John Prine posthumously won Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song at the 2021 Grammy Awards today (March 14). The singer-songwriter’s final song, June’s “I Remember Everything,” won Roots Performance over songs by Bonny Light Horseman (“Deep in Love”), Black Pumas (“Colors”), Brittany Howard (“Short and Sweet”), and the duo of Norah Jones and Mavis Staples (“I’ll Be Gone”). His fellow Roots Song nominees were the Secret Sisters (“Cabin”), Sierra Hull (“Ceiling to the Floor”), Lucinda Williams (“Man Without a Soul”), and Sarah Jarosz (“Hometown”).
Prine, who was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, died at 73 last April due to complications from COVID-19. In 2021, Oh Boy Records, the independent label he co-founded with his manager Al Bunetta, is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a documentary and a reissue series. Prine’s self-titled debut will also get a 50th anniversary reissue via Oh Boy as part of the festivities.
Read “Remembering John Prine, the Ultimate Songwriter’s Songwriter” and follow all of Pitchfork’s coverage of the 2021 Grammys.
