On the night of January 26, 2020, millions of viewers tuned in to one of the biggest music award ceremonies of the year: the Grammys. From incredible performances to unexpected wins, the 2020 Grammy Awards was an unforgettable night for many. Here are some of the best highlights from the awards.
Singer/rapper Lizzo set the mood of the Grammys by singing songs from her album Cuz I Love You, including her sleeper hit song Truth Hurts. The song ended up winning Best Pop Solo Performance, and the album took home the award for Best Urban Contemporary Album. She dedicated the performance to Kobe Bryant, who had passed away earlier in the day, along with his daughter. Grammy host Alicia Keys also had a performance for Kobe and his daughter. She sang “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” with Boyz II Men.
Later, singer/rapper Lil Nas X took the stage with his hit song “Old Town Road,” with some surprise guests. Billy Ray Cyrus, Diplo, Mason Ramsey, and BTS showed up to sing their versions of the song with Lil Nas X. His namesake, the original Nas himself, also performed with Lil Nas X in the song “Rodeo.” He won two awards: Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
A breathtaking performance by Demi Lovato left many, including Lovato herself, in tears. It was her first live performance after her infamous drug overdose in 2018. She sang the debut single of her new album, both of which are called “Anyone.” On his Instagram story, Sam Smith said of the performance, “That is singing. That is heart and that is the truth.” Other music artists also praised Lovato for her moving song.
The surprise of the night was when Billie Eilish swept the stage at the awards, winning five awards with her brother Finneas, including the major four: Record of the Year and Song of the Year for her song “Bad Guy,” Album of the Year for “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”, and Best New Artist. She is the youngest artist ever to win even one of these awards, and she was the first artist to win all of them since 1981. Eilish was shocked, saying she didn’t deserve the awards.
There were many other amazing things that happened that night. Rapper Tyler, the Creator delivered a unique performance of “New Magic Wand” from his album “Igor”, which won Best Rap Album, with hip-hop and R&B artists Charlie Wilson and Boyz II Men. Billie Eilish’s raw and emotional performance of “When The Party’s Over”. Spanish singer Rosalia had a flamboyant performance that showed that her Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban, or Alternative Album was well deserved. Although it was disappointing that the Jonas Brothers didn’t perform their hit “Sucker,” the night was still a celebratory one. The 62nd Grammy Awards was definitely one for the books.
Chloe Cho
staff writer
Graphic: Jiah Lee