The Strokes win first ever GRAMMY with the most awkward acceptance speech

15 March 2021, 12:12 | Updated: 24 January 2023, 12:43

The Strokes at the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards - Virtual Press Room. Picture: Getty

By Jenny Mensah

Watch the moment Julian Casablancas and co found out they won the award after a considerable delay on their video call.

The Strokes picked up their first ever GRAMMY Award on Sunday (15 March), but it was their dodgy acceptance speech which ended up being the focus of the attention.

The New York indie rockers picked up the 2021 gong for Best Rock Album for their record, The New Abnormal, which saw them beat stiff competition from the likes of Fontaines D.C, Michael Kiwanuka and Grace Potter.

However, the moment was marred by what appeared to be terrible wifi from the band's end, who were eagerly waiting on the results from what looked like some sort of cabin or boys' den.

Watch three fifths of the band give an awkward acceptance speech here:

The Strokes Win Best Rock Album | 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show Acceptance Speech

As reported by Pitchfork, speaking to reporters in the virtual press room following their win, when asked about the state of rock 'n' roll right now, frontman Julian Casablancas said: "I kind of always make fun of rock‘n’roll so I think it’s kind of funny, or cool, or fitting, that we won the award. I think that people that say things are dead, I just feel like their imagination, possibly, has died… Honestly, there’s room for so many genres of music—not necessarily blues rock, please, no more of that."

The New Abnormal was The Strokes sixth record and their first official release in seven years.

It followed Is This It in 2001, Room On Fire in 2003, First Impressions of Earth in 2006, Angles in 2011 and Comedown Machine in 2013.

Elsewhere at the awards ceremony, Beyoncé made history by becoming the most decorated female artist ever.

She won four awards on the night, which then gave her the most GRAMMY Awards ever won by a female artist, with her 28 gongs taking a record previously held by Alison Krauss.

Get the full list of 2021 GRAMMY winners here.