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The-Biggest-Highlights-from-the-2019-Grammy-Awards

The Biggest Highlights from the 2019 Grammy Awards

The biggest night in the music industry came and went with minimal controversy. This year’s Grammy Awards were packed with touching speeches, well-deserved wins and stellar performances. We’re talking musical legends like Diana Ross and Dolly Parton, and a surprise appearance by the former First Lady herself.

Like any awards show however, Sunday’s 61st annual ceremony didn’t go off without a hitch. In case you missed any of the four-hour long action, we’ve rounded up the highlights, the gossip and a healthy amount of social media drama.

When they cut Drake’s speech off 

Perhaps in the biggest plot-twist of the night, Drake—who has notoriously boycotted previous Grammy ceremonies—actually showed up to collect his trophy for best rap song.

Celebrating the hit single God’s Plan from his 2018 album Scorpion, the rapper took the opportunity to remind his fellow artists that the Grammy’s do not a winner make.

“The point is you’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you’re a hero in your hometown,” he said.

“Look, if there’s people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain and snow, spending money to buy tickets to your shows, you don’t need this right here. You already won. But—”

Drake was then cut off as the telecast went to a commercial, leaving viewers furious at the interruption.

Cardi B makes history

Cardi B won the best rap album award for her debut Invasion of Privacy, beating out Nipsey Hussle, Pusha T, Travis Scott, and the late Mac Miller, and becoming the first solo woman to take home the trophy.

The rapper gave an emotional speech that touched on her pregnancy and daughter, who was born in July.

“I want to thank my daughter,” she said. “I’m not just saying thank you because she’s my daughter. It’s because, you know, when I found out I was pregnant, my album was not complete, like three songs that I was for sure having. And then you know, you know how it was, we was like, we have to get this album done so I could still do videos while I’m still not showing. And it was very long nights.”

Ariana Grande tweeted and then deleted a series of insults as Cardi B took the stage, beating Grande’s late ex-boyfriend Mac Miller to the trophy. The singer called Miller’s snub “trash” and “literal bullshit,” before writing “sry” and deleting the posts.

Grande clarified afterwards that her tweets had “nothing to do w [Cardi]. Good for her. I promise. I’m sorry,” and called someone out for calling Cardi “trash”: “she’s not at all and that’s not what I meant and u know that,” she wrote in another, now-deleted tweet.

In a video recorded backstage at the ceremony and posted to Instagram, Cardi B dedicated her win to Miller, promising that she was “sharing this Grammy” with the late rapper.

Ariana drama 

The night also saw Grande win her first Grammy award for best pop vocal album with her record Sweetener. After a public spat with the show’s producer however, the star took to Instagram to confirm that she would not be attending the ceremony.

“I know I’m not there tonight (trust, I tried and still truly wished it had worked out tbh) and I know I said I try not to put too much weight into these things…this is wild and beautiful. Thank you so much. I love u,” she wrote on Sunday. 

Last week, the singer accused the organizer of the Grammys of lying about her reasons for withdrawing from a performance at the ceremony.

Grande still managed to steal the spotlight during the show however, dropping a series of photos that revealed her wearing her custom Zac Posen gown, which had been made for the event, around her house.

Women take center stage

This year, 15-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys led the show, stepping up as the first female host since Queen Latifah took on the role in 2005. Keeping the focus of the show on her love for music, she also enforced its female inclusivity. Last year’s ceremony was criticized for side-lining women, something that Keys was keen to address.

The star’s “sisters,” Lady Gaga, Jada Pinket-Smith and Jennifer Lopez, were invited onto the stage to each tell a personal story of how music changed their life and were joined by a certain former First Lady.

In a surprise appearance, Michelle Obama was forced to restart her speech, after her initial attempts were drowned out by applause.

“From the Motown records I wore out on the South Side, to the Who Run The World songs that fueled me through the last decade, music helps me tell my story,” she said.

“Music helps us share ourselves, our dignities and our sorrows. Music shows us all of it matters, every story with every voice, every note in every song.”

Captioning a photo of the group that she posted to Twitter, the former First Lady said she showed up for her close friend Alicia Keys—“one of the most genuine and thoughtful people [she knows].” 

