At the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday night in Los Angeles, records were broken, history was celebrated and some artists marked major firsts in their fields.
From Bey’s big new title to Viola Davis’ entry into the EGOT club, some of the highlights of the colourful night is listed below:
Viola Davis Becomes an EGOT
Welcome to the club! Before the show aired, Viola Davis won best audiobook, narration & storytelling recording for her memoir Finding Me — cementing her EGOT status.
Davis joins an esteemed group that includes Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Rita Moreno and Mel Brooks, among others.
Kim Petras Becomes the First Transgender Woman to Win Her Category
While accepting the best pop group/duo performance award alongside Sam Smith for their collaboration, “Unholy,” Kim Petras broke down in tears as she shared she was the first transgender woman to take home the win in that category.
“I just want to thank all the transgender artists who kicked the door open in order for me to be here tonight,” the 30-year-old singer said.
Beyoncé Breaks the Record for All-Time Grammy Wins
Beyoncé — an 88-time Grammy nominee — officially took the record for most Grammy award wins at 32.
In total, Beyonce, 41, won four awards, including best dance recording for “Break My Soul,” best traditional R&B performance for “Plastic off the Sofa” and best R&B song for “Cuff It.”
Adele Makes a Record of Her Own
When Adele won the Grammy for best pop solo performance for “Easy on Me” on Sunday night, it marked a special milestone for the 34-year-old: her fourth time winning in that category.
She dedicated her 2023 win to her son Angelo, telling the crowd, “I wrote this first verse in the shower when I was choosing to change my son’s life; he’s been nothing but humble and gracious and loving to me the whole time.”
Artists Celebrate 50 Years of Hip-Hop
An all-star lineup of artists came together to celebrate recent history in a rousing tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
LL Cool J kicked things off, with everyone from Run-DMC and Ice-T to Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott joining in with a steady stream of hits from then and now.
The performance included a homage to Nelly’s 2002 “Hot in Herre,” 1988’s “My Mike Sounds Nice” by Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella and Busta Rhymes pairing with Spliff Star to recite all the lyrics from his verse in Chris Brown‘s 2011 single, “Look at Me Now,” among other major moments that had the crowd on its feet.