Grammy Awards 2021: Hot performances and women winners make history

Los Angeles, California – Even without an audience this year, the Grammy Awards 2021 delivered an unprecedented show that awarded history-making ladies in all of the top categories.

The night's winners (clockwise from top l): Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff, Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa (collage).
The night's winners (clockwise from top l): Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff, Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa (collage).  © Collage: Instagram/Screenshot/taylorswift, Instagram/Screenshot/theestallion, Instagram/Screenshot/recordingacademy

The event went off without a hitch on Sunday night, with host Trevor Noah (37) at the helm of a challenging combination of locations.

With seating outside the LA Staples Center, indoor and outdoor stages, pre-recorded segments, and virtual messages from home, the show rose to the challenge following the event's postponement due to Covid-19.

Taylor Swift won the night's biggest award for her album folklore, which secured her place in history as the only woman to ever win Album of The Year three times.

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Beyoncé also made history by becoming the show's most decorated female musician ever. She paid tribute to her 9-year-old daughter – who also was recognized by the Recording Academy with a writing credit on one of her mom's songs as one of the youngest Grammy winners.

Queen Bey picked up her 28th win, after a staggering 79 career nominations, for Best R&B Performance and for her Savage collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion.

The Savage rapper swept the awards and was crowned Best New Artist and Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance winner for Savage.

Megan also brought the year's most famous sexy-anthems to the stage – Body, Savage, and WAP – in a sizzling Grammys debut performance alongside Cardi B that host Noah called "insane".

Surprise winner for best pop album

The Daily Show's Trevor Noah hosted the Grammy Awards.
The Daily Show's Trevor Noah hosted the Grammy Awards.  © IMAGO / TheNews2

BTS lit up the show with a pre-recorded performance from their home stage in South Korea, and made history as the first K-pop group to ever be nominated for a Grammy.

But BTS' Army of fans got explosive on Twitter when the group's song Dynamite lost to Rain on Me by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande – making #Scammys one of the night's most trending hashtags after the loss.

Billie Eilish and Harry Styles also both performed and picked up awards for their pop performances. Eilish won Record of The Year, but said that the award should have gone to Megan Thee Stallion in her humble acceptance speech.

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Pop music delivered a surprising upset from Dua Lipa's album Future Nostalgia, which beat out heavy-hitting veterans Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles to win Best Pop Vocal album.

Rock music was also dominated by women in an unprecedented year when only women nominees made up the Best Rock Performance category.

Celebs dazzled on Music's Biggest Night

The Grammys deliver amidst a pandemic

The night featured iconic fashion moments from stars who walked the red carpet with bold patterned prints and large ruffled dresses. Interviewers and attendees kept social distance and many wore masks.

Tejano singer Selena was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, yet fans of the late star expressed frustration that the tribute was unexpectedly short.

The show also paid tribute to the lives lost and music venues shuttered during the pandemic and the impact of the country's anti-racism protests in 2020.

Many celebs like Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Selena Gomez were notably missing from the event. Justin Beiber, Zayn Malik, and The Weeknd expressed frustration this year at the Recording Academy for their nominating practices and also did not attend.

Despite the no-shows and the pandemic making it a Grammy year unlike any other, the awards show did not disappoint.

Cover photo: Collage: Instagram/Screenshot/taylorswift, Instagram/Screenshot/theestallion, Instagram/Screenshot/recordingacademy (collage)

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