The 48th Annual Grammy Awards took place on February 8, 2006, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2005. Irish rock band U2 were the main recipients with five awards including Album of the Year. Mariah Carey, John Legend, and Kanye West were each nominated for eight awards and won three; Alison Krauss & Union Station also won three awards; and Kelly Clarkson won two. Green Day were amongst the big winners, winning the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Performances Artist (s)Song (s)MadonnaGorillazDe La Soul"Feel Good Inc.""Hung Up" Alicia KeysStevie Wonder"Higher Ground"Coldplay "Talk"John Legend "Ordinary People"Sugarland "Something More"U2Mary J. Blige"Vertigo""One"Kelly Clarkson"Because of You"Paul McCartney "Fine Line""Helter Skelter" Mariah CareyJames 'Big Jim' WrightHezekiah Walker and The Love Fellowship Choir"We Belong Together""Fly like a Bird"Keith UrbanFaith Hill "You'll Think of Me""The Lucky One"Sly & the Family StoneJoss StoneVan HuntJohn LegendFantasiaDevin LimaMaroon 5Ciarawill.i.amSteven TylerJoe PerryRobert RandolphSly StoneRusty AllenTribute to Sly & the Family Stone"Family Affair""If You Want Me to Stay"""Everyday People""Dance to the Music""I Want to Take You Higher"Linkin ParkJay-ZPaul McCartney"Numb/Encore"YesterdayBruce Springsteen "Devils & Dust"Kanye WestJamie FoxxFlorida A & M University Marching 100"Gold Digger""Touch the Sky" Christina AguileraHerbie Hancock "A Song for You"Allen ToussaintBonnie RaittThe EdgeIrma ThomasDr. John "Yes We Can Can"Sam MooreBruce SpringsteenIrma Thomasan ensemble band"In the Midnight Hour"
Presenters
Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder - Pays tribute to New Orleans and Coretta Scott King and presents the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Sugarland and Big & Rich - Pays tribute to Merle Haggard as the Lifetime Achievement recipient and presents the award for Best Country Album. Matt Dillon and Ludacris - Pays tribute to David Bowie as the Lifetime Achievement recipient and presents the award for Best Rap Album. Ben Roethlisberger - Introduces a performance by Kelly Clarkson. Billie Joe Armstrong and Gwen Stefani - Presents the award for Best Rock Album. Ellen DeGeneres - Introduces a performance by Paul McCartney. The Black Eyed Peas and Jennifer Love Hewitt - Pays tribute to Chris Blackwell and presents the award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Teri Hatcher and Michael Buble - Presents the award for Best Pop Vocal Album. Jenna Elfman - Pays tribute to Trustee Award recipient Owen Bradley and introduces a performance by Keith Urban. Chris Brown and Carlos Santana - Pays tribute to President's Merit award winner Mo Ostin and presents the award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Dave Chappelle - Introduces the Sly Stone tribute. LL Cool J - Pays tribute to Robert Johnson as the Lifetime Achievement recipient and introduces a performance by Jay-Z and Linkin Park. Tom Hanks - Pays tribute to The Weavers as the Lifetime Achievement recipient and presents a performance by Bruce Springsteen. Destiny's Child - Presents the award for Song of the Year. Sheryl Crow and Sting - Pays tribute to Cream (band) as the Lifetime Achievement recipient and present the award for Record of the Year. Terrence Howard - Pays tribute to Jessye Norman and introduces a performance by Herbie Hancock and Christina Aguilera. Fiona Apple, Chuck D, and Common - Presents the award for Best New Artist. Queen Latifah - Pays tribute to Richard Pryor as the Lifetime Achievement recipient. Bonnie Raitt and James Taylor - Presents the award for Album of the Year. Neil Portnow - Talks about MusicCares efforts in the Gulf Coast.
Award winners U2 was the night's top winner, with five awards. Their win for Album of the Year was their second win for that particular award. They previously won it back in 1988 for The Joshua Tree. They are the only rock act to have more than one Album of the Year win.
Top nominees included Mariah Carey, John Legend and Kanye West with eight each, but won only three awards each. Kelly Clarkson won two awards, becoming the first American Idol contestant ever to win a Grammy.
