The 66th annual Grammy Awards, often dubbed “Music’s Biggest Night,” were held on Feb. 4, 2024. Hosted by Trevor Noah, the exciting night was full of historic wins, energetic performances, and celebrities galore. While I love discussing everything from outfits to interactions between iconic musicians, it’s the award wins that prompt endless predictions and really glue me to the screen. Let’s take a look at some of the most noteworthy wins.
Best Pop Solo Performance Goes to Miley Cyrus
The Endless Summer Vacation singer took home her first Grammy Sunday night for “Flowers,” which would later win Record of the Year. This has been a long-awaited accolade for the former Disney star who has been releasing original music since 2007. After being handed the award by Mariah Carey, Cyrus uttered “This M.C. is going to stand by this M.C. because this is just too iconic.”
Jack Antonoff Wins Producer of the Year (Non-Classical)
Jack Antonoff is officially the second person to win Producer of the Year three years in a row. Antonoff has had a long and successful career, winning Best New Artist and Song of the Year in 2013 as a part of the band Fun. He has since worked with Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, and The 1975 — to name a few.
SZA Wins Best R&B Song
As the most nominated artist of the night, tons of eyes were on SZA as she won Best R&B Song, Best Progressive R&B Album, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The SOS singer ran out on stage with a smile saying, “Sorry, I’m out of breath. because I was changing. Then I took a shot, and I ran here…You don’t really understand. I came really, really far, and I can’t believe this is happening, and it feels very fake.”
Boygenius Takes Home Best Rock Performance
Boygenius, one of my personal favorites, is a queer supergroup, composed of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. After winning their first-ever Grammy for their performance of “Not Strong Enough,” the trio scurried up to the stage to give a heartfelt speech. The three singers looked overjoyed with Dacus stating “We were all delusional enough as kids to think that this might happen to us someday…I would practice writing an acceptance speech and thank all of the people that have been nice to me, like my bus driver and the guy who held the door at church, so I feel kinda like a kid, because that was the last time that something like this felt possible. This just, like, isn’t real.” The group also won Best Rock Song for “Not Strong Enough” and Best Alternative Album for The Record.
Tyla Wins Best African Music Performance
Tyla, a South African singer took home the first ever Best African Music Performance Grammy for her song “Water.” The 22-year-old is definitely one to watch as she only has a handful of songs out and is already making waves in the music industry. Her debut album is set to be released in March.
Song of the Year Goes to Billie Eilish
Song of the Year, which recognizes great songwriting, went to the tear-jerking ballad “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish. The song, written for the 2023 film Barbie, also won Best Song Written for Visual Media. During her acceptance speech, Eilish made it clear that she did not think she would win, saying “Damn, dude. I am shocked out of my balls…Thank you to Greta Gerwig for making the best movie of the year.”
Victoria Monét is the Grammy’s Best New Artist
Victoria Monét has a long history as a songwriter and is finally being recognized for her own work. She received Grammy nominations in 2020 for her work on Ariana Grande’s Thank You, Next and has worked with the likes of Chloe x Halle, Fifth Harmony, and Brandy. Besides Best New Artist, she went home with both Best R&B Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for her debut album Jaguar II.
Taylor Swift Wins Album of the Year
As a hardcore Swiftie, I began searching for Miss. Swift the moment the broadcast started. Earlier in the day, Swift had changed her Instagram profile to a photo in black and white. Many fans, myself included, took this as a sign that Swift would be announcing the re-recorded version of her 2017 record Reputation, which has a black and white theme. However, when accepting the award for Best Pop Vocal Album, Swift sent out shockwaves. In honor of her 13th Grammy win, Swift announced her 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department, an announcement that landed me, quite literally, on the floor.
Later in the night, Swift made history as the first-ever artist to win Album of the Year four times. It serves as a wonderful send-off as fans prepare to leave the Midnights era behind. During her historic win, she reiterated her love of her job to the fans, stating “I would love to tell you that this is the best moment of my life, but I feel this happy when I finish a song, or when I crack to code to a bridge I love, or when I’m shortlisting a music video, or when I’m rehearsing with my dancers or my band, or getting ready to go to Tokyo to play a show. For me, the award is the work. All I wanna do is keep being able to do this. I love it so much, it makes me so happy.”
The 2024 Grammys was an incredible night for music, full of a variety of talents and inspirational speeches. While we wait for next year’s ceremony, there will certainly be tons of new music to enjoy!