On February 5, 2023, the 65th annual Grammys ceremony was held in Los Angeles, California. With many records broken and historic firsts, music fans have both positive and negative reactions. 

Among the historic moments, Beyoncé became the most awarded artist in Grammy history, beating British conductor Georg Solti. Her win for best dance/electronic album for “RENAISSANCE” put her at 32 awards. She was also the most nominated artist this year, winning 4 out of 9 nominations. However, in the biggest categories she was nominated in, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year, she did not take the prize. Instead, “Harry’s House” by Harry Styles won Album of the Year, creating controversy between many Beyoncé fans and the Recording Academy. 

Additionally, actress and producer Viola Davis became the 18th person in history to receive an award from the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tonys, otherwise known as an EGOT. She is also the third black woman to become an EGOT winner.

Kim Petras and Sam Smith took home the Grammy for best duo/group performance, making Petras the first openly transgender woman to win a Grammy. During her speech, she explained that Smith wanted her to accept the award to celebrate transgender pioneers in music that made her win possible.

During the ceremony, a group of many famous hip-hop artists commemorated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a 12-minute medley of songs from all decades. Produced by Questlove of The Roots, the set included performances by LL Cool J, Grandmaster Flash, Salt-N-Pepa, Busta Rhymes, Lil Uzi Vert, Missy Elliot, Queen Latifah, Nelly, and many more. 

Included in the performances was a tribute to musicians who passed away this year. Kacey Musgraves performed a tribute to Loretta Lynn. Quavo and Maverick City Music performed a tribute to Migos rapper Takeoff, while Mick Fleetwood, Sheryl Crow, and Bonnie Raitt honored Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie.

In a survey presented to CFHS students, the majority of respondents stated that their favorite performance was the 50th anniversary of hip-hop salute.  “I was shocked to see so many legends compiled in a performance,” said senior Marie Kanzinger. “Everyone brought great energy and I’m glad the Grammy’s celebrated so many great artists in the genre.” 

Similarly, the majority of students believed that “Harry’s House” should not have won Album of the Year, and “Just Like That” by Bonnie Raitt should not have won Song of the Year. 

Senior Ryan Hill feels strongly that Beyoncé deserved to win Album of the Year, because “she has been constantly undervalued and not given her dues. This was her time to win AOTY, but she gets overshadowed by, in my opinion, less talented and lower-achieving artists.” 

Senior Sam Kleid agrees, saying “Beyonce or Kendrick Lamar should have definitely won album of the year. Harry Styles’s album was very saturated and not better than other albums nominated.” 

The Grammys always present a controversial aftermath, however, this year made history with the incredible hip-hop performance and record-breaking wins.