If one thing is true about the Grammys, it is to expect the unexpected. And the 2024 Grammys, hosted by Trevor Noah, delivered on that front and then some. From shocking winners, Jay Z shamming basically everybody over Beyonce, red carpet stunts, and an arrest—yes, you read that right, an arrest—the Grammys had it all this year.
Let's start things off with Jay Z. The rap icon was awarded the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, and during his acceptance speech, he proceeded to pick up where Kanye West left off when he stormed the stage in 2009 to say Beyonce deserved the award over winner Taylor Swift. Back then Kanye made Beyonce look uncomfortable, and this time it was Jay Z's turn to make the 32-time Grammy winner turn red.
"We want y'all to get it right. At least getting close to right... Obviously it's subjective because, you know, it's music and it's opinion-based... I don't want to embarrass this young lady [Beyonce], but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn't work. Think about that. The most Grammys, never won Album of the Year. That doesn't work," Jay Z said.
You could just feel how uncomfortable Beyonce was. (But listen, she'll be fine, she has 32 Grammys to make her feel good.)
Now let's move on to that previously mentioned arrest. Earlier in the night, the rapper Killer Mike swept the rap categories, winning three Grammys, before being escorted from the Crypto.com arena in handcuffs. The Hollywood Reporter reported a security official stating that Mike was detained on a misdemeanor charge but did not clarify the nature of the charge.
One of the most touching moments of the night was the surprise appearance by Celine Dion, who has all but retired because of her 2022 diagnosis of stiff person syndrome. She presented the Album of the Year to Taylor Swift. (Who made news herself earlier by announcing her new album and by seeming to ignore Dion onstage. The pair were, however, snapped together backstage, so all is well in the world of pop divas.) While Dion might be suffering, she looked amazing and I forgot how much I've missed her.
Before we get to the awards, can we talk about the red carpet? One of the things I love about the Grammys is that the fashion is more adventurous. Taylor Swift went more traditional, Billie Eilish went in comfort, and Victoria Monet shined!
As for the awards, it was the year of the woman. Why? Because they dominated the top awards. Between Taylor Swift, Billie Elish, SZA, Miley Cyrus and Victoria Monét, they scooped up all the top prizes. My favorite quote of the night was from Cyrus, while accepting the award for Record of the Year, she ended with, "I don't think I'm forgetting anybody, but I may have forgotten underwear."
Here are the major winners of the night...
Album of the Year: Midnights, Taylor Swift
Record of the Year: "Flowers," Miley Cyrus
Song of the Year: "What Was I Made For?," Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters
New Artist of the Year: Victoria Monét
Best Pop Solo Performance: "Flowers," Miley Cyrus
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Ghost in the Machine," SZA feat. Phoebe Bridgers
Best Pop Vocal Album:Midnights, Taylor Swift
Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical: Theron Thomas
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Jack Antonoff
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
A writer/comedian based in Los Angeles. Host of the weekly podcast Parting Shot with H. Alan Scott, every week H. Alan is joined by a different celebrity. Past guests include Tom Hanks, Keke Palmer, Melissa McCarthy, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Probst, Tiffany Haddish, Jamie Lee Curtis, Idris Elba, Bette Midler, and many more. He also writes the Parting Shot portion of the magazine, the iconic last page of every issue. Subscribe to H. Alan's For the Culture newsletter, everything you need to know in pop culture delivered to your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday. H. Alan has previously appeared on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Ellen, CNN, MTV, and has published work in Esquire, OUTMagazine and VICE. Follow him @HAlanScott.