A Motown tribute, Alicia Keys dual-piano performance and Diana Ross' 75th birthday celebration were only a few of the noteworthy moments of Sundays Grammy Awards. Full of music veterans and first-timers, Keys emphasized the overarching theme of the award ceremony: to share in the love of music.
The "Girl on Fire" singer is the first female host in 14 years–Queen Latifah hosted the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005. Along with a female host, women dominated Sunday's award ceremony, with a woman winning Album of the Year, Best Rap Album, Best New Artist and more.
Here is the full list of winners:
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Fall In Line - Christina Aguilera, featuring Demi Lovato
Don't Go Breaking My Heart – Backstreet Boys
'S Wonderful – Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
Shallow – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper (WINNER)
Girls Like You – Maroon 5, featuring Cardi B
Say Something – Justin Timberlake, featuring Chris Stapleton
Song of the Year
"All The Stars" – Kendrick Duckworth, Solana Rowe, Al Shuckburgh, Mark Spears and Anthony Tiffith, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar & SZA)
"Boo'd Up" – Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai & Dijon McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)
"God's Plan" – Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)
"In My Blood" – Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes & Geoffrey Warburton, songwriters (Shawn Mendes)
"The Joke" – Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
"The Middle" – Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha & Anton Zaslavski, songwriters (Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey)
"Shallow" – Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)
"This Is America" – Donald Glover, Ludwig Goransson & Jeffery Lamar Williams, songwriters (Childish Gambino) (WINNER)
Best Country Album
Unapologetically – Kelsea Ballerini
Port Saint Joe – Brothers Osborne
Girl Going Nowhere – Ashley McBryde
Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves (WINNER)
From A Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton
Best Rap Song
"God's Plan" – Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake) (WINNER)
"King's Dead" – Kendrick Duckworth, Samuel Gloade, James Litherland, Johnny McKinzie, Axel Morgan, Mark Spears, Travis Walton, Nayvadius Wilburn & Michael Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future & James Blake)
"Lucky You" – R. Fraser, G. Lucas, M. Mathers, M. Samuels & J. Sweet, songwriters (Eminem Featuring Joyner Lucas)
"Sicko Mode" – Khalif Brown, Rogét Chahayed, BryTavious Chambers, Mike Dean, Mirsad Dervic, Kevin Gomringer, Tim Gomringer, Aubrey Graham, Chauncey Hollis, Jacques Webster, Ozan Yildirim & Cydel Young, songwriters (Travis Scott, Drake, (Big Hawk) & Swae Lee)
"Win" – K. Duckworth, A. Hernandez, J. McKinzie, M. Samuels & C. Thompson, songwriters (Jay Rock)
Best R&B Album
Sex & Cigarettes – Toni Braxton
Good Thing – Leon Bridges
Honestly – Lalah Hathaway
H.E.R. – H.E.R. (WINNER)
Gumbo Unplugged (LIVE) – PJ Morton
Best Rap Album
Invasion of Privacy – Cardi B (WINNER)
Swimming – Mac Miller
Victory Lap – Nipsey Hussle
Daytona – Pusha T
Astroworld – Travis Scott
Best New Artist
Chloe x Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa (WINNER)
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith
Record of the Year
"I Like It" – Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J BalvinInvincible, JWhiteDidIt, Craig Kallman & Tainy, producers; Leslie Brathwaite, Kuk Harrell, Evan LaRay & Simone Torres, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
"The Joke" – Brandi CarlileDave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Tom Elmhirst & Eddie Spear, engineers/mixers; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer
"This Is America" – Childish Gambino, Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, producers; Derek "MixedByAli" Ali, Riley Mackin & Shaan Singh, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer (WINNER)
"God's Plan" – Drake, Boi-1Da, Cardo & Young Exclusive, producers; Noel Cadastre, Noel "Gadget" Campbell & Noah Shebib, engineers/mixers; Chris Athens, mastering engineer
"Shallow" – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga & Benjamin Rice, producers; Brandon Bost & Tom Elmhirst, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
"All The Stars" – Kendrick Lamar & SZAAl Shux & Sounwave, producers; Sam Ricci & Matt Schaeffer, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
