Steve Lacy, who took home his first Grammy award earlier in the evening for best progressive R&B album for Gemini Rights, proved his TikTok hit “Bad Habit” as magnetic a live performance as it has become in viral videos, performing the funky hit in heels alongside Thundercat on bass.
A brand-new honor called best song for social change was given to Iranian musician Shervin Hajipour for his protest song “Baraye,” which was written in solidarity with Iran’s “Woman, life, freedom” movement, and gained worldwide fans on social media. Hajipour was unable to attend the ceremony, as he has been banned from leaving Iran while he awaits trial; the award was presented by First Lady Jill Biden.
Biden also presented the award for song of the year to Bonnie Raitt, who looked shellshocked to win this year’s prize for songwriting; she had been up against other writers such as Beyoncé, Lizzo, Steve Lacy, Kendrick Lamar and Adele. “I don’t write a lot of songs,” said Raitt.
In another history-making moment, 2023 marked the first time that either an openly non-binary person or an openly transgender woman won a Grammy. Both glass ceilings were smashed when Sam Smith and Kim Petras were awarded best pop duo/group performance for their song “Unholy.” (Musician Wendy Carlos won three Grammys in 1970 for her album Switched-On Bach, but she was not yet living publicly as a woman at that point.)
“Sam graciously wanted me to accept this award because I’m the first transgender woman to win this award,” Petras said in her speech. “I want to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me so I could be here tonight,” she added, shouting out the late trans pop artist SOPHIE in her speech, as well as Madonna and her mother for inspiration. After winning the award, the pair put on a fiery, provocative performance with Smith dressed up as a horned devil, playing off of the sinful imagery of their hit single.
At the so-called Grammy “premiere” show, or pre-telecast ceremony, the Recording Academy handed out nearly 80 awards. Among that sprawling array of prizes, actress Viola Davis became an EGOT — the proud possessor of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards — Sunday afternoon when she won a Grammy for the audiobook version of her memoir, Finding Me.
Article Appeared @https://www.npr.org/2023/02/05/1152837932/2023-grammy-awards-winners-beyonce