The 2018 Grammys Marked Progress for People of Color, but Not Women

Yet despite being nominated for three awards – including Song of the Year and Record of the Year – the academy decided that the biggest song of 2017 deserved exactly zero Grammys.

In accepting the top prize of album of the year for “24K Magic”, Mars said the album’s songs were “written with love” and he just “wanted everybody to dance” to the album’s tunes. The stage was set for hip-hop to seek its redemption after years of enduring brutal upsets, such as 50 Cent’s loss to Evanescence for best new artist at the 2004 Grammys, or Ray Charles’ win for album of the year over Kanye West’s College Dropout in 2005.

James Corden arrives at the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, in NY. Mars told listeners that wanted his album to “unite people from different sides of the globe through song”, which was the overarching theme of this year’s Grammys. What people did not see coming during Lamar’s number was the intentional interruption made by Dave Chappelle who puts the heavy truth of the performance into a humorous perspective in a way only Chappelle can.

The event was held for the first time in 15 years in Madison Square Garden, New York recorded its lowest rating among its target demographic. “We choose the white rose because historically it stands for hope, peace, sympathy and resistance”. It’s not just going on in Washington.

The song was hailed for much of a year ago for flipping the script on the traditional “crossover” narrative, achieving its lofty heights not with an English-language version or remix, but with an Anglo pop star (Justin Bieber) singing his verse in Spanish.

Corden has hosted the last two shows.

Sting and Shaggy teamed up for a unique version of “English Man in NY”. Patti LuPone performed the classic song “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina”, giving musical fans something to perk up about. It summed up Kesha’s plea of #MeToo and her strength to say #TimesUP. Kendrick also won best Rap Performance for his song “Loyalty” featuring Rihanna, which lifted by 273% (nearly 1200 units) over prior day.

Others who shined onstage included Lady Gaga, who won over the audience with a rousing performance of the songs “Joanne” and “Million Reasons”; Sam Smith gave a powerful performance of the song “Pray”; and Pink was a vocal powerhouse while she sang ‘Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken’. ROBERT DEUTSCH/USA TODAY Childish Gambino, aka actor Donald Glover, performs Terrified.

Josh Tatofi and Ho’okena were nominated in the Best Regional Roots Album category, though they didn’t clinch the win.

Corden’s bit began after the Best Comedy Album victor was announced. It earned a rousing applause from the crowd.