The 65th Grammy awards show was a night full of showstopping performances, musical praise and record-breaking. Here’s what went down Sunday night.

Performances 

Comedian and former host of “The Daily Show” Trevor Noah hosted the Grammys for the third time this year. Noah delivered a laugh-out-loud opening monologue in which he gave a special shoutout to several artists that were present and even brought out Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to meet Adele for the first time. 

The performances this year included Bad Bunny, who opened the ceremony, Harry Styles, Steve Lacy, Sam Smith, Lizzo, Brandi Carlile and more. Stevie Wonder made a special appearance and sang songs such as “The Way You Do the Things You Do” and “Tears of a Clown” with Smokey Robinson, who walked out in a snazzy blue suit. Wonder also performed “Higher Ground” with Chris Stapleton, giving viewers a nice blend of country and R&B. 

One of the main themes of the Grammys this year was the celebration of 50 years of hip-hop. Arguably the best performance of the night featured hip-hop and rap artists from 1973 and forward, who came together to honor five decades of a musical genre that shaped America. The performance contained artists such as Grandmaster Flash, Public Enemy, Black Thought, Salt-N-Pepa, Missy Elliot, Lil Uzi Vert and several others. The collaboration conveyed how hip-hop has evolved over the decades and through generations. 

Awards

Kicking off the awards was Jennifer Lopez presenting Best Pop Vocal Album which went to Harry Styles for his 2022 album “Harry’s House.” Styles beat Adele, ABBA and Lizzo in this category. 

Beyoncé collected two Grammys, one for Best R&B Song and one for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album. These two wins had Beyoncé breaking the record for most Grammy wins held as she currently holds 32 Grammy awards. 

Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ win in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their song “Unholy” made history. Petras is the first transgender woman to win a Grammy in that category. Smith and Petras went on to showcase their hit song in an amorous performance. 

In the Best Musica Urbana category, Bad Bunny won out of the five nominees for his album “Un Verano Sin Ti.” Bad Bunny remains the winner of this category, winning for the past three years. In his acceptance speech he reminded the audience that “when you do things with love and passion, everything is easier.” 

The biggest category of the night, which was teased with fan videos, was Album of the Year. It was the last award given out and the most anticipated. There were ten nominees including Adele, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and ABBA, who all lost to Harry Styles. This well-deserved win brought Styles to win a total of three Grammys this year. 

Notable mentions

Artist, rapper and innovator Dr. Dre won the Global Impact Award for his 40-year career of being a singer/songwriter. Famed hip-hop artist LL Cool J presented the award and announced that from here on out, the award will be named after Dr. Dre. The award honors the artist who has made some of the biggest and most inspiring global impacts in the world of music.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden presented the award for Song of the Year which went to Bonnie Raitt for her song “Just Like That.” This was a shock to many as Raitt was up against Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Adele, Lizzo and Harry Styles. 

Record of the Year went to Lizzo for her energetic pop album “About Damn Time.” She lovingly dedicated her win to Prince and thanked Beyoncé for inspiring her to create positive music that made people feel good. It’s safe to say that Lizzo does just that.