The 66th annual Grammy Awards was an exciting television spectacle full of phenomenal performances, heartwarming tributes, and big surprises. From snubs, to snark, to style, there were many notable highlights from Sunday’s glamorous night.
As soon as the broadcast was live, Trevor Noah — well-loved host of The Daily Show and now four time host of the Grammys — set a friendly, and lighthearted tone for the rest of the night. He introduced some of the most anticipated upcoming acts, including a duet of the popular folk-rock song Fast Car by Luke Combs, who covered the song in 2023, as well as the song’s original artist, Tracy Chapman. Clips of the performance have gone viral online, with generations both young and old moved by how well the two artists synergized onstage. Tracy leads a very private life, and has not performed music since 2009. People were delighted to witness how amazing she looked, and sounded for being almost 60 years old.
One of the first and biggest triumphs of the night was Miley Cirus receiving her first-ever Grammy award, Best Pop Solo Performance, for her hit song Flowers. Miley was overjoyed, and later delivered an electric performance of the catchy tune, along with a medley of hits from her latest album. Another standout winner was Billie Eilish What Was I Made For?, a melancholy piano ballad composed as an original song for the Barbie movie. Billie took home the prestigious Song of the Year award, and gave a beautiful performance of her winning song, with her brother Phinneas accompanying her.
Later on, several talented performers banded together to present a meaningful “in memoriam” segment. Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Jon Batiste, and Ann Nesby honored 2023’s deceased artists, with a series of powerful songs. The atmosphere in the room changed quickly when Jay-Z stepped onstage to accept the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. His speech was full of dry humor and jabs at the Grammys themselves for their repeated snubs of his wife, Beyoncé, who has won 13 awards, but has never been given the highest honor of Album of the Year.
“We love y’all. We want y’all to get it right,” Jay-Z said.
This message was intended for everyone involved in organizing the Grammy event. His speech painted a broader message about how great artists are so often overlooked by the award selection committee.
However, perhaps the most newsworthy event of music’s biggest night was Taylor Swift’s spontaneous announcement of her all-new album, The Tortured Poets Department, set to be released this April. Taylor went home with two Grammys Sunday night, including Album of the Year for Midnights. This means she is now the most Grammy decorated artist of all time, with 14 awards.
With all of this excitement, it is no wonder why some people are calling 2024 the best year in Grammy history. Coming up next in award show entertainment will be the Oscars, airing on ABC on March 10th!