Powerful performances

Our favorite performances of the night included Alicia Keys’ piano medley on two pianos (at the same time), Dua Lipa and St. Vincent’s seriously cool collaboration with Masseduction/One Kiss, Lady Gaga’s theatrical performance of Shallow and Kacey Musgraves serene version of Rainbow.

In answer to the question: “Was Jennifer Lopez the right person to choose to do a Motown tribute?” We think not.

Big winners 

Childish Gambino took three of the night’s biggest awards—record of the year, song of the year and video of the year—for his track This Is America. The song became the first hip-hop track to win song of the year, with Alicia Keys and John Mayer accepting the award when the rapper and actor didn’t turn up to the ceremony.

Lady Gaga also won big, accepting two awards for the soundtrack for the movie A Star Is Born. Gaga used her speech to discuss the importance of opening up about mental health, revealing that she was “so proud to be a part of a movie that addresses mental health issues” and adding: “We gotta take care of each other. So if you see somebody that’s hurting, don’t look away.”

While her co-star Bradley Cooper represented the film at the BAFTAs, Gaga bagged a further trophy for best vocal performance for Joanne.

Kacey Musgraves triumphed by winning album of the year and Dua Lipa was the only British artist to take home a trophy in a major category. Accepting her two trophies, Lipa made a small dig at the Recording Academy, thanking “all the incredible female artists” and saying “I guess we’ve really stepped up.” 

You can find a complete list of winners here.

Further reading: Kevin Hart Steps Down As Oscars Host

See Also:
The Met Gala’s Best and Worst Dressed Highlights 

Best Books to Read This Fall

Six of the Best Books to Read This Fall

Nothing screams fall quite like curling up in your cosiest pyjamas on the sofa before getting stuck into a good book. Here, we highlight the best books to read this fall.

Bitter Orange, Claire Fuller

Set in the luridly hot summer of 1969, Bitter Orange follows one woman’s claustrophobic obsession with a couple she meets in a run-down country house in England. Best-seller Claire Fuller’s third novel is the psych thriller you never knew you needed to read this fall. This intoxicating story breathlessly meshes themes of betrayal, right versus wrong and secrecy together; a chilling read for a chilly season.

This Will Only Hurt a Little, Busy Philipps

Actress—and Instagram’s favorite mama—Busy Philipps (well known for her roles in 2004’s White Chicks) has written a memoir and it’s every bit as refreshing, funny and honest as you’d hope. Philipps delightfully touches on life growing up in Arizona and those painful, formative teenage years to the Hollywood experience in this all-encapsulating autobiography. No wonder it’s high up on our list of best books to read this fall.

Becoming, Michelle Obama

Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s highly anticipated memoir is due to be published this November—and we can’t wait. The autobiography is a candid illustration of her life’s path from growing up in Chicago and motherhood to balancing the challenging responsibilities that come with being one of America’s most important women. Obama is a sharp writer, a purveyor of unwavering wit and totally unabashed in sharing her failings.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris

After being sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Lale Sokolov is tasked with the job of tattooing fellow victims with numbers—a symbol now so synonymous with the violence of the Holocaust. When he meets a woman waiting in line to be marked, he falls in love. Lale makes it his mission to protect himself and his love in this gripping, courageous and unforgettable tale of life during the Holocaust.

A Spark of Light, Jodi Picoult

Of course Jodi Picoult is included in our list of favorite books to read this fall. The number one bestselling author returns with a heart-stopping story about a gunman who takes victims hostage in a reproductive clinic. The lives of those who happened to be at the clinic on that fateful day begin to intertwine, as Picoult explores themes of abortion, women’s rights and empathy. 

See What I Have Done, Sarah Schmidt

If you’re a fan of Netflix’s Making a Murderer (2017), then this is for you. Author Sarah Schmidt reimagines the unsolved true crime case of the Lizzie Borden murders. Be transported back to 1892 and enter the Borden household to discover tales of jealousy, sibling rivalry and dark, insidious secrets in this glittering novel. Paula Hawkins (The Girl on the Train) calls it “eerie and compelling”.

Further reading: 10 Best Books of 2016