The Grammy Awards, also known as music’s biggest night, recognizes the most influential music artists of each year. It celebrates some of the biggest names in music with awards such as Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and the most prestigious recognition: Album of the Year. However, controversy surrounded the results of this year’s award show. Filled with immensely talented singers, the categories were highly competitive. Rising pop stars such as Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan and music icons Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish are just a few of the big names who landed nominations, leaving the Recording Academy with tough choices.
The result that sparked the most debate was the winner for Album of the Year—Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter. Despite being notoriously known for getting snubbed at the Grammys, many believed that Beyonce did not deserve this award, arguing it should have gone to someone whose album consisted of better songwriting and artistry. Personally, I believed this recognition should have gone to Billie Eilish’s album Hit Me Hard and Soft due to its versatility, high success in numbers, and the connection many fans felt with the record. Eilish ended the night empty handed, upsetting many fans—especially considering this album is arguably her best record yet and her single “Birds of a Feather” was the most streamed song of 2024. She deserved at least one award.
The artist who left the night with the most awards was Kendrick Lamar. His song “Not Like Us” swept five categories: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Music Video. Since this song won so many awards already, I believe someone else should have won either Song of the Year or Record of the Year, as several other remarkable, record-breaking songs were released this year.
The 67th Grammy Awards was most definitely memorable as it was filled with historic wins from a diverse range of artists from Chappell Roan to Kendrick Lamar, highlighting the impact their music made on the industry. While the winners may have sparked some debate and disappointment among fans, it was still a memorable award show because 2024 was filled with exceptional music.
