Why Jordan Rudess Didn’t Expect Dream Theater to Win First-Ever Grammy

After being nominated for a Grammy three times, Dream Theater took home their first win on April 3 at the 64th annual Grammy Awards. Keyboardist Jordan Rudess recently spoke to Andrew Daly of VWMusic about the win.

"I have to say that I didn't really expect to get it because I was getting used to being nominated and not getting it," he says. "The other reason I thought we wouldn't get it is that Dream Theater is really prog metal, and we were in a metal category. I mean, that was the best category for us, but I thought maybe the voters would sort of stick together in that more traditional metal frame of mind.

"I was really pleased that we got that kind of recognition and validation, and it's the one award that definitely makes a difference," he continues. "In a musician's life, a Grammy can affect your whole career. It changes the way you do business with people, and the way people deal with you. It's a really big deal. I definitely have to say that it feels really good. We are riding high over it for sure."

The band were nominated for Best Metal Performance for "The Alien" from their 2021 album A View From The Top Of The World. Their previous nominations were for "On The Backs Of Angels" from 2011's A Dramatic Turn Of Events and the single "The Enemy Inside" from 2013's Dream Theater.