Pick a Day

Music History Events: Awards and Honors

May 15, 2007 During her performance of her debut single "Tim McGraw" at the Academy of Country Music Awards, teenaged Taylor Swift goes into the audience and introduces herself to McGraw and his wife, Faith Hill.More

April 16, 2007 Ornette Coleman wins the Pulitzer Prize for music for his 2006 album, Sound Grammar, the first jazz work to receive the honor.

February 11, 2007 Dixie Chicks take home an impressive five awards at the Grammys. Taking the Long Way wins Album of the Year and Best Country Album, while the single "Not Ready To Make Nice" is awarded Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

June 2, 2006 Muscle Shoals Sound Studios is added to the National Historic Register.More

March 13, 2006 Black Sabbath, Blondie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Miles Davis and The Sex Pistols are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Sex Pistols refuse to attend the ceremony and turn down the induction.More

March 5, 2006 "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from the movie Hustle & Flow wins an Oscar for Best Song, just the second rap song to get the award, after "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. Three 6 Mafia become the first rappers to perform at the ceremony.More

April 5, 2005 On the eleventh anniversary of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's suicide, his hometown of Aberdeen, Washington adds the phrase "Come As You Are" to its welcome sign.More

February 27, 2005 Jamie Foxx wins a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the movie Ray.More

October 8, 2004 Ray Charles, who died in June, scores his first Platinum album when Genius Loves Company, released in September, sells over a million copies.

August 29, 2004 "Hey Ya!" wins Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards, one of four wins for Outkast on the night. The show also marks the first red carpet appearance for Jay-Z and Beyoncé as a couple.

February 8, 2004 Justin Timberlake wins the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Cry Me A River" (inspired by his breakup with Britney Spears) and takes Best Pop Vocal Album for Justified. The prizes are the first Grammy wins for the former *NSYNC singer.

February 8, 2004 At the Grammy Awards, OutKast is the first hip-hop act to win Album of the Year, for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, and Evanescence takes Best New Artist, beating out 50 Cent, who comes on stage anyway.More

November 20, 2003 The first ever Vibe Awards takes place in Santa Monica, California, with 50 Cent winning for Artist of the Year, Dopest Album (Get Rich or Die Tryin') and Hottest Hook ("In Da Club").

August 28, 2003 Britney Spears and Madonna share a big, juicy kiss during the opening performance of the MTV Video Music Awards. Madonna then plants one on Christina Aguilera, but we only get a glimpse of it because the director cuts to a shot of a thunderstruck Justin Timberlake in the audience.More

June 8, 2003 Billy Joel wins a Tony Award for the orchestration of his Broadway musical Movin' Out.

April 26, 2003 The Morgan Creek Bridge in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is renamed the James Taylor Bridge in honor of the singer, who mentioned it in his song "Copperline."

March 22, 2003 Britney Spears' girl-power flick Crossroads earns eight nominations at the 23rd Golden Raspberry Awards, and two wins: Worst Original Song for "I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman" and Worst Actress for Spears, an honor she shares with Razzie darling Madonna for Swept Away (named Worst Picture). The Material Girl, who has been a regular contender - and five-time Worst Actress winner - since her 1986 win for Shanghai Surprise, earns two more awards. She shares Worst Screen Couple with Adriano Giannini for Swept Away and garners Worst Supporting Actress as Verity in Die Another Day.

February 23, 2003 Norah Jones wins all five Grammy Awards she is nominated for, including Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for "Don't Know Why." Also at the ceremony, Simon & Garfunkel get a Lifetime Achievement Award and sing together for the first time in 10 years.

June 14, 2002 Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

March 23, 2002 At the 22nd Golden Raspberry Awards, Mariah Carey takes home her first Razzie as Worst Actress for her starring role in Glitter. The film earns a total of six nominations, including one for Mariah's cleavage as Worst Couple.

March 23, 2002 At the 75th Academy Awards, Eminem becomes the first rapper to take home an Oscar when "Lose Yourself," from his semi-biographical film 8 Mile, wins Best Original Song. Eminem doesn't bother to attend the ceremony, thinking he has no chance of winning, so his friend and producer Luis Resto accepts the honor in his absence.

July 12, 2001 Moisant Airport in New Orleans is renamed Armstrong International in honor of native son Louis Armstrong.

April 19, 2001 In a battle of the bark, Baha Men beat out Lil' Bow Wow at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, taking Fave Song with "Who Let The Dogs Out."More

February 21, 2001 Johnny Cash gets out of the hospital, where he is treated for pneumonia, and makes it to the Grammy Awards that night, where he wins for Best Male Vocal Country Performance for "Solitary Man" - his 10th Grammy.More

October 4, 2000 Dixie Chicks are the big winners at the CMA Awards, taking Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year (for Fly), Vocal Group of the Year and Video of the Year for "Goodbye Earl."

September 7, 2000 Rage Against The Machine bass player Tim Commerford interrupts the MTV Video Music Awards when he climbs up the backdrop on stage, baffling the crew as well as Limp Bizkit, who are accepting the Best Rock Video award for "Break Stuff." Rage was nominated in the category for "Sleep Now in the Fire."More

March 6, 2000 Eric Clapton is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, making him the first person inducted three times. He is also in as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream.More

February 23, 2000 Santana win eight Grammy Awards for their star-studded, chart-topping album Supernatural, tying Michael Jackson's record for the most awards won in a single night.More

January 17, 2000 Garth Brooks is named the 1990s' Artist of the Decade at the American Music Awards, having sold more than 95 million albums, more than any other American recording artist.

May 5, 1999 At the 34th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, Garth Brooks is named Artist of the Decade.