The Recording AcademyHere’s what some of the winners had to say backstage at the 57th Grammy Awards, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday night:
— Sam Smith was understandably excited after winning four awards, including three in the major categories: Best New Artist, and Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Stay with Me.”
He joked to reporters, “I feel like Kate Winslet at the Oscars right now.” Actually, he had better luck than Winslet, who didn’t win an Oscar until her sixth nomination.
He continued, “It’s a dream come true. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”
When asked if anything could top the night he’d just had, Sam joked, “A boyfriend would be nice.” But, he added, “I don’t think it would top this, though. Nothing. And that’s the curse for the rest of my life, I think.”
As for the ex that inspired “Stay with Me,” Sam said they’re still friends. He said, “I’m pretty sure he’s very happy.”
— One of the most-talked-about moments of the Grammys was Kanye West showing up onstage as Beck was set to accept the Album of the Year award. It appeared to be a joke at the time, though a seemingly-upset Kanye indicated otherwise during an interview with E! later in the night.
Recording Academy President and CEO Neil Portnow downplayed the incident when he was asked about it backstage by ABC News Radio. He said, “They are all adults, more or less…I thought it wound up being playful and fun, and no harm done.”
Portnow also addressed the exclusion of Joan Rivers, who posthumously won her first Grammy earlier in the day, for best spoken word album, from the “In Memoriam” segment. Portnow explained that the tribute can only accommodate so many people from the industry, stating, “We never make everybody happy. We do the best we can to create sort of a mix of different genres and genders and generations and so on.”
— Miranda Lambert called her win for best country album, for Platinum, “surreal.” Her work on the album was important to her, she said, because she felt it was the “one that was going to set up the next decade” of her career.
— A Great Big World claimed the Grammy for best pop duo/group performance for their hit with Christina Aguilera, “Say Something.” They quipped that the experience felt like The Truman Show, as if it weren’t real.
— Country trio The Band Perry won their first-ever Grammy, taking the best country duo/group performance category for “Gentle On My Mind.” Kimberly Perry said it’s a “life-changing” moment for them because many years ago they’d dreamed of simply appearing at the Grammys. She added that it “raises the momentum” as they continue to develop their third album.
— “Weird Al” Yankovic declared that winning a Grammy never gets old. He won his fourth Grammy, for his album Mandatory Fun, but pointed out his first victory came 30 years ago. He said, “I’m not jaded about it, it’s an amazing feeling.”
He joked that when he wins a Grammy he has it screwed to his head for a week, like he’s a “Grammy unicorn.”
— The movie Frozen was honored in a couple of categories: best compilation soundtrack for visual media, and best song written for visual media for “Let It Go.” The husband-and-wife duo behind “Let It Go,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, is collaborating with Oscars host Neil Patrick Harris on something for that ceremony. Anderson-Lopez teased that it will consist of Harris “doing what he does best.”
— After scooping up the award for best arrangement, instrumental or a cappella, Pentatonix stated that it was the coolest thing in their career, and validates what they do.
— Prior to Katy Perry‘s performance of “By the Grace of God,” domestic violence survivor Brooke Axtell shared her story of how she sought help at a domestic violence center. Backstage, she commented that she didn’t speak onstage from a “place of pain, but a place of hope.” She said it was an honor to take part in the segment, which also included a video appearance by President Obama calling on musicians to pledge to stop domestic violence.
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