In many ways, the 2024 Grammy Awards could have been retitled The Taylor Swift Show.
Swift is big – she’s always been big – but something has happened since the Eras Tour kicked off to elevate her into the Michael Jackson-ian dimension of pop culture. She’s no longer just a magnetic force, she’s positively gravitational.
Throughout the night, in which she took home her record fourth album of the year statuette for Midnights – passing Frank Sinatra, who won three in his career – every moment seemed to be about her.
When Miley Cyrus won her first-ever Grammy, it was Swift's reaction that went viral. During numerous musical performances, the cameras would cut to see whether Swift was dancing.
Even host Trevor Noah had to comment on her current stature – especially as she’s also become one of the most talked about figures in American football, thanks to her relationship with Super Bowl-bound Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce – and managed to land a joke about her much better than the one over at the Golden Globes last month.
When the moments were hers alone, she made the most of them. During her first win of the night, for Best Pop Vocal Album, Swift announced a new album she said was two years in the making – entitled The Tortured Poets Department, to be released on April 19.
While Swift may have received most of the spotlight, there were other amazing moments, especially those focused on women in music.
Joni Mitchell did a stirring rendition of Both Sides Now. Tracy Chapman performed Fast Car, reportedly for the first time in 15 years. Annie Lennox performed a stirring tribute to her late friend Sinead O'Connor, and called for a ceasefire in Gaza in the process. Tyla won the first award directly honouring African music. And women won in major categories across the board.
Even when hip-hop legend Jay-Z took to the stage, he used his moment to decry that his wife Beyonce may be the most-awarded star in Grammys history, but she has never won Album of the Year.
Sure, SZA may have deserved the top prize a little more than Swift did, but it’s hard to complain with the Grammys this year.
Here's the 2024 winner's list:
Album of the Year
The Record – boygenius
The Age of Pleasure – Janelle Monae
World Music Radio – Jon Batiste
Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd – Lana Del Rey
Endless Summer Vacation – Miley Cyrus
Guts – Olivia Rodrigo
SOS – SZA
WINNER: Midnights – Taylor Swift
Record of the Year
What Was I Made For? [From Barbie] – Billie Eilish
Not Strong Enough – boygenius
Worship – Jon Batiste
WINNER: Flowers – Miley Cyrus
Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo
Kill Bill – SZA
Anti-Hero – Taylor Swift
On My Mama – Victoria Monet
Best New Artist
Coco Jones
Gracie Abrams
Fred Again..
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Noah Kahan
WINNER: Victoria Monet
The War and Treaty
Song of the Year
WINNER: What Was I Made For? [From Barbie] – Billie Eilish
Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album) – Dua Lipa
Butterfly – Jon Batiste
A&W – Lana Del Rey
Flowers – Miley Cyrus
Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo
Kill Bill – SZA
Anti-Hero – Taylor Swift
Best Pop Vocal Album
– (Subtract) – Ed Sheeran
Chemistry – Kelly Clarkson
Endless Summer Vacation – Miley Cyrus
Guts – Olivia Rodrigo
WINNER: Midnights – Taylor Swift
Best R&B Song
ICU – Coco Jones
Angel – Halle
Back to Love – Robert Glasper featuring Sir & Alex Isley
WINNER: Snooze – SZA
On My Mama – Victoria Monet
Best Country Album
Brothers Osborne – Brothers Osborne
Rolling Up the Welcome Mat – Kelsea Ballerini
WINNER: Bell Bottom Country – Lainey Wilson
Rustin’ in the Rain – Tyler Childers
Zach Bryan – Zach Bryan
Best Musica Urbana Album
WINNER: Manana Sera Bonito – Karol G
Saturno – Rauw Alejandro
Data – Tainy
Best Pop Solo Performance
Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For? [From Barbie]
Doja Cat – Paint the Town Red
WINNER: Miley Cyrus – Flowers
Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire
Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Daniel Nigro
Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II
Hit-Boy
WINNER: Jack Antonoff
Metro Boomin
Producer of the Year, Classical
Brian Pidgeon
David Frost
Dmitriy Lipay
WINNER: Elaine Martone
Morten Lindberg
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn – Adam Blackstone
WINNER: The Winds of Change – Billy Childs
The Source – Kenny Barron
Phoenix – Lakecia Benjamin
Dream Box – Pat Metheny
Best Jazz Performance
Vulnerable (Live) – Adam Blackstone featuring The Baylor Project and Russell Ferrante
But Not for Me – Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding
Movement 18’ (Heroes) – Jon Batiste
Basquiat – Lakecia Benjamin
WINNER: Tight – Samara Joy
Best Progressive R&B Album
The Love Album: Off the Grid – Diddy
Nova – Terrace Martin and James Fauntleroy
The Age of Pleasure – Janelle Monae
WINNER: SOS – SZA
Since I Have a Lover – 6lack
Best R&B Performance
Summer Too Hot – Chris Brown
WINNER: ICU – Coco Jones
Back to Love – Robert Glasper featuring Sir and Alex Isley
Kill Bill – SZA
How Does It Make You Feel – Victoria Monet
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Akiho: In That Space, at That Time – Andy Akiho, Ankush Kumar Bahl and Omaha Symphony
WINNER: Montgomery: Rounds – Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry and Roomful of Teeth
Ades: Dante – Gustavo Dudamel and Los Angeles Philharmonic
Mazzoli: Dark With Excessive Bright – Peter Herresthal, James Gaffigan and Bergen Philharmonic
Brittelle: Psychedelics – Roomful of Teeth
Best Historical Album
Fragments – Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17, Bob Dylan
Words & Music, May 1965 – Deluxe Edition, Lou Reed
The Moaninest Moan of Them All: The Jazz Saxophone of Loren McMurray, 1920-1922, Various Artists
Playing for the Man at the Door: Field Recordings from the Collection of Mack McCormick, 1958–1971, Various Artists
WINNER: Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos, Various Artists
Best Comedy Album
Selective Outrage – Chris Rock
WINNER: What’s in a Name? – Dave Chappelle
Someone You Love – Sarah Silverman
I Wish You Would – Trevor Noah
I’m an Entertainer – Wanda Sykes
Best Alternative Music Album
The Car – Arctic Monkeys
WINNER: The Record – boygenius
Cracker Island – Gorillaz
Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd – Lana Del Rey
I Inside the Old Year Dying – PJ Harvey
Best Alternative Music Performance
Belinda Says – Alvvays
Body Paint – Arctic Monkeys
Cool About It – boygenius
A&W – Lana Del Rey
WINNER: This Is Why – Paramore
Best Rock Album
But Here We Are – Foo Fighters
Starcatcher – Greta Van Fleet
72 Seasons – Metallica
WINNER: This Is Why – Paramore
In Times New Roman … – Queens of the Stone Age
Best Rock Song
WINNER: Not Strong Enough – boygenius
Rescued – Foo Fighters
Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl – Olivia Rodrigo
Emotion Sickness – Queens of the Stone Age
Angry – The Rolling Stones
Best Metal Performance
Bad Man – Disturbed
Phantom of the Opera – Ghost
WINNER: 72 Seasons – Metallica
Hive Mind – Slipknot
Jaded – Spiritbox
Best Rock Performance
Sculptures of Anything Goes – Arctic Monkeys
More Than a Love Song – Black Pumas
WINNER: Not Strong Enough – boygenius
Rescued – Foo Fighters
Lux Æterna – Metallica
Best Musical Theater Album
Kimberly Akimbo Parade Shucked
WINNER: Some Like It Hot
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Only the Strong Survive – Bruce Springsteen
WINNER: Bewitched – Laufey
To Steve With Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim – Liz Callaway
Holidays Around the World – Pentatonix
