On Feb. 4, 2024, the 66th Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena. From varying music artists to music genres, almost every musician got their chance to shine, along with big surprises throughout.
Starting with the most anticipated award (and last one to be awarded), Album of the Year. The nominees for this category were Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, Boy Genius, Jon Baptiste, Janelle Montáe and Miley Cyrus. Taylor Swift ultimately took the crown for this award due to her album “Midnights” and making history as the first musician to win Album of the Year four times. Celine Deon presented the award as a complete surprise to the audience and viewers.
On the subject of Taylor Swift, as she walked up to receive her Album of the Year award, she brought up Lana Del Rey, ultimately thanking her for her influence and inspiration on female artistry. When winning Best Pop Vocal Album, Swift announced to the audience and her fans that her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department” would be released on April 19, 2024, stating, “I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years.”
During the Grammys, there were a multitude of performances, ranging from Dua Lipa to Stevie Wonder. Miley Cyrus performed her hit single “Flowers” for the first time live and received her first two Grammys in the categories of Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. She even changed the lyrics to, “Stared to cry, but then remembered, I just won my first Grammy!” Without writing for the past three decades, Jon Bon also Jovi performed his new song at the Grammys.
Many performances and awards throughout the night were in dedication to people and cultures. One performance, including various artists, honors all the Hollywood figures who died the following year. Jay-Z won the Dr.Dre Global Impact Award, where, in his acceptance speech, he publicly criticized the academy for never giving Beyonce an Album of the Year award.
Ultimately, the 66th Grammys were a whirlwind of emotions with energetic surprises along the way.
