MuchMusic Grammy Performance Awards

February 13th, 2012

With over 15 performances last night, the Grammy Awards really plugged their updated motto of “less awards, more show.” And man, was there a show. However, we decided to give out our own awards for the show’s performances, which included everything from face melting rock, to crazy costumes, to belting vocalists.

Best Performance to Witness Live (Foo Fighters, Walk / Adele, Someone Like You / Bruce Springsteen, We Take Care of Our Own / Coldplay, Princess of China)

WINNER: Foo Fighters, Walk

This was a melt-your-face-off performance, a pure essence of rock, and Foo Fighters at their best. The band performed outside of the Nokia Theatre, and completely had the entire crowd jumping up and down, as if it was the last performance they were ever going to see.

Best Vocal Performance: (Adele, Rolling in The Deep / Jennifer Hudson, I Will Always Love You)

WINNER: Adele, Rolling in The Deep

No competition here. This was by far the most serene moment of the night. Adele took to the stage, five months after having throat surgery, and blew away the entire audience. No bells n’ whistles, no choreography, no band. Just Adele. And that’s what made it even more amazing.

Most Nostalgic Performance: (Jennifer Hudson, I Will Always Love You, Adele, Someone Likes You)

WINNER: Jennifer Hudson, I Will Always Love You

With the passing of R&B legend Whitney Houston on Saturday night, Grammy producers scrambled to tear up the show’s script, and add a last-minute tribute. Eventually, reports said that Jennifer Hudson would perform a musical performance in honor of the singer. The night resembled a commemoration to the singer as it was, with artists referencing Houston out of respect. But then Hudson got on stage, with nothing but a focused spot light, and belted out an emotional and eerie rendition of Hudson’s famous I Will Always Love You.

Weirdest Looking Performance: (Nicki Minaj, Roman Holiday / Katy Perry, Part of Me / Taylor Swift, Mean)

WINNER: Nicki Minaj, Roman Holiday

How to explain this. Hmm. Well if Lady Gaga’s known for her crazy theatrics, and Adele’s known for her simplicity…then Nicki Minaj’s performance made a Lady Gaga performance look like an Adele performance. How about that Grammy brain buster? Minaj’s Roman Holiday probably scared more people than it intrigued. It involved a confusing “what’s-going-on-here” scene of Minaj talking to a priest, and was then followed by an edited video clip of The Exorcist with Minaj as the possessed woman. After that, all hope was lost when there was a priest running back and forth along the stage.

Best Performance Channeling the late 1960′s: (Bruno Mars, Runaway / Beach Boys, Good Vibrations)

WINNER: Bruno Mars, Runaway

Wait, not the Beach Boys? How can a band from the late 60′s not win this award? Well because Bruno Mars is just that damn talented. The singer jumped on stage with a really jazzy and convincing James Brown vibe. With the Little Richard hairdo, gold jacket, and a back-up jazz band, Mars floored everybody with the performance of his song Runaway.

Best Multi-Genre Performance: (Beach Boys, Foster the People, and Maroon 5, Good Vibrations / Deadmau5, Foo Fighters, Rope / David Guetta, Lil’ Wayne, and Chris Brown, I Can Only Imagine )

WINNER: David Guetta, Lil’ Wayne, and Chris Brown, I Can Only Imagine

Although Deadmau5, Foo Fighters, David Guetta, Lil’ Wayne, and Chris Brown, were all grouped together for this Grammy tribute to electronic/dance music, the two groups performed separate. In that regard, the Guetta, Wayne, and Brown trio stood out with their futuristic upbeat performance of I Can Only Imagine. It was a great way to kick off the tribute, which was basically a giant rave.

Tags: Grammy Awards, music, News