Girl power at the Grammys
Michelle steals the show as women dominate Awards
MICHELLE Obama was the unexpected star of the night at the Grammy Awards.
The former First Lady received a standing ovation as she walked out hand-in-hand with Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jennifer Lopez as host Alicia Keys asked: “Please, can I bring some of my sisters out here tonight?” It was a different story to 12 months ago when the Awards were criticised for under-representing female artists.
This year country star Kacey Musgraves won album of the year and Cardi B was the first woman to win best rap album as a solo artist. Dua Lipa, 23, was named the best new artist.
And she had a dig at Academy president Neil Portnow, who said last year that women should “step up” after claims last year’s nominees were male dominated. Backstage at the Staples Center, Dua said: “I guess this year we really stepped up.”
Rapper Childish Gambino also made history by winning both song and record of the year for
This Is America, the first time a rap song has won both. Miley
Cyrus, Dolly Parton, Katy
Perry, Diana Ross and
Smokey Robinson all performed in LA.
But it was the surprise appearance of Michelle that stole the show. She said: “From the Motown records I wore out on the Southside, to the ‘Who run the World’ songs that fuelled me through this last decade, music has always helped me tell my story. Whether we like country, or rap, or rock, music helps us share ourselves, it shows us that all of it matters.”