All eyes at the Grammy Awards were on whether the most-nominated artist in the history of the telecast would finally walk away with the coveted album of the year trophy. She did. “We finally saw it happen,” host Trevor Noah said, almost in relief.
Beyoncé winning for “Cowboy Carter” capped a night that turned into a tribute to a suffering Los Angeles, with city firefighters chosen to reveal the winner of the last award and speeches offering words of encouragement for communities devastated. The Grammys almost veered into a telethon; $7 million was pledged from viewers of the show.
It was also a telecast where the best new artist nominees like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter were given plenty of time to show why there’s a deep well of talent coming up. And there was a shock return for The Weeknd, who had been boycotting the Grammys.
Here are some of the night’s notable moments:
Beyoncé and Lady Gaga were right there, as were Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, but the honor of opening the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles was given to two local brothers deeply affected by the wildfires: Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of the band Dawes.
They lost one brother’s home along with their childhood home, instruments and much else. They’ve advocated for victims, raised money and were included in the FireAid benefit concert on Thursday.
“They truly epitomize the unique spirit that we are seeing in LA right now,” host Trevor Noah said. “What better way to start the Grammy Awards?”
Dawes then played Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” surrounded by an all-star backing band: John Legend, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent.
“Look at these firefighters, ain’t nothin like ‘em nowhere,” Taylor Goldsmith sang, altering the line: “Look at these women/There ain’t nothing like ’em nowhere.”
Doechii won the Grammy for best rap album, only the third woman to win in that category. And, with her mother by her side, she had a strong message for young Black girls.
“I know that there’s some Black girl out there, so many Black women out there, that are watching me right now, and I want to tell you: You can do it. Anything is possible. Anything is possible,” she said.
“Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, to tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough, or that you’re too dramatic, or you’re too loud. You are exactly who you need to be to be right where you are, and I am a testimony right now. Good night!”
The win caps an astounding few years for the 26-year-old Floridian who mixes R&B, hip-hop, jazz, boundary-pushing sounds and samples, and adds theatricality. She playfully calls herself the “swamp princess.”
Her 2024 mixtape, ”Alligator Bites Never Heal″ went to No. 33 on the Billboard 200, No. 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart and No. 8 on the Top Rap Album chart.
Her Grammy performance of “Catfish” and “Denial Is a River” was electric, with the singer-songwriter backed by over a dozen dancers in matching Thom Browne suits and she eventually stripped down to a white two-piece set.
Chappell Roan was crowned best new artist and then used her speech to demand change in the music business.
“I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here before the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists,” she said.
Roan began her music career in 2015 when she signed with Atlantic Records, releasing several singles including “Pink Pony Club.” In 2020, the label dropped her. She moved back to her hometown to work as a barista before releasing her debut full-length album.
“It was devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and dehumanized,” Roan said in her speech. “Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection.”
Earlier, Roan performed a rocking version of her “Pink Pony Club,” joined by a posse of dancing clown cowboys as she sang from atop a giant pink horse.
Lady Gaga, accepting the trophy for best pop duo or group alongside Bruno Mars for their chart-topping collab, “Die with a Smile,” gave a shout-out to the trans community, targets of President Donald Trump.
“Trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love,” Lady Gaga said.
Not long after, Alicia Keys, being honored with The Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, also backed diversity and inclusion programs, another Trump target.
“This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices,” said Keys. “We’ve seen on this stage talented, hardworking people from different backgrounds with different points of view, and it changes the game. DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift.”
The Grammy Awards had a powerful way to prove that they’ve changed. They got a surprise endorsement by The Weeknd, who was last on the Grammy stage in 2017.
The pop superstar in 2020 slammed the Grammys, calling them “corrupt” after he landed zero nominations despite a megahit album. “You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency,” he wrote on social media.
Grammys CEO Harvey Mason jr., who started in his post in 2020, on Sunday said he understood the criticism and listed all the things the Academy has done to fix it.
“We have completely re-made our membership, adding more than 3,000 women voting members. The Grammy electorate is now younger, nearly 40% people of color, and 66% of our members are new since we started our transformation,” he said. “Over the past few years, we have listened, we’ve acted and we’ve changed.”
Mason then introduced The Weeknd, who performed two tunes from his just-released album “Hurry Up Tomorrow” — “Cry For Me” and “Timeless” with special guest Playboi Carti. He wore a long druid’s robe and the stage was smoky.
Will Smith, hosting a tribute to the late Quincy Jones, marked his first appearance at a major awards show since since he slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars in 2022.
“In his 91 years, Q touched countless lives, but I have to say, he changed mine forever. You probably wouldn’t even know who Will Smith was if it wasn’t for Quincy Jones,” Smith said.
Smith has been banned from film academy ceremonies for 10 years but the Grammys are a different beast. He made no mention of the infamous Slap.
Smith has previously nabbed Grammy wins in the short form music video (“Will 2K”), best rap solo performance (“Getting’ Jiggy Wit It,” “Men in Black”), and best rap performance by a duo or group (“Summertime” as the Fresh Prince with DJ Jazzy Jeff).
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