Right now, the 57th Grammy Awards are underway at LA’s Nokia Theatre. While pop, rock and R&B still rule the annual ceremony, this year dance music was honoured in three different categories: Best Remixed Recording, Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Dance Recording.
Tiesto snared the first dance Grammy of 2015, taking out Best Remixed Recording with his rework of John Legend’s All Of Me. While Tiesto was there to claim his gong (and pose with it), the winner of the next dance category was predictably absent.
Deservedly, it was underground hero Aphex Twin who took home the coveted Best Dance/Electronic Album trophy for Syro, beating out fellow nominees Deadmau5, Little Dragon, Royksopp & Robyn and Mat Zo. (“Grats to aphex twin… Better him than anyone else!,” Deadmau5 congratulated on Twitter. “Don’t act surprised, I knew he’d grab it before anyone… Shit, I even voted for em.”)
Aphex Twin’s victory might have been expected, but the winner of the coveted Best Dance Recording category wasn’t. UK act Clean Bandit beat out the likes of Disclosure, Duke Dumont and even Zhu to win with their track Rather Be featuring vocalist Jess Glynne, in what some are calling a curveball win.
Despite EDM’s ever-soaring popularity, the dance music categories are still awarded during the pre-telecast awards ceremony, not the main, televised portion of the night. Take a look at all the dance music nominees below.
2015 GRAMMY AWARDS WINNERS
Best Remixed Recording
WINNER: John Legend – All Of Me (Tiesto’s Birthday Treatment Remix)
Crossfingers — “Falling Out” ft. Danny Losito (MING Remix)
Bastille — “Pompeii” (Audien Remix)
Five Knives — “The Rising” (Eddie Amador Remix)
Galantis — “Smile” (Kaskade Remix)
Mr. Probz — “Waves” (Robin Schulz Remix)
Best Dance/Electronic Album
WINNER: Aphex Twin — Syro
Deadmau5 — While (1<2)
Little Dragon — Nabuma Rubberband
Royksopp & Robyn — Do It Again
Mat Zo — Damage Control
Best Dance Recording
WINNER: Clean Bandit — ”Rather Be” ft. Jess Glynne
Basement Jaxx — “Never Say Never”
Disclosure — “F For You” ft. Mary J. Blige
Duke Dumont — “I Got U” ft. Jax Jones
ZHU — “Faded”
Earthquake Mix: