Because staying up until 5am to find out who has won in categories as gripping as “Best Rap/Sung Performance” and “Best Country Group/Duo Performance” isn’t for everyone, the chances are you might well have missed some of the key moments from this year’s action-packed Grammys.
Fortunately, powered by nothing but Lucozade and our combined love of Billie Eilish and Lizzo, we managed to stay up for the whole thing, so we have got you covered.
From show-stopping performances to some of the more low-key moments that might have gone over some viewers’ heads these are our highlights from the 2020 Grammys…
1. We have to start with the red carpet, because some celebs really went all out this year
Ariana Grande giving us full Disney princess alongside Lil Nas X at peak Lil Nas X is exactly the effort we want from celebrities at all awards shows moving forward, please.
2. Special mention has to be given to Billy Porter, though
He’s known for going over the top with his red carpet fashion, but we’ve never seen him sporting a motorised accessory before.
3. Although the less said about these red carpet choices, the better
4. Of course, the tragic news which broke just hours before the Grammys hung over the event
There had been a lot of talk on social media about whether the event would even go ahead in light of Kobe Bryant’s sudden death at the age of 41, but presenter Alicia Keys opened the show with a tribute to the basketball legend.
After asking for a moment of silence, she was then joined on stage by Boyz II Men, for an impromptu rendition of It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye.
5. There were many more tributes to Kobe Bryant over the course of the evening
Among those to mention the late athlete on stage were DJ Khaled, while Lizzo said in her acceptance speech: “I want to say, this whole week I have been lost in my problems. Stressed out.
“And then in an instant all that can go away – all of that can shift. All of my little problems that I thought were as big as the world were gone and I realised there are people who are hurting right now.”
Lil Nas X also featured a basketball jersey featuring the late sportsman’s name during his Old Town Road performance.
6. Lizzo’s show-stopping performance quite literally had it all
We’re talking ballet, we’re talking a costume reveal, we’re talking a flute solo, all ending with the message: “Welcome to the Grammys, bitch. Bom bom bee tum bee tum tum tay.”
In case we haven’t made this clear… we love Lizzo.
7. There was surprisingly little mention of the behind-the-scenes scandal that hit the Grammys this week
The closest thing was when, during Alicia Keys’ “serenade”, she joked that it had been “a hell of a week”.
Alicia then launched into a parody of Lewis Capaldi’s Someone You Loved, during which she sang about the last 12 months in music, and also took a swipe at US president Donald Trump.
8. Lewis’ reaction to hearing his song being parodied was kind of adorable, too
We can’t be certain, but we think Lewis might have been excited to be at the Grammys.
9. Let’s talk about some of the performances, because Tyler, The Creator’s was actually insane
Talk about unpredictable, this performance starts with Boyz II Men making their second appearance of the night, and ends with Tyler and a load of Igor lookalikes convulsing while the backdrop behind them shows a burning neighbourhood.
It’s not to everyone’s tastes, of course, but this was probably our performance of the night.
10. The rapper literally hurling himself to collect his first ever Grammy with his mum at his side was also quite the moment
We also have the upmost respect for him for carrying on with his speech even when the producers tried to play him off.
11. Not long after that, Usher’s tribute to Prince got a mixed reaction
On one hand, Usher delivered some stellar vocals and there were some amazing moves from FKA Twigs… but it would have been nice to have heard her on the microphone for a bit too.
12. Ariana kicks off her rendition of 7 Rings with a quick blast from The Sound Of Music…
But it didn’t take long before things took a turn that Dame Julie Andrews would probably not be replicating any time soon.
Seriously, though, it was a brilliant number, and quite possibly the best TV performance Ariana Grande has ever done.
13. …and she got choked up when she gave a special shout out to her dad
During the final verse of Thank U, Next, Ariana usually sings that on her wedding day she’ll be “holding hands with [her] mama” and “thanking [her] dad, ’cause she grew from the drama”.
For her Grammys performance, she changed the lyric to ”’cause he’s really awesome”, then briefly got a bit emosh. Both of her parents were actually with her on the red carpet, which made the shout-out extra special.
14. But that wasn’t the most emotional performance of the night
No, that distinction most certainly went to Demi Lovato, who became so choked up at the beginning of her performance – her first since her overdose in the summer of 2018 – that she had to briefly start again.
Still, her bravery and raw emotion won her huge praise, both from the Grammys audience and viewers watching along at home.
15. Billie Eilish allowed her voice do the talking
We all know that Billie Eilish is very much the full package, and her energetic performance style, music videos and personality have been every bit as important to her success as her songwriting and vocal abilities.
The Grammys is the biggest opportunity she’s had to put on a huge spectacle of a performance, so we were impressed she chose to strip things back, instead going for a fairly low-key rendition of her track When The Party’s Over that put her voice in centre stage.
16. Ellen’s introduction for Lil Nas X was actually kind of perfect
“Courageous, brave, groundbreaking, game-changing, adorable, the cutest smile… all words to describe me,” Ellen began, before highlighting how important Lil Nas X’s success has actually been, as an openly gay rapper and singer with a record-breaking number one single.
17. And Lil Nas X’s performance itself was also pretty special
We’ve already touched on the sweet nod to Kobe Bryant, but Lil Nas X’s performance really does deserve a mention of its own.
Not only was it ambitious and technically impressive – not to mention star-studded – it was also just tonnes of fun, providing a moment of unwavering joy during an otherwise heavy evening.
18. Nipsey Hussle won not one but two posthumous Grammys
There was also a performance in his honour from a group of his friends and peers, consisting of Meek Mill, John Legend and DJ Khaled.
The late rapper’s partner, Lauren London, and grandmother collected his first posthumous Grammy, in one of the night’s most tear-jerking moments.
19. We have come to expect greatness from Rosalía, and she delivered yet again
The perfect mix of traditional and contemporary, and she gave us looks, and choreography, and she did the whole thing in Spanish. If you’re not already all over Rosalía, now is the time.
20. Billie Eilish sweeps the board, but admitted that she wasn’t actually rooting for herself to win Album Of The Year
“Can I just say, I think Ariana deserved this,” Billie said, after collecting her Album Of The Year win. “Thank U, Next got me through some shit.”
To Ariana’s credit, she was not having it, and insisted the 18-year-old carry on with her acceptance speech.
You might well have seen that Grammys night was a big one for Billie, winning in this year’s four main categories, but what you may not have realised was how significant this is.
Not only is she the youngest artist to ever be nominated for Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year and Best New Artist all at the same ceremony, she’s also one of only two artists to sweep the board completely, the last being Christopher Cross in 1981.
21. And finally, our personal favourite video of the night
The night’s two biggest winners – who were up for so many of the same awards – sharing a hug backstage. What’s not to love about that?