"Rockstar" – Post Malone Featuring 21 SavageLouis Bell & Tank God, producers; Louis Bell, Lorenzo Cardona, Manny Marroquin & Ethan Stevens, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
"The Middle" – Zedd, Maren Morris & GreyGrey, Monsters & Strangerz & Zedd, producers; Grey, Tom Norris, Ryan Shanahan & Zedd, engineers/mixers; Mike Marsh, mastering engineer
Album of the Year
Invasion of Privacy – Cardi B, Leslie Brathwaite & Evan LaRay, engineers/mixers; Belcalis Almanzar & Jorden Thorpe, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
By The Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Dave Cobb & Eddie Spear, engineers/mixers; Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer
Scorpion – Drake, Noel Cadastre, Noel "Gadget" Campbell & Noah Shebib, engineers/mixers; Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters; Chris Athens, mastering engineer
H.E.R. – H.E.R., Darhyl "Hey DJ" Camper Jr, David 'Swagg R'Celious' Harris, H.E.R., Walter Jones & Jeff Robinson, producers; Miki Tsutsumi, engineer/mixer; Darhyl Camper Jr & H.E.R., songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
Beerbongs & Bentleys – Post Malone, Louis Bell & Post Malone, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Louis Bell & Austin Post, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
Dirty Computer – Janelle Monáe, Chuck Lightning & Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate "Rocket" Wonder, producers; Mick Guzauski, Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate "Rocket" Wonder, engineers/mixers; Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Taylor Parks & Janelle Monáe Robinson, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves, Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, producers; Craig Alvin & Shawn Everett, engineers/mixers; Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers (WINNER)
Black Panther: The Album, Music From and Inspired By (Various Artists) – Kendrick Lamar, featured artist; Kendrick Duckworth & Sounwave, producers; Matt Schaeffer, engineer/mixer; Kendrick Duckworth & Mark Spears, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
Memorable Moments at Sunday's Grammys
Keys made quite the splash while hosting the Grammys. Showing talent of her own, performing multiple songs throughout the night, the host showed off her piano skills with a dual-piano performance.
The 38-year-old also had some surprises up her sleeve, including a former first lady as a guest. Michelle Obama recieved roars of applause as she walked on stage to join entertainment prodigies Lady Gaga, Jada Pickett Smith and Jennifer Lopez.
The 61st Grammy Awards not only honored today's music icons but played tribute to veteran musicians who continue to make waves within the music industry and inspire others.
Dolly Parton performed with Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Maren Morris and more during her tribute to her musical achievements and philanthropic work as MusiCares Person of the Year.
Diana Ross was also honored on Sunday in unison with celebrating her diamond birthday. The 75-year-old rocked a voluminous red dress while belting classic hits like "The Best Years of My Life" and "Reach Out and Touch."
Next on the honorary performance list was a tribute to the music recording company, Motown. Jennifer Lopez led quite the performance alongside Smokey Robinson while paying tribute to the various classic R&B songs including "Please Mr. Postman," "Do You Love Me" and "My Girl."
Lastly, and possibly the biggest snub of the night, was Miller's album Swimming not being awarded Best Rap Album. While the rapper was included in the memoriam section of the awards ceremony, people were clearly upset on social media when Cardi B took the title.
"The fact that the Grammys planned on flying mac miller's grieving parents out for the show acting like he was gonna win an award just to choose another artist actually just broke my heart. This doesn't even have anything to do with Cardi, it is just so insensitive," one Twitter user wrote.
Fans also tweeted a picture of a since-deleted tweet from Miller's ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande. It isn't clear whether the tweet was directed toward Miller not winning, however, fans definitely seemed to take it that way.
My reaction to Cardi winning best rap album and beating Mac Miller. pic.twitter.com/zctruab3Sf
— your actual grandma (@adultalyssa) February 11, 2019
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Hannah Preston works remotely from the Los Angeles area. She studied Journalism & New Media at California Baptist University and interned ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
