The 66th annual Grammy Awards were handed out Sunday in Los Angeles and Memphis/Mid-South artists had a whole lot to celebrate, with boygenius, DJ Paul, Bobby Rush and Stax Records among the big winners.
Indie rock super group boygenius — featuring Germantown-born, Bartlett-raised Julien Baker — came into the awards with six nominations for its debut LP, “The Record.” boygenius won three Grammys, earning trophies for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Not Strong Enough,” and Best Alternative Music Album.
boygenius — featuring Baker and fellow singer-songwriters Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus — was on hand to accept the awards. An emotional Baker offered a speech after the group notched its second win. “All I ever wanted to do in my life was be in a band,” said Baker, fighting back tears. “I feel like music is the language I used to find my family since I was a kid. I just wanted to say thank you to everybody who ever watched me play.”
boygenius lost in the Best Alternative Performance category, falling to Franklin, Tennessee, pop-punk combo Paramore. The group also was nominated for Record of the Year and Album of the Year, losing to Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift respectively.