Quavo paid tribute to Takeoff.
The hip-hop tributes took a somber flip when Quavo took the stage throughout the in memoriam section to honor his late collaborator and member of the family Takeoff. Performing his 2023 monitor “With out You,” the Migos MC was accompanied by an Atlanta gospel choir known as Maverick Metropolis Music, who included the tender hook of Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Once more” into the track. Clad in a black Phantom of the Opera-style half masks, there was a palpable solemnity to Quavo’s efficiency.
Kim Petras gave one of many night time’s most transferring speeches.
When Sam Smith and Kim Petras took house Finest Pop Duo/Group Efficiency, Smith ceded the highlight to Petras, who spoke about her journey to one among music’s largest honors as a transwoman.
“I simply need to thank all of the unimaginable transgender legends earlier than me who kicked these doorways open for me so I could possibly be right here tonight,” Petras stated.
As CNN famous, Petras is just not the primary trans musician to take house a Grammy, however the huge success of she and Smith’s “Unholy,” which peaked at no. 1 on the Billboard Sizzling 100, makes her maybe essentially the most seen. In her speech, she made a degree of honoring the late producer and DJ Sophie, a Grammy nominee herself in 2019, in addition to Madonna for her LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Petras, who grew up in Cologne, Germany, medically transitioned when she was 16 years outdated, a narrative that grew to become nationwide information. In her acceptance speech, she made a degree of praising her mother for her help, saying, “I grew up subsequent to a freeway in nowhere, Germany and my mom believed me that I used to be a lady and I wouldn’t be right here with out her.”
Steve Lacy (and Thundercat) introduced the home down with “Dangerous Habits.”
The rise of Steve Lacy’s “Dangerous Behavior” from cult hit to Tik Tok-fueled-chart topper is without doubt one of the most exceptional tales in current pop music historical past, and the track completely merited a Grammy showcase. Lacy, accompanied by fellow Los Angeles musical maverick Thundercat, delivered one of the crucial rousing performances of the present, aided by a stellar black leather-based Saint Laurent match and his trademark wraparound sun shades. (“Dangerous Behavior” was clearly a success with the A-listers in attendance, as Beyoncé, Doja Cat, and Taylor Swift had been all noticed vibing of their seats.)
Although Lacy isn’t a stranger to the Grammys–he was nominated in 2016 for his work with The Web and in 2020 for his solo debut–this actually felt like a watershed second because of his ace efficiency and nods for each File and Track of the Yr. Lacy finally went house with one award from his 5 nominations, incomes Finest Progressive R&B Album for Gemini Rights.
A break up within the Huge 4 stored the present shocking til the very finish.
Like all awards present, earlier wins are sometimes a signpost for the way the remainder of the night time goes to shake out–take into consideration the oft-discussed connection between Finest Director and Finest Image on the Oscars–however the Grammys stored issues spicy with the foremost awards going to 4 very completely different musicians. First, Bonnie Raitt took house Track of the Yr for “Simply Like That,” a monitor impressed by a lady donating her late little one’s coronary heart to an individual in want. Lizzo took house File of the Yr for “About Rattling Time,” delivering an enthralling speech the place she honored fellow Minnesotan Prince and spoke in regards to the pleasure and physique positivity she’s labored to deliver to popular culture. 23-year-old jazz standout Samara Pleasure earned Finest New Artist, organising a very wild end between the ten nominees for Album of the Yr, which finally went to Harry Kinds’ Harry’s Home.
