Beyoncé won the Grammy for album of the year for the first time in her long career, an award that was presented by Los Angeles County firefighters, at the 67th annual Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Kendrick Lamar won Grammys for song of the year and record of the year for “Not Like Us,” while Chappell Roan took best new artist, the fourth of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards.
“I’d like to thank and acknowledge all of the firefighters for keeping us safe,” Beyoncé said on reaching the stage to accept the Grammy for album of year for “Cowboy Carter,” the first album of the year Grammy for her out of a record 35 she has won.
“I feel very full and honored,” she said. “It’s been many, many years.”
Kendrick Lamar, who next weekend will headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, snagged the two big awards handed out before album of the year.
“We gonna dedicate this one to the city,” Lamar said in accepting record of the year for the song “Not Like Us.” “Compton, Watts, Long Beach, Inglewood, Hollywood. Out to the Valley, Pacoima, San Bernardino, all that. I can’t give enough thanks to these places that I rolled around since I was in high school.
“Most importantly, the people and the families in the Palisades and out in Altadena,” he continued. “This is a true testament that we can continue to restore the city.”
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, who earlier performed the Mamas & the Papas hit “California Dreamin’,” later won best pop duo/group performance for “Die With a Smile,” a 2024 single that will appear on Gaga’s upcoming album “Mayhem.”
“It is a privilege to be a songwriter and a producer and musician,” Lady Gaga said before shifting to make a point about human rights. “I just want to say tonight trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love.”
Alicia Keys was presented the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, an honor for activities in music and the world outside, and after noting how few women music producers are well-known or recipients of honors such as the Grammys, gave a stirring speech in support of diversity, an ideal that has come under assault in the political world beyond the Grammys.
“This is for all the ladies that know the magic that they bring to the room,” Keys said. “This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices. We’ve seen on this stage talented, hardworking people from different backgrounds with different points of view, and it changes the game.
“DEI is not a threat it’s a gift,” Keys said in reference to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts the new Trump Administration is seeking to end. “And the more voices, the more powerful the sound. When destructive voices try to burn us down we rise from the ashes like a phoenix.
“And you as you see tonight, music is the unstoppable language,” she added.