The Grammys

What Happened, Who Won, and Why It All Matters

The 63rd Grammy Awards aired on Sunday evening, after a 6-week delay due to COVID-19. With Trevor Noah hosting and many first-time nominees, many tuned in to watch the live performances and award ceremony. But, even before the awards aired, the Academy has been the highlight of discussions because of the snubs in nominations and callouts from celebrities.

What Was All the Controversy About?

The Academy is no stranger to controversy. After all, the Grammys was where Kanye West famously rudely interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech back in 2009. But, this time, the controversy isn’t centered around a specific celebrity’s actions, but rather the underlying corruption inside the Recording Academy and the resulting nominations. This was most notably called out by The Weeknd who received no Grammy nominations after a year of viral singles and a highly successful album After Hours. After the snub in late 2020, he tweeted out, “The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…” Because of these sentiments, The Weeknd has announced that he will no longer submit music to the Grammys and he boycotted Sunday’s award show.

This echoed sentiments that artists, such as Jay-Z, Halsey, and Drake have been bringing up for years. Many others, such as Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, and Zayn Malik, tweeted their support of The Weeknd and condemnation of the Academy, which sparked many discussions on the validity of the Grammy nomination process. Considering that the Grammys are possibly the most widely recognized authority on musical achievement, these conversations marked an important step towards more transparent authority in the music industry.

What Actually Happened?

Regardless of the allegations against the Academy, the actual Grammy’s event was positively received by the public because of the wonderful performances by talented artists and the entertainment value despite the COVID-19 restrictions. Usually, the Grammys is full of over-the-top stunts and filler dialogue, but this year, possibly because of executive producer Ben Winston’s debut, the show was refreshingly simple.

The show kicked off with Harry Styles performing his “Watermelon Sugar”, setting the tone with his lighthearted and charismatic performance. The music performances that followed, a combination of both live and prerecorded sets, were similarly amazing. We saw a wide variety of performances, from Taylor Swift to Lionel Richie to Megan Thee Stallion. Each of them performed beautifully and were highlights of the show.

Trever Noah was a hilarious host, walking us through an ultimately complicated process with witty one-liners and smooth transitions. Although we didn’t see any skits or long monologues from him, because of the unique format of the show, Trevor Noah still nailed it as a low-key presence that tied it all together.

Another notable aspect of the performance was the Grammys recognition of live music venues, an integral and underappreciated part of the music industry that was severely affected by COVID-19. Four different awards were presented by owners or employees of live music venues who had the opportunity to share their stories.

And now, for the part of the show that defines it: the awards.

Who Won?

Women took home all of the major awards on Sunday! Beyoncé won four awards, bringing her lifetime total to 28 Grammys, which is the most wins for any female artist. Beyonce’s daughter Blue Ivy won her first Grammy which was Best Music Video for “Brown Skin Girl.” Taylor Swift won Album of the Year for Folklore, becoming the first woman to win that Grammy three times! H.E.R won Song of the Year for “I Can’t Breathe,” a heartbreaking and rallying anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement. Billie Eilish, who dominated at the Grammys last year, won Record of the Year for her song “Everything I Wanted,” and in her acceptance speech, she emphasized how she believed that Megan Thee Stallion deserved the award instead. For a complete winner’s list, visit their website:

https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2021-grammys-complete-winners-nominees-list.