One way or the other after Beyoncé became the winningest artist in Grammy history with 32 gramophones, she still managed to return off as a loser — yet again — when Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House” won Album of the Yr over B’s “Renaissance.”
But — deep breath — how could Beyoncé still not have an Album of the Yr gramophone after 4 nominations, when she should have already got at the least two?
Her game-changing surprise self-titled set lost to Beck’s “Morning Phase” in 2015, and “Lemonade” — probably the greatest albums of the century — bowed out to Adele’s “25” in 2017.
However the Queen B wasn’t the one artist to get snubbed — or pull a surprise — on the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Here, we glance back on a few of the other major shockers on music’s biggest night.
Snub: Taylor Swift
Yes, T-Swizzle — who dutifully showed as much as the awards regardless that she (and everybody else) knows that 2024 is de facto her 12 months— won Best Music Video for “All Too Well: The Short Film,” she failed to select up gramophones for either Song of the Yr or Best Country Song for the tunes that were nominated for her re-recorded versions of “Red” and “I Bet You Think About Me.” While this has been an awesome move for Swift from a principal and pocketbook standpoint, it’s not exactly what the Record Academy desires to award yet with a lot truly recent music on the market.
Surprise: Bonnie Raitt
Who doesn’t love Bonnie Raitt? But whenever you’re competing against the likes of Adele, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift and Lizzo — all superstars at the highest of their game — it just doesn’t make any type of sense that the 73-year-old would win Song of the Yr for “Just Like That” — a tune that the majority people (like, almost everybody) haven’t even heard.
Surprise: Muni Long
Um…who’s Muni Long? Well, hopefully the world will get hip to this R&B singer-songwriter after she beat out not only Grammy winners Mary J. Blige and Jazmine Sullivan but Beyoncé — let’s repeat that, Beyoncé — for Best R&B Performance for “Hrs & Hrs.” Proof that the Grammys usually are not, indeed, rigged — expect to see her streams undergo the roof tomorrow.
Snub: Mary J. Blige
Wait a minute — so Mary J. Blige, the indisputable Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, was nominated for Album of the Yr for “Good Morning Gorgeous” for less than the second time in her profession (after 2005’s “The Breakthrough”), she lost out to neo-jazzman Robert Glasper — a worthy winner in his own right — for “Black Radio III.” But if you find yourself nominated for Album of the Yr and you may’t even win in your individual genre category — especially a deserving diva corresponding to MJB — something is flawed with the system.
Surprise: Madonna
Once you’re the Queen of Pop, you simply step out to present awards when it really means something to you. And in any case of her work and representation for the LGBTQ community through the years, Madonna sure was the right person to present the performance of non-binary artist Sam Smith and trans singer Kim Petras — who had already grow to be the primary trans performer to win a Grammy when their “Unholy” won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance earlier within the night. Actually, it made sense that Madonna is reminding folks about her own impact last as a fierce LGBTQ ally as she gets set to launch her “The Celebration Tour” honoring her fortieth anniversary in music later this 12 months.
Surprise: Samara Joy
It was a fairly open field for Best Recent Artist 12 months, with no clear favorite amongst a motley crew that ranged from buzzy indie duo Wet Leg to Brazilian star Anitta. At the top of the day, the sting looked as if it would go Italian glam rockers Maneskin for perfectly playing the industry game — and helping to revive a dying genre. But a 23-year-old jazz vocalist from The Bronx one way or the other, who has been in comparison with Sarah Vaughan, surprised everyone in considered one of the night’s biggest shockers.
Surprise: Bad Bunny
Was it going to be Adele? Was it going to be Harry Styles? Or was it going to be the ever-elusive Beyoncé opening the sixty fifth annual Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena — opening the primary time the show has been held in LA since COVID shut the world down? However the primo placement went to Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny, who made history with “Un Verano Sin Ti,” the primary Spanish-language LP to be nominated for Album of the Yr. Kicking off his medley of “El Apagon” and “Despues De La Playa,” he brought the fiesta through the audience — no social distancing in 2023! — Bad Bunny made up for his no-show finally November’s American Music Awards, where he was the highest nominee. While he could have went a bit of harder on wardrobe — his white t-shirt and jeans made him appear like he was still in rehearsals — he got the party began after a semi-slow start. His festive if somewhat chaotic performance got Taylor Swift, Jack Harlow and even 93-year-old Motown founder Berry Gordy out of their seats.
Surprise: Beyonce ties the record stuck in traffic
When Beyoncé tied the record for probably the most Grammy wins ever, she was — in true diva fashion — late showing as much as the awards on the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
But seriously, CBS, weren’t they presupposed to wait for her to reach?
Still, when Viola Davis — who had already made history herself by becoming an EGOT by winning a Grammy for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling for the audio book of her memoir, “Finding Me” — presented the award for Best R&B Song to a no-show Beyoncé, who was apparently stuck in LA traffic, it was considered one of the all-time diva moments.
The legendary Nile Rodgers, who co-wrote and plays guitar on “Cuff It,” helped to make up for it with an emotional speech that made all of it good.
Snub: Diana Ross
The 78-year-old Motown queen — who one way or the other has been underrated and underappreciated as an artist over a supreme six a long time — had never won a competitive Grammy in her legendary profession, despite 12 nominations. The streak sadly continued along with her unlucky thirteenth nomination (Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for “Thank You”) on Sunday night.