Grammys 2023: Six biggest talking points, from Ben Affleck memes to Beyoncé’s record-breaking win

British pop star won over Beyonce’s critically adored album ‘Renaissance’

Kim Petras becomes first trans woman to win Grammy for Best Pop Duo

Harry Styles took home the biggest prize at this year’s Grammy Awards, marking a shock upset on what many expected to be Beyonce’s night.

The British pop singer won for his 2021 record Harry’s House, beating projects by Beyoncé, Adele and Lizzo.

“S***, well s***,” he said, upon accepting the trophy. “I’ve been so, so inspired by every artist in this category with me, and a lot of different times in my life I’ve listened to everyone in this category when I’m alone.

“On nights like tonight, it’s so important to remember there’s no such thing as best. This is so kind, this doesn’t happen to people like me very often and it’s so nice.”

Despite missing out on Album of the Year, which she has still never won, Beyoncé took home her 32nd Grammy Award to become the most decorated artist in the awards show’s history.

Other memorable moments on the night included Quavo’s tribute performance for his nephew and bandmate Takeoff, who was killed last year, Dave Chappelle winning Best Comedy Album for his Netflix comedy special, The Closer, which drew heavy criticism for jokes about the transgender community, and Viola Davis officially achieving EGOT status, becoming only the third Black woman in history to earn the honour.

Below are the biggest talking points of the 65th annual Grammy Awards.

Kim Petras makes history by becoming the first trans woman to win a Grammy award for Best Pop Duo/Group Collaboration

Kim Petras and Sam Smith accepted the award for Best Pop Duo/Group Collaboration for their song “Unholy,” making Petras the first-ever transgender woman to win a Grammy in the category.

Petras and Smith walked onstage together, but Smith stood behind Petras and gave her the mic.

“Sam graciously wanted me to accept this award because I’m the first transgender woman to win this award,” Petras said. “I just want to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me who take these doors open for me so I couldn’t be here tonight,” she said, before referencing the late Grammy-nominated producer Sophie, who died in 2020.

Petras also thanked Madonna for “fighting for LGBTQ rights” before turning the speech to her mother, who she says supported her throughout her entire journey.

Kim Petras (left) and Sam Smith (Getty Images for The Recording A)

The singer ended the speech by turning back to Smith. “This is a huge moment for me, Sam. Thank you. You’re a true angel and hero in my life. And I love you and everyone who made the song too. I love you guys so much. Sorry, I didn’t write down the names!”

Sam Smith fans call out reporter for misgendering singer

Sam Smith’s fans called out a reporter for misgendering the singer while covering the 2023 Grammy Awards red carpet.

Smith, who uses they/them pronouns, arrived at the awards show with Kim Petras when a reporter with the Associated Press said: “Sam Smith has had a lot of controversy around his outfits this past year, I love that he’s continuing to push the mould, love that he’s continuing to break out from the Sam Smith that we knew at the ballads.

“He’s still singing those ballads, but he’s definitely diving fully in, into pop music, and we can see that, not only in his music, but also in his looks as well.”

Smith came out as non-binary and genderqueer in 2019. In an interview, earlier this year, the singer said changing their pronouns “felt like coming home”.

Dave Chappelle won a Grammy award for the Netflix special that sparked transphobia accusations

Dave Chappelle won Best Comedy Album at the 2023 Grammys for his recent Netflix comedy special, The Closer, which drew heavy criticism for jokes about the transgender community.

Critics accused Chappelle of “transphobic” remarks, such as saying he was “team Terf” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist). He was also widely condemned for claiming that the LGBTQ+ community was attempting to “destroy” the lives of celebrities such as JK Rowling by “cancelling” them.

Beyoncé becomes the biggest winner in Grammys history

Beyoncé accepting her record-breaking 32nd Grammy Award (Getty Images)

Beyoncé broke the record for the most Grammy Award wins of all time, after collecting her 32nd trophy at this year’s ceremony.

