As the 62nd Grammy Awards Sunday evening came to a close, Billie Eilish’s rise to stardom had never been more apparent.
Eilish, only 18 years old, came away with five awards, including the four biggest awards for Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year. In doing so, Eilish became the youngest ever artist to win Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
She also became the first female artist to sweep all four of the most important categories, or “the big four.”
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Despite the Grammys being a night of celebration, the tragic death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant on January 26, the same day as the ceremony, put a cloud of sadness over the event. The Grammys were held in the Staples Center, which is the same building Bryant played in as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Several artists performed tributes to Bryant, and his jersey appeared throughout the night as a reminder of his legacy.
The late Nipsey Hussle, another legend of LA, also received a heartfelt tribute, and the buzz in the room didn’t feel as joyful or celebratory as usual.
In the last decade, the Grammys have been a site of criticism, especially with artists like Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé being snubbed in major categories. Just last week, recently appointed president and CEO of the Recording Academy, Deborah Dugan, was placed on administrative leave following accusations of “financial and voting improprieties,” according to NPR.
Dugan was originally installed as CEO in order to fight criticism that the Recording Academy is too white, too male, and not hip to real music culture. She has since issued a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which includes allegations of sexual misconduct and vote rigging, also according to NPR.
Despite all this controversy behind the scenes, there weren’t too many controversial winners this time around.
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Tyler the Creator took home the Grammy for Best Rap Album with his project “IGOR.” 21 Savage and J. Cole won Best Rap Song with “A Lot,” and Nipsey Hussle, Roddy Rich, and Hit-Boy won the grammy for Best Rap Performance with “Racks in the Middle.”
Anderson .Paak and Lizzo took home a number of awards on the R&B side of things, with .Paak winning best R&B album and Lizzo winning Best Contemporary Urban Album.
For a comprehensive list of the winners, click here.