Awards
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Bad Bunny made history with Un Verano Sin Ti, the first Spanish-language album to be nominated for album of the year in the 65-year existence of the Grammy Awards. However, when British star Harry Styles snagged the award for his hit album Harry’s House, social media was flooded with mixed reactions.
“Was holding my breath for @sanbenito at the @RecordingAcad. Un Verano Sin Ti didn’t get AOTY, but it did in the hearts of Latinos. Our day will come, but we already have a winner. Gracias Benito. Felicidades,” wrote one fan.
“Don’t get me wrong Harry’s House is really good but Bad Bunny deserved album of the year,” tweeted another.
Yet another wrote, “As albums go, both Beyoncé and Bad Bunny put together stellar offerings this year. I don’t hate Harry, but there were obviously better choices.”
“Bad Bunny was robbed,” wrote one fan.
“I need to know their reasoning for not voting for Bad Bunny. ‘Cause that doesn’t make sense to me either,” said another one.
Pop juggernauts Beyoncé — who became the top Grammy winner of all time this year — Adele, Lizzo, ABBA, Coldplay, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Brandi Carlile were also nominated in the category.
“I’ve been so inspired by every artist in this category with me. A lot of different times in my life I listened to everyone in this category when I’m alone,” said Styles in his acceptance speech. “I think when moments like tonight it’s so important for us to remember that there is no such thing as best in music.”
From his three nominations, Bad Bunny, who opened the 2023 Grammy Awards, took home the trophy for best música urbana album award, a category in which he competed against Rauw Alejandro (Trap Cake, Vol. 2), Daddy Yankee (Legendaddy), Farruko (La 167) and Maluma (The Love & Sex Tape).
“I made this album with love and passion. When you do things with love and passion everything is easier, life is easier,” he said in Spanish and English. “I want to thank everyone who listened to my music. Thanks to all the Latinos in the world, in the United States. Thanks to all the artists who worked on this album, the producers, Beto, Tainy, Mag … I want to dedicate this award to Puerto Rico, the cradle and capital of reggaeton in the world. I want to dedicate it to all the legends and especially to emerging talents refreshing the movement.”
Earlier in the ceremony, in a round table comprised of 10 fans — one for each album of the year nominee — each made a case for why their idols’ albums should win. “I love that he’s playful, I love that he’s goofy. He has a motto that is ‘yo hago lo que me de la gana’ which means ‘I do whatever I want; I don’t care what people think.’ He dresses up in drag, he kisses his backup dancers of any gender, he’s dismantling machismo,” said Bad Bunny fan Natalia. “As a queer Latina woman it’s so important to me because he’s starting conversations and normalizing inclusivity. Bad Bunny plays by his own rules, and he’s just opening up the dialog.”
Last year, Benito became the highest grossing touring performer in a calendar year with his El Último Tour del Mundo and World’s Hottest Tour. The blockbuster Un Verano Sin Ti earned the 2022 year-end No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, becoming the first non-English album to ever achieve that feat. For a fourth consecutive year, Benito was named Billboard’s 2022 Top Latin Artist. The Puerto Rican rapper-singer was also the most streamed artist globally for three years in a row.
See below for some of the fan reactions to Bad Bunny losing album of the year to Harry Styles:
Was holding my breath for @sanbenito at the @RecordingAcad. Un Verano Sin Ti didn’t get AOTY, but it did in the hearts of Latinos. Our day will come, but we already have a winner. Gracias Benito. Felicidades ❤️— Gabriela Rodriguez (@GabyRodriguez_4) February 6, 2023
Don’t get me wrong Harry’s House is really good but Bad Bunny deserved album of the year.— c i n d y 🌻 (@__cicee__) February 6, 2023
“This doesn’t happen to people like me very often” – says a white British guy whose “good” wins out over a Black woman’s spectacular. As ALBUMS go, both Beyoncé and Bad Bunny put together stellar offerings this year. I don’t hate Harry, but there were obviously better choices.— Karen Tongson (@inlandemperor) February 6, 2023
DJ Khaled closed out the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 5) by welcoming an all-star lineup of collaborators including Fridayy, Jay-Z, John Legend, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross.
DJ Khaled began the performance inside Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena before the camera cut to the rapper joining Ross and Lil Wayne outside, with Legend seated at an intricately decorated piano and joining on vocals.
The performance reached its pinnacle with a “Last Supper”-esque scene, with the artists seated at a table filled with a spread of fruits, breads, cakes and pies along with candelabras, and Jay-Z rapping a nearly five-minute verse. The song ended with the artists raising their glasses high in tribute, as DJ Khaled looked directly into the camera and said, “We did an eight-minute song on the Grammys!”