The singer made history as she won the Best Dance/Electronic Album award, for her 2022 album Renaissance. In doing so, she overtook Hungarian-British conductor George Solti, whose record of 31 awards had stood for more than 20 years.

Apart from Best Dance/Electronic Album, the “Break My Soul” singer also won Best Dance/Electronic Recording, Best Traditional R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song awards.

Ben Affleck became the meme of the night

Amid all the revelry was poor old Ben Affleck, who looked dejected next to his wife Jennifer Lopez.

Affleck, who is no stranger to the meme community, was quickly derided for his “miserable” expression on social media.

“Ben Affleck is every guy at his wife’s work party,” one user tweeted, while another wrote: “Ben Affleck at the Grammys is me any time I have to be on a Zoom call.”

Fans got emotional during the In Memoriam section

Emotions were running high during Quavo’s tribute to Takeoff, which was followed by a tribute for Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie.

Quavo sang his song “Without You” with help from Maverick City Music in memory of his Migos bandmate, who died aged 28 in November after being shot.

Meanwhile, Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood, and Bonnie Raitt paid tribute to Fleetwood Mac member Christie McVie with a rendition of “Songbird”.

As always, the in-memoriam segment was a painful reminder of all the incredible artists we lost recently.

Scroll down to see how the night unfolded.

Grammy Awards 2023

• Harry Styles wins Album of the Year
• 2023 Grammys winners in full
• Take a look inside the Grammys gift bags worth $60k

[5 February 2023 17:30 · Roisin O'Connor]

Beyonce, Adele and Taylor Swift could break Grammys records tonight

By breaking records, I don’t mean like when Adele broke her Grammy in half and gave a piece to Beyonce.

Both stars could make history at tonight’s ceremony depending on how many prizes they win.

Beyonce is on the verge of becoming the most-awarded Grammy winner of all time.

As long as the 28-time Grammy winner secures at least four wins, she will surpass late conductor George Solti, who holds the current record with a total of 31 awards.

Check out all the potential record-breakers here:

[5 February 2023 18:00 · Roisin O'Connor]

Abba - Voyage review

“Love between a man and woman is war,” said Sweden’s most famous playwright, August Strindberg. It was a philosophy that the country’s most famous pop stars took on board. From their 1974 breakthrough “Waterloo” (“I was defeated, you won the war”) to their final single, 1982’s “Under Attack”, ABBA sang of love as conflict. The easy-cheese of those catchy, interlocking melodies and those sparkly synths were disco-camo for the quartet who brought the world Strindberg in sequins. “All I do is eat and sleep and sing/ Wishing every show was the last show…” they lamented beneath the lights.

Check out Helen Brown’s fantastic review of Abba’s final ever album, the Album of the Year-nominated Voyage, here:

[5 February 2023 18:30 · Roisin O'Connor]

The best ever fashion moments at the Grammy Awards

The Grammys are regarded as one of the most prestigious nights in the music industry’s calendar, with this year’s nominees including the likes of Doja Cat, Beyoncé, Adele, and Lizzo.

Stars who attend the glitzy occasion are known to put their best fashion foot forward on the red carpet, showcasing stunning, sartorial creations that will sometimes be remembered for years to come.

Take Jennifer Lopez, for example, who inspired the development of Google Images when the Versace dress she wore for the 2000 awards ceremony sparked an internet frenzy. Or Beyoncé, who wore a dazzling gold design by Peter Dundas for her 2017 Grammys performance, all the while pregnant with twins Sir and Rumi Carter.

Check out all the best fashion moments below:

[5 February 2023 19:00 · Roisin O'Connor]

2023 Grammys predictions

Music fans preparing for the rematch of the century, Adele vs Beyoncé, at the Grammys tonight.

Both artists are up for Album of the Year, six years after Adele took home the top prize for her third record, 25. The win over Beyoncé’s critically adored surprise album Lemonade was highly controversial; Adele herself famously declared that Beyoncé deserved the prize during her acceptance speech.

