Women artists, Obama front Grammy opening
Cardi B has made history as the first woman to win the Grammy Award for best rap album.
The rapper won for her album Invasion of Privacy.
She delivered much of her acceptance speech holding on to her husband Offset.
And rapper Drake surprised the music world yesterday when he emerged at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles to accept the best rap song trophy.
Drake, who rarely attends awards show, won the honour for his massive hit God’s Plan.
Rap has endured a longtime losing streak at the Grammys. The last time a rapper won album of the year was in 2004, when Outkast took the honour. Only a handful of rappers have won best new artist.
Childish Gambino made history when his track This is America became the first rapbased song to win song of the year.
The Grammys kicked off with a group of powerful women, including Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga, describing the role of music in their lives – a display that came a year after female voices were somewhat muted at the 2018 ceremony.
‘‘Music has always helped me tell my story,’’ said Obama, who surprised the audience with her appearance. ‘‘Whether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves. It allows us to hear one another.’’
Gaga told the crowd: ‘‘They said I was weird, that my look, that my choices, that my sound wouldn’t work. But music told me not to listen to them.’’
Jada Pinkett Smith and Jennifer Lopez also spoke and stood in solidarity with Obama, Gaga and Alicia Keys, who is hosting the show airing on CBS.
The opening contrasted with last year’s Grammys, where male acts dominated in nominations and the only woman competing for the top award, Lorde, didn’t get a chance to perform onstage.
But this year, Gaga, Brandi Carlile and Kacey Musgraves won three Grammys each.
Gaga won three, including best pop duo/group performance, a win she shared with Bradley Cooper. Gaga, now a nine-time Grammy winner, won best pop solo performance for Joanne, while hit Shallow, from A Star is Born, was named best song written for visual media.
Musgraves picked up best country album for Golden Hour,
best country solo performance for Butterflies and best country song for Space Cowboy.
Musgraves performed Rainbow from Golden Hour during the show, and hit the stage for a second time to honour Dolly Parton. Musgraves and Katy Perry joined forces for Here You Come Again, later joined by Parton herself. The icon sang a duet version of Jolene with Miley Cyrus, who often covers the classic song.
Diana Ross earned a standing ovation when she emerged onstage in a bright red dress to perform Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand) and The Best Years of My Life. She celebrated her 75th birthday early with the performance, saying afterward, ‘‘Happy birthday to me!’’
Her actual birthday is March 26.
R&B singer H.E.R., who won best R&B performance for Best Part with Daniel Caesar, stunned as she played her guitar and sang.
Ariana Grande won her first Grammy in the same week that she publicly blasted Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich and accused him of lying about why she was no longer performing at the show.
Tori Kelly and Lauren Daigle won two awards each. Beyonce, Jay-z, Ella Mai, Pharrell Williams, Hugh Jackman, Stingy, Shaggy, Dave Chappelle, ‘‘Weird Al’’ Yankovic, the late Chris Cornell, Greta Van Fleet and even former President Jimmy Carter also picked up early awards ahead of the live show.
There was a tie for best rap performance with Anderson Paak’s Bubblin’ and Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake’s King’s Dead, from the Black Panther soundtrack. –