The 2024 Grammy Awards were a night to remember. Music’s biggest stars gathered to celebrate their achievements and showcase their talents. Trevor Noah hosted the ceremony. It featured stunning performances, heartfelt speeches, and surprising moments. Here are some of the highlights and the complete list of winners.
Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and Karol G shine bright.
Three of the year’s most popular and successful artists, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and Karol G, took home some of the night’s most coveted awards. Cyrus won her first Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance for her hit song “Flowers,” which also won Record of the Year. Accompanied by a choir of children, she gave a powerful performance of the song on stage. She dedicated her awards to her fans, family, and late grandmother, who inspired her to pursue music.
Taylor Swift continued her winning streak, winning her third Album of the Year award for “Midnights,” a surprise album she released in December 2023. She received two Grammy Awards for her work on “Anti-Hero” with Chris Stapleton, winning Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Country Song. She thanked her collaborators, fans, and boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, who co-wrote some songs under the pseudonym William Bowery. She also performed a medley of songs from “Midnights” and “Evermore,” her other surprise album from 2023, with Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner.
Karol G made history by becoming the first female artist to win the Best Urban Music Album award for her album “Mañana Será Bonito.” The album is a fusion of reggaeton, pop, and R&B. She also performed a fiery version of her song “Bichota” with a group of dancers. She expressed her gratitude to her fans, team, and fellow nominees, saying she was proud to represent Latin music and women in the industry.
Kylie Minogue, The Beatles, and Tyla make history.
Some of the night’s most unexpected and historic wins came from artists who broke new ground or made a comeback. Kylie Minogue won the first ever Grammy for Best Pop Dance Recording for her album “Disco.” The win marked her return to the dance floor after a battle with cancer. She also performed a disco-themed medley of her songs, including “Say Something,” “Magic,” and “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.”
The Beatles haven’t released new music since 1970. They won Best Music Video for “Get Back,” a documentary film directed by Peter Jackson. The film features never-before-seen footage of the band’s final studio sessions. It was released in theaters and on Disney+ in January 2024. The movie succeeded in terms of its commercial performance and critical acclaim. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr accepted the award via video call. They thanked Jackson, their fans, and their late bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison.
Tyla, a rising star from South Africa, won Best African Music Performance for her song “Watermelon Sugar,” a cover of Harry Styles’ hit from 2020. She became the first African artist to win in this category, which was introduced in 2023 to recognize the diversity and richness of African music. She performed the song live from Johannesburg with a colorful and energetic stage design. She thanked Styles for inspiring her and dedicated her award to her continent, country, and people.
SZA, Phoebe Bridgers, and Killer Mike dominate multiple categories
Some of the most acclaimed and influential artists of the year, SZA, Phoebe Bridgers, and Killer Mike, won multiple awards in different genres. This showcased their versatility and impact. SZA won three Grammys: Best R&B Song for “Snooze,” Best Rap/Sung Performance for “Kill Bill” with Kendrick Lamar, and Best Urban Contemporary Album for “Ctrl 2.” She also performed a stunning duet of “Snooze” with John Legend. She thanked her fans, family, and collaborators and was honored to share her music.
Phoebe Bridgers won Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for “Not Strong Enough,” Best Alternative Music Album for “Punisher,” and Best American Roots Performance for “Graceland Too” with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. She also performed a haunting version of “Not Strong Enough” with her band Boygenius, who were also nominated for Record of the Year. She thanked her fans, friends, and mentors and was grateful for the opportunity to make music that mattered to her.
Killer Mike won four Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “Run the Jewels 4” with El-P. He also won Best Rap Album for “RTJ4,” and Best Spoken Word Album for “The Audacity of Hope.” This memoir is about his activism and his life. He also delivered a speech that brought the audience to tears. He talked about his late mother, who passed away in 2023, and his late son, who was killed by police in 2022. He said that he was dedicating his awards to them and all the victims of police brutality and racial injustice. He also urged the music industry and the society to do better and to fight for change.
