The Grammy’s, a night of celebrating music and honoring artists for their work, has yet again left its audience in awe and despair. A mixture of controversial wins and honorable mentions is what made the 65th annual Grammy’s memorable. 

Many performances throughout the night sparked conversation. Bad Bunny opened the Grammys with a cultural experience. He performed his songs as Puerto Rican dancers moved around the room. Among other memorable performances, Lizzo also performed a few of her songs surrounded by a choir. Sam Smith and Kim Petras also put on a hot show. Smith wore devil horns and sang as Petras was trapped in a cage on a separate stage. 

These performers and many more were also nominated and won awards themselves. One of the most controversial wins of the night was Album of the Year. The winner of this category was Harry Styles with his third album, “Harry’s House.” This struck viewers as they believed that Beyonce should have been the one to win. A guest in the audience at the Grammys shouted the phrase, “Get off the stage!” during Styles’ acceptance speech (which also sparked controversy). Another win that opened my eyes was Song of the Year. Bonnie Raitt won Song of the Year for “Just Like That.” Nobody seemed to expect this, and neither did she! She hesitantly stood from her seat to accept the award as she looked shocked that she had just won. 

On a more positive note, many artists had historic wins. Lizzo won Record of the Year for her song “About Damn Time.” The last time a black woman won this award was when Whitney Houston won for her song “I Will Always Love You.” Beyonce also made history with her wins. She won Best Dance/Electronic Album for her album “RENAISSANCE.” This win put her at 32 total Grammy wins and broke the record for most Grammy wins in history. Kim Petras also made history with her win of Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her song “Unholy,” which she sings with Sam Smith. This was not only her first Grammy nomination and win, but she is also the first transgender woman to win this award as long as it has existed. In 2022, the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective introduced a new award called the Global Impact Award. This award was renamed after and presented to this year’s winner, Dr. Dre. 

A night full of love and frustration, the Grammy’s 2023 made history.