On Feb. 4, the biggest names in music gathered in Los Angeles, California, to celebrate the annual Grammy awards, a show dedicated to honoring what the recording academy has deemed the best music released in the last year. The Grammys feature performances from some of the world’s biggest stars, with names like SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, Luke Combs, Billie Eilish, and more performing their top hits. 80 year old folk legend Joni Mitchell even made her Grammy debut with a moving performance of her song “Both Sides, Now.” It is an impactful night that recognizes the efforts and accomplishments of musicians around the world by recognizing the artists’ creativity and popularity with the public..
Every year, music fans gather around their televisions, eager to see who will win the main 3 categories: Record of the year, Song of the year, and Album of the year. All three awards were won by three different female artists this year, a fitting end to a 2023 year in media that can only be described as the year of women. Miley Cyrus took home record of the year for her smash hit “Flowers,” which took radios by storm upon its release in January of 2023. Cyrus won her first ever Grammy earlier in the night for best pop solo performance for the same song. Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas took home song of the year for “What Was I Made For” from the soundtrack of the “Barbie” film, a beautiful song about the female experience that captured the essence of the “Barbie” movie perfectly. The main award, album of the year, was given to Taylor Swift for her 2022 album “Midnights.” Swift winning album of the year was the biggest moment of the night, as she made history by becoming the first person in history to win album of the year 4 times. Swift also announced her brand new album entitled “The Tortured Poets Department,” set to release on April 19th, 2024, after her Midnights album won best pop vocal album, a surprise announcement that dropped the jaws of fans watching around the world.
However, it was Phoebe Bridgers that was the biggest winner of the night, taking home a whopping number of four Grammys, one for her solo music and three with her band Boygenius - made up of Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julian Baker. Bridgers earned best pop duo/group performance for her song “Ghost in the Machine,” while Boygenius won best rock performance and best rock song for “Not Strong Enough” and best alternative music album for “The Record.” SZA, Victoria Monét, and Killer Mike all tied for second with three Grammys apiece. Monét took home the coveted Best New Artist award among talented artists like Ice Spice, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, and Jelly Roll, all artists who are slated to have successful music careers ahead of them. Jack Antonoff took home his third straight producer of the year (non classical) award for his work with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Ray and The 1975.
Once again, the Grammys had another successful year filled with starpower, great performances, and awarded some fantastic music from the past year. As established artists release more music and new artists move up the ranks of the industry, they all work hard towards receiving a prestigious Grammy award and attending the distinguished event. The 2024 Grammys will go down as a success as fans and artists are already looking forward to the 2025 Grammys.