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The 65th Annual Grammy Awards took place last night in Los Angeles. As our staff predicted, Beyoncé made history with the most Grammy wins ever. Though fans are not pleased with the ‘Album of the Year’ artist winner, there were many moments we must acknowledge from the memorable 2023 awards show. Check out a gallery our favorite Grammy Awards moments this year inside.
This year’s awards show felt different. It’s one of the first times more fans engaged in the show in recent years with several social media users sharing their reactions to performances, wins, and losses throughout the ceremony.
The Grammy’s has seen a huge decline in viewership within the last few years, because of artist boycotts and fans general disinterest and disposition towards popular awards shows. Music’s biggest night has recently been clouded by the controversy but the Recording Academy’s newest CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. worked to chart a new path this year.
Mason’s aim to be more transparent involved disbanding the Academy’s so-called secret committees in 2021, which for decades, were responsible for deciding the final list of nominees in most categories, including the “big four” (best album, song, record, and new artist). The Academy also announced an inclusion rider for the Grammy Awards to ensure more diverse representation on and offstage during the telecast. Another major shift that was evident throughout last night’s event was its effort to be more globally focused. Artists throughout the world were highlighted for their musical impact and the Academy also included a new Global Impact Award given and named in honor of LA’s Dr. Dre.
While there were some cringey moments like Yoncé not winning AOTY, but becoming the artist with the most Grammy award wins ever, it was a great year for diverse talent and an obvious shift in the Recording Academy’s acknowledgment of ALL talent across the industry.
Check out our favorite 2023 Grammy Awards moments below:
1. DPWH! Beyoncé Makes HERstory
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Beyoncé makes history with most Grammy wins ever. She broke the record for the most-awarded Grammy artist of all time with 32 wins. Why it matters: With her fourth trophy of the 2023 awards, the singer surpassed classical music conductor Georg Solti’s record of 31 Grammys that had stood since 1998.
2. “It’s About Damn Time,” Lizzo
Source:SpencerAlthouse
Lizzo wins ‘Record of the Year’ at this year’s grammy for her hit song “About Damn Time.” Her acceptance speech acknowledges a few of her inspirations like Prince and Beyoncé.
3. Viola Reaches EGOT Status
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Actress Viola Davis reached EGOT status after winning the award for ‘Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording’ for her spoken word album, Finding Me. Davis has achieved this major milestone with an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony win.
“It has been such a journey, I just EGOT!”
4. Big Steppaaa! K. Dot Wins Best Rap Album
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Rapper Kendrick Lamar takes home the ‘Best Rap Album’ for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. The category was stacked with several major nominations, but K. Dot came out on top. Congrats!
5. Trevor Noah Made For The Perfect Host
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Trevor Noah returned to host the Grammy’s again this year, and he did not disappoint. Though some fans found his antics to be a bit corny, we found his comedic timing and cultural commentary to be on point with the award’s pivots this year.
6. Bad Bunny Takes the Grammys to Puerto Rico
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Bad Bunny opened the awards show with a lively and fun performance that made us want to vacation in Puerto Rico. The widely regarded artist brought his culture to the forefront for an unforgettable performance.
7. 50 Years of Hip Hop
Source:MTV
Say what you want, but hip hop is the pulse of the culture and music industry today. This timely celebration of the genre proved to be one of the biggest highlights of the night. Despite LL Cool J saying “from the Bronx to TikTok,” multiple times, it was a moment to remember.
8. Quavo Honors Takeoff During “In Memoriam” Segment
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The music community has grieved several losses within recent years. It was beautiful to witness Quavo’s strength honoring his fallen family and group member Takeoff.
9. Always Great Seeing Stevie
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Stevie Wonder took the stage last night, and what a joy it was to see. Anytime Stevie graces us with his presence, we are deeply honored, because what is music without his legendary contributions.
10. Revolutionary Grammy Win
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A newly added category makes for a revolutionary win. Steph Economou takes home the first win for ‘Best Score Soundtrack for a Video Game.’ She wins for her work on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Dawn of Ragnarök. Major congrats!
