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Amid Explosive Performances And Big Awards, Some Smaller Grammy Nods

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Last night's Grammy Awards had us remembering a couple of our music interviews from last year.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "24 FRAMES")

JASON ISBELL: (Singing) This is how you make yourself vanish into nothing.

SIEGEL: That's Jason Isbell's song "24 Frames." Before the big TV broadcast, it was named best American roots song. Last year, Isbell told us that song was about his relationship with his wife, Amanda Shires, who's also a musician.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

ISBELL: I spent a lot of time wondering how to best support the people that I love because I think sometimes that means getting out of the way. You know, when should I leave them alone to have their own life or, in Amanda's case, to create and tour and sing and play music?

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "24 FRAMES")

ISBELL: (Singing) And this how you talk to her when no one else is listening. And this is how you help her when the muse goes missing. You vanish so she can go drowning in a dream again.

SIEGEL: Jason Isbell also took the prize for best Americana album.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

The DJ and producer Diplo also took home two Grammys last night for best dance electronic album, and he and his collaborator Skrillex won best dance recording for the song "Where Are You Now?" which features Justin Bieber. Yeah, that means Bieber's got a Grammy, too.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WHERE ARE YOU NOW?")

JUSTIN BIEBER: (Singing) So where are you now that I need you?

SHAPIRO: Diplo had hit after hit last summer with a bunch of different artists. When we spoke, I asked him how those collaborations took shape.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

DIPLO: I'm like a musical creator, producer in the same vein as what Quincy Jones was or Pharrell, Timbaland were. But this year, people like me are able to go perform the records we play live, and I think that it gives me leverage to bring artists to me to, you know, produce records and kind of be in control of the way it sounds.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WHERE ARE YOU NOW?")

BIEBER: (Singing) Where are you now that I need you? I need you the - I need you. I need you the - I need you.

SIEGEL: That's Diplo, and before that, Jason Isbell. Each took home two Grammys last night.

SHAPIRO: You can hear more from those conversations at npr.org. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.