Artists, composers, producers, and fans gathered at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 5 to celebrate the biggest night in music: the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. This year was a particularly memorable year. There were history-making wins for artists like Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and boygenius, and unforgettable performances from Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, and Annie Lennox. Let’s take a deep dive into some of the highlights of the night.
This year was huge for female artists, who won in all of the major categories. Taylor Swift made history as the first artist to win Album of the Year four times, scooping the most anticipated award of the night for her tenth studio album Midnights, which also won Best Pop Vocal album. During her acceptance speech, she announced the upcoming release of her 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department on April 11.
Miley Cyrus won big at the Grammys for the first time, taking home Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for her song Flowers. Paying an homage to the late Tina Turner with her outfit, Cyrus added some tongue-in-cheek adlibs during an energetic live performance of the song after her win, exclaiming “I just won my first Grammy!” to the elated audience.
Song of the Year went to Billie Eilish for What Was I Made For? from the Barbie movie soundtrack, which also won big at the Golden Globes in January. She performed the song live on the night, accompanied by her brother and co-writer FINNEAS.
Phoebe Bridgers was the most awarded artist of the night, winning a Grammy for her feature on SZA’s Ghost in the Machine, as well as three Grammys for her part in boygenius, a supergroup she formed in 2018 with Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker when they embarked on a co-headlining tour together. The Boys, as they are known by their fans, won Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for Not Strong Enough from their 2023 album The Record, which also won Best Alternative Music Album.
The nominees for Best New Artist included Noah Kahan, Ice Spice, Gracie Abrams, and Fred Again, but the award went to Victoria Monét, who gave a touching and humorous acceptance speech where she thanked God, her mother, and the champagne servers. Monét also won Best R&B Album for Jaguar II, her debut studio album.
Nominated alongside names like Metallica and the Foo Fighters, Paramore won Best Rock Album for This Is Why, which also won Best Alternative Music Performance. The band have been active since 2004, and were previously nominated for Grammy Awards in 2008, 2011, and 2015, but only won for the first time this year.
2024 was a big year for SZA and her second studio album, SOS. She was nominated in six categories and took home three Grammys for Best Progressive R&B Album, Best R&B Song, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. There were some huge names nominated in this year’s Rap categories, including Drake, Travis Scott, and Doja Cat. However, Best Rap Album went to Killer Mike for Michael, which also scooped Best Rap Song for Scientists and Engineers.
Joni Mitchell won Best Folk Album for Joni Mitchell at Newport [Live], making her a ten-time Grammy winner. But it was the singer’s first ever Grammy performance that drew the most attention from audiences. She sang Both Sides Now in one of her first public performances since having a brain aneurysm in 2015. The legendary Tracy Chapman also performed Fast Car alongside Luke Combs, who released his own cover of the song as a single in 2023. Chapman has been active since 1988, but has been noticeably absent from the limelight since she last went on tour in 2009, making her appearance at the Grammys all the more special for audiences.
It’s estimated that 17 million people tuned in to watch the Grammys this year, the largest viewership figure seen since the pandemic. This follows news that the Golden Globes also saw its highest ratings in years. With the 2024 award season in full swing, all eyes now turn to the Oscars, which are set to take place on March 10.