The 66th Annual Grammy Awards unfolded Sunday at Los Angeles's Crypto.com Arena amidst a relentless flood warning in the City of Angels. And as expected, “music’s biggest night” brought forth moments of pure joy, tears, and even some frustration.
It was a celebration of new and old, with women taking center stage after a year that showed their dominance was undeniable. Victoria Monét brought joy to those who have followed her career trajectory (including longtime friend and collaborator Ariana Grande) when she emerged victorious in the R&B category, securing wins for Best New Artist, Best R&B Album, and Best R&B Song. Meanwhile, Killer Mike achieved a clean sweep in three rap categories for his highly praised album, Michael. Plus, a special moment for Karol G. But while the night had many highlights, there were also moments that raised questions and some that were outright disappointing.
Below, the Complex Music staff shares thoughts on the 2024 Grammys.
Good
Jay-Z’s bold speech
Jay-Z was awarded the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, and while accepting the honor, he took a moment to get some things off his chest. Standing on the stage with his daughter Blue Ivy Carter, Jay revisited just how far rap has come, from Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff boycotting the Grammys in 1989 to Jay-Z following suit, boycotting the awards ceremony in 1998 over DMX being snubbed despite having two successful albums. Despite the Grammys and rap’s tumultuous relationship, Hov said, “I’m just saying, we love y’all, we love y'all, we love y’all and we want y’all to get it right… At least get it close to right.” Then Jay-Z’s speech became a little more targeted. While he acknowledged the subjective nature of the music experience and voting, he took a moment to recognize and support his wife Beyoncé. “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone, and never won Album of the Year,” he said of his wife, who was watching from the floor of the arena. “Even by your own metric that does not work. Think about that, most Grammys, never won Album of the Year, that doesn’t work.” He wasn’t lying. In 2023, Beyoncé became the most awarded artist in Grammys history with 32 wins, but none of her awards were for Album of the Year. While it’s great to see that the Grammys has some admiration for Bey and that she is celebrated in some light, the lack of AOTY wins is something that fans have complained about for years and outlines a larger issue with the awards ceremony. Black artists, particularly in R&B and hip-hop spaces, are not being acknowledged in big categories by the Recording Academy. The last time a hip-hop artist won AOTY was OutKast in 2004 for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. You know what they say, if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. —Jessica McKinney
Record of the Year meaning explained on stage
The Grammys have some confusing categories, but mainly in how they’re worded. Record of the Year and Song of the Year are perfect examples of this. The former focuses on how a track sounds and includes everyone involved with the mixing, mastering, and recording of it. Song of the Year awards the track that has the best songwriting, honoring all involved in the making of it. It’s a delineation that still confuses everybody in terms of how they’re worded, which is why it was hilarious for Meryl Streep to talk through her confusion when presenting the award for Record of the Year with her son-in-law and notable producer Mark Ronson. Their playful exchange explained the award they were presenting (Record of the Year which ultimately went to Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers”), but also joked about why the wording is confusing. —Jordan Rose
R&B Wins
The Grammys got the R&B categories right this year and showcased how artist development is still valuable in this industry. One of the highlights of the night was Victoria Monét taking home Best New Artist. During her acceptance speech, the “On My Mama” singer noted that she’s been pursuing this award for 15 years since she moved to Los Angeles in 2009, and how winning one this deep into her career is a testament to never giving up on yourself or your dreams. Another highlight for the R&B acts was the most nominated artists of the night, SZA, taking home Best R&B Song for “Snooze” and Coco Jones winning Best R&B Performance with “ICU.” It’s been a massive year for the women of R&B who have been carrying the genre on their backs, so it’s good to see the Grammys being able to acknowledge that in an accurate way by rewarding the artists who have actually been moving the needle. —Jordan Rose
Travis/Carti Performance
Travis Scott brought the energy to the Grammys despite not taking home an award. He also brought out Playboi Carti to perform their viral track “FE!N” off Utopia, making for one of the few memorable rap moments of the night. This was Carti’s first time performing at the Grammys, with the surprise appearance adding to the show's energy. Travis’ performance was also the only hip-hop act of the entire awards, pointing to a lack of representation for the genre. Despite Travis possibly getting snubbed, he still delivered one of the best sets of the night, bringing his unique Utopia stage design and smashing chairs as Carti was performing. —Jordan Rose
Karol G becomes first woman to win in Best Música Urbana Album category
In 2022, the Recording Academy announced the creation of the Best Música Urbana Album category, solidifying the genre’s indisputable impact and widespread appeal. Since then, Bad Bunny has taken home the award for El Último Tour Del Mundo and Un Verano Sin Ti in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Yesterday, Karol G became the second person to ever win the award and first woman to do so. With over a decade of experience in the space, it was great to see the Colombian artist take home the deserved accolade (her first Grammy, now presumably sitting alongside her five Latin Grammys). The win comes off the tail of her acting debut on the critically acclaimed Griselda and serves as a hopeful moment for women in the predominantly male space, as well as anyone going through a seemingly low point: let it be fuel for your tomorrow. —Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo
Ice Spice x Baby Phat
