Fisk Jubilee Singers Win First Gospel Grammy For Record Celebrating 150 Years

The Fisk Jubilee Singers, the Nashville Symphony, and an array of lauded local musicians were among the winners at Sunday’s Grammy Awards.

For Fisk’s choir, the win came in the Roots Gospel Album category. It was the first Grammy in their history and was awarded for the “Celebrating Fisk!” record, which marks 150 years. The singers are marking the anniversary with a series of events this year.

In accepting, longtime music director Paul Kwami thanked a long list of contributors to the album and anniversary project, “and all the fans around the world. Thank you so much. Hallelujah.”

The album contains 12 songs and was recorded on stage at the Ryman Auditorium. Guest performers include Ruby Amanfu, Keb’ Mo’, CeCe Winans and Rodney Atkins.

More Nashville winners

Several other artists with Nashville ties had big nights, including Brittany Howard, who won for best rock song. She joined a rapidly growing list of Nashville-based rock and alternative winners.

Two roots music awards went posthumously to John Prine, both for his song “I Remember Everything” — the last he recorded before he was taken last year by COVID-19.

Best Bluegrass Album went to “Home” by Billy Strings, and Best Folk Album was won by “All the Good Times,” by Nashvillians Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings.

And Christopher Rouse’s 5th Symphony, which was both commissioned and recorded by the Nashville Symphony, took the prize for Best Classical Composition.

For country music, women ruled the night — both on stage and in the top categories.

The Highwomen’s song “Crowded Table,” written by Brandi Carlisle, Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna, won Best Country Song.

Miranda Lambert’s “Wildcard” took the Best Country Album prize from a field of all female nominees (that’s a first).

And all of the country performers during the broadcast were women. That includes Mickey Guyton, the first Black woman ever nominated for Best Country Solo performance. That category, however, was won by Vince Gill.

A full list of Grammy nominees and winners is online here.