Pieces of Treasure – Rickie Lee Jones
Sondheim Unplugged (The NYC Sessions), Vol. 3 – Various artists
Best Global Music Album
History – Bokante
I Told Them … – Burna Boy
Timeless – Davido
WINNER: This Moment – Shakti
Epifanias – Susana Baca
Best African Music Performance
Amapiano – Asake and Olamide
Rush – Ayra Starr
City Boys – Burna Boy
Unavailable – Davido featuring Musa Keys
WINNER: Water – Tyla
Best Global Music Performance
Shadow Forces – Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily
WINNER: Pashto – Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain featuring Rakesh Chaurasia
Alone – Burna Boy
Feel – Davido
Abundance in Millets – Falu and Gaurav Shah (featuring PM Narendra Modi)
Todo Colores – Ibrahim Maalouf featuring Cimafunk and Tank and the Bangas
Milagro y Disastre – Silvana Estrada
Best Spoken Word Poetry Album
When the Poems Do What They Do – Aja Monet
WINNER: The Light Inside – J Ivy
Grocery Shopping With My Mother – Kevin Powell
For Your Consideration ’24 – Prentice Powell and Shawn William
A-You’re Not Wrong B-They’re Not Either: The Fukc-It Pill Revisited – Queen Sheba
Best Rap Album
Her Loss – Drake and 21 Savage
WINNER: Michael – Killer Mike
Heroes & Villains – Metro Boomin
King’s Disease III – Nas
Utopia – Travis Scott
Best Rap Song
Attention – Doja Cat
Rich Flex – Drake and 21 Savage
WINNER: Scientists & Engineers – Killer Mike featuring Andre 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane
Just Wanna Rock – Lil Uzi Vert
Barbie World [From Barbie the Album] – Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice featuring Aqua
Best Melodic Rap Performance
Sittin’ on Top of the World – Burna Boy featuring 21 Savage
Attention – Doja Cat
Spin Bout U – Drake and 21 Savage
WINNER: All My Life – Lil Durk featuring J Cole
Low – SZA
Best Rap Performance
The Hillbillies – Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar
Love Letter – Black Thought
Players – Coi Leray
Rich Flex – Drake and 21 Savage
WINNER: Scientists & Engineers – Killer Mike featuring Andre 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane
Best R&B Album
Girls Night Out – Babyface
What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe) – Coco Jones
Special Occasion – Emily King
Clear 2: Soft Life EP – Summer Walker
WINNER: Jaguar II – Victoria Monet
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Simple – Babyface featuring Coco Jones
Lucky – Kenyon Dixon
WINNER: Good Morning – PJ Morton featuring Susan Carol
Love Language – SZA
Hollywood – Victoria Monet featuring Earth, Wind & Fire and Hazel Monet
Best Gospel Performance/Song
Feel Alright (Blessed) – Erica Campbell
God Is – Melvin Crispell III
WINNER: All Things – Kirk Franklin
God Is Good – Stanley Brown featuring Hezekiah Walker, Kierra Sheard and Karen Clark Sheard
Lord Do It for Me (Live) – Zacardi Cortez
Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Justin Tranter
Shane McAnally
WINNER: Theron Thomas
Best Country Song
Buried – Brandy Clark
WINNER: White Horse – Chris Stapleton
Last Night – Morgan Wallen
In Your Love – Tyler Childers
I Remember Everything – Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves
Best Country Solo Performance
Buried – Brandy Clark
WINNER: White Horse – Chris Stapleton
The Last Thing on My Mind – Dolly Parton
Fast Car – Luke Combs
In Your Love – Tyler Childers
Best Immersive Audio Album
WINNER: The Diary of Alicia Keys – Alicia Keys
God of War Ragnarök (Original Soundtrack) – Bear McCreary
Blue Clear Sky – George Strait
Silence Between Songs – Madison Beer
Act 3 (Immersive Edition) – Ryan Ylyate
Best Remixed Recording
WINNER: Wagging Tongue (Wet Leg Remix) – Depeche Mode
New Gold (Dom Dolla Remix) – Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown
Reviver (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix) – Lane 8
