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Grammys 2022: Jon Batiste wins Album of the Year, fans slam those asking 'who is he?'

The singer-songwriter took home 5 awards and was also the most-nominated artist, raking in 11 nods

This year is Jon Batiste's. Overtaking Doja Cat, H.E.R., and Justin Bieber, who had 8 nominations each, Batiste received 11 nods from the Recording Academy and ended up winning 5 Grammys, including the Album of the Year for 'We Are' at the 2022 Grammys.

It was a tough one as he was up against Ye, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, H.E.R., Tony Bennett, and Lady Gaga. Batiste, whose victory was announced by Lenny Kravitz, seemed stunned to hear his name called out and gave a speech thanking the other nominees and spoke about how inspiring he found their work to be. 

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Speaking about the subjectivity of creative arts, Batiste said he beleves that "there is no best musician, best artist, best dancer, best actor." He added that the arts "reach people at a point in their lives when they need it most." "It's like a song or an album is made and it almost has a radar to find the person when they need it most," Batiste said. He also bagged the awards for Best Music Video, Best American Roots Performance, Best American Roots Song, and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. 

'We Are', an album that falls under the neo-soul and R&B category, was described by Batiste as "a culmination of my life to this point." In an interview with Atwood Magazine, Batiste called it a record that "celebrates Black American culture and music while exploring themes of lineage, authenticity, excellence and evolution," labeling it as "genreless music that's just about the story."

Though the internet was a little puzzled initially and wondered who Batiste was, fans of the singer took to Twitter to back him up, choosing to take a stand against the ridiculing that he was being subjected to. "The next person that says that jon batiste didn't deserve a single Grammy is getting shot in the head," a tweet read. "Yes! Congratulations @JonBatiste Anyone who isn't familiar, do yourself a favor, his music is magic," a fan opined. 

"Why would you embarrass yourself by saying WHO or NEVER HEARD OF HIM. Just shows your ignorance of music. Just because it's not on pop radio or streaming doesn't mean it's not great. Deserving winner," a supportive fan tweeted. Another tweeted, "Congratulations @JonBatiste you’re and extraordinary musician! unique, authentic and incredibly stylish! your presentation was one of the best ones tonight. happy for you!" 

Jon Batiste is the frontman and bandleader of Stay Human’ and has been with the ‘Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ since 2015. Batiste composed music for the 2020 film 'Soul' in collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and for which he received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award and a BAFTA Film Award.

Hosted by Trevor Noah, the 64th Annual Grammy Awards took place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 3, 2022, and was aired on CBS.