This year the 63rd Grammy Awards were a socially distant ceremony hosted from downtown Los Angeles. Artists like Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift performed at the event. Host Trevor Noah brought the laughs and there were also tears during the In Memoriam segment where stars paid tribute to music legends who had passed on. Here are five memorable moments from the night.
Trevor Noah’s clever opening monologue
Talk show host and comedian Trevor Noah managed to pack in a dig at the Royal Family, a joke about the difficulties of the pandemic and jokes about current events. The delivery of his edgiest joke “Tonight is going to be the biggest outdoor event this year besides the storming of the Capitol,” was spot on.
Taylor Swift performs a medley from her albums Evermore and Folklore
Swift performed a medley on a stunning fairy-tale-inspired set. The performance featured songs like “Cardigan,” “August” and “Willow.” Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner from The National who worked on the album with her also joined her on stage.
Touching In Memoriam segment brings the audience to tears
Last year, the music industry lost nearly 1,000 people including Rock icon Little Richard, Country singer Kenny Rogers, and singer-songwriter John Prine. Artists like Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, Lionel Richie, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, and Chris Martin performed heartfelt musical tributes to these legends. Swift’s “Folklore” won Album of the year making her the first woman to win in this category three times.
“I can’t breathe” by H.E.R wins “Song of the Year”
The song “I Can’t Breathe,” was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and H.E.R who wrote it shared the trophy with co-writers Dernst Emile II and Tiare Thomas. It was a fitting win and in her acceptance speech, H.E.R said, “I didn’t imagine that my fear and my pain would turn into impact and it would possibly turn into change.”
Beyonce becomes the most winning performer in Grammy history
The artist won her 28th Grammy for the best R&B performance for her single Black Parade, which is a lyrically powerful song that alludes to Black history and activism.