The 61st annual Grammy Awards was held on Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the night saw some of your favorite black musicians taking home some of the most coveted awards.
The event kicked off with a special appearance by Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez and Michelle Obama joining the host, Alicia Keys, to talk about the impact of music in their lives. Obama’s appearance, which came as a surprise was met with a rupturing applause from the crowd.
“From the Motown records I wore out on the South Side to the ‘who run the world’ songs that fueled me through this last decade, music has always helped me tell my story, and I know that’s true for everybody here,” the former first lady said.
RELATED STORIES
“Whether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves, our dignity and sorrows, our hopes and joys. It allows us to hear one another, to invite each other in. Music shows us that all of it matters, every story within every voice, every note within every song. Is that right ladies?”
Coming off a very successful 2018, rapper Cardi B made history by becoming the first woman to win the best rap album as a solo artist.
Childish Gambino’s This is America also won big, taking home four awards.
Proudly representing Africa, the Soweto Gospel Choir won the award for the Best World Music Album.
Another notable highlight was Drake’s acceptance speech criticizing the Grammys for not
Though his speech was cut short and interrupted with a commercial break, the Canadian rapper still got his message across.
“I want to take this opportunity while I’m up here to just talk to all the kids that are watching this that are aspiring to do music, all my peers that make music from their heart, that do things pure and tell the truth. I want to let you know we play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport. So it’s not the NBA where at the end of the year you’re holding a trophy because you made the right decisions and won the games,” he said. “This is a business where sometimes it’s up to a bunch of people that might not understand, you know, what a mixed-race kid from Canada has to say or a fly Spanish girl from New York or anybody else,”
“The point is, you’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for
Take a look at some of your favourite black artists who took home awards below:
Record of the Year
“This Is America” — Childish Gambino
Song of the Year
“This Is America” — Childish Gambino
Best Music Video
“This Is America” — Childish Gambino
Best Rap/Sung Performance
“This Is America” — Childish Gambino
Best Urban Contemporary Album
“Everything Is Love” — The Carters
Best Rap Performance
“King’s Dead” — Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake
“Bubblin” —
Best Rap Song
“God’s Plan” – Drake
Best Rap Album
“Invasion of Privacy” — Cardi B
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Pharrell Williams
Best Comedy Album
“Equanimity & the Bird Revelation” — Dave Chappelle
Best World Music Album
“Freedom” — Soweto Gospel Choir
Best Music Film
“Quincy” — Quincy Jones
Best Reggae Album
“44/876” — Sting and Shaggy
Best R&B Song
“Boo’d Up” —Ella Mai
