The Grammy’s is one of the most anticipated music events of the year. As the 67th annual awards ceremony played out, the night shifted to shed light on issues within the system and on outside attacks on communities within the music industry.
Throughout the show, we were surprised by theatrical performances, award winners, special guests and more.
And Then There was Kendrick
This year’s Grammy’s was almost a full sweep by powerful women in the music industry. St. Vincent, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx and SZA took home awards that night, setting a new standard for the following years.
Some of these awards that caught us — and the nominees — by surprise were Kendrick Lamar’s five Grammy award-winning record “Not Like Us” and Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” winning best country album. Among these surprises, there were history-making moments including Doechii winning best rap album with “Alligator Bites Never Heal” as the third woman to win the award. Beyonce won Album of the Year with “Cowboy Carter,” becoming the fourth black woman to be awarded best album since Lauryn Hill — an achievement over 15 years in the making.
There’s No Business, Like Show Business
The performances and speeches were very theatrical and held a lot of momentum behind them. Some memorable moments include Chappell Roan’s acceptance speech for Best New Artist. In accepting the award, she demanded labels take care of their artists saying, “Labels, we got you. But do you got us?” Another speech that hit home was Alicia Keys’ acceptance speech for the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. She spoke about how the industry and our nation overall need a diversity of voices. “DEI is not a threat, it is a gift,” she said.
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars were awarded Best Pop Duo for “Die With A Smile.” In their acceptance speech, Gaga said, “Trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love … Music is love.”
Throughout the night, there was love and support for the LGBTQ+ community, DEI initiatives and open hearts for creating a better future for young musicians.
A few performances that drew everyone back in were Janelle Monáe moonwalking to Michael Jackson during the Quincy Jones tribute and Doechii’s debut Grammy performance. These are both must-watches and re-watches.
MusiCares Donation Initiative
Awards and performances aside, this event played out differently. Due to the uncertainty of the L.A. wildfires, a major motivation of the night was to donate and support those who had lost their homes, businesses and loved ones to the deadly fires. The televised portion contributed some of its air time to local businesses that were impacted.
As the end of the evening approached, one more surprise caught everyone’s eye: the LA Fire Department. As soon as they gathered on stage to announce the Album of the Year, they received a standing ovation from everyone in the crowd. I even stood up.
After all was done, many walked away commenting on the importance of the moment and how music and creativity are tools for moving forward.
