The biggest night in music just happened, and the Grammys had many iconic moments to go with it.
The 61st Grammy Annual Awards went down at 4 am Monday morning (10.02.19) East African Time in Los Angeles, California hosted by award-winning singer Alicia Keys. The ceremony recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, which ran from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018.
With that said here are the most memorable moments of the awards ceremony.
Michelle Obama’s Grammy Awards appearance
The opening of the 61st Grammy Awards was like no other, shortly after the host Alicia Keys came on stage to introduce the show, she called on her ‘sisters’ to come to the stage.
Former American First Lady and ‘Becoming’ author Michelle Obama, Latina singer and actress Jenniffer Lopez, Actress Jada Pinkett Smith, and award-winning singer Lady Gaga walked onto the stage to kick off the 61st Grammys. These women are legends in their own right, instrumental in shaping conversations in various fields.
“From the Motown records I wore out on the South Side, to the ‘who run the world’ songs that fueled me through this last decade, music has always helped me tell my story. And I know that’s true for everybody here,” Mrs. Obama said.
Cardi B makes history by winning best rap album
From a stripper to reality TV star to an A list celebrity, American rapper Cardi B at only 26-year-old made history at the 2019 Grammy Awards and understandably got pretty emotional.
She won the Best Rap Album award for her debut album “Invasion of Privacy,” beating out rappers Nipsey Hussle, Pusha T, Travis Scott, and the late Mac Miller. Cardi B is the first female solo act to win the award for Best Rap Album. During her speech, the rapper, taking the stage with Offset, teared up while talking about her pregnancy and daughter, who was born in July of 2018.
Childish Gambino makes Grammys history with “This is America” win
Donald Glover popularly known as Childish Gambino is a 35-year-old American musician, actor, and comedian who made history at this year’s Grammys with hip-hop’s first-ever wins in the Song of the Year and the Record of the Year categories. Hip-hop dominated this year’s record of the year nominees, which featured the likes of Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin’s “I Like It” alongside Drake’s “God’s Plan,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “All The Stars,” and Post Malone’s “Rockstar,” featuring 21 Savage. “This is America” was one of the most talked about songs last year. Released on May 5th, 2018, the song addresses the wider issue of gun violence in the United States, the high rate of mass shootings in the United States, bringing attention to the longstanding racism and discrimination against African Americans.
Black Excellence toast at the Roc Nation pre Grammy brunch
At the star-studded Roc Nation Pre-Grammy brunch on Saturday, (08.02.19) hosted by rapper Jay-Z’s entertainment company, saw rapper Meek Mill and comedian Kevin Hart team up to give a motivational speech. The duo then went on to share a toast with music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, legendary rapper Jay-Z, RnB star Usher, producer Swizz Beatz and many more to celebrate Black Excellence.
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Motown tribute flop
The Grammys bring controversies every year and this year it was all about Jenniffer Lopez. Iconic Latina singer Jennifer Lopez performed during tonight’s Grammy Awards show in a tribute to the American record label, Motown. However, many music lovers were not impressed and they questioned the selection of a non-black musician considering how a number of talented artists who have a deeper connection to the Motown sound could have bodied this concept with more ease. There was also objection due to fact that the ceremony is held during Black History Month, the Grammy’s skipped an opportunity to honor Black culture properly by tapping the “Love Don’t Cost A Thing” singer for the act. Many took to Twitter to protest the lackluster performance.
Sorry. I’m not letting that Motown tribute go. It was horrible, the antithesis to everything Motown ever represented. It was a Black— people and culture— label that promoted Black talent— people and culture— with class and dignity AND SOUL!!!! #grammys
— Demetria L. Lucas (@demetriallucas) February 11, 2019
Some winners of the night included, Drake’s “God’s Plan” for Best Rap Song, Best New Artist Dua Lipa, Best Pop Duo Performance went to Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper for “Shallow”, Best RnB song was Ella Mai’s “Boo’d up”, Pop Vocal album of the year was Arianna Grande’s “Sweetener” and the Best Reggae Album was won by Shaggy and Sting’ s “44/876” album.