Americana Wins at Grammys

Mavis Staples walked away from the 53rd Grammy Awards with a new trophy in hand. That trophy was the coveted Best Americana Album for her 2010 album, “You Are Not Alone.” This, however, was not Staples’ first award of her career, as she won the “Spirit of Americana” Free Speech in Music Award in 2007.

Staples competition for the night included the artists Los Lobos (Tin Can Trust), Rosanne Cash (The List), Willie Nelson (Country Music) and Robert Plant (Band of Joy). The announcement of the award was made during a pre-televised ceremony in LA. Later in the evening, during the telecast, Mumford & Sons, the Avett Brothers and the legendary Bob Dylan performed a celebration of Americana’s emergence on the national and international music scene.