[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he socially distanced award show was a success for many female artists who broke records on the night for female performers.
Taylor Swift was one woman who stole the spotlight by becoming the first-ever female artist to take home the coveted Album of the Year award three times this year, with her album “Folklore”. Previously, she had won this with “1989”, released in 2016, and her 2010 album “Fearless”.
Beyoncé broke the record for the most Grammys won, bringing her new total to 28 awards after Sunday night. This surpasses the record previously set by bluegrass singer, Alison Krauss.
Queen Bey reigned supreme in four categories: Best R&B Performance for “Black Parade,” Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for her feature on the “Savage” remix, and Best Music Video for “Brown Skin Girl”.
Megan Thee Stallion’s first time at the Grammy’s proved a success, with her winning three of the four categories she was nominated for: the aforementioned Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “Savage” and Best New Artist. Although she didn’t win Record of the Year with the “Savage” nomination, according to the victor of the category, Billie Eilish, she should have.
The 19-year-old Eilish attended her second Grammys this year and took home Best Song Written for Visual Media for “No Time to Die”, the theme song for the upcoming James Bond film of the same name. “Everything I Wanted” won her Record of the Year.
Song of the Year went to yet another female artist, H.E.R., for “I Can’t Breathe”, a political song was written in tandem with the protests over the death of George Floyd. A black man killed by police officers during an arrest in Minneapolis at the end of May, Floyd’s last words were “I can’t breathe” and his death sparks Black Lives Matter protests and movements across the world.
It was a successful night for two Nigerian afrobeat artists: Burna Boy won his first award of Best Global Music Album for “Twice as Tall”; and Wizkid won Best Music Video with Beyoncé for their song “Brown Skin Girl”. Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy, was featured on the track and so also takes home her first Grammy.
Dua Lipa won Best Vocal Pop Album with “Future Nostalgia”. Lady Gaga’ and Ariana Grande’s song “Rain On Me” won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, where the diva duo beat South Korea’s BTS for their song “Dynamite”.
The 7-member group had hoped to be the first K-Pop group to take home the award.
Other disappointed artists for the night included Doja Cat, who had three nominations and performed “Say So”, but no award wins. Rap artists, Roddy Ricch, performed “Heartless” and “The Box” and also had six nominations, but no victories.
Perhaps the most controversial or talked about “snub” was The Weeknd, who has now vowed to permanently boycott the Grammys. The singer had no nominations this year, despite having the biggest sing of 2020 with “Blinding Lights”, his album “After Hours” going double platinum and performing at last month’s Super Bowl.
The Weeknd told New York Times this was because of “the secret committees. In November, when the shortlist was announced, he took to Twitter and called the award show “corrupt”, saying “you owe me, my fans and the industry transparency”.
Niamh Quinlan
Image Credit: Flickr