Grammy Winning Songs You May Have Missed

From Willie Nelson, Samara Joy, Madison Cunningham, Aaron Neville, Ry Cooder, Brandi Carlile, Taj Mahal, Molly Tuttle.

Greg Mitchell is the author of a dozen books and now writer/director of award-winning films. He was also a longtime editor of the legendary Crawdaddy.

Not a big fan of the Grammys or the broadcast but I always tune in to much of it (get exposed to some new acts, for better or worse) and at least glance at the winner lists. Below are a few winning tracks you (and I) may have missed in the past year.

I’ve omitted the wins for Bonnie Raitt since I covered them here—presciently—a couple of weeks back. I will note further that her Song of the Year is the first to be written by a single person since Amy Winehouse’s triumph 15 years ago. A refreshing sole songwriter in an era of platoons. Also, she was long known as an interpreter/singer, not as a writer.

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Madison Cunningham won for Best Folk Album. Here is “Life According to Raechel,” recently on the Fallon show.

Ageless Willie Nelson won for Best Country Solo Performance for “Live Forever” featuring Lucinda Williams. He also won for Best Country Album.

Best New Artist, the jazzy Samara Joy, here on the Colbert show.

Brandi Carlile won for Best Rock Performance for “Broken Horses,” also for Best Rock Song, here live on ACL.

Aaron Neville and NOLA’s Dirty Dozen Brass Band won for “Stomping Ground’” as Best American Roots Performance.

Best Bluegrass Album for the great Molly Tuttle (who was also nominated for Best New Artist).

Shervin Hajipour, 25, won in a new special merit category recognizing a song for social change for his hit “Baraye.” The song has become the anthem of protests that have swept Iran in recent months.

Best Traditional Blues Album, two legends, Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder, here’s entire album:

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