The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on 14th March 2021, after being postponed in January due to CoVID-19. The show was a complex affair with five different stages – one for presenters and four for performers. There was also a limited audience. There was also an outdoor stage where the host, Trevor Noah emceed the event. Within the LA Convention Center, tables were distanced and guests were mostly masked.
Female artists swept awards in all four of the top categories – Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. Beyonce set the record for the most Grammy wins by a female artist ever, bringing her total to 28 wins. Taylor Swift became the first woman to the Album of the Year category thrice in her career.
Here are some of the winners:
Album of the year: Folklore – Taylor Swift
Record of the year: Everything I Wanted – Billie Eilish
Song of the year: I Can’t Breathe – H.E.R
Best new artist: Megan Thee Stallion
Best pop solo performance: Watermelon Sugar – Harry Styles
Best pop duo/group performance: Rain on Me – Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
Best pop vocal album: Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa
This year’s Grammys were not without controversy. The Weeknd pledged to boycott future Grammys after contention over how the winners were chosen, particularly after he was left out of nominations, given the success of ‘Blinding Lights.’