Multiple award winners (awards won/nominated): U2 — 5/5 Alison Krauss — 3/3 Mariah Carey — 3/8 John Legend — 3/8 Kanye West — 3/8 Kelly Clarkson — 2/2 The Chemical Brothers — 2/2 Stevie Wonder — 2/4
General Record of the Year "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" – Green Day Rob Cavallo & Green Day, producers; Chris Lord-Alge & Doug McKean, engineers/mixers "We Belong Together" – Mariah Carey Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri & Manuel Seal, producers; Brian Garten, John Horesco IV & Phil Tan, engineers/mixers "Feel Good Inc." – Gorillaz featuring De La Soul Cox, Danger Mouse, Dring & Gorillaz, producers; Jason Cox, Danger Mouse & Gorillaz, engineers/mixers "Hollaback Girl" – Gwen Stefani The Neptunes, producers; Andrew Coleman & Phil Tan, engineers/mixers "Gold Digger" – Kanye West Jon Brion & Kanye West, producers; Tom Biller, Andrew Dawson, Mike Dean & Anthony Kilhoffer, engineers/mixers
Album of the Year How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb – U2 Brian Eno, Flood, Daniel Lanois, Jacknife Lee, Steve Lillywhite & Chris Thomas, producers; Greg Collins, Flood, Carl Glanville, Simon Gogerly, Nellee Hooper, Jacknife Lee & Steve Lillywhite, engineers/mixers; Arnie Acosta, mastering engineer The Emancipation of Mimi – Mariah Carey Mariah Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Young Genius, Scram Jones, The Legendary Traxster, LROC, The Neptunes, James Poyser, Manuel Seal, Kanye West & James "Big Jim" Wright, producers; Dana Jon Chappelle, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Frye, Brian Garten, John Horesco IV, Manny Marroquin, Mike Pierce, Phil Tan & Pat "Pat 'Em Down" Viala, engineers/mixers; Herb Powers, mastering engineer Chaos and Creation in the Backyard – Paul McCartney Nigel Godrich, producer; Darrell Thorp, engineer/mixer; Alan Yoshida, mastering engineer Love. Angel. Music. Baby. – Gwen Stefani André 3000, Dallas Austin, Dr. Dre, Nellee Hooper, Jimmy Jam, Tony Kanal, Terry Lewis, The Neptunes, Linda Perry & Johnny Vulture, producers; André 3000, Andrew Coleman, Greg Collins, Ian Cross, Dr. Dre, John Frye, Simon Gogerly, Mauricio "Veto" Iragorri, Matt Marin, Colin "Dog" Mitchell, Pete Novak, Ian Rossiter, Rick Sheppard, Mark "Spike" Stent, Phil Tan & Johnny Vulture, engineers/mixers; Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, mastering engineer Late Registration – Kanye West Jon Brion, Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell, Just Blaze, Devo Springsteen & Kanye West, producers; Craig Bauer, Tom Biller, Andrew Dawson, Mike Dean, Anthony Kilhoffer, Manny Marroquin, Richard Reitz & Brian Sumner, engineers/mixers; Vlado Meller, mastering engineer
Song of the Year"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" U2, songwriters (U2) "Bless the Broken Road" Bobby Boyd, Jeff Hannah & Marcus Hummon, songwriters (Rascal Flatts) "Devils & Dust" Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen) "Ordinary People" W. Adams & J. Stephens, songwriters (John Legend) "We Belong Together" J. Austin, M. Carey, J. Dupri & M. Seal, songwriters; (D. Bristol, K. Edmonds, S. Johnson, P. Moten, S. Sully & B. Womack, songwriters) (Mariah Carey)
Best New ArtistJohn Legend Ciara Fall Out Boy Keane Sugarland
Alternative Best Alternative Music AlbumGet Behind Me Satan – The White Stripes Funeral – Arcade Fire Guero – Beck Plans – Death Cab for Cutie You Could Have It So Much Better – Franz Ferdinand
Blues Best Traditional Blues Album80 - B. B. King & FriendsBest Contemporary Blues AlbumCost of Living - Delbert McClintonChildren's Best Musical Album for Children's musicSongs from the Neighborhood - The Music of Mister Rogers Dennis Scott (producer) (various artists)
Best Spoken Word Album for Children Marlo Thomas & Friends: Thanks & Giving All Year Long Christopher Cerf & Marlo Thomas (producers) (various artists)
