by Claire Marcellini (’26) | March 1, 2024
The 66th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 4 this year. While there were some controversial moments, the Grammys overall was a successful event full of glamor and excitement. In case you missed it, here were some of the highlights and lowlights of the 2024 Grammys.
The night kicked off with some incredible performances from iconic stars. Dua Lipa started off the list of singers, performing a teaser of her new single and singing her hit pop song from Barbie, “Dance the Night Away.” Later that night, she took home two Grammy awards for that same hit—Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media.
One of the most notable singers of the night by far was Joni Mitchell. She played her hit song “Both Sides Now” with her band members Brandi Carlile, Blake Mills, Allison Russell, Lucius, and Jacob Collier. Mitchell also went home with a well deserved win for Best Folk Album of the Year.
Many fans were excited to see singer-songwriter Laufey be presented with her first ever Grammy for Traditional Pop Vocal Album for her album Bewitched. Laufey graced the stage at the Premiere Ceremony with a rendition of her biggest hit “From the Start.”
On a similar note, many were surprised to see Miley Cyrus earn her first Grammy ever for her 2023 track “Flowers.” She beat several other distinguished female artists for Record of the Year, winning over popular tracks such as “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift, and “Kill Bill” by SZA.
Others were ecstatic to see Victoria Monét and SZA receive Grammys of their own. Monét accepted the award for Best New Artist, calling her prize the fabulous finish to a “15-year pursuit.” She was mainly known for her songwriting at the start of her career, specifically her work with Ariana Grande. Over time, she branched out and finally released her first solo album, Jaguar II, in 2023. She said that she felt as though she were “sprouting” with this piece of work. Victoria Monét also brought home Best R&B Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, that night.
In the past few years, SZA has earned 15 nominations, yet she only won once on a collaboration with Doja Cat. This year, she accepted the awards for Best R&B Song for “Kill Bill,” Best Progressive R&B Album for SOS, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Ghost in the Machine” with Phoebe Bridgers.
Jack Antonoff, a producer who is known for his work with stars like Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, earned the title of Producer of the Year. His work on albums such as Being Funny in a Foreign Language by The 1975, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey, and Midnights by Taylor Swift demonstrate the reason for his critical praise.
One of the most talked about moments of the night came from Swift and Del Rey themselves. After winning Album of the Year, Swift pulled Lana Del Rey up to the stage to join her in her acceptance speech. Many fans noted that while the intentions may have been positive, Del Rey was also in the running for Album of the Year, and the action could be perceived as insensitive considering her loss. Nevertheless, the ceremony was a huge feat for Swift, who won both Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year for her tenth studio album Midnights. Swift became the first artist ever to win Album of the Year four times, surpassing the likes of Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder, who have each won the prestigious award three times. During her acceptance speech for Best Pop Vocal Album, Swift thanked her fans by announcing her eleventh album, The Tortured Poets Department.
This year’s Grammys was filled with more performances ranging from Billie Eilish’s Barbie track “What Was I Made For?” to some of Travis Scott’s live hits from his newest album Utopia. From surprise album announcements to well-deserved wins for underappreciated artists, this year’s annual awards show was definitely one for the books.