The collaborative performance from these major artists was a musical companion and continuation of an evening that had already featured a tribute to 50 years of hip-hop music, with a string of performances (curated by The Roots’ Questlove) from Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, Run-DMC, GloRilla, LL Cool J and more. The celebration also highlighted Dr. Dre, who was honored with the inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.
DJ Khaled was nominated for six Grammy Awards this year, with “God Did” earning five of those nods. The tune was up for song of the year, best rap song, and best rap performance. “God Did” is also the title track of DJ Khaled’s album, which was nominated for album of the year and best rap album. DJ Khaled’s “Beautiful” was also nominated for best melodic rap performance.
Continuing the tradition of former best new artist Grammy winners presenting the award, Olivia Rodrigo took to the stage Sunday (Feb. 5) to speak on the honor.
She then read the winner: Samara Joy. The rising jazz singer from the Bronx seemed truly speechless as she made her way to the front of the room. “I’ve been watching y’all on TV for so long,” she said to the room as the camera pans to artists including Adele, Lizzo and Beyonce.
She spoke on being born and raised in the Bronx, shouting out her family in the audience. “I’ve been singing all my life,” continued the 23-year-old. “Thank you so much for this honor.”
She then spoke again to the artists in the room, saying how inspiring each and every person in the room is to her. “To be here because of who I am, authentically just being myself,” she begins, “I am so thankful.” The camera then pans to Lizzo, who is smiling on with approval for carrying forward her own message of being true to oneself.
The other best new artist nominees included Anitta, Omar Apollo, DOMi & JD Beck, Muni Long, Latto, Maneskin, Tobe Nwigwe, Molly Tuttle and Wet Leg. All 10 nominees performed earlier this week at Spotify’s annual Best New Artist party. For her set, Joy transported the room to a hazy, late-night jazz club, making the sprawling space feel surprisingly intimate.
Best new artist was the second-to-last award of the night, only followed by album of the year, which went to Harry Styles for Harry’s House. The 65th annual Grammys then wrapped with a star-studded performance of “God Did” featuring DJ Khaled, Jay-Z, John Legend and others seated at a Last Supper-inspired set.
And just like that, Bonnie Raitt has another Grammy to her name. In an upset win, the icon won the 2023 Grammy award for song of the year for “Just Like That” on Sunday (Feb. 5).
Receiving the award from first lady Jill Biden, Raitt called this win “an unreal moment.” And indeed, it sort of was, with Raitt’s bittersweet ballad about a heart transplant beating out mega-hits including Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” and Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).”
“Thank you for honoring me to all the Academy that surrounds me with so much support and appreciates the art of songwriting as I do,” Raitt said in her acceptance speech. “I was so inspired for this song by the incredible story of the love and the grace and the generosity of someone that donates their beloved’s organs to help another person live.”
Raitt then evoked late songwriting legend and friend John Prine, adding that “this story was so simple and so beautiful for these times, and people have been responding to the song partly because how much I love and we all love John Prine, and that was the inspiration for the music for this song, and telling a story from the inside. I don’t write a lot of songs, but I’m so proud that you appreciate this one.”
“I”m just totally humbled,” Raitt concluded.
The award mark’s Raitt’s eleventh Grammy win. She first won in 1990, picking up four awards for her now classic LP, Nick Of Time.
Beyoncé‘s Renaissance is certainly on that new vibration, marking history not just for Bey, but for dance and electronic music at the Grammys at large.
Renaissance‘s win for best/electronic album marked the first time the category was included in the Grammys telecast since being added to the awards 23 years ago. Picking up the trophy also made Beyoncé the winningest artist in Grammys history.
Renaissance — which features house music and includes collaborations from genre greats such as Honey Dijon and Green Velvet — beat out LPs by Diplo, ODESZA, Bonobo and RÜFÜS DÜ SOL.
All of these dance-world stalwarts have been previously been nominated for Grammys, with Diplo and RÜFÜS DÜ SOL both winning in prior years. (Only Diplo has previously appeared on the Grammys telecast, however, having shown up during BTS’ 2020 performance and during a performance of “Where Are U Now” with Jack U in 2016.)
While the dance music community was sharply divided about Renaissance‘s inclusion in the dance/electronic category — with many feeling that the album did not feature enough dance/electronic music to qualify it for the category — in the dance world, it’s also widely agreed that getting the genre in the global spotlight via telecast is definitely positive forward motion for electronic music at large.
Many also felt that Beyoncé’s inclusion in the dance/electronic categories did much for the mainstream visibility of house music and the genre’s LGBTQ+ roots. Beyoncé herself nodded to these roots in her speech, saying, “I’d like to thank the queer community for the love, and for inventing the genre.”
