There are 91 awards up for grabs at Sunday’s 65th Grammy Awards, but one in particular could determine how history views this year’s ceremony.
The 10 artists nominated for the prestigious Album of the Year trophy include pop idol Harry Styles, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, hip-hop great Kendrick Lamar and beloved Grammy vocal powerhouses Brandi Carlile. and Adele. But all eyes, at the Crypto.com Arena and at home, will be on Beyoncé, whose critically acclaimed LP “Renaissance” generated nine Grammy nominations this year and who, despite all her Grammy accolades – tied with husband Jay-Z for most Grammy nods (88); winner of 28 Grammys in her career – never won album of the year.
As she prepares to embark on a sold-out world stadium tour, Beyoncé is doing great, thank you. It’s hard to say the same about the Grammys, which, like all TV awards shows on the network, have seen their ratings plummet over the years and, perhaps worse, have struggled with the perception that they don’t properly recognize black music and its artists, especially those who are part of the hip-hop generation.
The Grammys have done an admirable job in recent years of making their constituency younger and more inclusive, and it shows in the nominations: Lamar is second with eight; Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” is the first Spanish-language album to be awarded a nod to album of the year. R&B polymaths Lizzo and Steve Lacy are battling for song and record of the year. But all that progress, says The Times’ Mikael Wood, will be largely in vain if Beyoncé doesn’t walk away Sunday night with the Grammy equivalent for best picture.
Here are some other key awards and performance to watch:
* Taylor Swift is nominated for Song of the Year for the sixth time, for ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version)’. Amazingly, the woman considered a generational songwriter never claimed this award.
* The Best New Artist category is wide open this year. With Brazilian singer Anitta, alternative rock duo Wet Leg, bluegrass singer-guitarist Molly Tuttle, R&B artist Muni Long and rapper Latto, plus five others among the nominees, your guess is as good as ours. (we’re guessing Tuttle).
* Confirmed artists include Styles, Bad Bunny, Lizzo, Lacy, a 50th anniversary tribute to hip-hop with Grandmaster Flash, De La Soul, Missy Elliott, Future, GloRilla, Lil Wayne, Public Enemy and many more, and an In Memoriam segment honoring, among others, Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac, country legend Loretta Lynn and rapper Migos Takeoff.
Trevor Noah will host the ceremony, which airs at 5 p.m. on KCBS-TV Channel 2 and streams on Paramount+.
The premiere ceremony, where most of the 91 Grammy Awards are presented, will be streamed live on the Recording Academy’s YouTube page and live.grammy.com, beginning at 12:30 p.m. PT.
And the Times will publish everything live, from the top prize at the first brunch-time ceremony to the last of the evening.
4:01 p.m. Closing the premiere ceremony, Tobias Jesso Jr. was named the first-ever Songwriter of the Year, while Jack Antonoff received the Producer of the Year award. Jesso’s banner year included work with Omar Apollo, Marcus Mumford and Harry Styles, leading to her first-ever Grammy win, and raising eyebrows that it could bode ill later in the evening for Beyoncé, whose frequent collaborator , The-Dream, Jesso, Jr .defeated. Antonoff, meanwhile, has won Producer of the Year twice in a row. — K.D.
3:52 p.m. Dave Chappelle just won his fourth Grammy comedy album for his controversial stand-up comedy “The Closer,” which prompted protests and walkouts from the Netflix streamer’s employees due to Chappelle’s transphobic comments. — K.D.
3:49 p.m. Taylor Swift may not have been nominated for an Oscar for ‘All Too Well: The Short Film,’ but she now has a Grammy, surpassing Adele, Beyoncé, BTS, Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles and Doja Cat in the very category. competitive music videos. Swift is nominated for four Grammys this year, including Song of the Year. -CM
3:40 p.m. Bonnie Raitt’s “Made Up Mind” just won for Americana performance, while her song “Just Like That” won for American Roots. She’s now won 12 Grammys and could walk away with more tonight – ‘Just Like That’ is also up for Song of the Year. Moments later, Brandi Carlile picked up her third Grammy of the afternoon, winning in the Americana album category for “In These Silent Days.” “Bonnie Raitt is my heroine,” exclaimed Carlile from the podium during her acceptance speech. — K.D.
2:33 p.m. Panamanian salsa legend Rubén Blades and Brazilian pop group Boca Livre took home Latin pop album honors, for their joint LP “Pasieros.” Boca Livre is the first Brazilian group to win in this category since Roberto Carlos in 1989. – SE
2:30 p.m. Spanish singer Rosalía won the Grammy for Latin or Alternative Rock Album for her famous “Motomami”. The LP was also named Album of the Year at the Latin Grammys.
