This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Artist News Awards
Grammy Awards presented
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 4 April 2022
The 2022 Grammy Awards show took place last night, postponed from its usual January/February slot in the calendar by pesky COVID. Following last week’s headline-grabbing Oscars ceremony, the Grammys show wasn’t so eventful. But given the reason the Oscars grabbed so many headlines, that’s probably just as well.
Actually, the joke gone wrong at this year’s Oscars bash did provide some comedy material for the comedians taking part in the Grammys.
During his opening monologue, host Trevor Noah alluded to the on-stage altercation last week between Will Smith and Chris Rock – and the former’s post-slap demand of the latter – declaring that, at the US music industry’s big night out: “We’re gonna be listening to some music, we’re gonna be dancing, we’re gonna be singing, we’re gonna be keeping people’s names out of our mouths”.
Meanwhile, prior to the main Grammys show when various non-televised awards were being dished out, actor LeVar Burton introduced comedian Nate Bargatze – there to announce the winner of the Best Spoken Word Album award – by telling the audience: “I want to warn you all that our next presenter is a comedian, if you know what I mean. So, I need to caution everybody, remain in your seats and keep your hands to yourself”.
Bargatze then walked on stage wearing a crash helmet, joking: “They said comedians have to wear these now at awards shows during the joke parts [but] it doesn’t even cover your face, I think it just focuses where you would hit me!”
In terms of controversies that actually occurred within this year’s Grammys proceedings, there has been some backlash to Louis CK taking the prize for Best Comedy Album, given the allegations of sexual misconduct made against him in 2017, which he also discussed in the routine that won him the Grammy, ‘Sincerely Louis CK’. Although the comedian was not actually in attendance and that award was not presented during the main televised show, minimising the controversy to an extent.
Within that main show, big name performances and the presentation of the most prestigious Grammy Awards was very much the focus, although there was one section that stepped away from the usual formalities, responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
There was a performance by John Legend accompanied by Ukrainian musicians Mika Newton and Siuzanna Iglidan, and Ukrainian poet Lyuba Yakimchuk, which was preceded by a recorded message from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Noah introduced that message by telling his audience: “Even in the darkest times, music has the power to lift spirits and give you hope for a brighter tomorrow. There’s nobody who could use a little hope right now more than the people of Ukraine”.
Zelenskiy then stated: “The war. What is more opposite to music? The silence of ruined cities and killed people. Our children draw swooping rockets, not shooting stars … The war doesn’t let us choose who survives and who stays in eternal silence”.
“Our musicians wear body armour instead of tuxedos”, he went on. “They sing to the wounded in hospitals, even to those who can’t hear them. But the music will break through anyway. We defend our freedom. To live. To love. To sound. On our land, we are fighting Russia which brings horrible silence with its bombs. The dead silence. Fill the silence with your music!”
He then added: “Fill it today to tell our story. Tell the truth about this war on your social networks, on TV, support us in any way you can – any, but not silence. And then peace will come”.
As for the actual awards, Jon Batiste took the Album Of The Year prize with ‘We Are’, Silk Sonic got both Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year for ‘Leave The Door Open’, while Olivia Rodrigo was named Best New Artist. If you want a full list of winners you’ll find it here.
