After being postponed in January, the Grammy Awards took place on the 14th of March.
Despite the controversies over snubs (The Weeknd, in particular), the ceremony hosted by Taye Diggs provided proper recognition to numerous female contenders. From pop icons topping the major awards to multiple historical wins, music’s greatest night highlighted women in the industry, unlike any other edition.
Beyoncé made history last night when she took home 4 Grammy awards. The singer has now a total of 28 Grammys, which makes her the ceremony’s most awarded woman to this day. Beyoncé was nominated in nine categories, including two in the big four for “Black Parade”, a non-for-profit single released during the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. Her daughter Blue Ivy received a Grammy for her participation in the music video “Brown Skin Girl”, making her the youngest Grammy recipient in history at the age of 9.
“Taylor Swift’s Folklore was a significant shift from its bubbly-pop predecessor Lover“
Taylor Swift also made history last night after she received the “Album of The Year” award for the third time, becoming the only woman to ever do so. Swift’s Folklore was a significant shift from its bubbly-pop predecessor Lover, featuring a mature indie-folk sound and complex storytelling. The singer also performed a medley alongside co-writers and producers Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner that included the following songs: “Cardigan”, “August”, and “Willow”.
Dua Lipa did not leave empty-handed. Future Nostalgia, her successful disco-driven sophomore album, was awarded “Best Pop Vocal Album” shortly after her electrifying performance of “Levitating” and “Don’t Start Now”. DaBaby, who had performed “Rockstar” earlier on during the ceremony, also joined Lipa on stage.
Megan Thee Stallion won big at the Grammys with a total of 3 wins. The rapper was the recipient of “Best New Artist”, “Best Rap Performance”, and “Best Rap Song”. She also performed her hit “Savage” together with Grammy-winner Cardi B.
“Song of the Year” was given to H.E.R. for “I Can’t Breathe”, and Billie Eilish won “Record of the Year” for the second time in a row. Eilish used her speech to acknowledge Megan Thee Stallion and why she was more deserving of the recognition.
“Best Rock Performance” and “Best Alternative Album” went to Fiona Apple prior to the ceremony.
Miranda Lambert’s “Wildcard” was awarded for “Best Country Album”, a category in which all the nominees were women. Lambert also sang in the award show alongside Mareen Morris and Mickey Guyton.
In the past, the Recording Academy had faced multiple complaints due to its lack of diversity and female recipients in the major categories. This year was the first time that the most important awards were given to women individually, ever since Billie Eilish won all of them last year.
Isabella Soares
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Isabella Soares
Isabella Soares, is a 19 year-old born and raised Brazilian who aspires to become a red carpet journalist. She is a recent Broadcast and Media graduate from the Louis Riel Arts and Technology Centre in Winnipeg, Canada. Other than contributing to "Empoword Journalism", Isabella writes for Stylus Magazine and The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents U.S.A. She also hosts the "Iconic Stop" podcast, in which she shares entertainment news recaps on a weekly-basis.