On February 4, the winners of the 2024 Grammys were announced at the 66th annual awards ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. For the fourth consecutive year, the ceremony was hosted by Trevor Noah, comedian, who is best known for his work as a host on the American Television series The Daily Show. The Grammys were broadcasted live by CBS, with 16.9 million viewers tuning in, reaching a record number of viewers since the pandemic. As per usual, the award ceremony required the nominated artists’ music to be from the previous year; this year’s artists were recognized for music released between October 1, 2022 to September 15, 2023. This year’s awards ceremony consisted of 94 awards, with an additional three being added, including “Best African Music Performance,” “Best Alternative Jazz Album,” and “Best Pop Dance Recording.”
This year’s Grammys were particularly impactful for female artists, as they dominated many of the larger categories. Taylor Swift made history after being the first artist ever to win “Album of the Year” for a fourth time for her newest album Midnights. After a long career in the music industry, Miley Cyrus, known for her eclectic style and powerful performances, won her first ever grammy, “Record of the Year” for her hit song “Flowers” from the album Endless Summer Vacation. Both “Song of the Year” and “Best Song Written for Visual Media” went to Billie Elish for her single “What Was I Made For?” from the blockbuster hit, Barbie, bringing Eilish up to nine Grammys total. In the realm of new talent, the up and coming rhythm and blues artist, Victoria Monét, received her first and second grammy for both “Best New Artist” and “Best R&B Album.” Additionally, the most awards of the night went to Phoebe Bridgers, who earned three awards with her band, boygenius, and one for her feature on the SZA song “Ghost in the Machine.”
On a more controversial note, Jay-Z called out The Recording Academy for their continual dismissal of Black artists. During his acceptance speech for the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, he defended his wife, Beyoncé, against the academy’s complacency with this behavior.
“We love y’all. We want y’all to get it right,” he said. “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone and never won album of the year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work.”
Beyoncé has indeed received more Grammys than any other artist, with a total of 32 awards and 88 nominations, and has been nominated for “Album of the Year” a total of four times. However, she has never received this award; in fact, it has been 25 years since a Black woman has last received it.
The live performances during the ceremony featured a diverse lineup of artists across genres and generations of music. The artists who performed live at the event include Fantasia Barrino, Jon Batiste, Burna Boy, Luke Combs with Tracy Chapman, Billie Eilish, Robert Glasper (with Adam Blackstone, Bob James, Terrace Martin, and Harvey Mason Sr.), Pentatonix (with J. Ivy, Larkin Poe, Sheila E., and Jordin Sparks), Billy Joel, Lenny Kravitz, Brandy Clark, Gaby Moreno and El David Aguilar, Kirk Franklin, Laufey, Annie Lenox, Dua Lipa, Joni Mitchell, Olivia Rodrigo, Travis Scott, SZA, Stevie Wonder, and U2.
The evening opened with the unexpected addition of Tracy Chapman to Luke Combs’ rendition of “Fast Car,” offering a sentimental twist to the evening and touching the hearts of many viewers. It was also particularly powerful due to Chapman’s lengthy absence from the music industry, with her most recent tour being over 15 years ago, in 2009.
Another influential performance was Joni Mitchell’s long-overdue debut Grammy performance of her classic song “Both Sides Now.” Even at age 80, Mitchell was able to put on a radiant presentation, demonstrating her impressive range and unmatched talent within the folk industry. Along with the performance, Mitchell won her tenth Grammy, “Best Folk Album” for her album “Joni Mitchell At Newport [Live].”
Unlike the other artists, U2 did not perform live at the Grammys venue, instead delivering their newest song “Atomic City” from the Sphere in Las Vegas in the first-ever broadcast performance from the newly-constructed venue. This addition provided a unique twist to the program as a whole, as this was also the first time broadcast cameras were even allowed in the venue. However, the televised program failed to capture the true essence of the new venue, particularly due to the aggressive and jolty camera work, ultimately leaving viewers wanting a smoother performance.
As a whole, the program showed the beauty and diversity of the music world, recognizing both seasoned icons and promising newcomers, not only reflecting the achievements of the past year but also hinting at the exciting future of the ever-evolving industry. However, while the ceremony recognized a diverse range of artists, there’s always more work to be done, starting with giving Black artists the recognition they deserve.