This year’s rap nominations are very different from the attitudes two decades ago, when the Grammys first recognized rap by honoring crossover artists such as Will Smith and Vanilla Ice, while many more respectable artists were ignored. This even led to artists such as hip-hop group Public Enemy (ranked 44th on Rolling Stones magazine’s list of the 100 greatest artists of all time) to boycott the award.

But then things gradually changed when rap became more mainstream. Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won album of the year (1998), Hey Ya from the double album Speakerboxxx/The love below by hip-hop duo Outkast won Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2003.

Finally, Lil Wayne is among the artists who have won the most awards (four awards), second only to the ingenious combination of the youthful energy of Alison Krauss and the supreme experience of Robert Plant – this duo wins overall. plus five prizes. Best rap album for Tha Carter III, best rap song for Lollipop, best solo rap performance for A Milli and best rap performance by a duo or group for Swagga Like Us with T.I, Jay Z and Kanye West.

List of the most important prize winners:

Best R&B Album: Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson

Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group: Say, Sugarland

Song of the year: Viva la vida, Coldplay

Best pop vocal collaboration: Rich woman, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Best rock album: Viva la vida or death and all his friends, Coldplay

Best new artist: Adele

Record of the Year: Please read the letter, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant

Best male pop performance: Say, John Mayer

Best rap album: Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne

Album of the year: Raising Sand, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss