgio Mendes is the only performer to be nominated twice in one year. The category was dominated by Americans, yet individuals from Jamaica and Côte d'Ivoire also won the award. The award will be discontinued from 2012 in a major overhaul of the Grammys where the category will be shifted to the Best R&B Performance category.[4]

Contents

Recipients

Year[I] Performing artist(s) Nationality Work Nominees Ref.
2003 India.Arie  United States "Little Things" [5]
2004 OutKast  United States "Hey Ya!" [6]
2005 Scott, JillJill Scott  United States "Cross My Mind" [7]
2006 Marley, DamianDamian Marley  Jamaica "Welcome to Jamrock" [8]
2007 Gnarls Barkley  United States "Crazy" [9]
2008 Fiasco, LupeLupe Fiasco and Jill Scott  United States "Daydreamin'" [10]
2009 Michele, ChrisetteChrisette Michele and will.i.am  United States "Be OK" [11]
2010 India.Arie and Dobet Gnahoré  United States
 Côte d'Ivoire
"Pearls" [12]
2011 Green, Cee LoCee Lo Green  United States "Fuck You" [13]

^[I] Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Grammy Awards at a Glance". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/grammys/env-grammy_awards_info,0,5279018.htmlstory?track=center. Retrieved March 20, 2011. 
  2. ^ "Overview". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy. Retrieved March 16, 2011. 
  3. ^ "52nd OEP Category Description Guide" (PDF). National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. p. 3. http://www2.grammy.com/PDFs/Recording_Academy/52guide.pdf. Retrieved March 20, 2011. 
  4. ^ "Awards Category Comparison Chart" (PDF). National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. p. 1. http://www.grammy.org/files/pages/category_final.pdf. Retrieved April 8, 2011. 
  5. ^ "Complete list of Grammy nominees; ceremony set for Feb. 23". San Francisco Chronicle (Hearst Corporation): p. 3. January 8, 2003. http://articles.sfgate.com/2003-01-08/entertainment/17470880_1_vanessa-carlton-norah-jones-steve-mcqueen-sheryl-crow/3. Retrieved March 19, 2011. 
  6. ^ "Grammy Award Winners". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). 2004. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/arts/music/08grammy-list.html. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 
  7. ^ "Grammy Award nominees in top categories". USA Today (Gannett Company). February 7, 2005. http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2004-12-07-grammy-nominee-list_x.htm. Retrieved March 19, 2011. 
  8. ^ "The Complete List of Grammy Nominations". The New York Times (The New York Times Company): p. 2. December 8, 2005. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/08/arts/09gram-list.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1. Retrieved March 20, 2011. 
  9. ^ "49th Annual Grammy Grammy Nominees". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/07/entertainment/main2239101.shtml. Retrieved March 20, 2011. 
  10. ^ "50th annual Grammy Awards nominations". Variety. Reed Business Information. December 6, 2007. http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117977172.html?nav=news&categoryid=1983&cs=1. Retrieved March 20, 2011. 
  11. ^ "Grammy 2009 Winners List". MTV. MTV Networks. February 8, 2009. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1604545/20090208/story.jhtml. Retrieved March 20, 2011. 
  12. ^ "Nominees And Winners". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. http://www.grammy.com/nominees?year=2009&genre=All. Retrieved March 20, 2011. 
  13. ^ "53rd Annual Grammy Awards nominees list". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). http://theenvelope.latimes.com/news/breaking/newsletter/la-et-env-grammys-nominees-2010-list,0,4822287.htmlstory. Retrieved February 20, 2011. 

External links