The 2024 Grammys, hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, took place on Sunday, Feb. 4, and was an amazing night for a promising new generation of musicians and returning icons. This year, the Grammys introduced new categories for Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album, and Best Pop Dance Recording bringing new excitement to the show.
Here are some of my favorite moments from the show: Boygenius won their first Grammy during the Premiere Ceremony. “Oh my God, I want to throw up,” band member Lucy Dacus said as the group accepted their Best Rock Performance trophy for “Not Strong Enough.” The group’s reaction was very authentic, that I enjoyed seeing new humble artists. However, the trio were anticipating the win. They had been working hard “in hopes of getting discovered,” which was also seen by their next win for Best Alternative Music Album.
Killer Mike won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “Scientists & Engineers,” and Best Rap Album for “Michael,” making Sunday an amazing night for him and his career. I felt as though Killer Mike’s speech was inspiring and wholesome. “I want to thank everyone who dares to believe art can change the world,” he said. One could say, his speech gave a sense of deja vu. Personally, it reminded me of the reason I chose to pursue visual and performing arts, at a young age, to show people how different yet similar I am to everyone.
Tracy Chapman joined Luke Combs, country musician, on stage for her first performance since 2015. Chapman’s return created nostalgia for many nominees and viewers, bringing warmth and comfort to the hearts of thousands. After the performance, the aura in the show was quiet, but content.
Laughter filled the show when Meryl Streep and Mark Ronson were announcing the Record of the Year Winner. Streep got confused between a record and an album, resulting in Ronson giving a quick lesson on the difference between Record, Song, and Album Of The Year. The small mishap did not seem staged, but genuine making the entire thing even more hilarious.
Miley Cyrus won Best Pop Solo Performance for “Flowers,” and she delivered a performance to celebrate. “Started to cry, but then remembered, I just won my first Grammy!” she joyfully sang. It soon flourished on every social media platform, and became a Instagram Reel sensation. I still have the Grammys version of the song stuck in my head. Her performance was one of the most enjoyable of the show; even Oprah Winfrey was dancing along. “Flowers” also won Cyrus Record Of The Year.
Celine Dion was brought in as a surprise presenter for Album of the Year, which was the final award of the night. “They are an absolute global icon,” film producer and director Ben Winston said before the show. “I think jaws will drop to the floor. People will be on their feet.” He was absolutely right. Dion’s arrival shocked many and brought a much needed energy boost at the end of the show.
The most prominent artist of the night was Taylor Swift. She began by winning her 13th Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album for “Midnights.” She also announced her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” Many Swifities were ecstatic. To make it an even more memorable night for Taylor, she won her fourth Album of the Year award, breaking the record for the most Album of the Year awards earned by one artist in the history of the Grammys. “All I [Taylor Swift] want to do is keep being able to do this,” she said, promising to continue her hard work. Although, I had no doubt that Taylor was breaking records this year with her musical career growing exponentially. The 2024 Grammys, though may not be as iconic as the 26th Annual award show during 1984 with Michael Jackson, still got a lot of attention. The addition of new categories and returning of nostalgic artists showed that the Grammys will be moving forward with the rest of the world. To my mind, I loved laughing and watching performances for the evening with my family and friends.
