Beyoncé Breaks Grammy Record; Top Prizes for Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift

“It’s been such a difficult time, so I wanted to uplift, encourage, celebrate all of the beautiful Black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world,” Beyoncé said in her acceptance speech.

This year’s ceremony showcased moments that centered Black artists after years of persistent questions about the awards show’s commitment to diversity.

Mickey Guyton, the first Black woman to be nominated for best country solo performance, performed “Black Like Me,” also making her the first Black woman in country to take the Grammys stage as a performer. And the Atlanta rapper Lil Baby performed “The Bigger Picture,” an autobiographical protest song released less than three weeks after George Floyd was killed, joined onstage by the activist Tamika Mallory, the rapper and community leader Killer Mike and the actor Kendrick Sampson, who was also active in Black Lives Matter protests.

As with other awards shows, the coronavirus pandemic forced the ceremony to adapt. Hosted by the comedian and “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah from in front of the Staples Center, the event took place in and around downtown Los Angeles and featured both live and taped performances.

In a nod to the severity of the pandemic’s impact on the live music industry, the Grammys highlighted the struggles of independent music venues by having staff members from four live music spots — the Troubadour and the Hotel Café in Los Angeles, the Apollo Theater in New York and Nashville’s Station Inn — present awards and encouraged viewers at home to support their local clubs.

The night also acknowledged a year of loss for the music industry with an extended in memoriam segment to recognize those lost to the coronavirus and other causes. The list of those lost included nearly 1,000 people and could not be included in full in the program but was posted online.

“I was going to write a speech about how you deserve this but then I was like, there’s no way they’re going to choose me,” Eilish said. “I was like, it’s hers. You deserve this.”

She went on: “You had a year that I think is untoppable. You are a queen. I want to cry thinking about how much I love you.”

Megan Thee Stallion was nominated in the category for “Savage (Remix),” featuring Beyoncé, which won for best rap song and best rap performance.

Eilish also beat out “Black Parade” by Beyoncé, “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa, “Rockstar” by DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch, “Say So” by Doja Cat, “Circles” by Post Malone and “Colors” by Black Pumas.

Selena’s 1993 album, “Live,” won best Mexican-American album, making her the first female Tejano artist to win the Grammy. And her English-language debut, “Dreaming of You,” was posthumously released and sold 175,000 copies on first day it was available, a record at the time for a female vocalist.

Lionel Hampton, whose mastery of the vibraphone made him a leading figure of the swing era, was also honored posthumously. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, the first hip-hop performers inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, were also given an award for lifetime achievement; as was the American mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne; the hip-hop duo Salt-N-Pepa; and Talking Heads, a pioneer of new wave music.

A surprise release in July, “Folklore” represented Swift’s foray into more acoustic sounds and indie-rock textures following years of pop bombast. She was nominated six times in all on Sunday, but lost in five other categories before taking home album of the year.

“Evermore,” the “sister record” to “Folklore” and Swift’s second secret pandemic release, came out in December, meaning it could be nominated at next year’s Grammys and represents her fourth potential album win.

More than two hours into the telecast, viewers were surprised to see a camera show Beyoncé seated at the award ceremony. Minutes later she would win best rap song with Megan Thee Stallion, who gushed about her collaborator in her acceptance speech.

“I definitely want to say thank you to Beyoncé,” she said. “If you know me, you have to know that ever since I was little, I was like, ‘You know what, one day I’m going to grow up, I’m going to be like the rap Beyoncé.’ That was definitely my goal.”

Then Beyoncé herself won another Grammy for best R&B performance for “Black Parade” and gave her own acceptance speech.

“It’s been such a difficult time, so I wanted to uplift, encourage, celebrate all of the beautiful Black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world,” she said. “This is so overwhelming. I’ve been working my whole life — since 9 years old — and I can’t believe this happened.”

With those two awards under her belt, plus the awards for best rap song (again for “Savage”) and best music video that she earned before the broadcast, Beyoncé broke the record for most Grammy wins ever by a female artist, previously held by Alison Krauss.

