Hailed as “music’s biggest night,” the 66th Grammy Awards was truly one to remember. Hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, the ceremony aired Sunday evening from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and featured all of the entertainment industry’s brightest stars.
Building on her meteoric rise to success, SZA picked up the award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for the song, “Ghost in the Machine.” Leading all artists with nine nominations, the New Jersey native also won for Best Progressive R&B Album, and Best R&B Song for “Snooze.” During her acceptance speech for the latter, SZA spoke about the obstacles she’s faced through her career, telling the crowd she “came really, really far.”
The singer also hit the stage at one point during the ceremony to perform her smash single “Snooze” in front of a flaming dumpster, followed by “Kill Bill,” which saw SZA accompanied by several dancers who reenacted fight scenes from the classic film of the same name.
Throughout the course of 2023, several people transitioned, something that the Grammy Awards continue to recognize. During the event’s “In Memoriam” segment, the iconic Stevie Wonder paid homage to the late Tony Bennett. Lenny Kravitz then gave a tribute to the heralded music executive Clarence Avant, before introducing Jon Batiste, who sang “Lean on Me” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” by the great Bill Withers.
Oprah Winfrey also made an appearance in honor of Tina Turner, saying that “she was a special kind of role model.” The Color Purple star Fantasia Barrino then sang “Proud Mary,” while donning a Turner-esque ensemble, perfect for the evening, as well as the moment at hand.
Shawn “Jay Z” Carter received the Global Impact Award, who gave a powerful speech alongside his daughter Blue Ivy. While on stage, Carter called out the Recording Academy for never giving his wife, Beyoncé, Album of the Year despite her being the most decorated musician in the show’s history. “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won Album of the Year,” Jay-Z said.
“So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that. The most Grammys; never won Album of the Year—that doesn’t work.” As Beyoncé looked on, Jay Z finished the speech, telling the audience to “Keep showing up.” He added, “Forget the Grammys, you gotta keep showing up. Until they give you all those accolades you feel you deserve. Until they call you ‘chairman,’ until they call you a ‘genius,’ until they call you ‘the greatest of all time.’ You feel me? Thank you.”
In three rap categories, the Atlanta-raised emcee Killer Mike swept the competition. He won his first Award in over two decades for Best Rap Performance for “Scientists & Engineers,” which featured André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane. The Run The Jewels member also won for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Album, but also ended up in police custody due to an alleged altercation.
Outside of SZA’s set during the Grammys, Travis Scott also performed several of his songs in front of an enamored audience. The Afrobeats star Burna Boy graced the stage to recite his hit “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” and surprised viewers worldwide by bringing out Brandy and 21 Savage.
The past twelve months belonged to singer and songwriter Victoria Monét, who was nominated in seven categories at the 2024 Grammys. She took home awards for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, along with Best R&B Album for Jaguar II. She also took home Best New Artist, presented by last year’s winner Samara Joy. In the speech, Monét told viewers that her “award was a 15-year pursuit.”
“I moved to L.A. in 2009, and I liken myself to a plant who was planted and you can look at the music industry as soil,” Monét said. “And it can be looked at as dirty, or it can be looked at as a source of nutrients and water, and my roots have been growing underneath ground, unseen, for so long.”
The night’s other winners included Coco Jones, Theron Thomas, Dave Chappelle, Michelle Obama, Tyla, Alicia Keys, and many more.
Take a look at the full list of winners below.
