2023 Grammys: Beyoncé breaks wins document, loses prime awards

Beyoncé was the massive winner — and loser — on the sixty fifth Grammy Awards.

The iconic singer, who led the sector with 9 nominations this 12 months, received 4 Grammys on Sunday, giving her 32 over the course of her profession, breaking the document beforehand held by classical conductor Georg Solti. Yet within the evening’s prime three classes — track, document and album of the 12 months — Beyoncé was shut out, shedding these awards to veteran singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt, pop-R&B powerhouse Lizzo and British singer Harry Styles.

In a large open evening that marked the Grammys’ return to Crypto.com Arena after two years of COVID-related displacement, jazz singer Samara Joy took residence the award for finest new artist.

Despite her losses within the prime classes, Beyoncé’s 4 Grammy wins — for dance/digital recording, dance/digital album, R&B efficiency and R&B track — led the competitors. Kendrick Lamar, Brandi Carlile and Raitt every received three Grammys.

Lamar, nominated for eight awards, received for rap album, rap efficiency and rap track; Carlile took residence rock track, rock efficiency and Americana album awards; and Raitt received track of the 12 months, Americana efficiency and American roots track.

UK rock duo Wet Leg received two awards, different music album and different music efficiency, as did Styles, for album of the 12 months and pop vocal album.

Adele, who earned seven nominations, received for pop music efficiency. Taylor Swift, nominated for 4 awards, received for music video. Compton’s Steve Lacy received for progressive R&B album, following 4 noms, together with document and track of the 12 months.

R&B stalwart Mary J. Blige, nominated for six Grammys, went residence empty-handed.

From the day the nominations had been introduced, followers questioned if Grammy voters would correctly acknowledge Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed “Renaissance” album, which plumbed the historical past of queer Black membership music.

Early within the night, host Trevor Noah mentioned that Beyoncé, nowhere to be seen early within the present, was gridlocked on a freeway someplace. It was illustrative of her sophisticated historical past with the Grammys: lavishly rewarded but at all times going through some impediment.

“Beyoncé means so much, she’s been such an important factor especially for the academy,” Recording Academy Chief Executive Harvey Mason Jr. instructed The Times in an interview a number of days earlier than the ceremony. He referenced a brand new class of voting members, near half of whom are from under-represented teams. ”I prefer to assume that the work we’ve executed on variety over the past three years will likely be felt and seen and heard on the outcomes, and hopefully on the stage. But I don’t assume you may measure it by one class.”

The CBS broadcast was notably inclusive. The night’s performances kicked off with Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican rapper-singer who’s the most-streamed artist on the planet. Emerging in a carnival line with a swinging merengue band behind him, he performed the blistering “El Apagòn” into “Despues de la Playa” with nary a phrase of English or concession to Anglo audiences. He took residence the música urbana Grammy for his album “Un Verano Sin Ti.”

Bad Bunny was adopted by Americana singer Carlile, whose rowdy efficiency of rock track and rock efficiency winner “Broken Horses” was launched by her spouse and two kids.

In an embattled time for trans individuals and gender minorities the world over, a pop duo/group efficiency win for Sam Smith (the nonbinary UK singer) and Kim Petras (the German trans pop star) for his or her giddy “Unholy” made historical past, as did their potent efficiency. Petras thanked the late avant-garde trans producer Sophie in her acceptance speech: “I adore you and your inspiration will always be in my music.”

Some of the evening’s most affecting moments got here from the nods to historical past, particularly towards soul music and hip-hop. Stevie Wonder, whose three-album run within the ’70s stays the Grammys’ final successful streak, joined MusiCares co-Person of the Year Smokey Robinson, nation singer Chris Stapleton and Boyz II Men’s Wanya Morris’ children on backing vocals for a Motown medley that showcased the musical DNA of nearly each artist within the room.

Grammy medleys can famously be extra stultifying than entertaining, however the present’s complete and ecstatic ode to 5 many years of hip-hop, celebrating the style’s fiftieth anniversary, was an emphatic endorsement of America’s most essential common artwork type. Just have a look at the roster sharing one stage tonight: Rakim, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Jazzy Jeff, Geto Boys, Ice-T, De La Soul, Salt-N-Pepa, Missy Elliott, Queen Latifah, Method Man and a scenery-stealing Busta Rhymes, to call simply among the performers.

The In Memoriam section provided stirring performances by Migos’ rapper Quavo, in dedication to his late bandmate Takeoff (his empty stool and necklace onstage had been profoundly transferring), Kacey Musgraves taking part in Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” in a mattress of flowers, and Sheryl Crow, Raitt and Mick Fleetwood paying tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie with a model of “Songbird.”

During the afternoon’s Premiere Ceremony, Tobias Jesso Jr. received the inaugural songwriter of the 12 months award, and Jack Antonoff earned his second consecutive award for producer of the 12 months, non-classical.

In the night ceremony, lastly extricated from her site visitors tie-up, Beyoncé confirmed up simply in time to just accept the award for dance/digital music album, which marked her record-breaking thirty second Grammy. Visibly moved, she thanked God, her Uncle Johnny (the spine of “Renaissance’s” homosexual membership affect) and the “queer community for inventing the genre.”

As the attendees at Crypto.com Arena and viewers at residence anxiously appeared on to see if Beyoncé would win the night’s closing award, album of the 12 months, and ascend her final remaining Grammy peak, the burden of historical past fell over the room. When Styles’ title was introduced, the Beyhive threw up their fingers, Harry stans erupted with glee, and as soon as once more, the Grammys did what they have a tendency to do — come so near getting it proper however go away music followers with one thing new to combat over.