Another artist up for album of the year, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, opened the show with a colorful performance of songs from his album Un Verano Sin Ti, weaving in and out of the seated audience alongside brass band members before making his way to a dance party on stage for a medley that captured the vibrant, infectious energy of the hit album. Un Verano Sin Ti dominated streaming services last year and won the rapper the prize for best música urbana album. “I made this album with love and passion and when you do things with love and passion, everything is easier — life is easier,” he said in English while accepting his award.
In a throwback to a very particular kind of Grammy-voter favorite, the gifted young jazz vocalist Samara Joy won the award for best new artist. The 23-year-old cried through her whole acceptance speech, marveling that she won one of the Grammy’s biggest prizes “just by being myself.”
One of the strongest performances of the night came in the form of a star-studded, comprehensive tribute to the history of hip-hop that followed a new “Dr. Dre Global Impact award,” given to the namesake artist himself by rapper LL Cool J. Organized by Questlove, the performance brought together some of the greatest names in hip-hop to honor the genre’s 50th anniversary this year. The set chronicled the entire history of rap, featuring early pioneers like Run-DMC, Rakim, Public Enemy and Salt-N-Pepa, all the way up to current viral stars like GloRilla.
“We wish we could have included every single hip-hop artist from 1973 to 2023,” LL Cool J said.
The show’s “In Memoriam” segment, honoring musicians and industry professionals who died in the last year, featured performances by Kacey Musgraves, Migos’ Quavo and Mick Fleetwood. The night featured multiple tributes, including Stevie Wonder honoring Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson by playing Motown hits including The Temptations’ “The Way You Do The Things You Do” and “Tears of a Clown” alongside Robinson.
The night was filled with a number of excellent live performances, from longtime Grammy favorites to newcomers to the stage. Brandi Carlile, who took home three awards for best Americana album, best rock performance and best rock song, returned to the Academy’s stage for a stirring rendition of “Broken Horses,” introduced to viewers by her wife and two daughters.