Record-breaking wins and heartbreaking losses: The 2021 Grammy Awards definitely broke the mold.
From the outdoor seating due to COVID-19 to the shocking outcomes of each category, everything about the 63rd annual Grammys — which aired March 14 on CBS — was different than any of the Recording Academy’s awards ceremonies, ever.
Lead by Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” host and one-time Grammy nominee Trevor Noah, 37, the show was full of monumental moments — especially for artists like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eillish.
Noah’s cheeky comedic stylings carried the night as his nothing-is-off-limits barbs spanned everything from sending shady shots at the royal family to suggesting parents tell their kids that “WAP” is a song about giving a cat a bath.
Quips and zingers aside, the doling out of the awards was absolutely no laughing matter.
Get into this list of the Grammys’ wow-moment winners and snubbed club losers.
Surprise: Billie Eilish
Even though she wanted the Record of the Year honors to go to Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish’s “Everything I Wanted” earned her the Grammy’s highest honors. In a surprising turn of events, the 19-year-old electropop songstress triumphed over the likes of Dua Lipa, Doja Cat and DaBaby. Although she courteously accepted the award, presented by Beatles legend Ringo Starr, Eilish couldn’t help but praise Megan The Stallion as the true victor of the night, saying: “You deserve this. You deserve everything in the world. Genuinely, this goes to her.”
Snub: Selena
Fans were disappointed the Grammys’ tribute to Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was short, despite much hype ahead of the show. As one fan pointed out on Twitter, the honor was all of but “two seconds” while another fan said she waited all night. Some people wondered on Twitter if they missed it, while others said that “people are going to riot.”
Surprise: Beyoncé
Bey is King, duh!
Lording over every other Grammy award titleholder, Beyoncé’s Best R&B Performance accolade solidified her as the most-winningest female musician in Recording Academy history. The 39-year-old music master’s win with the song “Black Parade” boosted her total number of Grammys to 28. Her record-breaking victory unseated bluegrass country singer Alison Krauss as the most decorated female Grammy winner with 27 awards.
Snub: BTS
The BTS army called “BS” when the K-pop band’s “Dynamite” lost the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s smash track “Rain On Me.” Taking to Twitter with their digital torches and pitchforks, fans of the group made #Scammys one of the night’s most trending hashtags in order to highlight their displeasure with the Grammys voting committee. Had BTS been dubbed the best in the category, it would have been the Korea-bred collective’s first-ever Grammy win.
Surprise: H.E.R.
H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe,” outpaced tracks like Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” and Taylor Swift’s “Cardigan” for Grammy Song of the Year honors. The socially-conscious song served as the soulful soundtrack to the nationwide fight against injustice and police brutality in 2020. “I didn’t imagine that my fear and that my pain would turn into impact,” H.E.R. chimed during her breath-taking acceptance speech.
Snub/Surprise: Taylor Swift
Here’s hoping Taylor Swift had her trusty cardigan handy because the Grammys gave her the cold-shoulder in the Best Pop Solo Performance category. Moments after blessing the Grammys with a top-tier performance of “Cardigan,” “August” and “Willow,” Swift, 31, was defeated by her “Watermelon Sugar” singing ex, Harry Styles, for Best Pop Solo Performance praise. Despite the loss, Swift graciously applauded as Styles sashayed onto the stage to receive his first-ever Grammy Award. But later she was redeemed by the Recording Academy when her “Folklore” won Album of The Year.
In fact, Swift’s Album of the Year conquest enthroned her as the only female artist to secure three wins of its kind. The achievement places her in the company of fellow triple Album of the year winners Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon.
Surprise: Megan Thee Stallion
Trampling the competition, Megan The Stallion was crowned the Best New Artist at the Grammys. But the 26-year-old Houston hottie’s teary reaction to the win proved to be one of the greatest and purest treasures of the night. Meg’s heartwarming Best New Artist acceptance speech narrowly topped her classy, bougie and ratchet reaction to her and Beyoncé’s “Savage (remix)” winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.
Surprise: Blue Ivy Carter
Blue gets the gold, honey.
For her groundbreaking contributions to visuals for “Brown Skin Girl,” Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s baby girl, Blue Ivy Carter, earned herself a Grammy for Best Music Video — guess we know who’s winning show and tell at school Monday morning. The 9-year-old heir to Queen Bey’s ionic throne has become the second youngest person in history to get a Grammy. Country singers The Peasall Sisters won Album of The Year glory for their work on the “Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?” soundtrack in 2001. The youngest of which, Leah Peasall, was 8 at the time of their win, making her the youngest ever Grammy-holder to date.