The Grammys came back swinging this year, with one of the strongest ceremonies in recent memory. From some heartwarming wins for some of the biggest names in music like Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé, to new artists arriving with truly unforgettable moments (Doechii, we’re looking at you), the 67th Annual Grammy Awards proved that the music industry is alive and well, in safe hands with both its incomparable legacy acts and the “new class” of young talent making a name for themselves.
Check out the biggest moments from the show, below.
Honoring Los Angeles
Hosted by Trevor Noah, the entire tone of the evening was one dedicated to honoring Los Angeles as the city and its inhabitants continue to rebuild after the devastating wildfires in January. Kicking off the show, John Legend, Brittany Howard, Sheryl Crow, and other artists came together with a cover of “I Love L.A.,” a fitting tribute to the city at the heart of the music industry.
Beyoncé Makes History
“This Ain’t Texas,” but this is Beyoncè’s Grammys! Queen Bey made history when she won the biggest award of the night: Album of the Year. Finally, after years of snubs for her albums “Beyonce,” Lemonade,” “Renaissance” and more, she got the crown jewel award from the Grammys, the biggest award for the biggest artist in music.
She also took home Best Country Album for her critically acclaimed “Cowboy Carter” album, making history as the first Black female artist to do so. Proving all of her haters wrong (we’re looking at you, Country Music Awards), a shocked Beyoncé took to the stage to accept the award from Taylor Swift.
She went on to thank other country artists who “accepted’ this album. “I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about,” she added. She thanked her “beautiful” family, all of her collaborators, God and her fans.
Cardi B Presenting Best Rap Album to Doechii
It’s Doechii’s year and everyone’s just living in it! The Florida-born rapper took home one of the biggest awards of the year early in the ceremony, earning Best Rap Album from presenter Cardi B.
Accepting the award through tears, she honored Lauryn Hill and Cardi B, the only other women to win the award before her. “I put my heart and my soul into this mixtape,” she explained, thanking God, her “beautiful mother” who was on the stage with her, her team, Tampa, Florida and her “fans.”
The most powerful part of her speech, however, was when she spoke directly to Black women watching. “Anything is possible,” she said, “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 whereyou are, and I am a testimony.”
Kendrick Lamar’s Victory Lap
Kendrick Lamar just keeps on winning! His legendary diss track “Not Like Us” took home Song of the Year and Record of the Year, two of the biggest categories in the entire ceremony. The whole audience went up for Kendrick both times he took the stage, as he dedicated his wins to his home of Los Angeles.
“This is my neck of the woods that held me down since a young buck,” he said in the speech. “I can’t give enough thanks to these places that I rolled around since high school.”
Doechii, Raye and Shaboozey Shut Down the Best New Artist Medley
Perhaps the strongest moment of the night came from the showstopping Best New Artist medley, where many of the category nominees got to show off their talents. Doechii, who already had a big win in the night, shut the stage down with a medley of her songs “CATFISH” and “DENIAL IS A RIVER.”
Shaboozey then brought his chart-topping hit single “A Bar Song (Tipsy)“ to the Grammys stage, rightfully getting his flowers after taking country music by storm over the past year.
And then Raye took to the stage, completely flooring the audience with her powerful voice. The UK singer-songwriter performed her song “Oscar Winning Tears,” in one of the strongest vocal moments of the evening.
A Star-Studded Quincy Jones Tribute
Will Smith. Cynthia Erivo. Janelle Monáe. Lainey Wilson. Stevie Wonder. Herbie Hancock. These legends all took to the Grammys stage to celebrate and honor the one and only Quincy Jones. Erivo kicked off the moment with a chill-inducing performance of “Fly Me To the Moon,” accompanied by Hancock. Wilson and Wonder then performed the hit song “We Are the World,” before Monáe rounded it out with a performance of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough.” It was a feast for music fans and a tribute fitting of a legend like the late Quincy Jones.
The Weeknd Surprises
Fresh off his brand new album, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” The Weeknd returned to the Grammys’ stage, ending his years-long boycott of the ceremony. In 2020, The Weeknd posted about the Grammys, calling them “corrupt” after his album “After Hours” was shut out. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. introduced the performance, saying that his criticism was “heard.”
The “Blinding Lights” singer took to the stage with an epic performance, singing his song “Timeless” with Playboi Carti.
Queen Latifah Presents Alicia Keys with Global Impact Award
Alicia Keys got her flowers on Grammys night. The singer-songwriter was honored with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, presented by her friend Queen Latifah. In her speech, Keys used her time on stage to call out the attacks against DEI in this country.
“This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices,” she said passionately in her speech. “We’ve seen on this stage talented, hardworking people from different backgrounds with different points of view, and it changes the game. DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift.”