The 2009 Grammy Awards, officially the 51st Annual Grammy Awards held on February 8, 2009, crowned Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's collaborative album Raising Sand as the Album of the Year, while featuring a diverse slate of winners across major categories including Coldplay, Adele, and Lil Wayne.
Introduction to the 51st Grammy Awards (2009)
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, recognizing the finest recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year spanning from October 1, 2007, to September 30, 2008. The ceremony stands out as a unique moment in recording academy history, bridging traditional roots music with contemporary pop, rock, and rap.
Navigating the historical record of the 2009 Grammys requires looking beyond a single category. While the spotlight inevitably shines on the Album of the Year winner, understanding the broader landscape of that night provides essential context into the music industry of the late 2000s. This comprehensive guide details the Album of the Year winner, explores the nominees that competed alongside it, outlines the full winners list across major categories, and examines the cultural significance of the 2009 ceremony.
The Album of the Year Winner: Raising Sand
The 2009 Grammy Award for Album of the Year went to Raising Sand, a critically acclaimed collaboration between legendary Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and bluegrass-country superstar Alison Krauss. Produced by T Bone Burnett, the album represents a masterclass in American roots music, blending blues, folk, country, and rockabilly.
Winning Album of the Year was a significant triumph for an acoustic-driven roots project competing against commercial juggernauts of the era. Raising Sand did not rely on modern radio pop formulas; instead, it featured moody, atmospheric covers of obscure tracks originally recorded by artists like the Everly Brothers, Gene Clark, and Townes Van Zandt.
Why Raising Sand Won
The Recording Academy voters gravitated toward the album for several distinct reasons:
- Artistic Synergy: The vocal interplay between Plant's weathered, blues-soaked tenor and Krauss's pristine, ethereal soprano created a hauntingly unique sonic texture.
- Production Mastery: T Bone Burnett’s stripped-down, reverb-heavy production gave the record a timeless, cinematic quality that appealed to purists and casual listeners alike.
- Critical Acclaim: Upon its release in October 2007, the album received near-universal acclaim from major music publications, establishing early momentum that carried through to the Grammy voting window.
The 2009 Album of the Year Nominees
To fully understand the weight of Raising Sand taking home the top prize, it is necessary to examine the formidable competition it faced. The 2009 Album of the Year category featured five diverse nominees spanning rock, pop, hip-hop, and roots music:
- Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand (Winner)
- Coldplay – Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
- Radiohead – In Rainbows
- Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad
- Kanye West – Graduation
| Nominee Album | Artist | Primary Genre | Commercial & Critical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raising Sand | Robert Plant & Alison Krauss | Americana / Roots | Widely praised for its atmospheric production and unique vocal pairing; commercial success exceeding roots norms. |
| Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends | Coldplay | Alternative Rock | Produced by Brian Eno; featured massive global hits like "Viva la Vida" and won Best Rock Album. |
| In Rainbows | Radiohead | Alternative / Art Rock | Famous for its revolutionary pay-what-you-want digital release model before physical distribution. |
| Good Girl Gone Bad | Rihanna | Pop / R&B | Propelled Rihanna to global megastardom, anchored by the ubiquitous chart-topper "Umbrella." |
| Graduation | Kanye West | Hip-Hop | A defining cultural touchstone of 2007 hip-hop, famously locking horns in sales with 50 Cent. |
The Full Winners List: Major Categories
Beyond Album of the Year, the 51st Grammy Awards distributed golden gramophones across dozens of specialized fields. The general field categories—often referred to as the "Big Four"—set the tone for the evening.
Record of the Year
- Winner: "Please Read the Letter" – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
- Nominees:
- "Viva la Vida" – Coldplay
- "Bleeding Love" – Leona Lewis
- "Paper Planes" – M.I.A.
- "The Way I Are" – Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson
Song of the Year (Songwriter's Award)
- Winner: "Viva la Vida" – Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Chris Martin (Coldplay)
- Nominees:
- "American Boy" – Estelle, Kanye West, John Legend, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, Estelle Swaray, and Kanye West
- "Chasing Pavements" – Adele and Eg White
- "I'm Yours" – Jason Mraz
- "Love Song" – Sara Bareilles
Best New Artist
- Winner: Adele
- Nominees:
- Duffy
- Jonas Brothers
- Lady Antebellum
- Jazmine Sullivan
Pop, Rock, and R&B Field Highlights
The 2009 ceremony celebrated landmark releases across genre-specific fields.
Pop Music Categories
- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: "Chasing Pavements" – Adele
- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: "Say" – John Mayer
- Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: "Viva la Vida" – Coldplay
- Best Pop Vocal Album: Real Life – Duffy (Wait, Rockferry by Duffy won Best Pop Vocal Album. Correction: Duffy's album was Rockferry).
Rock Music Categories
- Best Rock Song: "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" – Bruce Springsteen
- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: "Gravity" – John Mayer
- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: "Sex on Fire" – Kings of Leon
- Best Rock Album: Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends – Coldplay
R&B and Rap Field Highlights
- Best R&B Song: "Miss Independent" – Ne-Yo
- Best Contemporary R&B Album: Good Girl Gone Bad – Rihanna
- Best Rap Solo Performance: "A Milli" – Lil Wayne
- Best Rap Album: Tha Carter III – Lil Wayne
Significance and Historical Legacy of the 2009 Ceremony
The 51st Grammy Awards occupy a fascinating place in music history. It was an era where physical CD sales were declining, digital downloads were standard, and streaming was in its infancy. The triumph of Raising Sand proved that Grammy voters—historically older and traditional—still favored mature, roots-conscious artistry over pure commercial dominance.
Simultaneously, the ceremony highlighted generational shifts. Adele's victory for Best New Artist in 2009 marked the beginning of her multi-decade dominance of the Grammy stage. Lil Wayne sweeping the rap categories with Tha Carter III validated the critical and commercial peak of Southern mixtape rap entering the mainstream consciousness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Album of the Year at the 2009 Grammys?
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss won Album of the Year at the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009 for their collaborative roots album, Raising Sand.
What album beat Kanye West and Coldplay for Album of the Year in 2009?
Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss won the category, defeating Kanye West's Graduation and Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, alongside Radiohead's In Rainbows and Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad.
Who won Best New Artist at the 2009 Grammy Awards?
Adele won Best New Artist at the 2009 ceremony, marking her first major Grammy victory before going on to win numerous general field awards in subsequent years.
What song won Record of the Year in 2009?
"Please Read the Letter" by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss won Record of the Year, completing a major sweep of the top general categories for the duo alongside T Bone Burnett.
How many Grammy awards did Lil Wayne win in 2009?
Lil Wayne led the nominations at the 2009 ceremony with eight nods and ultimately won four awards, including Best Rap Album for Tha Carter III and Best Rap Solo Performance for "A Milli."
Practical Next Actions
If you are exploring the musical landscape of 2009, the best next step is to listen to the nominated albums in full to appreciate the genre diversity of that year. Start by streaming Raising Sand to understand its unique sonic blend, then explore Coldplay’s Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends and Kanye West’s Graduation to see how distinct sonic eras collided during the late 2000s music industry transition.