“History!” the host, Trevor Noah, exclaimed. “Give it up for Beyoncé. This is history right now!”

Lil Baby was joined onstage by the activist Tamika Mallory, who helped to organize the 2017 Women’s March, the rapper and community leader Killer Mike of Run the Jewels and the actor Kendrick Sampson, who was also active in Black Lives Matter protests.

“President Biden we demand justice, equity, policy,” Mallory said during her portion of the performance, “and everything else that freedom encompasses.”

Killer Mike, inserting part of his verse from the Run the Jewels song “Walking in the Snow,” added pointedly: “All of us serve the same masters, all of us nothin’ but slaves/never forget in the story of Jesus, the hero was killed by the state.”

Lil Baby’s performance was just one of many Grammys moments that centered Black artists after years of persistent questions about the awards show’s commitment to diversity and its handling of hip-hop.

Earlier in the show, DaBaby and Roddy Ricch performed “Rockstar,” a song with an official “Black Lives Matter Remix,” joined by a choir of older white people in what looked like judge’s robes. DaBaby added an extra verse to the song: “Right now I’m performing at the Grammys/I’ll probably get profiled before leavin’,” he rapped. “Don’t be in denial like we all even now/‘cause if you’re in the projects or a mansion/you’re still a Black man when you leave the house/them’s the facts.”

Mickey Guyton, the first solo Black woman to be nominated in a country category, performed “Black Like Me,” also making her the first Black woman in country to take the Grammys’ stage as a performer. (“Black Like Me” lost the award to “When My Amy Prays” by Vince Gill.)

Three awards presented during the telecast also went to protest songs: “Lockdown,” released by Anderson .Paak on Juneteeth and inspired by the Black Lives Matter demonstrations, won for best melodic rap performance. “I Can’t Breathe,” by H.E.R., won song of the year. And “Black Parade,” Beyoncé’s own Juneteeth release, from her “Black Is King” film, won best R&B performance.

“It’s been such a difficult time,” Beyoncé said in her acceptance speech, “so I wanted to uplift, encourage and celebrate all of the beautiful Black queens and kings that inspire me.”

H.E.R., who is 23, was nominated for three Grammys this year, and hers was not the only protest song to win: “Lockdown,” released by Anderson .Paak on Juneteenth and inspired by the Black Lives Matter demonstrations, won for best melodic rap performance. And “Black Parade,” Beyoncé’s own Juneteenth release, won best R&B performance.

“I didn’t imagine that my fear and that my pain would turn into impact and that it would possibly turn into change,” H.E.R. said in her acceptance speech.

She ended with a kind of call to action to the protesters who filled the streets in cities across America over the summer: “The fight that we had in us the summer of 2020 — keep that same energy.”

When the “WAP” music video debuted in August, it set the internet ablaze with its R-rated lyrics and even more suggestive choreography (Cardi and Megan splashing around in fishnets). The song topped the charts for weeks, inspired myriad TikTok memes and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

Megan Thee Stallion, who won best new artist earlier in the show, opened the brief set with two of her hits, “Body” and “Savage,” which is nominated for record of the year. She wore a glimmering leotard and tall white feathers on her head, which, along with the tap dancers, gave the performance a Roaring Twenties feel. Then Cardi B hit the stage in a bubble-gum pink pixie cut to perform her latest single “Up,” before the rappers teamed up for the crowd pleaser.

She also spoke out last month after a video of the country star Morgan Wallen using a racial slur surfaced online, writing on Twitter: “The hate runs deep.”

Her efforts, along with those of other, mostly female, artists — who host Trevor Noah called out during the telecast for their excellence — have helped push the country music industry to begin confronting issues of racism and bias.

And on Sunday, Guyton delivered a stirring performance on a simple, dark set. With spotlights all trained on her, millions of television views got to hear her carefully chosen lyrics about trying to fit in:

It’s a hard life on easy street
Just white painted picket fences far as you can see
If you think we live in the land of the free
You should try to be Black like me