Marvel’s Black Panther pounces on two wins at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

"It's good to be the king."

– Mel Brooks, HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 1

After winning two awards at the BAFTAs early Sunday afternoon, Marvel's BLACK PANTHER added two more trophies to its collection courtesy of 61st Annual Grammy Awards. Out of a possible eight nominations, Ludwig Göransson's score for director Ryan Coogler's BLACK PANTHER won the prize for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. Additionally, Göransson's record has already won several awards, including a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award. For those of you who're tracking the film throughout awards season, the music of BLACK PANTHER has also been nominated for Best Original Score at this year's Academy Awards celebration.

As for Black Panther: The Album – a collection of bangers produced and curated by Compton-based rapper Kendrick Lamar – the ensemble soundtrack was nominated for a total of seven categories, but only managed to shout "Wakanda Forever," for one of them. Among the many songs included on the film's soundtrack, "Kings Dead," by Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future and James Blake snagged the prize for Best Rap Performance, but only just. I say that because the win for "King's Dead" arrived by way of a tie with Anderson Paak's "Bubblin" track.

With regard to losses for the evening, BLACK PANTHER's "King's Dead" lost the Grammy for Best Rap Song to Drake's "God's Plan," a track that had been paired with a music video in which Drake gives away nearly $1 million dollars to people on the street, while also delivering toys to the children of Miami's Lotus House, as well as other acts of generosity and kindness. Later in the evening, Black Panther: The Album lost its nom for Album of the Year to Kacey Musgrave's Golden Hour, while the LP's hot collaborative single, "All the Stars," by Kendrick Lemar and SZA, lost in every category it was nominated for – including Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Performance. The hypnotic track also lost in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category, which had crowned Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's duet "Shallow" from A STAR IS BORN as the winner.

Regardless of losing many of its categories at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, BLACK PANTHER is still a favorite to contend at the upcoming 91st Annual Academy Awards. The big show will be presented Sunday February 24, live on ABC.

Will Marvel's BLACK PANTHER pounce atop even more awards, or will Alfonso Cuaron's ROMA continue its impressive performance throughout awards season? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.