50th Grammy Awards

You recall that Cincinnati didn't have the usual number of Grammy nominations this year.

Here's the complete list of winners.

Here are the "locals" who won in classical:

The chamber ensemble eighth blackbird, whose members are graduates of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, won its first Grammy Award Sunday night for "Chamber Music Performance" for the album "Strange Imaginary Animals." The album's producer, Judith Sherman, won "Producer of the Year, Classical."

The six-member instrumental group, which was also ensemble-in-residence at CCM, is now based in Chicago.

Also, Cincinnati native James Levine won a Grammy nod as conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra) on Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's album, "Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs," which won for Classical Vocal Performance.

In regional news, three classical Grammys went to the Nashville Symphony Orchestra's "Tower: Made in America," conducted by Leonard Slatkin (Naxos). The album won best "Classical Album," "Orchestral Performance" and "Classical Contemporary Composition" for Joan Tower's piece, "Made in America."

In the rock, pop and Gospel categories, Cincinnati native Antonio "L.A." Reid did very well, since he is chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group, which encompasses myriad labels and stars such as Kanye West, Mary J. Blige and Aretha Franklin.

By the way, did you know the Grammys really started four hours earlier, as they handed out 100 awards that didn't make TV. It was hosted by Patti Austin and Indian Hill gent Peter Frampton, whose words -- "Where are those writers?" as he stumbled over the teleprompter, have been heard around the world.