The 65th Grammy award which took place in Los Angeles on February 5, 2023, threw up a few surprises that many people would not forget in a hurry.
One of the biggest moments of last year’s edition was Beyoncé’s failure to win the album of the year for the fourth year running.
Beyoncé made Grammy history at the 65th edition of the awards, setting a record for the most career wins by any artist, after picking up a string of trophies for “Renaissance,” her hit album that mined decades of dance music.
Her album, Renaissance was the presumed front-runner for album of the year. A deep and affectionate dive into black and gay dance culture, it was the most critically-acclaimed release of 2022.
But, for the fourth time in her career, Beyoncé was beaten to the top honor. This time Harry Styles took the crown. Previously, it was Beck, Adele and Taylor Swift.
Adele clinched Best Solo Performance
Get up here, best friend,” the Rock says as Adele wins her first televised award of the night, best pop solo performance for “Easy on Me.”
“I wrote this first verse in the shower,” she says with her usual off-the-cuff charm.
Bonnie Raitt wins song of the year, while Lizzo takes record of the year.
In two top Grammy categories, female artists who could only be considered underdogs against the likes of Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and Beyoncé prevailed.
For the first time in her storied career, Bonnie Raitt, already a 10-time competitive Grammy winner before Sunday’s show, took home an award as a writer,: song of the year for the title track of her 2022 album, “Just Like That….”
Soon after, Lizzo was visibly shocked to win record of the year for “About Damn Time,” topping tracks like “Break My Soul” by Beyoncé, “Easy on Me” by Adele, “As It Was” by Styles and “The Heart Part 5” by Kendrick Lamar, which had already taken home two rap prizes.
“This is so unexpected,” Lizzo said, dedicating the win to Prince. After the musician’s death, Lizzo said, “I decided to dedicate my life to making positive music.”
The Grammys celebrate 50 years of hip-hop in a joyous performance.
In what could be seen as an elaborate mea culpa to rap music after decades of friction and perceived disrespect, the Grammy Awards dedicated an extended, centerpiece performance on Sunday to the forthcoming 50th anniversary of hip-hop, going from Grandmaster Flash to Lil Uzi Vert in about 15 minutes.
Featuring a taste of some two dozen songs from across decades, regions and movements, the medley — curated by Questlove of the Roots and narrated by his bandmate Black Thought, plus LL Cool J and Queen Latifah — included deep cuts, smash hits and fan favorites in a rapid-fire fashion.
The performance celebrated the half-centennial of the genre, which many in the industry have dated to Aug. 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc threw a back-to-school party with his sister in the rec room of an apartment building at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx.
Kim Petras, a transgender woman, wins the Grammy for best pop duo performance.
Accepting an award with Sam Smith for “Unholy,” the German pop singer Kim Petras announced that she was the first transgender woman to win a Grammy in the best pop duo and group performance category.
“Unholy,” featured on Smith’s album “Gloria,” became the British musician’s first No. 1 hit in the United States and captured listeners with “a campy, devilish romp,” as the New York Times critic Lindsay Zoladz put it. Smith stood back and let Petras do the talking, as she thanked Madonna for her fight for L.G.B.T.Q. rights, “the incredible transgender legends before me” and her mother.
Harry Styles returned to Grammy stage
Of the most-nominated artists headed into 2023 Grammy Awards, few had a bigger 2022 than Harry Styles. While he racked up headlines for starring in two feature films (“Don’t Worry Darling” and “My Policeman”), the real story was the 29-year-old star’s music.
His third LP, “Harry’s House,” topped the Billboard 200 for two straight weeks following its May release, landing at No. 7 on the publication’s year-end album chart.
The record’s lead single, “As It Was” — a song that works, according to The New York Times’s pop music critic Lindsay Zoladz, because of “the tension between his muttered, slumped-shouldered vocals and the synth hook’s sprightly urgings to carry on” — was a smash, spending 15 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 from its April release through September, and setting a Billboard record for the longest-ever chart-topping stint by a solo artist.
Stevie Wonder shines with his oldies
Stevie Wonder, the renowned singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, has won 25 Grammys. He’s been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. And he moves between genres — soul one minute, funk the next — with remarkable ease.
On Sunday night, the 72-year-old performed three classic hits, starting with the Temptations’ “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” accompanied by the R&B group WanMor (four brothers whose father is Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men). Next up was “Tears of a Clown,” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles — alongside Robinson himself — a song released in 1967 that Wonder wrote with Robinson and Hank Cosby.
Tems wins first-ever Grammy award as Burna Boy loses categories
Nigerian artist, Temilade Openiyi known in showbiz circles as Tems earned her first Grammy award for her contribution to Future’s hit single ‘Wait For U’.
Tems’ vocals were sampled on the single that also features Canadian megastar rapper Drake.
The 65th grammy award hosted the world’s greatest artists at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 5.
Tems’ 27, is also the first non-mixed Nigerian female musician to win the prestigious award under the ‘Best Melodic Rap performance’ category.