Album of the Year
Midnights
Taylor Swift
Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Zem Audu, Serban Ghenea, David Hart, Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Ken Lewis, Michael Riddleberger, Laura Sisk & Evan Smith, engineers/mixers; Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
Best New Artist
Victoria Monét
Song of the Year
What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture “Barbie”]
Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Best Pop Vocal Album
Midnights
Taylor Swift
Best R&B Song
Snooze
Kenny B. Edmonds, Blair Ferguson, Khris Riddick-Tynes, Solána Rowe & Leon Thomas, songwriters (SZA)
Best Country Album
Bell Bottom Country
Lainey Wilson
Best Música Urbana Album
Mañana Será Bonito
Karol G
Best Pop Solo Performance
Flowers
Miley Cyrus
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
Being Funny In A Foreign Language (The 1975) (A)
Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (Lana Del Rey) (A)
Midnights (Taylor Swift) (A)
Producer of the Year, Classical
Elaine Martone
Best Engineered Album, Classical
Contemporary American Composers
David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Best Bluegrass Album
City Of Gold
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
As We Speak
Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
The Winds Of Change
Billy Childs
Best Jazz Performance
Tight
Samara Joy
Best Progressive R&B Album
SOS
SZA
Best R&B Performance
ICU
Coco Jones
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Montgomery: Rounds
Jessie Montgomery, composer (Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry & Roomful Of Teeth)
Best Classical Compendium
Passion For Bach And Coltrane
Alex Brown, Harlem Quartet, Imani Winds, Edward Perez, Neal Smith & A.B. Spellman; Silas Brown & Mark Dover, producers
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Walking In The Dark
Julia Bullock, soloist; Christian Reif, conductor (Philharmonia Orchestra)
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
The American Project
Yuja Wang; Teddy Abrams, conductor (Louisville Orchestra)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Rough Magic
Roomful Of Teeth
Best Choral Performance
Saariaho: Reconnaissance
Nils Schweckendiek, conductor (Uusinta Ensemble; Helsinki Chamber Choir)
Best Opera Recording
Blanchard: Champion
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Ryan Speedo Green, Latonia Moore & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
Best Orchestral Performance
Adès: Dante
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
Erin Bentlage, Jacob Collier, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (säje Featuring Jacob Collier)
Best Regional Roots Music Album (TIE)
New Beginnings
Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band
Live: Orpheum Theater Nola
Lost Bayou Ramblers & Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
Best Folk Album
Joni Mitchell At Newport [Live]
Joni Mitchell
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
I Remember Everything
Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves
Best Jazz Vocal Album
How Love Begins
Nicole Zuraitis
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
Folsom Prison Blues
John Carter Cash, Tommy Emmanuel, Markus Illko, Janet Robin & Roberto Luis Rodriguez, arrangers (The String Revolution Featuring Tommy Emmanuel)
Best Instrumental Composition
Helena’s Theme
John Williams, composer (John Williams)
Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording
The Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times
Michelle Obama
Best Children’s Music Album
We Grow Together Preschool Songs
123 Andrés
Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album
So She Howls
Carla Patullo Featuring Tonality And The Scorchio Quartet
Best Reggae Album
Colors Of Royal
Julian Marley & Antaeus
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album (TIE)
Vida Cotidiana
Juanes
De Todas Las Flores
Natalia Lafourcade
Best Latin Pop Album
X Mí (Vol. 1)
Gaby Moreno
Best Alternative Jazz Album
The Omnichord Real Book
Meshell Ndegeocello
Best Latin Jazz Album
El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2
Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Basie Swings The Blues
The Count Basie Orchestra Directed By Scotty Barnhart
Best Historical Album
Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos
Robert Gordon, Deanie Parker, Cheryl Pawelski, Michele Smith & Mason Williams, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Michael Graves, restoration engineer (Various Artists)
Best Album Notes
Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos
Robert Gordon & Deanie Parker, album notes writers (Various Artists)
Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
For The Birds: The Birdsong Project
Jeri Heiden & John Heiden, art directors (Various Artists)
Best Recording Package
Stumpwork
Rottingdean Bazaar & Annie Collinge, art directors (Dry Cleaning)
Best Comedy Album
What’s In A Name?
