Beyoncé won Album of the Year at tonight’s Grammy Awards for “Cowboy Carter,” attaining the night’s top honor for the first time after four previous nominations. “It’s been many, many years,” she said in her acceptance speech. “I just want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, all of the hard work.” She dedicated the award Linda Martell, a trailblazing Black Country singer who is featured in an interlude track on “Cowboy Carter,” saying that she hopes to “keep pushing forward, opening doors.” Beyoncé also took home Best Country Album, marking the first time that this award has gone to a Black woman.
The awards ceremony focused on the wildfires that tore through Los Angeles earlier this month, which destroyed over 16,000 structures and killed at least 26 people. Stevie Wonder performed “We Are the World” accompanied by student singers from the Pasadena Waldorf School and the Palisades Charter High School, both of which have burned down. The students wore black hoodies with a large heart and “LA” emblazoned across the front as they shared the stage with the R&B legend. Hosting for the fifth year in a row, Daily Show host Trevor Noah reminded the audience to donate to Musicares Fire Relief, which would split the donation with the California Community Foundation direct relief and the Pasadena Community Foundation. To close out the show, Los Angeles firefighters were brought on stage to give out the Album of the Year award.
Some of Trevor Noah’s jokes courted controversy, particularly one that indirectly referenced the mass deportation policies currently being implemented by the Trump administration. “We’re going to be honoring the best in music as voted on by the 13,000 members of the Recording Academy,” he quipped early on in the ceremony, “and 20 million illegal immigrants.” Shakira used her acceptance speech when she won Best Latin Pop Album to address immigrants directly, telling them “You are loved, you are worth it, and I will always fight with you.” The singer’s native Colombia recently clashed with the Trump administration over deportation flights.
Other notable awards on the night included Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” winning Record of the Year, while Chappell Roan took home Best New Artist.
