SINGAPORE - In a bid to stay relevant yet maintain credibility, this year’s list of Grammy honorees balances both popular and critically acclaimed acts. The big winners include multi-genre artiste Jon Batiste, teen sensation Olivia Rodrigo and R&B duo Silk Sonic.

The awards show took place for the first time in Las Vegas on April 3 night (April 4 morning, Singapore time).

The top act of the evening was Batiste. He took home five gongs, including Album of the Year for his 2021 release We Are. He started out with the most nominations - 11.

He might not have a charting pop hit to his name, but critics love Batiste, whose music blends genres such as jazz and R&B. The bandleader on talk show The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has been collecting trophies at other prestigious events, including scoring an Academy Award for his music work on Disney-Pixar animated film Soul (2020). His work on the soundtrack also earned him the 2022 Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media.

Silk Sonic, the superstar union of R&B linchpins Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, made what the latter called “a clean sweep”. They won in all four categories they were nominated in, including major prizes Record of the Year and Song of the Year for debut single Leave The Door Open.

Their success reinforces the Grammys’ penchant for rewarding contemporary acts who revive a classic genre for current mainstream audiences. A throwback to 1970’s-style soul and funk music, the retro tune dominated pop charts in the United States and the rest of the world.

In a nod to younger artistes, pop star Rodrigo, 19, picked up three prizes, including Best New Artist, an echo of then 18-year old Billie Eilish’s big splash at the 2020 Grammys.

Rock band Foo Fighters won in all three categories they were nominated in, including Best Rock Album for Medicine At Midnight (2021), just a week after the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins at 50.

A few of the winners might have raised some eyebrows.

The organisers had banned one of hip-hop’s most celebrated artistes, Kanye West, from performing for using a slur on Grammy host and comedian Trevor Noah. Yet, Ye, as he is now known, took home two prizes - Best Rap Song for Jail and Best Melodic Rap Performance for Hurricane, both from his 2021 album Donda.

Comedian Louis C.K. won Best Comedy Album for Sincerely Louis C.K. (2020), an album in which he touches on the many sexual misconduct allegations made against him in 2017.

The wins for Ye and C.K. is a signal that the organisers are willing to overlook bad behaviour in favour of artistic merit.

While the awards were not telecast in Singapore, some of the performances on the show have generated quite a bit of online buzz.

Thankfully, there were no controversial moments akin to actor Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock at the recent Oscars.

Still, social media exploded with mentions of South Korean superstars BTS, whose smooth Mission Impossible/James Bond-influenced performance of Butter included one of the septet, V, seemingly flirting with Rodrigo, who was in the audience.

Alas, the K-pop juggernauts did not win in the lone category they were nominated in - Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Butter. One cannot help but feel a sense of deja vu as they also lost in 2021 in the same category despite appearing at the awards show through a virtual performance.

The Grammys seem to be content with leveraging their global appeal, without feeling the need to bestow on them awards.

Puerto Rican rapper-singer Bad Bunny, despite being one of the most streamed artistes in the world, was relegated to a less prominent category - Best Musica Urbana Album, which he won for his 2020 album El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo (The Last Tour Of The World).

In playing it safe with a balanced slate of winners, one could say the Academy does not go far enough in acknowledging the global state of pop.

The Grammys, organised by the US’ Recording Academy, bills itself as “music’s biggest night”. But it looks like there is still some way to go before the American-centric awards show can be truly seen as the music industry’s most prestigious night.

Grammy winners

Album of the Year: Jon Batiste, We Are
Record of the Year (overall song performance): Silk Sonic, Leave The Door Open
Song of the Year (best songwriting): Leave The Door Open - Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II and Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)
Best New Artist: Olivia Rodrigo
Best Pop Vocal Album: Olivia Rodrigo, Sour
Best Pop Solo Performance: Olivia Rodrigo, drivers license
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Doja Cat featuring SZA, Kiss Me More
Best Rock Album: Foo Fighters, Medicine At Midnight
Best Rap Album: Tyler, The Creator, Call Me If You Get Lost
Best Rap Performance: Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar, Family Ties
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Love For Sale