Previous winners of this award include The Chemical Brothers, Skrillex, Daft Punk, Aphex Twin, Flume and Kaytranada. The category is not, however, without pop precedence, as Madonna and Lady Gaga both won for best dance/electronic album in the category’s earlier years, before the EDM boom of the early 2010s changed mainstream consciousness about dance music in the United States and subsequently at the Grammys.
As many predicted, Beyoncé swept the Grammys’ two dance categories this year, with Renaissance‘s ’90s house homage single “Break My Soul” winning for best dance/electronic recording during the pre-ceremony. This category has never yet been presented during the telecast.
After one of the tightest races in recent Grammys history, it’s official: Harry Styles took home the Grammy Award for album of the year on Sunday night (Feb. 5)!
Presented by Trevor Noah and a superfan who had championed his work throughout the broadcast, Styles, breaking out in tears, couldn’t seem to contain his excitement when he approached the microphone. “S–t,” he said, breaking into a smile.
Styles thanked his fellow nominees in the speech — including Beyoncé, Adele, Brandi Carlile and others — for being a constant source of inspiration for his music. “Man, I’ve been so, so inspired by every artist in this category with me,” he said. “A lot of different times in my life, I listened to everyone in this category when I’m alone.”
The “As It Was” singer also took a moment to acknowledge his surprise win in a stacked category. “I feel like on nights like tonight, there is no such thing as ‘best in music,’” he said. “I don’t think any of us sit in the studio making decisions based on what’s gonna get us one of these.”
Closing his speech, the star tearfully thanked the Recording Academy again, saying, “This is really really kind … this doesn’t happen to people like me very often, and this is so nice, thank you very much.”
Styles was nominated for six awards on Sunday night, including for record and song of the year; the star took home the Grammy for best pop vocal album earlier in the broadcast. Harry’s House spent two weeks at. No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while his hit single “As It Was” spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Watch his acceptance speech above.
Steve Lacy made his debut as a Grammys performer at the 65th annual awards on Sunday night (Feb. 5) with a captivating rendition of a song host Trevor Noah said “has become an anthem all over the world”: his multi-Grammy-nominated breakthrough hit “Bad Habit.”
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“Hello Grammys, I’m Steve Lacy,” the singer-songwriter introduced himself, before launching into the Billboard Hot 100-topping smash. The smoothly electric performance, featuring the alt-R&B star really flexing his falsetto range, also featured extended bass soloing from alt-funk maestro Thundercat. Lacy’s performance seemed to be very well received by the bigger names in the Grammys crowd, with stars like Kendrick Lamar, Lizzo, Machine Gun Kelly and H.E.R. all seen excitedly singing along, and Taylor Swift and Beyoncé seen grooving at their tables as well.
Lacy was nominated for four Grammys on the night: record of the year, song of the year and best pop solo performance (all for “Habit”), and best progressive R&B album (for his Gemini Rights album). He lost the first three (to Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That” and Adele’s “Easy On Me”), but won the last one. Despite being one of the past year’s biggest mainstream crossover success stories, Lacy was not considered eligible for this year’s best new artist trophy, as he had already been nominated for best progressive R&B album already in 2020.
“Bad Habit” marked the first Hot 100 hit for Lacy last year, ultimately reaching No. 1 on the chart for three weeks in October, and remaining in the top 20 through Grammys week this February.
Luke Combs brought his native North Carolina to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena for the 65th annual Grammy Awards Sunday (Feb. 5), delivering a twang-infused performance of “Going, Going, Gone” from his 2022 album, Growin’ Up.
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Combs, dressed in a gray plaid suit and trousers, sang the track — which details a woman who not only moves on easily, but also does not feel tied down — with his blue acoustic guitar and a backing band filled with drums and violins.
“Like a runaway southbound train/ Like an Arizona desert rain/ Like lightning in the sky/ Like fireworks in July/ Like a left field home run ball/ Like a whiskey shot at last call It’s like she was made for moving on/ That girl is going, going, gone,” the country star sang on the chorus.
“Going, Going, Gone” was released as the third single from his third studio album, Growin’ Up. The track peaked at No. 25 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, where it spent a total of 11 weeks. Meanwhile, Growin’ Up spent 33 weeks on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 2. The set marked the fourth No. 1 album for the country singer on the Top Country Albums chart following its release in October.
Combs was up for the best country Grammy with Growin’ Up. The album was beat out by Willie Nelson’s A Beautiful Time.
Adele paid tribute to her son during an emotional acceptance speech at the Grammys on Sunday (Feb. 5), after winning the trophy for best pop solo performance for “Easy on Me.”