This year, the British singer is competing with her record-obliterating fourth album, 30, released in 2021. A four-star review in The Independent praised the songs as “handsomely crafted ballads about love and its various agonies”, with Adele’s voice, as ever, the main draw. “Adele possesses that perfectly imperfect voice, gargantuan and frail all at once,” critic Annabel Nugent wrote. “It’s epic without resorting to showy, melismatic affectations. It yawns into unexpected shapes and makes intonation fun.”

Beyoncé, meanwhile, surprised fans and critics with her disco and house-influenced album Renaissance. “In a catch-all spirit of musical modernism, trap, house, glitchtronica, disco, ragga, South African gqom and future funk are all lobbed into a heady mix, with songs blending into each other and shifting course mid-flow,” critic Mark Beaumont said in his four-star review.

Also battling out for Album of the Year are rapper Kendrick Lamar, Adele’s fellow Brits, Coldplay and Harry Styles, pop star Lizzo, Abba, Mary J Blige, Brandi Carlile. Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny completes the list of 10 nominees, and makes history with his album Un Verano Sin Tee, which is the first ever Spanish-language record nominated in the AOTY category.

Check out my predictions for the Big Four categories: Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist.

[5 February 2023 19:30 · Roisin O'Connor]

The moment Trevor Noah mocked Will Smith’s Oscars controversy at last year’s Grammys

Ahead of Trevor Noah’s return to host the Grammy Awards, here’s a look at what he got up to last year...

[5 February 2023 20:00 · Roisin O'Connor]

Album of the Year contenders Coldplay - Music of the Spheres review

British band Coldplay are up for Album of the Year at the Grammys tonight with their ninth studio album, Music of the Spheres.

The Independent’s critics didn’t think much of this one, unfortunately, with Helen Brown awarding it a three-star review.

“Music of The Spheres isn’t Coldplay at their Viva la Vida finest, even if their undeniably upbeat attitude remains hard to resist,” she decided.

“The Pythagoreans believed that music purified the soul. This album offers a more superficial spiritual shower. A fleeting invigoration.”

Check out the full review:

[5 February 2023 20:28 · Roisin O'Connor]

Grammys performances 2023

Wondering who’s performing at tonight’s ceremony? We’ve got you covered!

[5 February 2023 21:00 · Roisin O'Connor]

Christine McVie to be honoured at tonight’s Grammy Awards

Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt will remember Christine McVie with a rendition of her song, “Songbird” at the Grammys tonight.

The Fleetwood Mac artist died aged 79 last year, on Wednesday 30 November.

The family’s statement said McVie had died peacefully in hospital, adding: “We would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts, and remember the life of an incredible human being and revered musician who was loved universally.”

McVie joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970 after marrying bassist John McVie, and left after 28 years in 1998 before returning in 2014. She was behind a number of the legendary band’s biggest hits, including “Everywhere”, “Little Lies”, “Don’t Stop” and “Say You Love Me”.

Ahead of the Grammy Awards, you can read Helen Brown’s touching tribute here:

[5 February 2023 21:20 · Roisin O'Connor]

Kendrick Lamar - Mr Morale and The Big Steppers

Mr Morale and The Big Steppers is most redolent of Lamar’s second album good kid, m.A.A.d city, which remains one of his most personal records. Lamar’s calling card is conscious hip-hop: introspective, politically astute, with smart wordplay and often jazz-inflected musicianship. He is an artist of contrasts, peppering reflective poetry with brutal putdowns. Mr Morale calls to mind 2013’s “Cartoons and Cereal” – a leaked cut that never made it onto any of Lamar’s albums because of sample clearance issues, yet remains one of his most touching (and loved) songs. In it, Lamar’s dissociated delivery observes a kid watching cartoons while chaos unfolds around him.y

Read Ben Bryant’s full five-star review here:

[5 February 2023 21:40 · Roisin O'Connor]

2023 Grammy Awards nominations in full

It’s not long before the main event kicks off (red carpet first, obvs), so here’s a reminder of all the artists, albums and acts nominated at tonight’s Grammys!