When Montreal-based indie rock band Arcade Fire stepped into the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, the odds weren't in their favor. They stood alongside industry heavyweights like Eminem — who'd already won over 10 GRAMMYs across his career — and Lady Gaga, who was at the height of her breakthrough.
Nonetheless, Arcade Fire triumphed, taking home their first-ever golden gramophone in the prestigious Album of the Year category and marking the start of a renaissance for indie musicians.
In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, travel back to that fateful evening in 2011 when Arcade Fire won Album of the Year, right as they were preparing to take the stage to perform their hit "Ready to Start."
"What the hell!" frontman Win Butler exclaimed at the beginning of the acceptance speech. "I just want to say thank you — merci — to Montreal, Quebec, for taking us in, giving us a home, and a place to be a band."
Butler later praised their families, the Recording Academy, and the listeners for supporting their endeavors.
"Holy s—, Scott! I can't believe it. We just won," Butler exclaimed to their manager, Scott Rodger.
Press play on the video above to hear Arcade Fire's entire acceptance speech for Album of the Year the 2011 GRAMMYs, and make sure to keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.