Finally! An award show during the pandemic that actually feels like an award show.
It’s understandable why shows like the Emmys or the Golden Globes mostly went virtual, but the Grammys sure made it seem like it’s not too hard to have a safe and somewhat socially distanced event.
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There’s just something that isn’t fun about watching celebrities win these awards in their homes over a Zoom call.
The thrill of winning an award in person and having to give a speech in front of others is what makes awards shows so fun -- and that has been missing for the past year.
With a tent where nominees filed in and out for their categories and a very cool setup for artists to perform in, the Grammys were a very welcome distraction from the craziness that is going on in the world right now.
Oscars, I hope you take notice for next month’s Academy Awards!
Here were some of the best and very few worst moments of the night.
HIGH: Trevor Noah hosting: “The Daily Show” host was up for the task to host a socially distanced Grammys, and he did pretty well! His usual humor was on brand, and he kept things interesting, even after hour three of the telecast kicked in.
HIGH: Harry Styles and his boas: Styles kicked off the night with his performance of “Watermelon Sugar” while wearing a fabulous green boa. We’ll be thinking of that boa for years to come.
HIGH: Billie Eilish reminding us why she won so many Grammys last year: The singer performed “everything i wanted” and even picked up a Grammy for Record of the Year. She is 19 and has six Grammys. How wild is that?
HIGH: Haim rocking out: The Haim sisters were the third opening act of the evening and they let us know that rock ‘n’ roll is certainly not dead.
HIGH: The setup for the performances: All of the performances happened on multiple different stages all in the same room, so while one band or singer was performing, the others were watching. It was such a neat idea, and made it seem intimate while still being on TV.
HIGH: Lizzo: Seriously, Lizzo should present every award. She is just so naturally funny, so of course it was great when she accidentally swore and had trouble opening the envelope because of her nails.
LOW: The traffic you could hear while people gave their acceptance speeches: Part of the problem with accepting awards outside is the noisy traffic in LA. It wasn’t a super bummer, but there were a few times a car horn went off right as someone was getting into a speech.
HIGH: Black Pumas: This is what is so great about the Grammys. I had no clue about Black Pumas, but after watching their Grammy performance, I’m hooked.
HIGH: Dua Lipa serving it all: If watching Dua Lipa perform a medley of her songs from her now-Grammy-winning album “Future Nostalgia” doesn’t make you yearn to be at the club with your best friends dancing the night away -- after being inside for a year! -- I don’t know what will.
HIGH: Music venue owners presenting awards: This was such a cool way to remind folks at home that music venues have been shut down for an entire year, and it was neat for the Grammys to honor them by presenting awards throughout the night.
LOW: Taylor Swift’s performance was kind of boring: There, I said it! Please don’t come for me, Swifties. I was just a little bored, that’s all!
HIGH: The “In Memoriam” tributes were emotional: Instead of just a montage of names, this part of the show really felt like a tribute -- especially knowing that some of the tributes, like John Prine, died of COVID-19.
HIGH: Country music showcase: Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris and newcomer Mickey Guyton (who had a “star is born” moment) showed us what modern country music sounds like today. And how great was it that it was all women performing, too?
HIGH: WAP: Never did we ever think we’d get a live performance of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” on national TV, but to quote Vice President Kamala Harris, “we did it, Joe.” It was everything you’d want it to be, and then some.
HIGH: Megan Thee Stallion in general: Meg took home so many awards last night, it’s impossible to not feel joy for her. Our 2020 sucked, but at least Meg made the most of it.
HIGH: BEYONCÉ MAKES HISTORY: I’m not sure why it’s shocking when Beyoncé shows up to something, but it just is. And when there was potential that she was going to make history at the Grammys, she showed up. Not only did Queen Bey tie for the most Grammy wins by a single artist ever when she won for her song with Megan Thee Stallion, but she won again and officially broke the record.
LOW: Being constantly confused over Post Malone: This is just a personal problem, but I will never get Post Malone.
HIGH: Surprise wins: There were so many wins that were just straight up shocking. Harry Styles winning best Pop Vocal Performance, H.E.R. winning Song of the Year and Billie Eilish winning Record of the Year -- wow.
LOW: It was soooooooo long: This award show did not need to be almost four hours. We’re still in a pandemic. No one wants to stay up this late on a Sunday.