1. Beyonce power

Beyonce, 43, became the first Black woman artiste to win Best Country Album for Cowboy Carter (she also won Album of the Year). And the trophy was given by Taylor Swift.

“I think sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artistes,” Beyonce said while accepting the award. “And I want to encourage people to do whatever they’re passionate about, and stay persistent.”

Cowboy Carter is a groundbreaking album because of its masterful musical tapestry and it came at a time when the US is wrestling with questions like ‘who we are’ and ‘who we want to be’. Further, the album goes beyond a genre as it celebrates folk to roots to country to hip-hop. The album goes big on gospel, car rides, whisky, cowboys, fights between lovers and the wisdom of elders. The 27-track album celebrates the diversity of cultures.

Introducing the category, Taylor Swift spoke about the time she accepted the award “almost exactly 15 years ago”. She said: “It’s an honour that has gone to great artistes who I admire so much, like the Chicks, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, George Strait, Faith Hill, Vince Gill, Allison Krauss and Shania Twain.”

Beyoncé also collected the Best Country Duo/Group Performance award for II Most Wanted, in tandem with Miley Cyrus. The award was given out during the Grammys’ pre-telecast ceremony.

She is only the fourth Black woman to have received the Album of the Year award. Natalie Cole was the first in 1992, followed by Whitney Houston in 1994 and Lauryn Hill in 1999.

2. Lamar steals the show

Here’s the funny thing about the Grammy Awards. All but nine of the year’s 94 Grammy trophies were given out in a non-televised ceremony, held near Crypto.com Arena.

And Kendrick Lamar had a fantastic night at the non-televised event. His Not Like Us — the breakout hit in a back-and-forth diss war with Drake — took home Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, as well as Best Music Video.

Kendrick Lamar receives the Song Of The Year award for "Not Like Us"

Lamar was not at the non-televised ceremony but then he turned up at Crypto.com.

He won Record of the Year and Song of the Year for Not Like Us. It also meant Taylor Swift once again lost in this category.

Hearing many people in attendance rap along to Lamar’s savage track — Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-minor — shows the support he enjoyed in taking down Drake, the artiste who was at the top of his hip-hop game in 2010s.

3. Toned down Grammy weekend

Weeks after Los Angeles saw its most devastating fire disaster ever recorded, Grammy Awards took place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, but the scale was greatly reduced.

The week leading up to the Grammy Awards is typically a star-studded seven days. This time, it was a small affair. Most of the pre- and post-Grammy parties were cancelled.

The Recording Academy kept its two primary pre-Grammy events on the calendar: the MusiCares tribute concert, which is a Grammy charity that helps musicians in need, and Clive Davis’s annual night-before gala at the Beverly Hilton.

Joni Mitchell performs during the Pre-GRAMMY gala, hosted by the Recording Academy and Clive Davis

The bigger of the two events was Clive Davis’s gala, which the music producer has held since 1976 when Barry Manilow’s Mandy was the first hit at Arista, the label founded by him. The night’s performances included that of Joni Mitchell, seated on a throne, singing her song Both Sides Now and the Gershwin standard Summertime.

4. AI and the Beatles won

It has been decades since the Beatles recorded their final album, yet they managed to take home an important prize at this year’s Grammys. The Fab Four claimed a trophy for Best Rock Performance for Now and Then.

The song was salvaged from a muddy demo from John Lennon. The process was made possible with the artificial intelligence-driven, instrument-isolating mix technology first showcased in the documentary series The Beatles: Get Back.

Sean Ono Lennon accepts the Best Rock Performance award on behalf of The Beatles for "Now and Then"

“I think AI is a bit like nuclear power. It can split the atom — is that a good idea? Yes if you’re creating energy, but no if it’s a bomb,” said Giles Martin, producer of Now and Then and son of long-time Beatles producer George Martin. “For me, when I listen to John’s voice, without fabrication, I felt like I was with him. That’s almost the opposite of AI.”

5. Opening their scorecards

The last few years saw the rise of a number of women musicians who each in her own way gave the music industry a sense of irreverent humour and unapologetic sexuality.

British star Charli XCX picked up early prizes, including Best Dance/Electronic Album for her club album Brat; and best Dance/Pop song for its lead single Von Dutch. They are the star’s first Grammys as a solo act. Further, she won Best Recording Package as an art director of her album Brat.