The most perfect collaboration of the night goes to Kimora Lee Simmons and Ice Spice. Unexpected yet fitting, the custom look, which consisted of a dark denim fur skirt and cropped jacket ensemble, was styled by the smart and in-tune Timothy Luke Garcia, who also styled Spice for our Complex cover, shot by Hype Williams. Miss Poopie had no reason to act a smoothie last night as she was nominated in one of the most coveted categories, so instead, she flaunted the popularized word across her belt buckle, which then had the widely identifiable Baby Phat logo dangling off it. The late ‘90s and early aughts served an era of fashion that is still largely the blueprint today. In fall of last year, Kimora Lee Simmons announced the return of the brand with a new line that would appease both millennials who rocked the original line and Gen Z’ers who’ve taken a liking to the era of fashion marked by brands like her own. This moment feels like the perfect precursor to the release of the aptly titled Y2K. —Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo
Bad
Killer Mike arrested after Grammys sweep in rap categories
Grammys night started off triumphant for Killer Mike. The rapper achieved a clean sweep in all three rap categories he was nominated in: Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Album. “Atlanta, that’s a sweep!” Mike exclaimed on stage, while doing a celebratory dance. Unfortunately, the moment came to an abrupt halt when news of his arrest began circulating online. According to Variety, Killer Mike was handcuffed and taken into custody shortly after making plans to celebrate his big wins. Videos online show LAPD escorting Killer Mike from the Crypto.com Arena in handcuffs. It was later revealed that he was charged with misdemeanor battery stemming from an alleged altercation with a security guard. The highs and lows of Killer Mike’s Sunday night are unfortunately a common occurrence for artists who are Black and in the hip-hop space. Even at their highest moments, rappers become targets of police surveillance. —Jessica McKinney
Rap awards took a backseat
Although there were notable victories in the rap categories, such as Killer Mike's clean sweep, rap had a minimal presence at the live show. A significant issue was the Grammys' decision not to broadcast the rap categories. While rappers like Killer Mike delivered acceptance speeches, these moments were shared online and not featured in the live airing. Additionally, rap was underrepresented in terms of major performances, with Travis Scott being one of the few to take the stage. During his performance of "FE!N," he appeared to express frustration with the Recording Academy, shouting, "They slept on me 10 times." For context, Travis Scott was a nominee for Best Rap Album for Utopia at the 2024 awards but ultimately lost to Killer Mike's Michael. Despite previous nominations for Astroworld and hit singles like "Sicko Mode," "The London," and "Highest in the Room," he has yet to secure a win. The lack of televised focus on rap underscores the strained relationship between the awards ceremony and the broader rap community. —Jessica McKinney
No Spanish language performances
The Latin Grammys are continuously one of the most-watched award shows, with steady, increased viewership over the last few years. This year at the Grammys, despite a keen awareness of the impact and strength of the demographic, and a momentary honoring of one of the women leading the charge, there was a glaring missed opportunity to have one of the many present Latin stars take the stage. Peso Pluma, who won Best Música Mexican Album, was in attendance, as well as Tainy, who is one of the best producers in the game and artist in his own right, most recently sharing the heavyweight supported Data. Either artist would have been a great watch, appealing to a massive audience. Plus, they would have likely brought out guests of their own, with Tainy possibly beckoning the likes of Rauw Alejandro, Sech, or even Bad Bunny. Peso Pluma could’ve performed with Kali Uchis their album standout “Igual Que Un Ángel,” or "QLONA" with the already present Karol G. And, if the subject matter or approach was the issue, there were more traditional acts the Academy could have gone for as well, including the iconic Panamanian artist Rubén Blades who won the Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Album this year, or Mexican crooner Natalia LaFourcade who won in the Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album category. Not having a Latin act at yesterday’s show, after including one in nearly every show in the last few years, felt like a big miss. —Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo
Questionable
Grammys X account mistakenly says Nicki Minaj won Best Rap Song
Well, this was awkward. Ahead of the live televising of the Grammys, the official X account of the Recording Academy made a huge error. It’s customary to share some of the winners, since not all categories are presented on live television. That is why when the Recording Academy tweeted that Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice won the category for Best Rap Song for “Barbie World,” some people were initially excited. It would’ve marked Nicki and Ice’s first Grammys wins. However, the excitement was short-lived. The Best Rap Song trophy actually went to Killer Mike for his single “Scientists & Engineers.” Naturally, this ignited outrage online, but the real question is, how could the Recording Academy make that type of mistake, especially when they are the ones calling the shots? Looks like they need to have a serious talk with their social media team. —Jessica McKinney
Beyoncé’s superstardom doesn’t seem to translate to major category wins
Beyoncé is the celebrity of all celebrities. Who else has a line of fellow artists queuing to say hello or snap a picture of her? During each commercial break, Queen Bey appeared to be bombarded by celebs wanting to have a quick word, from Kacey Musgraves to Dua Lipa and Trevor Noah. Fans online quickly took notice, sharing the many Getty Images that were taken during the unofficial “meet and greet.” So if Beyoncé is admired and praised by so many, why hasn’t that translated to top category wins at the Grammys? Only the Recording Academy can answer that question. —Jessica McKinney
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