Grammys 2023: What happened?

The Grammy Awards 2023 is the most anticipated event of the year for music lovers around the world. As anticipation builds and excitement reaches fever pitch, fans from all over eagerly await to see who will be crowned winners in each category. Having taken place on February 5th, 2023 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, this ceremony promises to be a night filled with thrilling performances and award-winning artists taking home trophies. This year’s nominees include some of today’s hottest stars as well as established legends – all vying for recognition among their peers and industry professionals alike. With so many talented acts competing against one another, it’s sure to be an unforgettable evening celebrating music excellence! Here’s a little rundown of who won and what happened during the mega event.

BEYONCE MADE HISTORY

Beyoncé made a huge impact and created history with her 32 Grammy wins. This puts her ahead of the late classical conductor Georg Solti, who held the previous record of 31 Grammys. Not only did Beyoncé thank an underrepresented group in her acceptance speech, but she also achieved something remarkable by breaking this long-held record.

BONNIE RAITT WINS UNEXPECTED SONG OF THE YEAR

Bonnie Raitt was the surprise winner of the 2023 Grammy Award for Song of the Year on February 5. She received her award from First Lady Jill Biden, and said it was an “unreal moment”. Her song “Just Like That” – a bittersweet ballad about a heart transplant – triumphed over some huge hits to take home the award. It came as quite a shock that this relatively unknown track had won such an esteemed prize.

HARRY STYLES WINS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

At the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday, singer-songwriter Harry Styles was presented with a major award. He won for Album of the Year for his third studio album, Harry’s House. After taking to the stage to accept his award from Trevor Noah and some fans, he expressed how shocked and grateful he was that someone like him could receive such an honour. Before passing on the microphone to producers of his album, he reiterated that when creating music there is no such thing as ‘best’.

FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO WIN RECORD OF THE YEAR AWARD IN 100 YEARS

At this year’s Grammy Awards, Lizzo made history when she became the first Black woman to win Record of the Year in over 25 years. Whitney Houston was previously awarded for her rendition of “I Will Always Love You” back in 1994. This momentous occasion marks an amazing start to February, which is known as Black History Month in both Canada and the United States.

BEST SONG FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

Shervin Hajipour was recently given an award for his song “Baraye” which became a symbol of the Mahsa Jina Amini protests in Iran. The 25-year-old singer shared the track on Instagram and it was viewed 40 million times across the globe. It was inspired by tweets from Iranians after hearing that a 22-year-old Kurdish woman had died following her detainment and reported abuse by authorities in Tehran. This moving piece won Best Song for Social Change, emphasizing how music can be used to promote justice and equality.

AFRICA CELEBRATES AT THE 65TH GRAMMY AWARDS

The 65th Grammy Awards saw nine African artists nominated for the prestigious music awards. Out of these, four were successful in taking home a Grammy each. The most notable win was that of Nigerian singer TEMS who won the Best Melodic Rap Performance category for her part on the hit song “Wait for U”, which featured Future and Drake. South African artists Zakes Bantwini, Nomcebo Zikode and Wouter Kellerman also received a Grammy in the Best Global Music Performance category due to their collaboration track “Bayethe”. This success had Africa celebrating with joy as they recognized their own talent being honored by such an esteemed award ceremony.

TREVOR NOAH AS HOST

Trevor Noah kicked off the first Grammys at Crypto.com Arena in three years with a lot of funny jokes, including saying Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” was what made him decide to leave The Daily Show. He gave a shout-out to Lizzo as “the most famous flute player since…” and said Harry Styles is “world’s sexiest man” and there is no competition due to the death of the green M&M. He also complimented Taylor Swift on her song “Anti-Hero” which he said was about his auntie Beatrice. To surprise Adele, Trevor had Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson make an unexpected appearance. His performance set the night up for success and showed that he brought his A-game!

GRAMMY’S TRIBUTE TO HIP-HOP

The Grammys finally paid tribute to hip-hop with a performance featuring more than two dozen influential rappers who’ve been making hits for the past 50 years. The medley started off with Grandmaster Flash’s “Flash to the Beat” and “The Message”, followed by many other classic songs from Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, Rakim (with his iconic “Eric B for President”), Public Enemy, Scarface, Ice-T, Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott. Too Short and Lil Baby were among some of the more recent performers as well. Every performance was impressive but Busta Rhymes had an especially jaw dropping moment that left even Jay-Z in awe.

BAD BUNNY AND PUERTO RICO IN GRAMMYS

Bad Bunny began his set with a bang, leading a procession of plena dancers and musicians through the audience. He then sang “El Apagón,” a song celebrating Puerto Ricans, followed by “Después De La Playa.” The stage was filled with numerous merengue dancers and Dominican instrumentalists from Dahian El Apechao band, as well as cabezudos – figures wearing giant heads that depicted celebrities like Tego Calderón and Ismael Rivera. This performance was incredibly lively and full of energy, showing the kind of respect for Puerto Rican culture that has been critical to Bad Bunny’s success.

KIM PETRAS MADE HISTORY

When Sam Smith and Kim Petras accepted their Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award for “Unholy,” Smith stepped back from the microphone to give space for Petras to make a historic speech. She thanked Madonna among the many trailblazers who made this moment possible. Petras also gave special thanks to her friend Sophie who had passed away two years ago and believed that she would one day win such an award as well as her mother’s support in believing she was a girl growing up next to a highway in Germany. Her speech was heartfelt, generous, and essential.