The most exciting, anticipated, and prestigious event in the music industry has arrived: the Grammy Awards.
On February 4th, the 2024 Grammy Awards took the world by storm with shocking surprises and all-time highlights. Presented by the Recording Academy of the United States, the Grammy Awards include a variety of categories such as Album of the Year, Best New Artist, and Best Music Video. Artists are nominated for an award if they meet the selection criteria, and winners are announced at the actual event. The 2024 Grammys were the 66th Annual Grammy Awards and one of the most interesting ones yet.
Trevor Noah was this year’s host, and the event took place in Los Angeles. A staggering 94 trophies were handed out by the end of the night, and many of the awards shocked the audience. For example, Taylor Swift made history this year when her album Midnights won “Album of the Year,” making her the first artist to win the prestigious prize four times. Previously, she held three Grammys and was tied with Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and Frank Sinatra. When going on stage to accept her award, she thanked her “once-in-a-generation-producer” Jack Antonoff as well as collaborator Lana Del Ray—another fan-favorite musical artist. In fact, Jack Antanoff went on to win ‘Producer of the Year, Non-Classical’ shortly after.
Taylor’s win, while incredibly impressive, was not shocking. Fans were well aware that she would receive great honors for her tremendous success in the music industry. With a prosperous career and an evident bright future, Taylor has made it her mission to pave new paths and set new records in the future. Soon after her astounding Grammys wins, she went on to announce her plan to release a new album: The Tortured Poets Department.
Another notable award to mention is Miley Cyrus’s snag of the “Best Pop Solo Performance.” Cyrus is a well-known artist and has been in the musical industry for quite some time. This was her first-ever Grammy award, and fans were proud to see her music receiving the recognition and attention it deserves. But the biggest surprise was yet to come. In fact, in the 2024 Grammys, Miley Cyrus did not walk away with one, but two Grammy awards. Later on, it was announced that Cyrus’ record “Flowers” managed to take home “Record of the Year” as well! Not only that, the empowering anthem “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish from last year’s outstanding movie Barbie soared to victory, clinching the coveted “Song of the Year” award. The song’s uplifting message resonates deeply with listeners of all ages to embrace their uniqueness and pursue their dreams with unyielding confidence.
This year, the Grammys also introduced three new awards: “Best African Music Performance,” “Best Alternative Jazz Album,” and “Best Pop Dance Recording.” Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of the Recording Academy, comments “These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape.” By adding these categories, the Grammy Awards can honor and appreciate a much broader array of artists.
The “Best African Music Performance” recognizes songs that use “unique local expressions from across the African continent,” highlighting regional melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic musical traditions. This includes Afrobeat, Afro-pop, South African hip-hop, and much more. The winner of this award in 2024 was Tyla, for her piece “Water.” On the other hand, the “Best Alternative Jazz Album” honors people whose music explores the boundaries of genres and creates hybrids that, for example, mix jazz with rap. This year, Meshell Ndegeocello was honored for her piece “The Omnichord Real Book.” Finally, the “Best Pop Dance Recording” focuses on music tailored for dancing and entertainment. In 2024, his novel award was handed to Kylie Minogue for her work “Padam Padam.” In essence, the Grammys are working to open up the music field and give more opportunities to artists who deserve more recognition and public exposure.