Joni Mitchell is starting a conversation at the 2024 Grammys.
The legendary singer made a special appearance during the Feb. 4 pre-show to accept the trophy for Best Folk Album for Joni Mitchell at Newport [Live].
"I don't know what to say about this," Mitchell, wearing Johnny Was, said in her speech. "We had so much fun at that concert, and I think you can feel it on the record. It's a very joyous record because of the people that I played with, and the spirit of the occasion was very high."
The 80-year-old added, "Even the audience sounds like music."
She was up for Best Folk Album against Dom Flemons' Traveling Wildfire, The Milk Carton Kids' I Only See the Moon, Nickel Creek's Celebrants, Old Crow Medicine Show's Jubilee, Paul Simon's Psalms and Rufus Wainwright's Folkocracy. (See the complete winners list.)
Later in the night, Mitchell will take the stage at the Crypto.com Arena for her first-ever Grammy Awards performance. That's right, even though Mitchell had won nine Grammys throughout her career and scored a total of 18 nominations before tonight, she's never performed at the ceremony.
As for her new music, Mitchell's winning album featured her entire set at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, which marked her first full live performance in 20 years. The surprise appearance, which took place during the Brandi Carlile & Friends show, was also Mitchell's first return to a stage since suffering a near-fatal aneurysm in 2015.
"I've never been nervous about being in front of an audience," she told CBS at the festival in July 2022. "But I want it to be good. And I wasn't sure I could be. But I didn't sound too bad tonight!"
During her time on the stage, Mitchell accompanied herself on the guitar, a skill she'd been relearning since her health scare.
"I'm looking at videos that are on the net to see where I put my fingers," she shared. "It's amazing what an aneurysm knocks out–how to get out of chair! You don't know how to get out of a bed. You have to learn all these things by rote again."
"I was into water ballet as a kid, and I forgot how to do the breaststroke," Mitchell continued. "Every time I tried it, I just about drowned, you know?. So, a lot of going back to infancy almost. You have to relearn everything."
To see all of the 2024 Grammy winners, keep reading...
Album of the Year
World Music Radio - Jon Batiste
The Record - boygenius
Endless Summer Vacation - Miley Cyrus
Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd - Lana Del Rey
The Age of Pleasure - Janelle Monáe
Guts - Olivia Rodrigo
WINNER: Midnights- Taylor Swift
SOS- SZA
Record of the Year
"Worship"– Jon Batiste"
"Not Strong Enough"– boygenius
WINNER: "Flowers" – Miley Cyrus
"What Was I Made For?" – Billie Eilish
"On My Mama" – Victoria Monét
"Vampire"– Olivia Rodrigo
"Anti-Hero" – Taylor Swift"Kill Bill" – SZA
Best New Artist
Gracie Abrams
Fred again..
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Coco Jones
Noah Kahan
WINNER: Victoria Monét
The War and Treaty
Song of the Year
Lana Del Rey – "A&W"
Taylor Swift – "Anti-Hero"
Jon Batiste – "Butterfly"
Dua Lipa – "Dance the Night"
Miley Cyrus – "Flowers"
SZA – "Kill Bill"
Olivia Rodrigo – "Vampire"
WINNER: Billie Eilish – "What Was I Made For
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
"Thousand Miles" - Miley Cyrus featuring Brandi Carlile
"Candy Necklace" - Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Baptiste
"Never Felt So Alone" – Labrinth featuring Billie Eilish
"Karma" – Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice
WINNER: "Ghost in the Machine" – SZA featuring Phoebe Bridgers
Best Pop Vocal Album
Kelly Clarkson – Chemistry
Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
Olivia Rodrigo – Guts
Ed Sheeran – (Subtract)
WINNER: Taylor Swift – Midnights
Best Music Video
WINNER: The Beatles – "I'm Only Sleeping"
Tyler Childers – "In Your Love"
Billie Eilish – "What Was I Made For?"
Kendrick Lamar – "Count Me Out"
Troye Sivan – "Rush"
Best Rap Album
Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss
WINNER: Killer Mike – Michael
Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains
Nas – King's Disease III
Travis Scott – Utopia
Best Rap Song
Doja Cat – "Attention"
Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice ft. Aqua – "Barbie World"
Lil Uzi Vert – "Just Wanna Rock"
Drake & 21 Savage – "Rich Flex"
WINNER: Killer Mike ft. André 3000, Future, and Eryn Allen Kane – "Scientists & Engineers"
Best Song Written For Visual Media
Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice featuring Aqua – "Barbie World"
Dua Lipa – "Dance the Night"
Ryan Gosling – "I'm Just Ken"
Rihanna – "Lift Me Up"
WINNER: Billie Eilish – "What Was I Made For?"
Best Latin Pop Album
Pablo Alborán – La Cuarta Hoja
AleMor – Beautiful Humans, Vol. 1
Paula Arenas – A Ciegas
Pedro Capó – La Neta
Maluma – Don Juan
WINNER: Gaby Moreno – X Mí (Vol. 1)
Best Rock Album
Foo Fighters – But Here We Are
Greta Van Fleet – Starcatcher
Metallica – 72 Seasons
WINNER: Paramore – This Is Why
Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman…
Best Rock Song
WINNER: Boygenius – "Not Strong Enough"
Foo Fighters – "Rescued"
Olivia Rodrigo – "Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl"
Queens of the Stone Age – "Emotion Sickness"
The Rolling Stones – "Angry"
Best Country Album
Kelsea Ballerini – Rolling Up the Welcome Mat
Brothers Osborne – Brothers Osborne
Zach Bryan – Zach Bryan
Tyler Childers – Rustin' In the Rain
WINNER: Lainey Wilson – Bell Bottom Country
Best Country Song
Brandy Clark & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters, Brandy Clark – "Buried"
WINNER: Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson, songwriters, Chris Stapleton – "White Horse"
John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin & Ryan Vojtesak, songwriters, Morgan Wallen – "Last Night"
Tyler Childers & Geno Seale, songwriters, Tyler Childers – "In Your Love"
Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters, Zach Bryan ft. Kacey Musgraves – "I Remember Everything"
Best R&B Album
Babyface – Girls Night Out
Coco Jones – What I Didn't Tell You (Deluxe)
Emily King – Special Occasion
WINNER: Victoria Monét – Jaguar II
Summer Walker – Clear 2: Soft Life EP
Best R&B Song
Coco Jones – "ICU"
Halle – "Angel"
Robert Glasper ft. SiR & Alex Isley – "Back to Love"
WINNER: SZA – "Snooze"
Victoria Monét – "On My Mama"