The Grammy for Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano) went to Natalia Lafourcade, for “Un Canto por México, El Musical”. Lafourcade also won the category in 2021, for his “Un Canto por México Vol. 1.” —Suzy Exposito
2:28 p.m. Willie Nelson, 89 and older, won his 11th Grammy on Sunday, winning Best Solo Country Performance for “Live Forever.” He beat out Zach Bryan (controversial, Bryan’s only Grammy nominee this year), Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini. Nelson turns 90 in Los Angeles on April 29, when friends and peers celebrate his storied career and songbook with the first of two nights of supercooked tributes at the Hollywood Bowl. -CM
2:05 p.m. The R&B categories welcomed new and old winners to their ranks.
Muni Long, a nominee in the Best New Artist category, won her first Grammy for an R&B performance, for her breakthrough hit “Hrs & Hrs.”
For the third time, Beyoncé won the Grammy for Traditional R&B Performance, for the sultry “Renaissance” cut “Plastic Off the Sofa.” The song was co-written and produced with Syd, lead singer and songwriter of the LA Internet band; additional writers include R&B singer Sabrina Claudio, Nick Green, and Patrick Paige II.
And Steve Lacy’s “Gemini Rights” won the Grammy for Progressive R&B Album. His debut single, “Bad Habit,” soared to the top of the Billboard 100, marking the Angeleno native’s first No. 1 hit. —SE
Doja Cat arrives at the 65th Grammy Awards on Sunday.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
2:03 p.m. Future’s “Wait for U,” which features Drake and Tems, just won for its melodic rapping performance. The song beat out contenders Kendrick Lamar, Jack Harlow and Latto, as well as DJ Khaled’s “Beautiful,” which features Future. It’s Future’s second Grammy win and the first for Tems, the Nigerian singer who also starred in Beyoncé’s “Renaissance.” — K.D.
1:56 p.m. British duo Wet Leg beat Arctic Monkeys, Big Thief, Florence + the Machine and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to win an alternative music performance, for their delicious hit ‘Chair Lounge’. “What are we doing here? I don’t know, but here we are,” they said shyly as they accepted the trophy. They then returned to the podium moments later to accept the alternative music album award. , for their self-titled debut album – CM
1:51 p.m. Kendrick Lamar just won two Grammys for “The Heart Part 5,” winning for Rap Song and Rap Performance. The song saw the Compton-born rapper speak from the perspective of various black superstars who have sparked controversy in recent years, including Will Smith, Kanye West and Jussie Smollett. It’s her second straight win in the rap performance category, following last year’s “Family Ties” featuring Baby Keem. Lamar is up for six more Grammys tonight and is a strong bet to win a rap album. —Kenan Drauhorne
1:48 p.m. Brandi Carlile, throwing devil horns on her way to the podium, beat Ozzy Osbourne, Turnstile, Bryan Adams, Idles, the Black Keys and Beck to win the Grammy for Rock Performance. Carlile has seven Grammy nominations, including Record and Album of the Year. Minutes later, Osbourne’s “Patient Number 9” won Best Rock Album, while Carlile’s “Broken Horses” won Best Rock Song. —Craig Marks
1:37 p.m. Michael Bublé picked up his fifth career Grammy, winning for Traditional Pop Vocal Album for “Higher,” his 11th album, featuring collaborations with Paul McCartney and Willie Nelson. Bublé has earned 12 career Grammy nominations and beat out Kelly Clarkson, Norah Jones, Pentatonix and Diana Ross for the win. – A B
1:04 p.m. Beyoncé just won the first of what should be many Grammy Awards today, for the dance/electronic recording of “Break My Soul”, the lead single from her sprawling ode to black queer club culture, “Renaissance “. She joins Donna Summer, Janet Jackson and Rihanna as black women to win this award. Beyoncé leads the pack this year with nine nominations. – A B
12:30 p.m. Hello, music fans! Whether you’re waking up from Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy gala or you’re always in the long line for Roots’ Grammy Jam at the El Rey, we’re thrilled you’re following our coverage of the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
This year features the most star-studded lineup in recent memory across major categories, with hit albums from Beyoncé, Adele, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles and more vying for top prizes.
But first, the premiere ceremony will honor winners in dozens of genre and technical categories. We’ll be covering some of the highlights and big wins throughout the afternoon until the main show starts at 5 p.m. PT. —August Brown
