The Grammy’s are known for celebrating the best in the music industry, honoring talented artist and their work recognizing their outstanding achievements. This past Sunday, February 4, 2024, the 66th annual Grammy Awards took place in Los Angeles California in the Crypto.com Arena. This night was filled with incredible performances, emotional speeches, and of course, the excitement of finding out who will take home some of the most prestigious awards. This event creates unity by bringing music lovers together from all over the world to enjoy a spectacular show and witness unforgettable moments. 

Some of the amazing performances were put on by Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, Billy Joel, Laufey, Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman, Miley Cyrus, SZA, Travis Scott, and U2 among others. These performances were truly breathtaking as they all demonstrated different genres of music. The performances all worked together to celebrate the music industry as a whole and the different choices each artist was able to make. Along with the usual performances, there were heartwarming honoring performances such as Stevie Wonder’s tribute to Tony Bennett; Jon Batiste’s honoring Clarence Avant; Annie Lennox for Sinead O’Connor; and Fantasia Barrino’s remembering Tina Turner. 

Some of the most notable wins include:

Best pop solo performance: Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”

Best R&B song: SZA, “Snooze”

Best pop vocal album: Taylor Swift, “Midnights”

Song of the year: “What Was I Made For?” (from the motion picture “Barbie”) – Billie Eilish

Best new artist: Victoria Monét

Album of the year: “Midnights” by Taylor Swift

Country Duo/Group Performance – “I Remember Everything” by Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves

With just about 16.9 million Americans tuning into the Grammy Awards ceremony, some Hingham High School students describe their experiences watching the ceremony as ‘exciting’ and ‘unexpected’. Junior Bilyana Wilkin commented, “I loved how Zach Bryan won his first Grammy for the song ‘I Remember Everything’ as I believe it was very deserved!” Over the past year, Zach Bryan has gained a substantial amount of followers with the release of his studio album titled Zach Bryan. Junior Maggie Kelleher exclaimed,  “Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman’s performance was literally the best performance I have ever seen at the Grammys”. The synthesis of Luke Combs’s new version with the original helped develop the true meaning of the Grammys which is coming together to celebrate music. 

Junior Clare Lowther said, “It was shocking to me how Taylor Swift got her 13th Grammy but I think it was well earned. I was also excited for Miley Cyrus to win her first Grammy because I find it shocking that she has not received one for her previous work especially her hit song Party in the USA”. Many Taylor Swift fans were previously speculating about the announcement of her 13th album due to the history of Taylor Swift’s announcements. In the Taylor Swift fandom, it is also well known that her lucky number is 13, and with fans hoping for her to win her 13th Grammy they hoped for a 13th album as well. 

The 66th annual Grammy Awards was a night to remember, filled with unforgettable performances and emotional speeches. From Billie Eilish to Stevie Wonder to Taylor Swift, the music industry came together to celebrate talent and creativity. With millions of viewers tuning in, it was a unifying event that showcased the power of music to bring people together from all over the world. Whether it was the excitement of seeing your favorite artist win or perform the Grammy Awards proved once again why it is one of the most prestigious events in the music industry.