The 67th annual Grammys awards was not one to miss. The show was revamped to raise funds for MusiCares Fire Relief to help the people of Los Angeles who were affected by the recent wildfires. There were many show-stopping performances and history-making wins.
Beyoncé finally won Album of the Year for “Cowboy Carter” after being allegedly “snubbed” for the past four years that she’s been nominated. She also became the first Black Woman to win Best Country Album and she won Best Country Duo/Group Performance alongside Miley Cyrus.
Another notable win was Kendrick Lamar sweeping all of his categories with his Drake diss track, “Not Like Us”, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, becoming only the second rapper to win in both these categories, after Childish Gambino’s “This is America” in 2019. He dedicated his award to Los Angeles, shouting out the fire victims in Altadena and Pasadena.
Docheii also became the third Black woman in history to win Best Rap Album with “Alligator Bites Never Heal”. Giving the audience a tearful speech that credited her success to her sobriety. She also encouraged aspiring Black musicians that they can do it.
Alicia Keys became the first woman to accept the Dr. Dre Global Impact award. She used her speech to show support for women in the industry and advocate for DEI, criticising the Trump administration.
Chappell Roan won Best New Artist and gave a moving speech demanding labels to offer a living wage and healthcare to their artists. She was met with applause and support from many of the artists there.
Along with the awards, there was also a long list of star-studded performances, including a medley of a few of the nominees for Best New Artist, RAYE, Benson Boone, Doechii, Teddy Swims and Shaboozy. Chappell Roan and Sabrinia Carpenter had already performed earlier in the night.
There was also a long tribute to Quincy Jones featuring artists such as Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monae, Cynthia Erivo, Herbie Hancock, Lainey Wilson, Jacob Collier, Ray Charles and Bono.
The Weeknd made a surprising return to the Grammy’s stage after boycotting the show when his song “Blinding Lights”, the most-streamed song of all time, did not earn any nominations. He was introduced by the Recording Academy’s CEO, Harvey Mason Jr, who acknowledged The Weeknd’s criticisms and claimed that they have listened and learned from them.
What really had the internet talking was both Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift going home empty handed. CNU Junior, Lydia Harte said, “I didn’t appreciate Billie and Taylor getting snubbed, their albums both had big years, and for them to go home with nothing was a bit of a shock” Many fans were disappointed with the lack of acknowledgment for both albums, especially since the Academy had Eilish open the show with a performance of “Birds of a Feather” and they had Swift as a presenter.
Another criticism of the show is the lack of awards given out during the actual show. Many of the awards such as, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Rock Performance, Best Alternative Music and more were announced during the pre show. CNU Junior, Samuel Ellyson said, ”I wish the Grammys would have been a little more focused on their purpose – awards – rather than incessant tribute performance. Of course it’s good to perform and recognize the work of someone who is no longer with us, but it did not need to be to that extent or length.”