Classical Best Orchestral Performance Shostakovich: Sym. No. 13" – Mariss Jansons (conductor), Sergey Aleksashkin, Chor des Bayerischen Runfunks, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks Best Classical Vocal Performance "Bach: Cantatas" – Thomas Quasthoff (soloist, performer), Jürgen Bulgrin & Rainer Maillard (engineers), Christopher Alder (producer) Best Opera Recording "Verdi: Falstaff" – Sir Colin Davis (conductor), Carlos Alvarez, Bülent Bezdüz, Marina Domashenko, Jane Henschel, Ana Ibarra, Maria Josè Moreno & Michele Pertusi, James Mallinson (producer), London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra Best Choral Performance "Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and of Experience" – Leonard Slatkin (conductor) & Jerry Blackstone, William Hammer, Jason Harris, Christopher Kiver, Carole Ott & Mary Alice Stollak (choir directors) (Christine Brewer, Measha Brueggergosman, Ilana Davidson, Nmon Ford, Linda Hohenfeld, Joan Morris, Carmen Pelton, Marietta Simpson & Thomas Young, Michigan State University Children's Choir, University of Michigan Chamber Choir, University of Michigan Orpheus Singers, University of Michigan University Choir & University Musical Society Choral Union, University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance Symphony Orchestra) Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra) "Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3" – Claudio Abbado (conductor), Martha Argerich & the Mahler Chamber Orchestra Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra) "Scriabin, Medtner, Stravinsky" – Evgeny Kissin Best Small Ensemble Performance (with or without conductor) "Boulez: Le marteau sans maître, Dérive 1 & 2" – Hilary Summers, Ensemble InterContemporain Pierre Boulez (conductor) Best Chamber Music Performance "Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets" – Emerson String Quartet Best Classical Contemporary Composition Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and of Experience William Bolcom (composer) (Leonard Slatkin) Best Classical Album "Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and of Experience" – Tim Handley (producer), Leonard Slatkin (conductor), Jerry Blackstone, William Hammer, Jason Harris, Christopher Kiver, Carole Ott & Marie Alice Stollack (choir directors), Christie Brewer and Joan Morris & University of Michigan School of Music Symphony Orchestra Best Classical Crossover Album "4 + Four" – Turtle Island String Quartet & Ying Quartet
Comedy Best Comedy Album Never Scared – Chris RockComposition and arrangement Awards for composing and arranging: Best Instrumental CompositionInto the LightBilly Childs (composer) (Billy Childs Ensemble)Best Instrumental ArrangementThe Incredits (from The Incredibles soundtrack)Gordon Goodwin (arranger) (Various Artists)Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?Billy Childs, Gil Goldstein & Heitor Pereira (arrangers) (Chris Botti & Sting)Country Best Female Country Vocal Performance"The Connection" – Emmylou HarrisBest Male Country Vocal Performance"You'll Think of Me" – Keith UrbanBest Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal"Restless" – Alison Krauss and Union StationBest Country Collaboration with Vocals"Like We Never Loved At All" – Faith Hill & Tim McGrawBest Country Instrumental Performance"Unionhouse Branch" – Alison Krauss and Union StationBest Country Song"Bless the Broken Road" – Rascal FlattsBobby Boyd, Jeff Hanna & Marcus Hummon (songwriters)Best Country AlbumLonely Runs Both Ways – Alison Krauss and Union StationBest Bluegrass AlbumThe Company We Keep – Del McCoury BandDance Best Dance Recording "Galvanize" – The Chemical Brothers featuring Q-Tip The Chemical Brothers, producers; The Chemical Brothers & Steve Dub, mixers "Say Hello" – Deep Dish Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia & Sharam Tayebi, producers; Deep Dish & Matt Nordstrom, mixers "Wonderful Night" – Fatboy Slim & Lateef Fatboy Slim, producer; Simon Thornton, mixer "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House" – LCD Soundsystem The DFA, producers; The DFA & Andy Wallace, mixers "I Believe In You" – Kylie Minogue