American musician Jon Batiste
Credit: © Ron Adar, Shutterstock

For the 64th time, musicians gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, April 3rd to celebrate the past year‘s music. The Grammy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. South African comedian and television personality Trevor Noah hosted the awards show. American jazz pianist Jon Batiste won album of the year for “We Are,” in addition to 4 more of the 11 awards for which he was nominated. R&B duo Silk Sonic won record of the year for “Leave the Door Open.” American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo won three awards. She walked away from her first Grammy Awards after winning best new artist, best pop solo performance, and best pop vocal album. Doja Cat and SZA won best pop duo or group performance for “Kiss Me More.” Although Kanye West was not in attendance, he and Jay-Z won best rap song for “Jail.” In the rock genre, the Foo Fighters stole the show—winning best rock performance, best rock song, and best rock album only a week after the loss of their drummer Taylor Hawkins. Billie Eilish performed “Happier than Ever” wearing a T-shirt with the photograph of Hawkins. BTS performed their hit song “Butter” with a James Bond theme. Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lil Nas X performed among other artists.

American entertainer Olivia Rodrigo
Credit: © Tinseltown, Shutterstock

The Grammy Awards are presented annually in the United States to honor excellence in the recording arts and sciences. Grammys currently are awarded in more than 80 categories in pop, rock, country, jazz, blues, gospel, folk, rap, Latin, and classical music, as well as engineering, producing, and music videos. Lifetime achievement awards are also presented by the Academy to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. Winners receive awards modeled after an old-fashioned record player called a gramophone. The term Grammy comes from the word gramophone.

American musician Billie Eilish in concert
Credit: © Ben Houdijk, Shutterstock

To be eligible for a Grammy, recordings must have been released during a one-year eligibility period defined by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Members of the Academy and record companies submit entries, which are screened for eligibility and category placement. The Academy’s voting members nominate five finalists in each category. Members then vote for the winners. The Academy consists of musicians, producers, and other recording professionals.

Members of the South Korean pop group BTS are, left to right, front row: Suga and V. Back row: J-Hope, RM, Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook.
Credit: © RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

The first Grammys were awarded in 1958. Since 1971, the Grammy Awards have been presented on a live television special. Today, the special is watched by many millions of viewers throughout the world. In 1997, the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences was established as a separate organization with its own awards ceremony. The first Latin Grammys were awarded in 2000. Latin Grammys recognize excellence in international Latin music in more than 45 categories. Latin Grammys are selected by voting members of the Latin Recording Academy and follow many of the same rules as the other Grammys.

American rap artist Lil Nas X
Credit: © Denise Truscello, Getty Images

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion
Credit: © Scott Dudelson, Getty Images

On March 14, 2021, the 63rd Grammy Awards were held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center. Because of the ongoing pandemic (global outbreak) of the coronavirus disease COVID-19, very few people were in attendance. In an open-air tent, nominees—in masks coordinated with their couture (custom clothing)—sat at their own tables spaced several feet or meters from other guests. Winners accepted their awards on stage. As the winners approached the stage, they removed their stylish, protective coverings, revealing wide smiles and making it easier to understand their acceptance speeches. The South African comedian and television personality Trevor Noah hosted the event.

British singer Dua Lipa
Credit: © Kevin Mazur, Getty Images

Many concert venues have been closed for the past year. So, music’s biggest night acted as a three-hour music festival. The night began with performances by such musicians as Billie Eilish and Harry Styles. Throughout the night, performers from a variety of genres played electrifying sets that spurred dance parties across the country, even if the dance parties were limited to the sofa. The British singer Dua Lipa performed her hits “Don’t Start Now” and “Levitating,” with an appearance by the American rapper Da Baby. Country music artists Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, and Maren Morris gave soulful performances. The American rapper Lil Baby delivered a powerful performance of his song “The Bigger Picture.” Inspired by the worldwide protests set off by the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, the song is anthem for racial justice. Other performers included the Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, the Korean pop music group BTS, and the American hip-hop musician Post Malone.

Perhaps the most anticipated performances of the night were those by the American rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B. Megan delivered a rousing show, which included her hit “Savage.” Cardi B then performed her song “Up” and was joined by Megan to sing “WAP.”

Beyoncé is a popular American singer and actress. She first gained fame as a member of the singing group Destiny’s Child. In the early 2000′s, Beyoncé established herself as a successful solo performer. Credit: © Shutterstock

Women dominated the winner’s circle. Taylor Swift won album of the year for Folklore. Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia won best pop vocal album. Miranda Lambert took home the award for best country album for Wildcard. For her song “Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish accepted the award for record of the year. In her acceptance speech, Eilish said she believed the award should have gone to Megan Thee Stallion. But, the rapper did not go home empty handed. Megan won the award for best new artist. Megan went on to share two more awards—best rap performance and best rap song—with the American singing legend Beyoncé, who was featured on “Savage.” These wins—along with several others—earned Beyoncé the record for most lifetime Grammy wins by a female artist.