The 65th Grammys: Music's biggest night hitting historic crossroads

The 65th Grammys: Where music’s biggest night hit historic crossroads on the right note.

Written by Adrian Earl Taruc.
February 8, 2023

From gathering mainstream icons and artists all over the world to connecting different ranges of mediums. The annual Grammy awards is vitally paramount to bridging people across the globe acknowledging their unique abilities seen and heard through recognition and music—something that we all understand. 

The coveted Grammy golden gramophone trophy is what every biggest, brightest, up-and-rising artist aims to achieve in their career. Its significance transcends consciousness that their work is deemed to be of high quality.

Grammy’s golden gramophone. Image credit to Getty Images.

More than the award-giving body’s allure, what makes it quintessential suffices to artists who bagged tons of awards making it a milestone for other musicians to also aspire and reach that point. Through notable artists like Jay-z who already got 21 grammy trophies in his bag—the most by a rap artist, Stevie Wonder with 25, and now Beyoncé recording the most Grammy wins in history with 33 adding to the long list of recognition in her arsenal, their work in the musical landscape cemented their place to be a household name of the industry.

The most-decorated Grammy winner artist, Beyoncé, is all smiles in the audience. Image credit to Chris Pizzello, NBC News.

Record of the Year winner Lizzo, shared in her acceptance speech how Beyoncé became instrumental in the path she is taking on her music career paying regard to the time she had to skip fifth-grade classes just to see her perform. Positively, it reinforced Lizzo to transpire looking up to Beyoncé as it hit her how vital music plays to bring people together in harmony and enthusiasm wanting to also make an impact through music.

Lizzo accepts her award and gave a huge thanks to Beyoncé for being an inspiration. Image credit to GETTY Images.

Transcending languages and breaking down the wall, music has evolved to hit historic crossroads able to reach new heights. A new category now recognizes the art of spoken word poetry which J. Ivy historically won as it was first presented this year in the show.

J. Ivy poses as the first-ever best spoken word poetry winner of Grammys. Image credit to Chicago Sun Times.

In another history-making moment, Viola Davis secured her Grammy trophy for the first time in her career by winning the best audiobook, narration, and storytelling recording for her memoir, “Finding Me”. This puts her status in achieving all four major American entertainment awards with Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and the Tony’s. It puts her to be the third Black woman to claim the EGOT status. 

Viola Davis presenting an award at the Grammys. Image credit to Emma McIntyre, GETTY Images.

As evident as it was how music bridges people together whatever the medium is, it also acts as when words often do not live up to what it is supposed to give, music and art communicates to everyone fostering social harmony. Although categories in the Grammys may linger having a complicated relationship with the recording academy by constantly getting snubbed and overlooked—especially the hip-hop category on the four major categories, one of the highlights of the night was when the 50 years of Hip-hop got celebrated with a medley performance of classics and the current to commemorate its long and rich history making statements as the genre amassed having its origins close to social protests.

Famously renowned rappers performing at the 65th Grammys to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop. Image credit to Kevin Winter, GETTY Images.

The awarding of the music’s biggest nights leave open-mouthed wins especially in the four major categories as Harry Styles' “Harry’s House” bagged Album of the year, Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That” winning Song of the Year, Samara Joy for Best New Artist and Lizzo’s “About damn time” for securing Record of the Year.

Heavy-favorite Adele won Best Pop-solo performance for “Easy on Me'', Taylor Swift made another breakthrough in her career by winning Best Music Video for “All Too Well: The Short Film'', Sam Smith and Kim Petras who are both LGBTQIA+ icons bagged the Best Pop Duo Performance for “Unholy”. This also marks Kim Petras as the first transgender woman to ever win a Grammy.

These awards are essential for their work and being rightfully recognized with the music they put out acts as a stamp of approval that something right happened with the efforts and time they spent working on it. Win or lose, what makes the Grammys still relevant rack up countless times of adoration to musicians in place, able to build connections through a language that everybody is fond of connecting wherever we are and whatever the language we understand through music.