On Sunday, Feb. 1, the 68th annual Grammy Awards were held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The night was a celebration of achievement for new and existing artists. Hosted by Trevor Noah and featuring 18 musical performances by nominated artists, the night was one to remember.
While it was a big night for music, it was also a big night for political statements. One notable aspect of the evening was the presence of “ICE OUT” pins on celebrities’ outfits. From Hailey and Justin Bieber to Joni Mitchell, stars were making their opinions on the immigration raids clear. Artists Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, Kehlani and Olivia Dean all made statements denouncing ICE during their acceptance speeches.
“I’m up here as the granddaughter of an immigrant. I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated,” Dean said.
There were a few other surprises with artists like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Beyoncé notably absent. Some fans were left shocked with who walked home with the gold gramophone award at the end of the night. The Daily Campus polled SMU students via an Instagram story and compiled a list of who won each of the “big four” categories and whether it aligned with the popular vote amongst the SMU student body.
Record of the Year Nominees:
“DtMf” – Bad Bunny
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Anxiety” – Doechii
“WILDFLOWER” – Billie Eilish
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
“Luther” – Kendrick Lamar with SZA
“The Subway” – Chappell Roan
“APT.” – Rosé, Bruno Mars
When asked who they thought should win the category, 50% of students named “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” by Bad Bunny as their front-runner. However, SMU students weren’t aligned with the Academy’s choice, as “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA took the award home.
Album of the Year Nominees:
“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” – Bad Bunny
“SWAG” – Justin Bieber
“Man’s Best Friend” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Let God Sort Em Out” – Clipse, Pusha T & Malice
“MAYHEM” – Lady Gaga
“GNX” – Kendrick Lamar
“MUTT” – Leon Thomas
“CHROMAKOPIA” – Tyler, The Creator
Album of the Year had, again, an overwhelming 50% vote for “DtMf” by Bad Bunny; this time, they weren’t disappointed. Bad Bunny took home three awards this Grammy season for Album of the Year, Best Música Urbana Album for “DtMf” and Best Global Music Performance for “EoO.”
Song of the Year Nominees:
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
“Anxiety” – Doechii
“APT” – Rosé, Bruno Mars
“DtMF” – Bad Bunny
“Golden” – [From KPop Demon Hunters] HUNTR/X: Ejae, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI
“Luther” – Kendrick Lamar with SZA
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“WILDFLOWER” – Billie Eilish
Song of the Year was a surprise amongst Grammy’s attendees and SMU students. Billie Eilish took home the award for her song “WILDFLOWER,” while students had predicted that Kendrick Lamar and SZA would take it home for “Luther.” This was Eilish’s tenth Grammy Award at just the age of 24.
Best New Artist Nominees:
Olivia Dean
KATSEYE
The Marias
sombr
Addison Rae
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young
Best New Artist was perhaps the most interesting category presented, with all eight nominees performing a medley of one of their most recognizable songs. SMU students predicted that Addison Rae would take home the award, but it ended up in Olivia Dean’s hands. This is her first Grammy for her sophomore album, “The Art of Loving.”
