The 66th annual Grammys on Feb. 4 was full of stunner performances, well-timed jokes and a few jaw-dropping surprise announcements. Hosted by Trevor Noah, the three hour long show’s excitement never ended.
Dua Lipa opened the award ceremony by performing her new single “Training Season” and “Houdini.” The performance was stellar, as she literally dangled from a jungle gym like fixture. Lipa was nominated in two categories: Best Song Written for Visual Media and Song of the Year.
Trevor Noah collected an abundance of laughter with his opening monologue, proving that being both comedic and respectful can coexist. Just to name a few, Noah said, “As Taylor Swift moves around the room, the local economy around her improves. Look at that. Lionel Richie, now Lionel Wealthy.” He later picked on the TikTok and Universal Music Group scandal. He said, “TikTok, shame on you for ripping off all these artists. Shame on you! How dare you do that? That’s Spotify’s job.”
Noah continued to praise members of the audience, making specific mention of what a successful year 2023 was for women in the industry.
The first televised award for Best Pop Solo performance went to Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers.” This is Cyrus’s first ever Grammy. She later performed her hit, using her free spirit to urge the crowd to jump up and sing along with her. Record of the Year also was awarded to Cyrus later in the night for “Flowers.”
The Best Música Urbana Album went to Karol G’s “Mañana Será Bonito,” directly followed by a show stopping performance from SZA. She sang “Snooze” and “Kill Bill.” For “Kill Bill,” a dancer wielding a sword popped onto a table right beside Phoebe Bridgers. Iconic.
Luke Combs was joined by Tracy Chapman to perform her 1988 hit song “Fast Car.” This was Chapman’s first televised performance in many years, sparking an emotional reaction from fans across the nation.
SZA had nine total Grammy nominations at the 66th annual Grammys, which brings her total Grammy nomination count to 24. She took home three Grammys throughout the night: Best R&B song for “Snooze,” Best Progressive R&B album for SOS and Best Pop/Duo Performance with Phoebe Bridgers for “Ghost in the Machine.”
Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas took the grand stage next. Eilish performed the beautiful hit “What Was I Made For,” which was nominated in three different categories: Best Pop Solo Performance, Record of the Year and Song of the year. The ballad was written specifically for the major motion picture Barbie. She was awarded a standing ovation for her angelic performance, which boded well for her win in the category of Song of the Year.
Next, Kacey Musgraves presented Best Country Album to Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottom Country. Olivia Rodrigo followed this presentation by performing her 2023 hit “Vampire.” She was spotlighted in a stunning red dress, and she amazed the audience with her powerful vocals. Everyone in the audience awarded her with a standing ovation.
Best Pop Vocal Album was the next category, with killer nominees in the running. Guts by Olivia Rodrigo, Chemistry by Kelly Clarkson, Endless Summer Vacation by Miley Cyrus, -(Subtract) by Ed Sheeran and Midnights by Taylor Swift.
Midnights won the Grammy, bringing Swift’s total number of Grammys to 13, her infamous lucky number. She thanked her fans and surprised the world by announcing her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poet’s Department. What we know so far is the release date, April 19, and that the album will feature 16 tracks with one additional bonus track.
The show quickly checked in on U2 as they performed at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the first performance ever from that location on national television.
Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Jon Batiste and Fantasia Barrino all took part in the “In Memoriam” segment. They honored Tony Bennett for her dedication to Civil Rights, as well as honoring Sinead O’ Connor, Bill Withers and Tina Turner. Notably, Annie Lennox concluded her part in the performance by stating “Artists for ceasefire,” in regards to the ongoing conflict in Palestine.
Jay Z was awarded Dr. Dre’s Global Impact Award, and he brought out his daughter, Blue Ivy to help him accept the award. During his acceptance speech, Jay Z made sure to call out the Recording Academy for their voting metrics. He made specific note that his wife, Beyonce, has the most Grammys in history, but has never won Album of the Year. He went on to say, “We want you to get it right; we love you, but we want you to get it right– at least get it close to right,” referring to the system that the Academy uses to vote.
Joni Mitchell performed “Both Sides Now” alongside Brandi Carlile. Mitchell won a Grammy for Best Folk Album; her first Grammy ever at 80 years old.
Travis Scott took the stage next as the only rap artist to perform the entire night. He sang “My Eyes,” “I Know” and “Fe!n.” His stage design was superb, featuring smoke and flames in a post-apocalyptic layout. Controversially, Scott concluded his performance by smashing different items on stage. Fans on social media are calling it disrespectful, following the tragic deaths from his Astroworld Festival back in 2021, in which eight people died during a crowd surge. In light of this, many think his Grammy performance was reckless and callous.
In the category for Best New Artist, Gracie Abrams, Fred Again, Ice Spice, Jelly Roll, Coco Jones, Noah Kahan and Victoria Monét were all nominated. Samara Joy, last year’s winner in the category, presented the award to Monét.
History was made during the last and most important award of the night: Album of the Year. Jon Batiste, boygenius, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monáe, Olivia Rodrigo, SZA and Taylor Swift were all in the running. Celine Dion presented Album of the Year to Taylor Swift for her album Midnights. Swift brought her long time friend, Lana Del Rey, up on stage with her to accept the award. Rey was featured on the album’s “Snow on the Beach.”
Swift previously won the category three times, for Fearless, 1989 and Folklore. Her win for Midnights makes her the first artist in history to win Album of the Year four times.
Some untelevised awards went to Jack Antonoff for Producer of the Year, Theron Thomas for Songwriter of the Year, boygenius for Best Rock Performance, Paramore for Best Rock Album and Coco Jones for Best R&B Performance.
All in all, the Grammys was a successful night for recognizing those in the music industry for their dedication and commitment to their respective arts.
