65th Annual Grammy Awards: Tennessee State University Becomes First HBCU Marching Band to Win a Grammy Award
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards are officially here, and it’s already off to a historic start. Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands won a Grammy for “Best Roots Gospel Album” for The Urban Hymnal. The moment marks the first time a collegiate marching band earned a nomination and won in this category in the ceremony’s history.
Hymnal was co-produced by songwriter and producer Dallas Austin, Sir the Baptist, and TSU professor Larry Jenkins. In a speech, professor Jenkins thanked his students, telling the new winners, “Your hard work and dedication created the pen that allowed you to write your own page in the history books. We all know we made history, but this is also February. We also made Black history.”
The complete "Aristocrat of Bands" couldn’t accept their win in person. Still, the university held a Grammy watch party on Saturday, February 4, where dozens of students gathered in support.
