A historical and emotional night at the Grammy Awards

Michael Marowelli

The Grammy Awards was a memorable show of extraordinary talent and history in the making. This year’s three hourlong music award show aired on Feb. 5 and was hosted by Trevor Noah. 

Kicking off with a satirical monologue, Noah poked fun at the latest news of the Chinese balloon and former United States President Donald Trump.

The show celebrated the music industry with countless performances featuring artists such as  Luke Combs, Lizzo, Ice Cube and many more.  These performances proved to be better than last years’ with more energy and passion.

The most memorable event was American country singer Kacey Musgraves who performed during the remembrance of people the music industry lost in 2022. Rapper Quavo also performed in honor of his Migos brother, Takeoff, who was tragically killed last year. 

Quavo performing for Takeoff made me feel happy yet sad at the same time because it is hard to fathom that he passed away.

To commemorate outstanding artists in the music industry, titles such as “Best Albums” and “Best Songs” were awarded. As the awards were handed out, it was revealed that Harry Styles won Best Pop Album, Willie Nelson won Best Country Album and Beyoncé won the Best R&B song for her song “Cuff it.”

The night was noteworthy with the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance given to Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy.” Petras made history as the first transgender woman to win the award, which was an equally defining moment for her career and the music industry. 

Viewers also witnessed history in the making as Beyoncé collected her 32nd Grammy award, the largest number won by any individual.

The Best Rap Album award went to “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers” by Kendrick Lamar. Although I was not surprised by this win, many believed Drake’s popular album “Certified Lover Boy” should have won instead. 

A new addition to the Grammys is the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, which recognizes the individual with a significant influence in the music industry and general community. The recipient for the award was none other than Dr. Dre himself.

As the night came to a close, the presentation for Song of the Year went to Bonnie Raitt for her piece “Just Like That.” However, I think that Lamar’s soulful “The Heart Part 5” deserved this award.

As I sat on my couch watching the last performance, I kept thinking about what an incredible event it was from honoring “Takeoff” to Dr. Dre getting the appreciation he deserves. We were all able to witness an emotional night of history.