Dave Chappelle
Best Alternative Music Album
The Record
Boygenius
Best Alternative Music Performance
This Is Why
Paramore
Best Rock Album
This Is Why
Paramore
Best Rock Song
Not Strong Enough
Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers & Lucy Dacus, songwriters (boygenius)
Best Metal Performance
72 Seasons
Metallica
Best Rock Performance
Not Strong Enough
Boygenius
Best Musical Theater Album
Some Like It Hot
Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks & NaTasha Yvette Williams, principal vocalists; Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Bryan Carter, Scott M. Riesett, Charlie Rosen & Marc Shaiman, producers; Scott Wittman, lyricist; Marc Shaiman, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Bewitched
Laufey
Best Global Music Album
This Moment
Shakti
Best African Music Performance
Water
Tyla
Best Global Music Performance
Pashto
Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia
Best Spoken Word Poetry Album
The Light Inside
J. Ivy
Best Rap Album
MICHAEL
Killer Mike
Best Rap Song
SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS
Andre Benjamin, Paul Beauregard, James Blake, Michael Render, Tim Moore & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future And Eryn Allen Kane)
Best Melodic Rap Performance
All My Life
Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole
Best Rap Performance
SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS
Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future And Eryn Allen Kane
Best R&B Album
JAGUAR II
Victoria Monét
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Good Morning
PJ Morton Featuring Susan Carol
Best Gospel Performance/Song
All Things
Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter
Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
Theron Thomas
Best Roots Gospel Album
Echoes Of The South
Blind Boys Of Alabama
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Church Clothes 4
Lecrae
Best Gospel Album
All Things New: Live In Orlando
Tye Tribbett
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
Your Power
Lecrae & Tasha Cobbs Leonard; Alexandria Dollar, Jordan Dollar, Antonio Gardener, Micheal Girgenti, Lasanna “Ace” Harris, David Hein, Deandre Hunter, Dylan Hyde, Christian Louisana, Patrick Darius Mix Jr., Lecrae Moore, Justin Pelham, Jeffrey Lawrence Shannon, Allen Swoope, songwriters
Best Contemporary Blues Album
Blood Harmony
Larkin Poe
Best Traditional Blues Album
All My Love For You
Bobby Rush
Best Americana Album
Weathervanes
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit
Best American Roots Song
Cast Iron Skillet
Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit)
Best Americana Performance
Dear Insecurity
Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile
Best American Roots Performance
Eve Was Black
Allison Russell
Best Country Song
White Horse
Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
Best Country Solo Performance
White Horse
Chris Stapleton
Best Immersive Audio Album
The Diary Of Alicia Keys
George Massenburg & Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineers; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Alicia Keys & Ann Mincieli, immersive producers (Alicia Keys)
Best Remixed Recording
Wagging Tongue (Wet Leg Remix)
Wet Leg, remixers (Depeche Mode)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
JAGUAR II
John Kercy, Kyle Mann, Victoria Monét, Patrizio “Teezio” Pigliapoco, Neal H Pogue & Todd Robinson, engineers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer (Victoria Monét)
Best Music Film
Moonage Daydream
(David Bowie)
Brett Morgen, video director; Brett Morgen, video producer
Best Music Video
I’m Only Sleeping
(The Beatles)
Em Cooper, video director; Jonathan Clyde, Sophie Hilton, Sue Loughlin & Laura Thomas, video producers
Best Song Written For Visual Media
What Was I Made For? [From “Barbie The Album”]
Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Stephen Barton & Gordy Haab, composers
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television)
Oppenheimer
Ludwig Göransson, composer
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
Barbie The Album
Brandon Davis, Mark Ronson & Kevin Weaver, compilation producers; George Drakoulias, music supervisor
(Various Artists)
Best Tropical Latin Album
Siembra: 45º Aniversario (En Vivo en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico, 14 de Mayo 2022)
Rubén Blades Con Roberto Delgado & Orquesta
Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)
GÉNESIS
Peso Pluma
Best Dance/Electronic Music Album
Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022)
Fred again..
Best Pop Dance Recording
Padam Padam
Kylie Minogue
Lostboy, producer; Guy Massey, mixer
Best Dance/Electronic Recording
Rumble
Skrillex, Fred again.. & Flowdan
BEAM, Elley Duhé, Fred again.. & Skrillex, producers; Skrillex, mixer
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Ghost In The Machine
SZA Featuring Phoebe Bridgers
