Somehow after Beyoncé became the winningest artist in Grammy history with 32 gramophones, she still managed to come off as a loser — yet again — when Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House” won Album of the Year over B’s “Renaissance.”
But — deep breath — how could Beyoncé still not have an Album of the Year gramophone after four nominations, when she should already have at least two?
Her game-changing surprise self-titled set lost to Beck’s “Morning Phase”2015. “Lemonade” — one of the best albums of the century — bowed out to Adele’s “25”2017
But the Queen B wasn’t the only artist to get snubbed — or pull a surprise — at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Here, we look back on some of the other major shockers on music’s biggest night.
Snub: Taylor Swift
Yes, T-Swizzle — who dutifully showed up to the awards even though she (and everybody else) knows that 2024 is really her year— won Best Music Video for “All Too Well: The Short Film,”For the song she was nominated, Song of the Year nor Best Country Song did not win her any gramophones. “Red” “I Bet You Think About Me.” While this has been a great move for Swift from a principal and pocketbook standpoint, it’s not exactly what the Record Academy wants to award yet with so much truly new music out there.
Surprise: Bonnie Raitt
Who doesn’t love Bonnie Raitt? But when you’re competing against the likes of Adele, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift and Lizzo — all superstars at the top of their game — it just doesn’t make any kind of sense that the 73-year-old would win Song of the Year for “Just Like That” — a tune that most people (like, almost everybody) haven’t even heard.
Surprise!
Um…who is 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 are not, indeed, rigged — expect to see her streams go through the roof tomorrow.
Mary J. Blige: Snub
Wait a minute — so Mary J. Blige, the indisputable Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, was nominated for Album of the Year for “Good Morning Gorgeous” for only the second time in her career (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 when you are nominated for Album of the Year and you can’t even win in your own genre category — especially a deserving diva such as MJB — something is wrong with the system.
Surprise: Madonna
When you’re the Queen of Pop, you only step out to present awards when it really means something to you. And after all of her work and representation for the LGBTQ community over the years, Madonna sure was the perfect person to present the performance of non-binary artist Sam Smith and trans singer Kim Petras — who had already become the first trans performer to win a Grammy when their “Unholy”Earlier in the evening, she won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. As she launches her new album, Madonna made it logical to remind people of her impact as a strong LGBTQ ally. “The Celebration Tour”Later this year, she will celebrate her 40th Anniversary in Music.
Surprise: Samara Joy
No clear favourite emerged from a diverse group that included Wet Leg, a Brazilian indie band, and Anitta, a Brazilian pop star. At the end of the day, the edge seemed to 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 somehow, who has been compared to Sarah Vaughan, surprised everyone in one of the night’s biggest shockers.
Surprise: Bad Bunny
Did it go to Adele? Harry Styles, or Adele? Or was it going to be the ever-elusive Beyoncé opening the 65th annual Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena — opening the first time the show has been held in LA since COVID shut the world down? However, the first place went to Bad Bunny of Puerto Rico. He made history. “Un Verano Sin Ti,”The first Spanish-language album to win Album of the Year. His medley includes “El Apagon” “Despues De La Playa,” he brought the fiesta through the audience — no social distancing in 2023! — Bad Bunny made up for his no-show at last November’s American Music Awards, where he was the top nominee. While he could have went a little harder on wardrobe — his white t-shirt and jeans made him look like he was still in rehearsals — he got the party started after a semi-slow start. He performed a lively, but chaotic show that got Taylor Swift and Jack Harlow as well as Berry Gordy (93 years old founder of Motown) out of their chairs.
Surprise! Beyonce tied the record in traffic
When Beyoncé tied the record for the most Grammy wins ever, she was — in true diva fashion — late showing up to the awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
But seriously, CBS, weren’t they supposed to wait for her to arrive?
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 one of the all-time diva moments.
Legendary Nile Rodgers who wrote and played guitar “Cuff It,”This was compensated by an emotionally charged speech which made the situation all better.
Snub: Diana Ross
The 78-year-old Motown queen — who somehow has been underrated and underappreciated as an artist over a supreme six decades — had never won a competitive Grammy in her legendary career, despite 12 nominations. Her unlucky 13th nomination, for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, continued the streak. “Thank You”On Sunday Night, ),
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