Workin’ Hard (Terry Hunter Remix) – Mariah Carey
Alien Love Call – Turnstile and BadBadNotGood featuring Blood Orange
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
History – Bokante
The Record – boygenius
Desire, I Want to Turn Into You – Caroline Polachek
Multitudes – Feist
WINNER: Jaguar II – Victoria Monet
Best Music Film
WINNER: Moonage Daydream – David Bowie
Live From Paris, the Big Steppers Tour – Kendrick Lamar
How I’m Feeling Now – Lewis Capaldi
I Am Everything – Little Richard
Dear Mama – Tupac Shakur
Best Music Video
WINNER: I’m Only Sleeping – The Beatles
What Was I Made For? [From Barbie] – Billie Eilish
Count Me Out – Kendrick Lamar
Rush – Troye Sivan
In Your Love – Tyler Childers
Best Song Written for Visual Media
WINNER: What Was I Made For? [From Barbie] – Billie Eilish
Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album) – Dua Lipa
Barbie World [From Barbie the Album] – Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice featuring Aqua
Lift Me Up (From Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By) – Rihanna
I’m Just Ken [From Barbie the Album] – Ryan Gosling
Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media
God of War Ragnarook – Bear McCreary
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical – Jess Serro, Tripod and Austin Wintory
Hogwarts Legacy – Peter Murray, J Scott Rakozy and Chuck E Myers “Sea”
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II – Sarah Schachner
WINNER: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film and Television)
The Fabelmans – John Williams
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – John Williams
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Ludwig Goransson
WINNER: Oppenheimer – Ludwig Goransson
Barbie – Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Aurora – Daisy Jones & the Six
WINNER: Barbie the Album – Various Artists
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Music From and Inspired By – Various Artists
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix, Vol. 3 – Various Artists
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Weird Al Yankovic
Best Tropical Latin Album
Escalona Nunca Se Habia Grabado Asi – Carlos Vives
Niche Sinfónico – Grupo Niche y Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia
Voy a Ti – Luis Figueroa
Vida – Omara Portuondo
WINNER: Siembra: 45° Aniversario (En Vivo en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico, 14 de Mayo 2022) – Ruben Blades with Roberto Delgado and Orquesta
Mimy & Tony – Tony Succar and Mimy Succar
Best Musica Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)
Bordado a Mano – Ana Barbara
Motherflower – Flor de Toloache
La Sanchez – Lila Downs
Amor Como en las Peliculas de Antes – Lupita Infante
WINNER: Genesis – Peso Pluma
Best Dance/Electronic Music Album
Playing Robots Into Heaven – James Blake
For That Beautiful Feeling – The Chemical Brothers
WINNER: Actual Life 3 (January 1-September 9 2022) – Fred Again..
Kx5 – Kx5
Quest for Fire – Skrillex
Best Pop Dance Recording
One in a Million – Bebe Rexha and David Guetta
Miracle – Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding
Baby Don’t Hurt Me – David Guetta, Anne-Marie and Coi Leray
WINNER: Padam Padam – Kylie Minogue
Rush – Troye Sivan
Best Dance/Electronic Recording
Blackbox Life Recorder 21f – Aphex Twin
Higher Than Ever Before – Disclosure
Loading – James Blake
Strong – Romy and Fred Again..
WINNER: Rumble – Skrillex, Fred Again.. and Flowdan
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Never Felt So Alone – Labrinth featuring Billie Eilish
Candy Necklace – Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste
Thousand Miles – Miley Cyrus featuring Brandi Carlile
WINNER: Ghost in the Machine – SZA featuring Phoebe Bridgers
Karma – Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice
