Entertainment
The Biggest Moments at the 2021 Grammys: From Taylor Swift and Harry Styles’ Run-In to Fan Backlash
The 2021 Grammy Awards adapted to the realities of the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, March 14, staging a socially distant ceremony from Los Angeles. The 63rd annual awards show, hosted by Trevor Noah, featured performances from Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion and other chart-topping artists. The night was full of sweet and shocking moments, and a few that felt something close to normal.
Harry wore (multiple) feather boas and won a Grammy for “Watermelon Sugar,” Beyoncé made history as the most decorated female artist and Taylor Swift made a rare appearance on the red carpet. Plus, it was all done with masks, tables spaced six feet apart and a few nominees on Zoom.
With her assist on Megan Thee Stallion‘s “Savage (Remix)” and her own win for “Black Parade” as Best R&B Performance, Beyoncé now has a whopping 28 awards. (She ties Quincy Jones). The artist wasn’t the only one to break a record, though. After Taylor’s win for Folklore as Album of the Year, she became the first woman to win that particular prize three times over.
Despite all the major moments, however, many fans weren’t impressed. Within minutes of the first monologue, “Scammys 2021” started trending on Twitter. Why? Well, some viewers were angered to see their favorite artists lose their categories or be snubbed for a nomination altogether.
Former One Direction band member Zayn Malik fired off at the Recording Academy ahead of Sunday’s show.
“@recordingacad are moving in inches and we need to move in miles,” he tweeted. “I’m keeping the pressure on and fighting for transparency and inclusion. We need to make sure we are honoring and celebrating the ‘creative excellence’ of ALL. End the secret committees. Until then … #f—thegrammys.”
Earlier in the week, Gigi Hadid‘s boyfriend criticized the Grammys over its voting process, tweeting “f–k the Grammys” and claiming that “unless you shake hands and send gifts, there [are] no nomination considerations.”
Keep scrolling to see all the moments you missed on music’s biggest night.
