The Grammy Awards, which recognize the best American musical artists, were held in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The ceremony gave pride of place to women and more particularly two of them who make history: Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.
The Grammy Awards allowed Queen Beyoncé to break the record for awards for a female artist in this competition and rewarded her runner-up, rapper Megan Thee Stallion, crowned revelation of the year.
Taylor Swift also broke a record, becoming the first female artist to win the Album of the Year award three times, tied with giants like Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon.
"You were at the rendezvous in this imaginary world that we created" on the album "Folklore", inspired by the return to the earth and to the simple things of the countryside, she launched.
The evening, which gave pride of place to women, took place in Los Angeles almost a year to the day after the first closings of American concert halls under the threat of the coronavirus.
She was surrounded by strict health precautions, with masked stars and keeping their distance, but the shock benefits were there.
Beyoncé makes history
Meghan Thee Stallion received the prestigious Grammy for "revelation of the year", the first rap artist to triumph in this category since Lauryn Hill in 1999. This award only recognizes the success of the artist after a marked year by the release of her first studio album "Good News", a memorable duet with star Cardi B on
WAP
and her hit
Savage
with Beyoncé's participation on a remix.
This remix earned both artists the "Best Rap Performance" and "Best Rap Song" awards.
With 28 Grammys in total, "Queen B."
entered the history of the Grammy Awards by breaking the record for a female artist in the competition, and that for a singer (male or female).
In solo, she received the trophy for the best music video for "Brown Skin Girl" and especially was elected best R&B performance for her title
Black Parade
, released in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the gigantic anti-racist demonstrations of the summer 2020. A realization that the Grammy Award-winning Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences couldn't ignore.
Black Parade
has strong words, which at the same time castigate racism, call for mobilization for civil rights and pay tribute to black culture.
Usually all in control, Beyoncé was visibly moved when accepting the award that brought her to the head of female artists.
"As an artist, I consider it my job, the job of all of us, to reflect our times," said the singer.
"I wanted to support, encourage, celebrate all the queens and black kings who continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world."
Double blow for Billie Eilish
The Grammys also honored the artist HER, song of the year for
I Can't Breathe
, an anthem calling for an end to racial discrimination and police brutality which refers to the last words spoken by George Floyd and before him by Eric Garner , a black American who died of suffocation during his arrest in New York in July 2014. "I never imagined that my fear and my pain would have an impact," said the 23-year-old Californian, receiving her award.
Double blow for Billie Eilish who won Sunday, with
Everything I Wanted
, the Grammy Award for recording of the year for the second consecutive year, a feat for an artist of only 19 years who had won the grand slam of the year. last (the four queen awards).
Upon receiving the trophy, the young woman said he should have gone to Megan Thee Stallion.
Billie Eilish also received an award Sunday for
No Time To Die
, the official theme of the next installment of James Bond's adventures, written with her brother.
Yet given favorite by many critics, Dua Lipa had to settle for the Grammy for best pop vocal album for "Future Nostalgia", a collection of songs more discos and dancing than the others.
Green Boa and Jesus
The whimsical Harry Styles, who opened the evening with his hit
Watermelon Sugar
a green feather boa around his neck, received the Grammy for best pop solo performance.
Britanny Howard, previously known with her band Alabama Shakes, won the Grammy for best rock song while Fiona Apple won two awards for her album "Fetch The Bolt Cutters".
In a rock category where female artists were still present in force, The Strokes managed to win for the best rock album with "The New Abnormal", the first Grammy of their long career.
Old man of rap, Nas also won a first victory Sunday after 14 nominations for "King's Disease", crowned best rap album.
Nigerian star Burna Boy made his mark in the album category of "world music" while Kanye West won his 22nd Grammy Award, not in the rap category that made him famous, but for his evangelical record "Jesus Is King", voted "best album of contemporary Christian music".
The main winners of this 63rd edition
Album of the Year
: "Folklore" by Taylor Swift
Recording of the Year, awarded for the overall performance of one track
:
Everything I Wanted
by Billie Eilish
Song of the Year, awarded to songwriters
:
I Can't Breathe
by HER
Revelation of the Year
: Megan Thee Stallion
Best Music Video
: "Brown Skin Girl" by Beyoncé, Blue Ivy and WizKid
Best Rap Album
: "King's Disease" by Nas
Best Rock Album
: "The New Abnormal" by The Strokes
Best Pop Vocal Album
: "Future Nostalgia" by Dua Lipa
Best Pop Solo Performance
: "Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles
Best duo or collective pop performance
: "Rain On Me" by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande
Best Contemporary Urban Music Album
: "YHLQMDLG" by Bad Bunny
Best R&B Album
: "Bigger Love" by John Legend
Best Alternative Music Album
: "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" by Fiona Apple
Best Music Album in the World
: "Twice As Tall" by Burna Boy