Keeping Charli company was Sabrina Carpenter. She took home the Best Pop Solo Performance prize for her moka-pot summer anthem, Espresso (and Best Pop Vocal Album for Short N’ Sweet). The 25-year-old had a brilliant 2024 with hits like Espresso, Taste and Please Please Please, all of them highlighting her feathery vocals, a sense of humour and ear for sonic details.

6. Indian-American win

At this year’s Grammy Awards, Ricky Kej, Anoushka Shankar, Varijashree Venugopal, Radhika Vekaria and Chandrika Tandon received nominations but taking home a gilded golden gramophone was Tandon for Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album — Triveni, recorded with Wouter Kellerman and Eru Matsumoto.

Her album blends ancient Vedic chants with melodic flute and cello, creating “a reflective soundscape that fosters mindfulness, self-discovery, and connection”.

Born in Chennai, she grew up listening to music on the radio. When she lived in India, her days began listening to Suprabhatam at 5am. Her sister is Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo.

7. Best new artiste

The Grammys always turn in a good effort at celebrating newcomers. Even though Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan are the Best New Artiste category’s most recognisable names, the other six artistes — Benson Boone, Doechii, Khruangbin, RAYE, Shaboozey and Teddy Swims — had their time to shine during the ceremony.

Ultimately, Chappell Roan, the Gen Z pop princess who reached superstardom overnight, took home the Grammy in the category.

Roan, who rose to fame last year with hits such as Good Luck, Babe!, Hot to Go! and Pink Pony Club, even turned in one of her unapologetic performances with her trademark drag aesthetic at Crypto.com arena.

Although she has received the Best New Artiste trophy, Roan is not new to the music scene. She was signed to Atlantic Records as a teen, prompting her to move to Los Angeles in 2018, but she was dropped by the label after her early work didn’t immediately resonate with audiences.

During her acceptance speech, the frank Gen Z star had a message for record labels: “Because I got signed so young, I got signed as a minor, and when I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had a difficult job finding a job during the pandemic and couldn’t find health insurance.” She felt “betrayed by the system”. “If my label would have prioritised artistes’ health, I would have been provided care by a company I had given everything to.”

The pop singer and songwriter brought all her energy to the Grammys stage, performing Pink Pony Club, an ode to queer identity.

8. Emotional moment

Rapper Doechii, 26, has become the third woman ever to win Best Rap Album (Alligator Bites Never Heal).

“I put my heart and my soul into this mixtape,” said a teary-eyed Doechii, who was presented the award by Cardi B. “I bared my life. I went through so much. I dedicated myself to sobriety and God told me that I would be rewarded and that He would show me just how good it can get.”

She even put up one of the best performances of the show. She performed Catfish with a cohort of backup dancers wearing prep school-esque uniforms and knee socks, before dancers snatched off her costume. She finished with Denial Is a River.

“I know that there is some Black girl out there — so many Black women out there — that are watching me right now and I want to tell you: You can do it,” she said. “Anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that tell you that you can’t be here.”

9. Rolling Stones still rolling

It was not just the Beatles that won a Grammy, Rolling Stones too took home a trophy during the early portion of the 67th Grammy Awards. They won best rock album for Hackney Diamonds. Though none of the band’s members were on hand, producer Andrew Watt gave a short speech while accepting the award.

10. Will Smith peekaboo

Will Smith’s presence at the Grammy ceremony raised eyebrows. The actor-musician slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022 and he had to resign from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which soon after banned him from attending the Oscars for 10 years. But the man is back in the spotlight. At the Grammys, he gave a heartfelt introduction to a tribute to the 28-time Grammy winner Quincy Jones, who died last year at the age of 91.

11. Shakira’s Latin beats

Shakira has added another trophy to her cabinet — Best Latin Pop Album. The Colombian singer took home the gramophone trophy for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. Presenting her the award was Jennifer Lopez. The Hips Don’t Lie singer said: “I want to dedicate this award to all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country. You are loved; you are worth it; and I will always fight with you. And, to all of those women who work really hard every day to provide for their families, you are the true She Wolves, so this is for you, too.”