Sade Adu , who won the Grammy for ‘Best new artist’ in 1986, and Cynthia Erivo , who bagged ‘Best theatre Album’ in 2017, were British Nigerians
The Afrobeats singer has added this to her list of accomplishments following her Africa Future awards win and her Oscar nomination .
Burna loses out
Afrobeat artiste 5‘ Burna boy ’ lost his nominations in both categories. The African giant was beaten by Japan’s Masa Takumi to win the best Global Album category and South African’s Zake Bantwini, Wouter Kellerman and Nomcebo Zikode to win the Best Global music performance category.
Anticipation Builds: Nigerian Stars Davido, Burna Boy, and More Ready for the 66th Grammys
With five days to the 66th Grammy Awards, the African continent, particularly Nigerians are hoping that nominated Nigerian artistes would have a filled day at the ceremony.
Nigerian artistes, Davido, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Asake, and Olamide have all been nominated for the 66th Grammy Awards.
While Grammy-winning star, Burna Boy bagged a total of four, Davido, in his first bite, bagged three nominations.
Asake, Arya Starr, and Olamide got one nomination apiece.
The Nigerian quintet were all nominated in the maiden Best African Music Performance category alongside South Africa’s Tyla.
Asake and Olamide’s ‘Amapiano’, Burna Boy’s ‘City Boys’, Ayra Starr’s ‘Rush’, Davido and Musa Keys’ ‘Unavailable’, and Tyla’s ‘Water’ were the nominees in the newly created category.
Burna Boy’s other nominations include; ‘Sitting On Top of the World’ featuring 21 Savage – Best Melodic Rap, ‘I Told Them’ – Best Global Music Album, and ‘Alone’ – Best Global Music Performance.
Davido’s other nominations are; ‘Timeless’ – Best Global Music Album, and ‘Feel’ – Best Global Music Performance.
Full list below
Best Global Music Performance
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily – Shadow Forces
Burna Boy – Alone
Davido – Feel
Silvana Estrada – Milagro Y Disastre
Falu & Gaurav Shah (ft. PM Narendra Modi) – Abundance In Millets
Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain ft. Rakesh Chaurasia – Pashto
Ibrahim Maalouf ft. Cimafunk & Tank and the Bangas – Todo Colores
Best Global Music Album
Susana Baca- Epifanías
Bokanté – History
Burna Boy – I Told Them…
Davido – Timeless
Shakti – This Moment
Record of the Year
“Worship,” Jon Batiste
“Not Strong Enough,” boy genius
“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus
“What Was I Made For?,” Billie Eilish
“On My Mama,” Victoria Monét
“Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo
“Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift
“Kill Bill,” SZA
Album Of The Year
World Music Radio, Jon Batiste
the record, boy genius
Endless Summer Vacation, Miley Cyrus
Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, Lana Del Rey
The Age Of Pleasure, Janelle Monáe
GUTS, Olivia Rodrigo
Midnights, Taylor Swift
SOS, SZA
Song Of The Year
“A&W,” Lana Del Rey
“Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift
“Butterfly,” Jon Batiste
“Dance The Night,” Dua Lipa
“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus
“Kill Bill,” SZA
“Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo
“What Was I Made For?,” Billie Eilish
Best New Artist
Gracie Abrams
Fred again.
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Coco Jones
Noah Kahan
Victoria Monét
The War And Treaty
Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II
Hit-Boy
Metro Boomin
Daniel Nigro
Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Shane McAnally
Theron Thomas
Justin Tranter
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus
“Paint The Town Red,” Doja Cat
“What Was I Made For?,” Billie Eilish
“Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo
“Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Thousand Miles,” Miley Cyrus feat. Brandi Carlile
“Candy Necklace,” Lana Del Rey feat. Jon Batiste
“Never Felt So Alone,” Labrinth feat. Billie Eilish
“Karma,” Taylor Swift feat. Ice Spice
“Ghost In The Machine,” SZA feat. Phoebe Bridgers
Best Pop Vocal Album
Chemistry, Kelly Clarkson
Endless Summer Vacation, Miley Cyrus
GUTS, Olivia Rodrigo
– (Subtract), Ed Sheeran
Midnights, Taylor Swift
Best Dance/Electronic Recording
“Blackbox Life Recorder 21F,” Aphex Twin
“Loading,” James Blake
“Higher Than Ever Before,” Disclosure
“Strong,” Romy & Fred again..
“Rumble,” Skrillex, Fred again. & Flowdan
Best Pop Dance Recording
“Baby Don’t Hurt Me,” David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray
“Miracle,” Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding
“Padam Padam,” Kylie Minogue
“One In A Million,” Bebe Rexha & David Guetta
“Rush,” Troye Sivan
Best Dance/Electronic Music Album
Playing Robots Into Heaven, James Blake
For That Beautiful Feeling, The Chemical Brothers
Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9, 2022), Fred again..
Kx5, Kx5
Quest For Fire, Skrillex
Best Rock Performance
“Sculptures Of Anything Goes,” Arctic Monkeys
“More Than A Love Song,” Black Pumas
“Not Strong Enough,” boygenius
“Rescued,” Foo Fighters
“Lux Æterna,” Metallica Sent from my iPhone
Leave a comment