‘Crazy Heart’ songwriters Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett beat the odds with original song win

Original song

“The Weary Kind (Theme From “Crazy Heart”)

Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

In a category stacked with two Randy Newman nominations, the king of the wry show tune was beaten out by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett for “The Weary Kind,” their co-written theme to the Jeff Bridges vehicle “Crazy Heart.”

Bingham, only 28 and a relative newcomer with two well-received albums under his worn leather belt, will be coming out with a new album with his band the Dead Horses later this year, produced by Burnett. The pairing could yield more awards: Burnett worked Grammy-magnet magic in 2009 with Alison Krauss and Robert Plant’s “Raising Sand.”

Backstage, singer-songwriter Bingham expressed wonder at his change in luck. “Me and my band were basically living out of our Suburban four years ago,” he said.