2021 Grammys Makes History with Historic Wins

Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and H.E.R win big at this year’s music awards. 

By Isabelle Delostrinos
Culture Columnist

The 63rd Grammy award show took place on Sunday March 14 in the heart of Los Angeles. In an effort to bring some normalcy to the world, after what seem to be years of Zoom events and canceled shows, producers allowed an in person event for the annual show. An outdoor stage was set under a large tent in Downtown LA, where the view of the Staples Center acted as the backdrop to the evening. Host Trevor Noah, most known for his show The Daily Show, began the night with a short tour of the space. Artists were seated with one other guest of their choice, at socially distant tables. Everyone wore a mask and were only able to remove it for acceptance speeches. Noah even threw a cheesy joke in the mix, stating “This is going to be the rare award show where the white stuff going up people’s noses is cotton swabs” (Pitchfork. 2021). 

Once concerns about COVID related issues were addressed, the night finally began with an opening performance by Harry Styles singing Watermelon Sugar, quickly followed by Billie Eilish and her song Everything I Wanted. Because of the small event space and limitations from COVID, these first performances were quite intimate. Styles and Eilish were limited to bringing on just their band when performing their nominated songs. The larger production performances were saved for artists who went on later in the night like Dua Lipa, who performed her hit songs Levitating with DaBaby and Don’t Start Now. She later received the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album of the Year, which featured these two songs. 

New features were added to compensate for the smaller show and less extravagant acts. Producers created a short trailer of artists as a preview to their performances. For instance, Post Malone talked about his childhood and how music played a huge role in his life. He mentioned his parent’s appreciation for music and how he ended up being the only member in his family to carry a tune. These confessional style clips before performances was something not traditionally done at the Grammys. 

In light of the impacts COVID had on small businesses, the Grammys showed their appreciation for historical concert venues across the country. It has been a challenging year for the entertainment industry as theatres and indie locations have had to close their doors for over a year. But the Grammys hopes to keep these names alive by allowing the owners of places such as The Troubadour, Apollo Theater and the Station Inn, to reflect on the history they each hold. Along with the short tributes to these places, the owners of these venues were given the opportunity to present the awards for some of the special categories. 

In the end, the Grammys were still able to put on a successful show with true in person performances and celebrity appearances. If you missed the show, here’s a recap on some of the artists who emerged victorious this year. 

• Album of the Year went to Taylor Swift’s Folklore
  
• Song of the Year went to the Bay Area’s very own, H.E.R. for I Can’t Breathe
  
• Megan Thee Stallion took home three shiny new Grammys for Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for Savage featuring Beyonce.
  
• Billie Eilish regrettably snagged the Record of the Year category with Everything I Wanted. She spent a portion of her speech praising Megan Thee Stallion, as she felt her work was more deserving of the Grammy
  

And lastly, two historical moments were made from Beyonce and her daughter Blue Ivy. Beyonce became the most-winning singer, male or female, in all 63 years of the Grammys. She now holds 28 trophies, with one being shared with her daughter. Blue Ivy earned Best Music Video for Brown Skin Girl along with her mother, and becomes the youngest person to have taken home a Grammy.