‘Jagged,’ ‘Cracked’ Top Grammys Newcomers Morissette, Hootie Receive Multiple Awards
Hot newcomers Alanis Morissette and Hootie & the Blowfish were rewarded for major debut successes with multiple Grammys Wednesday night.
British pop/soul singer Seal, who won Pop Vocal, Record and Song of the Year honors; and Stevie Wonder, who won three awards, including a lifetime achievement award, were the night’s big winners.Morisette’s jealousy anthem “You Oughta Know” won best rock song and female rock vocal performance. Her “Jagged Little Pill” earned the rock album trophy.
With 1995’s best-selling album “Cracked Rear View,” Hootie won best new artist and pop group vocal performance for “Let Her Cry.”
“You Oughta Know,” with graphic sexual references, was performed word-for-word by Morissette on the Grammy stage but CBS bleeped out the most flagrant four-letter word.
Vince Gill, the trio TLC and Stevie Wonder also captured two Grammys apiece, Frank Sinatra scored his first victory in decades and Nirvana was saluted for its last effort before Kurt Cobain’s death.
Morissette and pop diva Mariah Carey were the leading nominees entering the 38th annual Grammys with six bids apiece. The competition between Morissette’s album of raw, angry songs and Carey’s romantic “Daydream” was the edgy clash Grammy officials hoped would make the contest more relevant.
Sinatra captured his first competitive Grammy in 29 years. His “Duets II” was named best traditional pop vocal performance.
“It was a dream,” said producer Phil Ramone, who picked up the Grammy for Sinatra.
Country’s hot new star, Shania Twain, topped a competitive field to capture best country album for “The Woman in Me.” Gill’s “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” written about his late brother Bob, was the heartfelt winner of best country song. It also won best male country vocal performance.
“It’s the first thing I’ve ever done that was really personal,” Gill said backstage.
In a posthumous honor to Cobain, the Seattle grunge band’s leader, Nirvana won best alternative performance for “MTV Unplugged in New York.”
In rap, trophies went to Naughty by Nature for best album “Poverty’s Paradise,” and to Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige. xxxx SPEECH OF THE NIGHT “I don’t know what it means. I don’t think it means anything. And thank you, of course.” - Eddie Vedder accepting for Pearl Jam.