A big “Huzzah!” from Austin City Limits to the winners of last night’s 2023 Grammy Awards. Co-produced for the 12th year by ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, the 65th ceremony celebrated the breadth, depth and variety of modern music, bestowing awards on several of our distinguished alumni. Season 48 opener Brandi Carlile took home a trio of top awards: Best Rock Performance and Best Rock song for “Broken Horses,” and Best Americana Album for In These Silent Days, the album from which it comes. ACL three-timer and Hall of Famer Bonnie Raitt won one of the Big Four awards with “Just Like That,” the title track of her acclaimed recent album, taking Song of the Year, as well as Best American Roots Song. She also earned a Best Americana Performance award for her song “Made Up Mind.” Rap icon Kendrick Lamar took home trophies for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “The Heart Part 5,” as well as Best Rap Album for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Singer Sam Smith won the Best Pop/Duo Performance award for “Unholy,” his duet with Kim Petras, who made history last night as the first openly trans performer to win a Grammy. And shout out to Willie Nelson, who’s been on ACL more times than anyone and recorded the pilot back in 1974—the icon added to his Grammy shelf awards for Best Country Solo Performance (“Live Forever,” from the Billie Joe Shaver tribute album of the same title) and Best Country Album (A Beautiful Time).
Other winners from the ACL catalog include Rosalía, Wilco, Taj Mahal, the Neville Brothers’ Aaron Neville, August Greene’s Robert Glasper, Ry Cooder, Natalia Lafourcade, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Special shout-outs to Jack Antonoff, who appeared on ACL in Season 39 as a member of fun., for winning Producer of the Year for the second year in a row, and keyboardist Leo Genovese, who backed up Esperanza Spalding in Seasons 35 and 38 and Residente in Season 44, for sharing the Best Improvised Jazz Solo award with saxophone great Wayne Shorter. Find the complete list of winners and nominees here.