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“Here I am crying,” she told the crowd before dedicating the win to her son, Angelo. Heading into the awards ceremony, Adele had already earned 15 Grammy wins, including album of the year wins for 25 and 21. She has had 25 total Grammy nominations during her career.
“I wrote this first verse in the shower when I was choosing to change my son’s life; he’s been nothing but humble and gracious and loving to me the whole time,” she told the audience gathered at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
“Easy on Me” was nominated in the category alongside Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” Bad Bunny’s “Moscow Mule,” Doja Cat’s “Woman,” Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” and Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit.”
Adele had seven nominations heading into the 65th annual Grammy Awards, with “Easy on Me” earning recognition in categories including song of the year, best music video and record of the year. She has previously won in the best pop solo performance category for her recordings of “Someone Like You,” “Set Fire to the Rain [Live],” and “Hello.”
“Easy on Me” spent 10 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Other songs released from Adele’s 30 album include “Oh My God,” “I Drink Wine,” and “Can I Get It.”
Adele’s Las Vegas residency, Weekends With Adele, at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace, runs through March.
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 5) celebrated hip-hop history with a behemoth of a performance. Following Dr. Dre’s acceptance of the first-ever Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, dozens of artists graced the stage to showcase hip-hop’s evolution over the last 50 years. Curated by The Roots’ Questlove, the Grammys brought out a diverse all-star cast and turned the ceremony into a full-fledged house party.
The all-encompassing performance covered every era beginning with Grandmaster Flash’s “Flash to the Beat” and “The Message.” The ’80s received a nice jolt from the genre’s fondest pioneers as Run DMC (“King of Rock”), LL Cool J (“I Can’t Live Without My Radio”), Salt-N-Papa (“My Mic Sounds Nice”) and Public Enemy’s Chuck D & Flavor Flav (“Rebel Without a Pause)” followed suit. During the flurry of quick-hitter performances, DJ Jazzy Jeff dialed in a rendition of “Rock the Bells.”
The ’90s enjoyed an equally scintillating run as a bevy of heavyweights matched the fervor and intensity of the previous performers. The crowd reveled in seeing Queen Latifah saunter onstage to rap “U.N.I.T.Y.” before trying to play catch-up with Busta Rhymes and his frenetic flow. Busta combed through his classic “Put Your Hands Where Your Eyes Can See” and his rapid-fire feature from Chris Brown’s 2011 hit “Look at Me Now” before passing the baton to Missy Elliott for a quick rendition of “Lose Control.”
Despite the time lapses, Queen Latifah guided viewers through the 2000s as Nelly and City Spud kicked things off with “Hot In Herre,” followed by Too Short’s West Coast gem “Blow the Whistle.” The East Coast also enjoyed a moment of nostalgia when The LOX partnered up with Swizz Beatz for “We Gonna Make It.”
The performance didn’t only cater to the old-school, as new generation stars GloRilla and Lil Baby dished out their hits “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” and “Freestyle,” respectively. To close things out, Lil Uzi Vert appeared as “Just Wanna Rock” blared through the speakers, and LL Cool J rallied all the performers. “We started in the Bronx. And ever since, we’ve gone everywhere,” he declared.
See the full setlist below:
Chapter 1:
Black Thought Narration
Grandmaster Flash w/ Barshon, Mele Mel, Rahiem & Scorpio – “Flash To The
Beat”
Grandmaster Flash w/ Barshon, Mele Mel, Rahiem & Scorpio – “The Message”
Run-DMC – “King Of Rock”
LL Cool J – “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”
DJ Jazzy Jeff – “Rock The Bells”
Salt-N-Pepa – “My Mic Sounds Nice”
Rakim – “Eric B Is President”
Chuck D & Flavor Flav – “Rebel Without A Pause”
Chapter 2:
Black Thought w/ LL Cool J – “El Shabazz Skit”
De La Soul – “Buddy”
Scarface – “My Mind’s Playing Tricks On Me”
Ice-T – “New Jack Hustler (Nino’s Theme)”
Queen Latifah – “U.N.I.T.Y.”
Method Man – “Method Man”
Big Boi – “ATLiens”
Busta Rhymes & Spliff Star – “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” /
“Look At Me Now”
Missy Elliot – “Lose Control”
Chapter 3:
Queen Latifah Narration
Nelly & City Spud – “Hot In Herre”
Too $hort – “Blow The Whistle”
Swizz Beatz & The Lox – “We Gonna Make It”
Lil Baby – “Freestyle”
GloRilla – “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)”
LL Cool J – “Just Wanna Rock