The 67th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, took place the night of February 2, featuring a range of singers and songwriters taking home coveted awards such as Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Beyoncè’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ was crowned Album of the Year, which subsequently won Best Country Album, making her the first Black artist to receive that award. Both the Song of the Year and Record of the Year went to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us.’
The Grammys is known for recognizing spectacular work in the music industry; however, the selection of winners sparked debate, with some questioning the fairness of the awards.
“I thought [the Grammys] was good; I feel like there were a lot of awards that only went the way that they did because of recency bias and media bias.” Tiernan Hicks, ‘27, said. “I didn’t think ‘Not Like Us’ deserved the song of the year because it wasn’t the best song, but I understand why it won because it was the biggest. But it doesn’t really make sense if the biggest song always wins.”
Audrey Marrington, ‘26, shared a similar perspective with Hicks that some winners didn’t deserve their award.
“I think there was a lot of discourse and I think a lot of artists got snubbed,” Marrington said. “I feel like [Billie Eilish] kind of got snubbed compared to some of the bigger artists out there and I’m not talking about album of the year. I don’t really care about that. It was good to see some smaller artists win, like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter. Even though they’re not small, they’re smaller comparatively.”
Other than the musical achievements, the Grammys stood out on their creativity not only on stage but also in bold statements expressed on the red carpet, creating a mix of polarizing opinions.
“I just thought everything is really out of the box now and I think traditional fashion is getting pushed aside in award shows,” Hicks said.
Marrington also pointed out the unique looks that appeared on the carpet.
“I saw Jaden Smith’s castle house and that thing was ugly,” Marrington said. “And I saw Kanye West and his wife and I’m not gonna comment on that.”
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West and current wife Bianca Censori caused a scene when Censori flashed the carpet, causing many to question the choice behind her actions and who is to blame.
“I chose to wipe that memory of Kanye’s wife,” Drew Busterna, ‘30, said.
The award show performances were received with a little more positivity by viewers. Juliet Corbus, ‘30, is one such viewer, who enjoyed celebrity Sabrina Carpenter’s act.
“I really liked the Sabrina Carpenter [performance],” Corbus said. “Mostly with the stage falling and her screaming and all that stuff.”
Carpenter also won Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album that night.
This enthusiasm wasn’t shared by everyone, as Hicks expressed a contrasting opinion about a different act.
“My least favorite performance was Doechii,” Hicks said. “I don’t think she deserved any of the awards; I thought it was kind of stupid. I just don’t really see any meaning in her music. I don’t think it holds any significance. Maybe it’s just me and my age group, but that didn’t really connect with me.”
The 67th Grammys not only celebrated musical excellence, but it also sparked many discussions on artistic and cultural impact. The show continues to be a significant platform showing diverse talents and pushing creative boundaries, leaving a lasting impression on both the music industry and the crowd.