The 60th annual Grammy Awards premiered on Columbia Broadcasting Services (CBS) Sunday, Jan. 8, celebrating the past year’s accomplishments in popular music. This year’s show was all about breaking traditions, the rest being the location of the awards show itself. The show took place in New York City in Madison Square Garden for the first time in 15 years.
Host James Corden ad- dressed another change in this year’s show by beginning the night with a joke, saying, “We don’t just have the most diverse group of nominees in Grammy’s history, we also have, for the second year in a row, the least diverse host in Grammy’s history.” This certainly was the case, as none of the nominations for Album of the Year included a white man for the first time in history. The seven most-nominated artists were all people of color as well.
Musicians used the night to shed light on an array of social issues. Many artists wore a white rose to show their support of the “Time’s Up” movement, which was recently formed to address the many sexual assault allegations in Hollywood that have arisen. Kendrick Lamar opened the show with U2’s Bono and The Edge with an intense performance that highlighted racial tensions.
“We are also daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, and human beings. We come in peace, but we mean business. And to those who would dare try and silence us, we offer you two words: ‘Time’s up.’” These were the words of musician Janelle Monae as she introduced a moving performance of Kesha’s song, “Praying” which was accompanied by Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Julia Michaels, Alessia Cara, and other female musicians.
Jay-Z led the night with eight nominations, with Kendrick Lamar reaching seven nominations and Bruno Mars totaling six nominations. Yet, Mars was the true winner of the night, stealing the show and winning Album, Song, and Record of the year. SZA, on the other hand, won none of the five awards for which she was nominated, disappointing many.
Kendrick Lamar won Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Performance. Alessia Cara won Best New Artist, while Ed Sheeran was not present to accept the Best Pop Solo Performance for “Shape of You.”
Memorable performances included Elton John and Miley Cyrus collaborating to perform the classic “Tiny Dancer”, showcasing their musical compatibility. Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee performed their mega-hit “Despacito,” and Rihanna, DJ Khaled, and Bryson Tiller sung and danced to “Wild Thoughts.” Childish Gambino sung a chilling rendition of “Terrified,” while Bruno Mars and Cardi B brought everyone to their feet with their new song, “Finesse.”
Tributes were performed at various parts throughout the night. Eric Church, Maren Morris, and Brothers Osborne sung an emotional tribute to the victims of the Manchester attacks, singing Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven.” Gary Clark Jr. and Jon Batiste paid homage to the late Chuck Berry and Fats Domino. Ben Platt, Broadway star of the popular Dear Evan Hansen, sang “Somewhere” to pay tribute to composer Leonard Bernstein, while legend Patti Lupone performed an emotional version of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.”
Musicians at this year’s Grammy’s celebrated music’s power to heal, empower, and bring joy to others. It was a night not without disappointments, but it showed the acceptance and progress of our future in music.
