Music history was made at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Taylor Swift became the first artist to win the Best Album of the Year category four times. Miley Cyrus and Karol G each won their first Grammy, and Victoria Monét was awarded Best New Artist. It was a night where exceptional female artists took the stage and shared their gifts in powerful and unforgettable ways.
The 66th Grammy Awards ceremony started with a bang and a lot of rain, something unusual for the city of Los Angeles. However, nothing could dampen the excitement in the Crypto.com arena, where some of the biggest music stars in the world reunited in what is known as music's biggest night.
U2 performed from Las Vegas Arena, Billy Joel premiered a song for the first time in years, and Celine Dione came out of retirement looking great, in spite of her deteriorating health due to stiff person syndrome. Steve Wonder, Jon Batiste, and Annie Lenox performed in the poignant In Memoriam segment, which ended with Oprah honoring Tina Turner and Fantasia performing some of her greatest hits.
A powerful opening
Dua Lipa started the musical portion of the night with a medley of her most recent hits. She was followed by a successful monologue by host Trevor Noah that had the audience in stitches, including a late-arriving Taylor Swift. It was an unmerciful contrast to the failed efforts of Jo Koy at January's Golden Globes.
Miley Cyrus won the first Grammy of the night—and her first Grammy ever—in the category of Best Pop Solo Performance for "Flowers." Then she sang it live for the third time ever, giving powerful Tina Turner vibes and making the audience sing, dance, and give her a well-deserved standing ovation.
The Crypto.com Arena is a big venue, but the ceremony felt intimate, perhaps because the Grammys managed to strike the perfect balance between new music and legendary songs. Before Cyrus, iconic singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman had the audience in tears with her performance of the classic 30-year-old hit "Fast Car" with country singer Luke Combs.
Latino 2024 Grammy Winners
Best Urban Music Album was one of the few Grammys awarded to Latin music during the night broadcast. After receiving the Grammy from Maluma and Christina Aguilera for "Mañana será bonito," Karol G dedicated her success to her fans, Colombia, and all Latinos, and manifested that it would be "the first one of many."
The Colombian artist is the first woman to ever win in that category, and this was her first Grammy in her first Grammy ceremony ever. Not a bad way to start her birthday celebration—she turns 33 on February 14th.
hi everybody! my name is karol g. i'm from medellín, colombia 🥹 https://t.co/FUnZwTviJ3
— duda (@jamietatrt) February 5, 2024
Most of the awards for Latin music were announced during an afternoon pre-ceremony, which opened with a tribute to legendary icon Prince, setting an empowering and nostalgic tone. The drums of Latina percussionist Sheila E. made sure from the opening moments that the two-part ceremony was imbued with incredible magic.
Mexican artist Natalia Lafourcade was in charge of presenting several Grammys for the first time. "Estoy muy emocionada. I just feel like shaking my body," she said. "Un saludo a México, a la comunidad latina del mundo que nos está viendo."
The Grammys for Best Album of Mexican Music and Best Album of Tropical Music, which went to Peso Pluma, and Rubén Blades, respectively. Soon after, Lafourcade received her own Grammy. She tied with Juanes for best in the category Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album, for "De todas las flores," and "Vida Cotidiana," respectively. While the Colombian artist was absent, the Mexican singer-songwriter took to the stage again.
"I want to thank my family and my husband. My label, my friends, my community...I pray to keep having inspiration," Lafourcade said and then yelled in Spanish, "Mamá, Papá, México, ¡Vámonos!.
Guatemalan artist Gaby Moreno also made history by winning in the category of Best Latin Pop Album. She also sang on stage her gorgeous song, "Luna De Xelajú." Her album is a compilation of some of her best songs, re-recorded and updated.
Colombian artists Andrés Salguero and Cristina Sanabria of the group 123 Andrés also went home with a Grammy for their album "We Grow Up Together's Preschool Songs," in the category of Best Children Album.
In the classical music realm, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel won the Grammy in the category of Best Orchestral Performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for their interpretation of "Adès: Dante."
Latin artists will have another night to shine on February 22, during the 2024 Premio Lo Nuestro.
A night for women
While Jay Z was recognized with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, his most impactful words were for his wife Beyonce, who has 16 Grammys, but hasn't won in the category Album of the Year.
Billie Eilish won Song of the Year for "What Was I Made For," from the "Barbie" movie. The song also won Best Song Written for Visual Media, while the "Barbie" soundtrack won Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. She is also competing for an this year Oscar with the same song.
"Literally like I was looking at everybody's faces, and I was like, 'Yo, I just want to say everybody in this category, like, down was a crazy list of incredible people, incredible artists, and I feel crazy right now,'" she said. She had performed before the song with her brother and co composer Finneas.
Taylor Swift took the acceptance speech of her 13th Grammy to announce her next album "The Tortured Poets Department," which will be released on April 19th. Her Instagram feed had gone blank in the morning. Right then, the cover of the album popped up.
Then she took Album of the Year for "Midnights," and became the first artist to win the Grammys' top prize four times, beating Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon who have three each.
"I would love to tell you that this is the best moment of my life," Swift said when accepting the award from Celine Dion. "But I feel this happy when I finish a song or when I crack the code to a bridge that I lo"For me the reward is the work."
Taylor Swift hugs Celine Dion at the 2024 #Grammys https://t.co/XyNl9n6yOL pic.twitter.com/5GFFrqtQS9
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 5, 2024
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