Rewind: How the Grammys Gave Music Mentors the Microphone
Who’s winning Best New Artist? What will Lizzo be singing? How many new categories are there, even? Will Beyoncé make history and win the most Grammy Awards ever?
Questions Être girls were asking last night as they settled in to watch the 65th Grammy Awards, and we were right there with them. Having met music mentors face to face at Spotify and Billboard, and with promised Grammy performances by Lizzo and Mary J. Blige (in addition to a 50th anniversary salute featuring hip-hop stars like Missy Elliott), our girls were ready to be wowed.
And wowed they were.
Even before the awards ceremony began, Viola Davis tearfully accepted the Grammy for best audio book, narration, and storytelling, earning her the coveted EGOT – Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award combo. Davis is the 18th person to achieve the honor, and her speech immediately went viral.
Also top of mind for music lovers as the event kicked off? The Beyoncé Paradox: would she or wouldn’t she win Album of the Year? And either way, we wondered, would Beyoncé, after 88 career nominations, make history and match or break the record for most overall wins held at showtime by conductor Georg Solti?
Spoiler: While she didn't win Album of the Year, within a half-hour of the show’s start she had matched the award record and by 10PM ET she had blown right past it with a stunning 32 Grammy wins. Thanking her hive immediately on Instagram, Queen Bey also recognized the outstanding vocalists on TikTok who “killed those beautiful renditions.”
And the mentor moments continued.
Madonna gave a shout out to all the troublemakers, stating fervently that “your fearlessness doesn’t go unnoticed.” Kim Petras, making history as the first openly transgender woman to win for best pop group/duo performance, thanked “all the incredible transgender legends before me, who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight.” And Lizzo told the world how Beyoncé has inspired her since school, and called her “the artist of our lives,” perhaps referencing Adele's remarks in 2017.
There was even more to inspire girls at last night’s Grammys, as they rooted for role models close to their age.
Singers like Muni Long, whose teenage video singing the Dictionary over a track by Fergie first got her noticed, and Molly Tuttle who overcame health issues to become a top Grammy nominee, continue to encourage young artists with every note they hit and nomination they garner. When Samara Joy, called the first Gen-Z jazz star, won best new artist at age 23, girls watching at home likely stood atop tables and cheered.
Answers to the rest of the questions? Lizzo sang the About Damn Time and there were five new categories, many - like Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games - with a focus on next gen listeners.
And that’s good because girls last night were listening to more than the music. More than the speeches.
They were listening to inner voices saying things like you are not too young to raise your voice. You are not too young to write lyrics that move people. You are not too young to hum, drum your fingers, grab a guitar, or drop a mic.
You are exactly the right age to be seen and heard.
So, sing it.
Louder for the people in the back.
Looking forward,
Illana
ÊXTRAS: We have to. The fashion. Three epic outfits from last night you won’t want to miss: EGOT winner Viola Davis’ Naeem Khan fringe dress, Beyoncé’s Gucci corset bodice & skirt, and Lizzo’s Dolce & Gabbana gown with floral cape in Être’s favorite color – orange!
