Keb Mo, who has a musical palette as broad as anyone in Nashville, has won his first Americana Grammy.
Mo collected a golden gramophone for Best Americana Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles for his 2019 release Oklahoma, which features collaborations with a number of artists including Rosanne Cash, Taj Mahal and wife Robbie Brooks.
Mo has won four previous Grammys, all for Best Contemporary Blues Album. He had previously been short-listed twice for the Americana Album Grammy.
"This is amazing. I don't know what to say," the veteran bluesman said in his acceptance speech. He acknowledged all those involved in the Oklahoma project – his 14th studio album - with special mention to Cash who duetted with him on “Put a Woman in Charge.”
Keb Mo beat out fellow nominees Calexico and Iron & Wine (Years to Burn), Madison Cunningham (Who are You Now), J.S. Ondara (Tales of America) and Yola (Walk Through Fire).
The other Americana winners were Sara Bareilles for Best American Roots Performance ("Saint Honesty") and I'm With Her for Best American Roots Song ("Call My Name"). I’m With Her is a trio, formed in 2014, comprising Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan.
Michael Cleveland won the Best Bluegrass Album for Tall Fiddler; Delbert McClinton & Self-Made Men + Dana won the Best Traditional Blues Album for Tall, Dark & Handsome; Gary Clark Jr. took the Best Contemporary Blues Album for This Land; Patty Griffin won Best Folk Album for Patty Griffin; and Ranky Tanky collected for Best Regional Roots Music Album Grammy for Good Time.
Americana icon John Prine was given a standing ovation at a packed Staples Center when introduced by long-time collaborator Bonnie Raitt as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Raitt did so with a short rendition of Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery.”
American Roots Winners at the 62nd annual Grammys:
Best Americana Album:
Oklahoma — Keb Mo'
Best American Roots Performance:
"Saint Honesty" — Sara Bareilles
Best American Roots Song:
“Call My Name” — Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I'm With Her)
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