Host
Trevor Noah introduces
Bad Bunny, who leads a parade up the center aisle of
Crypto.com Arena for a rousing medley of "El Apagón" and "Despues de la Playa." He's dressed for Music's Biggest Night in a fresh white T-shirt and faded jeans.
Paul Grein would know whether this is the first Spanish-language opening in Grammys history.
Trevor makes a
Beyoncé joke. Is this a hint of wins to come? Oh, wait, he doesn't know who's gonna win before it happens, right?
Harry Styles and
Jeffrey Azoff have great seats. Noah's working the front tables:
Lizzo,
Taylor,
LL COOL J—whom he introduces to
The Rock, oddly enough.
Brandi Carlile, the Grammys go-to performer of the moment, is intro'd by her wife and two daughters.
J.Lo presents Best Pop Vocal Album to
Harry Styles, who thanks his recording team. Following the first commercial, we get a roundtable discussion of
Bad Bunny's uniqueness, countered by an "80 for Harry" superfan. We'll never get those five minutes back.
Viola Davis references the great
Aretha as she presents the Grammy for R&B Song to Queen Bey, who's stuck in traffic, according to Trevor. Fortunately,
Nile Rodgers is on hand to fill in.
The
Airbnb spot gets a "Yellow Submarine" sync. Then a scarlet-haired
Shania Twain arrives to present Country Album to (she gasps)
Willie Nelson, who had no intention of attending this ceremony.
Archetypal awards-show host
Billy Crystal takes the mic for a nostalgic mini-monologue that leads into his intro of
Stevie Wonder,
who's backed by a teenaged vocal quartet on a
Smokey Robinson medley: "The Way You Do the Things You Do" into "Tears of a Clown"—whereupon Smokey joins the ensemble—and Stevie's own "Higher Ground," with
Chris Stapleton taking the second verse and killing it.
Berry Gordy's loving it. The energy has just picked up considerably.
Smokey's the next presenter.
Sam Smith and
Kim Petras get Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Unholy." Kim gets big applause as she acknowledges that she's the first transgender woman to win a Grammy. Her tearful speech marks a milestone.
OMG! "Baby Got Back" for
Chex Mix?! What's next,
Eminem for
Windex?
It's now
Lizzo time. Looks like she's come with an army of backing vocalists.
SZA presents
Bad Bunny with the trophy for Música Urbana Album. The Puerto Rican star has been the winner of that award since its inception in 2022, winning back-to-back trophies for
El Último Tour del Mundo and
Un Verano Sin Ti.
One hour into the show, Beyoncé and
Jay-Z have finally arrived—just in time for Harry Styles' performance of Record and Song of the Year contender "As It Was."
Former winner
Cardi B presents Best Rap Album to
Kendrick Lamar for
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (
pgLang/
TDE/
Aftermath/
Interscope). The L.A. native earns his third Grammy of the day, following early wins for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song ("The Heart Part 5").
Kacey Musgraves segues into the "In Memoriam" tribute with a performance of
Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter."
Quavo honors his late nephew and
Migos member
Takeoff with a special performance, followed by a collaboration among
Sheryl Crow,
Bonnie Raitt and
Mick Fleetwood honoring
Christine McVie with a rendition of "Songbird."
Madonna makes an appearance to announce Sam Smith & Kim Petras, who perform their Grammy-winning "Unholy." Smith and Petras' pop smash scores another huge moment of the evening.
With a win for Best Dance/Electronic Album for
RENAISSANCE, Beyoncé becomes the artist with the most wins in Grammy history (32). Queen Bey graces the stage for the first time of the night.
Mary J. Blige performs the title track from
Good Morning, Gorgeous, which is up for Album of the Year.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and hip-hop ambassador
LL COOL J presents the inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award to... wait for it...
Dr. Dre. We're still bitter that they gave the inaugural
HITS Award to
Billboard.
And we're into an all-star tribute to hip-hop's 50th, with
The Roots, the (mostly) reunited
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five,
Run-DMC, LL COOL J,
DJ Jazzy Jeff,
Salt-N-Pepa,
Rakim, a reunited
Public Enemy, De La Soul, Ice-T,
Queen Latifah,
Big Boi,
Method Man, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott,
Too $hort,
Nelly, The LOX, Lil Baby,
GloRilla and other rap luminaries. How many viewers are just learning that their favorite TV stars are also rappers? In any case, this was probably the most energizing history lesson ever.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, fresh from "meeting"
Adele, presents the Pop Solo Performance trophy to Adele. Who'da thunk it?
Justin Davis, a tavern owner who once hired
Luke Combs as a bouncer, brings the country star out to perform "Going, Going, Gone."
First Lady
Dr. Jill Biden, resplendent in a reflective silver gown, strides out to give out the first Best Song for Social Change to Iranian singer-songwriter
Shervin Hajipour, whose "Baraye" has become a resounding anthem for change. She then presents Song of the Year to
Bonnie Raitt for "Just Like That." Even Bonnie seems shocked by this major upset. In her speech she acknowledges the inspiration of the late, great
John Prine.
Chris Martin bestows Record of the Year upon
Lizzo for "About Damn Time." She notes that her penchant for positivity was once unfashionable but she's heartened by how that positivity has proliferated. And she thanks Beyoncé for "changing my life."
Music Educator Award recipient
Pamela Dawson is hailed. Next comes a recorded message from
Recording Academy chief
Harvey Mason Jr. about the power of music.
Another of these fan roundtable segments, which most people we're texting with feel is some sort of punishment.
Steve Lacy's "Bad Habit" gets a deluxe treatment, with
Thundercat shredding on bass. All the stars in the audience know the words.
Olivia Rodrigo hits the stage to present Best New Artist to
Samara Joy. Another major surprise.
The roundtable superfans are invited onstage by Noah to help present AOTY. And the trophy goes to Harry Styles. He gives his octogenarian superfan a big hug. He acknowledges the other nominees' work, saying he listens to them all. Collaborators
Kid Harpoon and
Tyler Johnson also give thanks.
DJ Khaled's star-studded "GOD DID," featuring
JAY-Z,
John Legend,
Lil Wayne,
Rick Ross and
Fridayy,
closes things out. JZ's killer verse feels like a passionate postscript to the hip-hop anniversary tribute.
And that's a wrap on the 65th annual Grammy Awards.