Joni Mitchell moves the crowd with her performance and her 10th Grammy win
One of the most emotional and memorable moments of the night was when Joni Mitchell, the legendary singer-songwriter, performed for the first time since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015. She sang “Both Sides Now,” accompanied by a string orchestra and received a standing ovation from the audience. Also, she won her 10th Grammy for Best Folk Album for “Archives Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971).” This is a compilation of unique and unpublished recordings from her early career. She thanked her fans, her peers, and her doctors. She said she was happy to be alive and share her music with the world.
“Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” sweep the soundtrack categories, Billie Eilish and Finneas win big again.
The Grammy Awards in 2024 provided a sneak peek into the upcoming Oscars. Two highly praised and nominated movies of the year, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” were awarded for Best Compilation Soundtrack and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, respectively.“Barbie,” a musical biopic about the iconic doll, featured songs by Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, and others. “Oppenheimer,” a historical drama about the atomic bomb, featured a score by Hans Zimmer. The directors of both films, Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan, accepted the awards and praised their musical teams.
Billie Eilish and Finneas, who had won five awards each at the 2020 Grammys, repeated their success in 2024. They won the Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media awards for their song “What Was I Made For?” from the “Barbie” movie soundtrack. They also performed the song live, with Eilish singing and Finneas playing the piano. They thanked their fans, family, and Gerwig and said they were honored to be part of such a beautiful film.
The complete winner’s list
Here are the 2024 Grammys winners and nominees:
Best pop solo performance
- Miley Cyrus, “Flowers” — Winner
- Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red”
- Billie Eilish, “What Was I Made For?”
- Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
- Olivia Rodrigo, “Vampire”
Best música urbana album
- Karol G, “Mañana Será Bonito” — Winner
- Rauw Alejandro, “Saturno”
- Tainy, “Data”
Best country album
- Lainey Wilson, “Bell Bottom Country” — Winner
- Kelsea Ballerini, “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat”
- Brothers Osborne, “Brothers Osborne”
- Zach Bryan, “Zach Bryan”
- Tyler Childers, “Rustin’ in the Rain”
Best R&B song
- SZA, “Snooze” — Winner
- Victoria Monét, “On My Mama”
- Coco Jones, “ICU”
- Robert Glasper Featuring SiR & Alex Isley, “Back to Love”
- Halle, “Angel”
Best pop vocal album
- Taylor Swift, “Midnights” — Winner
- Kelly Clarkson, “Chemistry”
- Miley Cyrus, “Endless Summer Vacation”
- Olivia Rodrigo, “GUTS”
- Ed Sheeran, “- (Subtract)”
Song of the year
- “What Was I Made For?” (from the motion picture “Barbie”) – Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish) — Winner
- “A&W” – Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey & Sam Dew, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
- “Anti-Hero” – Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
- “Butterfly” – Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
- “Dance the Night” (from “Barbie The Album”) – Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
- “Flowers” – Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Miley Cyrus)
- “Kill Bill” – Rob Bisel, Carter Lang & Solána Rowe, songwriters (SZA)
- “vampire” – Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Oliva Rodrigo)
Best new artist
- Victoria Monét — Winner
- Gracie Abrams
- Fred again..
- Ice Spice
- Jelly Roll
- Coco Jones
- Noah Kahan
- The War and Treaty
Record of the year
- “Flowers” – Miley Cyrus — Winner
- “Worship” – Jon Batiste
- “Not Strong Enough” – boygenius
- “What Was I Made For?” [from the motion picture “Barbie”] – Billie Eilish
- “On My Mama” – Victoria Monét
- “vampire” – Olivia Rodrigo
- “Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift
- “Kill Bill” – SZA
Album of the year
- “Midnights,” Taylor Swift — Winner
- “World Music Radio,” Jon Batiste
- “the record,” boygenius
- “Endless Summer Vacation,” Miley Cyrus
- “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd,” Lana Del Rey
- “The Age of Pleasure,” Janelle Monáe
- “GUTS,” Olivia Rodrigo
- “SOS,” SZA