The 68th annual Grammys aired Sunday, Feb. 1. The night was filled with exciting performances, heartfelt speeches and, as always, record-breaking moments.
The night opened with an electric – literally, an electric guitar version – performance of “APT” by Rosé and Bruno Mars. They welcomed everyone in and set the tone for an energetic night.
Trevor Noah was the host for the sixth year in a row, and he was sure not to disappoint, as he announced this was his final year hosting. He was sure to make his shocking call outs and funny quips to the nominees – and even getting a small impromptu performance from Bad Bunny.
Performances of the night were not to be missed – each of the Best New Artist nominees displayed their talents, Sabrina Carpenter delivered a pop-perfection performance of “Manchild,” Tyler the Creator’s real-time transition from his “Chromakopia” persona to his “Don’t Tap the Glass” persona, and countless other renditions and emotional tributes to late artists. Lady Gaga was sure not to disappoint with her “Abracadabra” performance, Bruno Mars made a second appearance performing his new single “I Just Might” and Justin Bieber’s stripped-down version of “YUKON” brought a new take on the song.
Records broke with Kendrick Lamar early in the night, as he became the highest-Grammy-awarded rapper, passing Jay-Z. He received Grammys for Best Rap Album, Record of the Year and Best Melodic Rap Performance for his single “Luther” featuring SZA, as well as Best Rap Song for “tv off.”
The largest snubs of the night included Sabrina Carpenter, who walked away empty-handed, and Tyler, the Creator, who left with 1 Grammy – for Best Album Cover. Some other big pop names left with no wins, including Addison Rae, PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson, The Marías and many others.
Snubs of the night were not the only talking points from the Grammys – the presenters left their impact on pop culture, as they often do. From Cher forgetting what she was doing and who she was awarding, to Chappell Roan’s presentation of Best New Artist, to Harry Styles’ return to the Grammys stage, presenters were definitely not ignored this year.
Notable wins of the night included Olivia Dean for Best New Artist, “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish for Song of the Year, “MAYHEM” by Lady Gaga for Best Pop Vocal Album, “A Matter of Time” by Laufey for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, “Defying Gravity” by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and “Messy” by Lola Young for Best Pop Solo Performance. The Grammys largely didn’t disappoint, with a wide array of winners for the night. In other genres, “Folded” by Kehlani won best R&B performance, “Bitin’ List” by Tyler Childers won best country song, and “Golden” from the movie “KPop Demon Hunters” won best song written for visual media – the first Grammy awarded to a KPop song.
Arguably the biggest award for the night – Album of the Year – made history on Sunday as well. The award went to “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” by Bad Bunny, becoming the first all-Spanish-language album to receive the award. This was Bad Bunny’s second win of the night, with his earlier Best Música Urbana Grammy win for the same album. He seemed overwhelmed with gratitude for the award and showed it in his speech.
Speeches of the night were not without their impact, with many artists speaking on what is important to them. Olivia Dean, Billie Eilish and Bad Bunny were amongst the most notable, speaking passionately about social issues, with SZA and Jelly Roll getting spiritual. For any viewer, it was clear that every winner came with gratitude and heartfelt acceptances.
Overall, this year’s Grammys were shocking, emotional, exciting, and full of art that unites people. If you are a fan of any kind of music, fun performances or even comedic hosting, this year’s Grammys are for you.