The 67th annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday, Feb. 2, in Los Angeles, just a short distance from the destructive wildfires that ravaged parts of the city in January. Along with recognizing and celebrating the industry’s talent, this year’s telecast had a slightly somber tone as the music community came together to support the city’s relief efforts. The Recording Academy, which has presented the Grammys since 1959, along with its MusiCares charity raised $24 million over the weekend, about $9 million of which was donated during the telecast on Sunday night. Host Trevor Noah even joked about charging winners $1,000 per minute for exceeding the 90 second limit allotted for acceptance speeches.
Despite intermittent reminders to donate, this year’s Grammy Awards still delivered on its promise to be the industry’s biggest night of the year. In arguably the biggest story of the night, Beyoncé finally won Album of the Year for “Cowboy Carter” after enduring countless snubs throughout her two-decade solo career. She also took home the award for Best Country Album, making history as the first Black woman to win in any country category since the Pointer Sisters in 1974. Adding these wins to the tally, she remains the most-awarded artist in Grammys history with an astonishing 35 awards.
Doechii’s acceptance of the Best Rap Album Award for “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” which Pitchfork described as “reprising her playful and melodic sides without skimping on hard-hitting hip-hop,” cemented her place in history as only the third woman to win the award. Her heartfelt speech spoke to Black women and girls watching at home: “Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that 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’m a testimony.”
Another powerful acceptance speech was Chappell Roan’s, who implored major labels to offer artists a livable wage and healthcare after she was awarded Best New Artist. Following a flamboyant, rodeo-clown-inspired performance of “Pink Pony Club,” the very song that Roan’s former label Atlantic Records discouraged the release of, she shared her experience of being dropped by her former label and struggling with her mental health. “Labels,” she said, “we got you, but do you got us?”
The biggest loser of the night was Drake, who wasn’t even in attendance. Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” the diss track destroying Drake’s reputation and dominating pop culture since its release in May, became the most awarded rap song in Grammys history by sweeping five categories on Sunday, most notably Record of the Year and Song of the Year. If rumors are true, this No. 1 smash hit will be featured when Lamar headlines the Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans later this week.
Contact the editor responsible for this article: Anabelle Meyers
