Women and LGBTQ+ artists shined at last night’s Grammys.
Women artists swept the major categories while LGBTQ+ artists racked up wins in nine categories, making the socially-distanced ceremonies — broadcast from the rooftop of Los Angeles’s Staples Center — the “queerest in years,” according to GLAAD.
Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande took the award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their song, “Rain on Me,” while Brittney Howard’s “Stay High” won Best Rock Song. Haitian-Canadian DJ Kaytranada walked away with two awards — for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Dance Recording — making him the most decorated LGBTQ+ artist of the night.
Last night also brought first wins for two queer icons. Brandi Carlile won the award for Best Country Song for “Crowded Table,” a collaboration with Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna (The Highwomen). Carlile also paid tribute to late singer-songwriter John Prine, performing his song “I Remember Everything.”
“It was an unspeakable honor to sing it tonight,” Carlile posted on Instagram.
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And Rachel Maddow took home the prize for Best Spoken Word Album for her book, “Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth.”
“HA! WHOA! WOW!!” Maddow tweeted in response to her win, followed shortly by an explanatory tweet: “That is exactly what it sounded like in the car when Susan and I heard. We scared the dog awake.”
LGBTQ+ ally Beyoncè took home four awards, including Best R&B Performance for her song, “Black Parade,” which was released this summer amid Black Lives Matter protests. She is now tied with producer Quincy Jones for most lifetime Grammy wins (28 each).
Other wins include Taylor Swift, who won Album of the Year for “Folklore;” Billie Eilish, who won Record of the Year for “Everything I Wanted;” and Megan Thee Stallion, who won Best New Artist as well as Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “Savage,” featuring Beyoncè.
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