Willamette Week's Spring Membership Drive

If you rely on WW for news, we're asking you to become a Friend of WW today. Every dollar from readers makes a real difference.
Click here to donate.

Portland-Based Reissue Label Omnivore Recordings Won a Grammy Last Night

“It’s Such a Good Feeling: The Best of Mister Rogers” beat out archival releases by Bela Fleck, Nat King Cole and Prince.

IMAGE: B. Baltimore Brown.
By Matthew Singer

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, particularly the Portland neighborhood that’s home to Omnivore Recordings.

The reissue label, founded by Cheryl Pawelski, wife of Reed College president Audrey Bilger, won a Grammy last night in the Best Historical Album category for It's Such a Good Feeling: The Best of Mister Rogers, a compilation of songs performed by Fred Rogers on his iconic children's television show.

The collection beat out a remarkably crowded field that included Bela Fleck's Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions, Nat King Cole's Hittin' the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943) and the "super-deluxe" edition of Prince's 1999.

Pawelski accepted the award alongside Bilger from their home in Southeast Portland. Watch their acceptance speech below:

Omnivore Recording’s next release is an unearthed artifact of 20th century history that’s also a piece of Portland history specifically: the earliest known recording of Allen Ginsberg reading his epic poem “Howl” at Reed College in 1956.

Thanks for reading our story! If you find value in what we’re doing, support our Spring Membership Drive today.