LOS ANGELES — The 68th Grammy Awards hijacked the Crypto. com Arena on Sunday night to commemorate a year in music that defied boundaries and set records. The evening’s most awarded artist was global phenomenon, Bad Bunny, taking home the top awards for his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Meanwhile, Lady Gaga showed she still had fight in her and walked away with several awards including Song of the Year for “Abracadabra.”
Featuring high-energy performances and emotional speeches, the show was hosted for the last time by comedian Trevor Noah. And as the music winners walked to the stage, others in those categories used their positions to talk about current events, making it a night that felt at least as much about the world as it did songs.
But with so many stars in one room, what moments really stole the show?
Historic Wins and Global Standouts
Among the most discussed moments was Olivia Dean’s upset win for Best New Artist. During an emotional speech, the British singer dedicated the award to her immigrant grandparents. Another significant moment was the first Grammy win for a K-pop act, on “Golden,” from the K-Pop Demon Hunters project, which won for music.
The ceremony also put Steven Spielberg in “EGOT” company, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner, after winning the award for Best Music Film. In a shocker, the Dalai Lama received his first Grammy for Best Audiobook Narration ahead of some well-known authors and celebrities.
Highlights from the Main Stage
They were supposed to create moments that would be unforgettable for years to come this time around. A soaring rendition of “Defying Gravity” from the Wicked film by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo was a highlight, as was Kendrick Lamar’s high-octane rap medley that kicked off the show.
Below, other Grammy Awards winners spent their time on stage using their platforms to send messages around the globe. Several artists sported pins supporting immigrant rights, and others spoke out in support of a free press, after recent arrests of journalists in the United States.
Winners of the 68th Grammy Awards
The “Big Four” Categories
• Album of the Year: Bad Bunny “Debí Tirar Más Fotos”
• Record of the Year: Bad Bunny – “DtMF”
• Song of the Year: Lady Gaga -“Abacadabra”
• Best New Artist: Olivia Dean
Pop and Dance
• Best Pop Vocal Album: Lady Gaga — Mayhem
• Best Pop Solo Performance: Lola Young, “Messy”
• Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande, “Defying Gravity”
• Best Dance/Electronic Recording: Tame Impala – “End Of Summer”
• Dance/Electronic Album: FKA Twigs – Eusexua
• Best Dance/Pop Recording: Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
• Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Laufey – A Matter Of Time
Latin and Urban
• Best Latin Pop Album: Natalia Lafourcade, “Cancionera Mourmourco”
• Best Música Urbana Album: Bad Bunny — Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Rock and Alternative
• Best Rock Performance: Yungblud ft. Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello and Adam Wakeman II, “Changes (Live From Villa Park)”
• Best Rock Song: Nine Inch Nails – “As Alive As You Need Me To Be”
• Best Rock Album: Turnstile – Never Enough
• Best Alternative Music Album: The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World
• Best Alternative Music Performance: The Cure – “Alone”
• Best Metal Performance: Turnstile – “Birds”
Rap and R&B
• Best Rap Performance: Clipse, Pusha T & Malice featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams – “Chains & Whips”
• Best Melodic Rap Performance: Kendrick Lamar ft. SZA, “Luther”
• Best Rap Song: Kendrick Lamar — “TV Off” (featuring Lefty Gunplay)
• Best Rap Album: Kendrick Lamar – GNX
• Best R&B Performance: Kehlani, “Folded”
• Best R&B Song: Kehlani, “Folded”
• Best R&B Album: Leon Thomas – Mutt
• Best African Music Performance: Tyla – “Push 2 Start”
Country
• Best Country Solo Performance: Chris Stapleton, “Bad As I’ve Been”
• Best Country Song: Tyler Childers, “Bitin’ List”
• Best Contemporary Country Album: Jelly Roll – Beautifully Broken
Film, TV, and Media
• Best Comedy Album: Nate Bargatze — Your Friend, Nate Bargatze
• Best Compilation Soundtrack: Sinners – Various Artists
• Best Score Soundtrack (Film/TV): Ludwig Göransson – Sinners
• Best Score Soundtrack (Video, Movie and Other Visual Media): Austin Wintory – Sword of the Sea
• Best Song Written for Visual Media: Huntr/x – “Golden” (K-Pop Demon Hunters)
• Best Audiobook Performance: Dalai Lama — Meditations
• Best Music VideoDoechii – “Anxiety”
• Best Music Film: Music by John Williams — John Williams
Jazz and Classical
• Best Jazz Vocal Album: Samara Joy, “Portrait”
• Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Sullivan Fortner, “Southern Nights”
• Best Alternative Jazz Album: Nate Smith, “Live-Action”
• Best Jazz Performance: Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade — ‘Windows (Live)’
• Best Orchestral Performance: Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie – Andris Nelsons (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
• Best Opera Recording: Heggie: Intelligence – Kwamé Ryan, conductor
Top Show Highlights
• Message of the ‘National Shutdown’: Many artists alluded to widespread national strikes and protests, with some dedicating wins to protesters in Minnesota.
• A Night for Legends: The “In Memoriam” segment offered an emotional salute to music legends who died over the past year, fronted by Reba McEntire and Lukas Nelson.
• Production Power: Cirkut was crowned Producer of the Year, while Amy Allen won Songwriter of the Year for her music with Sabrina Carpenter and Rosé.
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