It would be crazy for a music blog to not cover The Grammy Awards, am I right? Let’s dive into all the highlights from the 2023 ceremony that went down on Sunday night!
The awards celebrated their 65th installment this year, which took place in Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena. The Recording Academy hosts this special evening as a chance to pay tribute to some of our all-time favorite performers. The list of nominees is expansive, including 91 different categories and practically every genre. Beyoncé is leading the pack with nine nominations thanks to the success of her album Renaissance. In addition, there were five brand new categories introduced for this year’s award event.
The Grammys is always an exciting night, but this year really stood out with a star-studded list of performances including two Coachella headliners, Harry Styles and Bad Bunny.
THE GRAMMY AWARDS 2023 HOST
Trevor Noah returned as host of the Grammy Awards for the third consecutive year.
In an interview with Billboard, he said, “I don’t believe it’s customary to host it once, so I don’t have a great frame of reference for this.” “It’s a real rush. Because I like so many of the individuals who work there, it seems like a cheat code to me.”
When compared to his previous two events, which took place in New York City and Las Vegas. This will be Noah’s first time hosting in Los Angeles.
Noah stated,
“I am 1,000% a fan, and what I love about the Grammys is that I become a fan of a new artist every single time.” “When I first go in, I’m not sure who the Black Pumas are, but after meeting the new artist, I can’t stop thinking about them. It’s a great way to hear the music you would not have otherwise heard.”
The news source further said that Noah is the second person in the previous 30 years after LL Cool J to host the Grammys on at least three separate occasions.
WHO WERE SOME OF THE PERFORMERS AND NOMINEES AT THE GRAMMYS this year?
Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Steve Lacy, Lizzo, Kim Petras, and Sam Smith were just a few of the names who took the stage in the first set. I’ll dive into a few of my stand out moments below!
BEYONCÉ
With 28 Grammys to her name, Beyoncé is the most successful female performer in Grammy history. The “Renaissance World Tour” was announced earlier this week in celebration of her upcoming 2022 album of the same name. The Texas born singer has officially broken the record for most Grammys won by an artist coming in at a staggering 32!
After Beyoncé’s victory, the audience erupted in cheers. She expressed gratitude to her family, including her husband and three kids, and to her late uncle Johnny, whose name she notably mentions in the song “Heated.” She also gave respect to the LGBTQ artists who were instrumental in the creation of the Renaissance.
Beyoncé thanked the LGBTQ+ community, saying, “I want to thank the LGBTQ+ community for your love and for developing the genre.”
LIZZO
Before even accepting the award for record of the year, Lizzo had already shown that she was more than deserving of the honor. The singer performed a mashup of her songs “Special” and the Grammy Award–winning “About Damn Time” during one of the early performances of the evening.
BAD BUNNY
Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper who has won two Grammy Awards, also took the stage on Sunday night. Nominated for Album of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, and Best Msica Urbana Album. A Puerto Rican fiesta was recreated in the aisles of the Crypto.com stadium when Bad Bunny took the stage. Fireworks, hundreds of dancers, and the cabezudos (the “bighead” puppets that march through the streets of San Juan every January) bolstered his mix of El Apagón and Después De La Playa.
After Un Verano Sin Ti spent 13 consecutive weeks at number one in the US last year. He was awarded the medal for the best Musica Urbana album.
The singer had this to say about the record he had just released:
“I created this album with love and passion, because when you do things with love and passion, everything is easier.”
Bad Bunny
Along with Blackpink and Frank Ocean, the “Me Porto Bonito” singer will be one of this year’s Coachella headliners.
STEVE LACY AT THE GRAMMY AWARDS 2023
For his viral smash “Bad Habit,” Steve Lacy has been nominated for four Grammys, including Record and Song of the Year. Over 704,300 TikTok videos include the 24-year-old old’s single. On November 5 he was a musical guest on “Saturday Night Live”. In 2016 and again in 2020, he was nominated for a Grammy.
KENDRICK LAMAR
Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5” is the Best Rap Song of 2023, as awarded by the Grammys. The 2022 single beat off the competition from DJ Khaled (“God Did”), Future (“Wait for U”), Gunna (“Pushin P”), and Jack Harlow (“Churchill Downs”) to win the prize and be released before the rapper’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.
In addition to his four wins, Lamar has been nominated for Best Rap Song a whopping nine times. His songs “I,” “Alright,” and “Humble” have all won awards in the past. Last year, he was nominated for an award for “Family Ties,”but Kanye West’s “Jail” took home the gold.
With eight nominations, Lamar is in second place for the most 2023 awards. He entered the day with a total of 14 Grammy Awards. Later that night, Lamar took home the trophy for Best Rap Performance for “The Heart Part 5.”
HARRY STYLES PREFORMS AND WINS AN AWARD AT THE GRAMMYS
Harry Styles won this year’s Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Album for his third studio album, Harry’s House. The British superstar minimized the significance of the award in his acceptance speech. “On nights like tonight, it’s obviously so important for us to remember that there is no such thing as best in music,” said the singer.
DID YOU ENJOY THE GRAMMY AWARDS OF 2023?
The Grammy Awards are always a fun and entertaining way to end the night. I love seeing the excellence of these amazing musical artists every year. The Grammys finally got it right when, at the very end of the ceremony, Jay-Z performed outside the stadium a beggar’s feast rendition of DJ Khaled’s nominated “God Did” alongside Khaled, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend, and Fridayy, paying homage to both the past and present of hip-hop. History was certainly made during the 2023 Grammys!
Mic Drop Music would love to hear how you felt about the awards! Any winners that you think shouldn’t have taken the trophy home?
