The 66th annual Grammy Awards have left a number of people speechless. Big moments included Taylor Swift announcing her newest album, The Tortured Poets Department, Olivia Rodrigo singing her hit song “Vampire,” and Billie Ellish performing her single “What Was I Made For” from the motion picture Barbie alongside her brother, Finneas. A good amount of memorable moments took place, with many singers taking home awards while others left in tears.
The Grammy Awards are one of the biggest award ceremonies, alongside the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards. They are hosted annually by the Recording Academy to honor and recognize outstanding achievements in the music industry. Over the years, many record-breaking artists have received awards for Album of the Year, New Artist, and many more. After a wonderful year of amazing music from artists like Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Paramore, and boygenius, the Grammys had fans anticipating this night to see what their favorite artist would take home.
Artists like SZA and Taylor Swift had the most memorable speeches. SZA ran on stage and jumped into Lizzo’s arms, and hysterically ended her speech with, “I’m not an attractive cryer. Have a good night!” However, the mood slowly changed as artists like Lana Del Rey and Olivia Rodrigo didn’t get the recognition their fans thought they deserved. Some viewers were mad when Taylor Swift dragged Lana on stage with her to accept her award.
The ceremony itself was quite memorable. Mrs. Eustice, an English teacher at Ramapo, shared that she thinks Trevor Noah did a great job with his opening monologue. “It was nice to have positive remarks made at the top of the show instead of the usual “roasting” of the celebrities in attendance. I thought the performances were great, too, especially when Tracy Chapman performed. Other notable performers were Dua Lipa and, of course, Miley Cyrus. I feel like the ceremony highlighted women in music, and it was really nice to see.” Mrs. Eustice also highlighted that she felt the only negative was that the ceremony felt very long. “I think they need to give out more awards in between the musical numbers or limit the musical numbers themselves so that the ceremony can progress a bit faster.”
Senior Valentina D’Angelo said she thought Billie Ellish had a great performance of “What Was I Made For” and that Trevor Noah’s jokes were very funny. She went on to say, “I think the Taylor Swift jokes were a little redundant.” D’Angelo stated that she thought that many of the wins should have been more publicized. She says, “I didn’t know Leon Thomas III won until days after.” She continues, “Sza and Lizzo are the cutest! She definitely deserved that award. Taylor’s shocking millions with a new album was an amazing plot twist. A lot of people are upset at Taylor for dragging Lana on stage, but I think it’s sweet considering she’s part of the album that won! Billy Joel still has such an amazing voice after almost 50 years, and I was upset to see no win for Lana and Olivia.”
The 2024 Grammy certainly seemed to leave audiences quite shocked with these memorable moments. As we come to a close on award season, what were some of your favorite moments?
