Joan Rivers was posthumously awarded the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for “Diary of a Mad Diva” in a ceremony prior to Sunday night’s 57th Grammy Awards. The album is the audio version of the late comedienne’s 12th book.
Other nominees included President Jimmy Carter for “A Call to Action,” James Franco for “Actors Anonymous,” John Waters for “Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America,” Gloria Gaynor for “We Will Survive: True Stories Of Encouragement, Inspiration, And The Power Of Song” and Sen. Elizabeth Warren for the audio recording of her memoir “A Fighting Chance.”
The win marks River’s first Grammy win on her second nomination, the first of which was for 1984 comedy album “What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most?”
The following are a number of other awards announced during the pre-show ceremony:
Best Blues Album – “The Earls Of Leicester,” The Earls Of Leicester
Best Improvised Jazz Solo – “Fingerprints,” Chick Corea
Best Engineered Album, Classical – “Dona nobis pacem, Symphony No. 4 & The Lark Ascending,” Vaughan Williams
Best Surround Sound Album – “Beyoncé,” Beyoncé
Best New Age Album – “Winds Of Samsara,” Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman
Best Regional Roots Music Album – “The Legacy,” Jo-El Sonnier
Best Reggae Album – “Fly Rasta,” Ziggy Marley
Best World Music Album – “Eve,” Angelique Kidjo
Best Children’s Album – “I Am Malala,” Neela Vaswani
Best Instrumental Composition – “The Book Thief,” John Williams
Best Arrangement, Instrumental Or A Capella – “Daft Punk,” Pentatonix
Best Arrangement, Instrumental & Vocals – “New York Tendaberry,” Billy Childs
Best Recording Package – “Lightning Bolt,” Pearl Jam
Best Album Notes Offering – Live At Temple University,” Ashley Kahn
Best Historical Album – “The Garden Spot Programs, 1950,” Hank Williams
Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical) – “Morning Phase,” Beck
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical – “All Of Me (Tiesto’s Birthday Treatment Remix),” Tiesto
Producer Of The Year, Classical – Judith Sherman
Best Opera Recording – “Charpentier: La Descente D’Orphée Aux Enfers,” Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors
Best Orchestral Performance – “John Adams: City Noir,” David Robertson conducting
Best Choral Performance – ‘The Sacred Spirit Of Russia,” Craig Hella Johnson, conductor
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance – “In 27 Pieces – The Hilary Hahn Encores,” Hilary Hahn and Cory Smythe
Best Classical Instrumental Solo – “Play,” Jason Vieaux
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album – “Douce France,” Anne Sofie Von Otter and Bengt Forsberg
Best Classical Compendium – “Partch: Plectra & Percussion Dances,” Partch and John Schneider
Best Contemporary Classical Composition – “John Luther: Become Ocean,” John Luther Adams
Best Gospel Performance/Song – “No Greater Love,” Smokie Norful
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song – “Messengers,” Lecrae Featuring For King & Country
Best Gospel Album – “Help,” Erica Campbell
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album – “Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong.” For King & Country
Best Latin Pop Album winner – “Tangos,” Ruben Blades
Best Latin Rock, Urban, or Alternative Album – “Multiviral,” Calle 13
Best Roots Gospel Album – “Shine For All The People,” Mike Farris
Best Regional Mexican Music Album – “Mano A Mano – Tangos A La Manera De Vicente Fernández,” Vicente Fernández
Best Dance/Electronic Album – “Syro,” Aphex Twin
Best Tropical Latin Album – “Más + Corazón Profundo,” Carlos Vives
Best Jazz Vocal Album – “Beautiful Life,” Dianne Reeves
Best Jazz Instrumental Album – “Trilogy,” Chick Corea
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album – “Life In The Bubble,” Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band
Best Latin Jazz Album – “The Offense Of The Drum,” Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Best Musical Theater Album – “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Jessie Mueller, principal soloist; Jason Howland, Steve Sidwell & Billy Jay Stein, producers (Carole King, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media – “Frozen,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Tom MacDougall & Chris Montan, compilation producers
Best Song Written For Visual Media – “Let It Go,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Idina Menzel)
Best Music Video – “Happy,” Pharrell Williams
Best Music Film – “20 Feet From Stardom,” Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer & Judith Hill Morgan Neville, video director; Gil Friesen & Caitrin Rogers, video producers
Best Country Solo Performance – “Something In The Water,” Carrie Underwood
Best Country Duo/Group Performance – “Gentle On My Mind,” The Band Perry
Best Country Song – “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” Glen Campbell
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance – “Say Something,” A Great Big World with Christina Aguilera
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album – “Cheek To Cheek,” Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album – “Bass & Mandolin,” Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer
Best Rock Performance – “Lazaretto,” Jack White
Best Metal Performance – “The Last In Line,” Tenacious D
Best Rock Song – “Ain’t It Fun,” Paramore
Best Alternative Music Album – “St. Vincent,” St. Vincent
Best Blues Album – “Step Back,” Johnny Winter
Best Comedy Album – “Mandatory Fun,” Weird Al Yankovic
Best Rap Performance – Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration – “The Monster,” Eminem feat. Rihanna
Best Rap Song – “i,” Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap Album – “The Marshall Mathers LP2,” Eminem
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance – “Jesus Children,” Robert Glasper Experiment featuring Lalah Hathaway and Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Best R&B Album – “Love, Marriage & Divorce,” Toni Braxton and Babyface
Best Urban Contemporary Album – “Girl,” Pharrell Williams
Best American Roots Performance – “A Feather’s Not A Bird,” Roseanne Cash
Best American Roots Song – “A Feather’s Not A Bird,” Roseanne Cash
Best Americana Album – “The River & The Thread,” Roseanne Cash
Best Folk Album – “Remedy,” Old Crow Medicine Show
Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical – Max Martin