Live Updates From the 62nd Grammys

Afterglow is watching the 2020 Grammy Awards and providing live updates with details on all the performances and winners.

Written by Delaney Davis, Selome Hailu, and Annie Lyons

Billie Eilish Sweeps the Grammys

Updated 11:01 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Robyn Beck via Getty Images

Pop star Billie Eilish won awards for five out of her six nominations and swept all four of the major categories, becoming the youngest ever artist to achieve such a feat at 18-years-old.

Eilish appeared genuinely surprised win after win. After winning Album of the Year for her genre-defying When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, she acknowledged fellow nominee Ariana Grande, saying, “Can I just say that I think Ariana deserves this? thank u, next deserves […] more than anything in the whole world. I love you so much,” while Grande lovingly waved off her praise. Grande responded by calling out, “Take your moment, girl!” Eilish’s brother and collaborator, Finneas O’Connell, spoke of their pair’s befuddled appreciation for all the recognition, saying, “We didn’t write this album to win Grammys […] We stand up here confused and grateful.”

The sibling duo’s co-written hit, “Bad Guy” won the awards for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. With its infectious dancehall beat and playfully rebellious lyrics, “Bad Guy” showcases Eilish’s skills as a pop phenomena who’s not afraid of embracing her weirdness. Her non-conformity to a mainstream pop sound is ironically what skyrocketed Eilish to mainstream fame this past year.

In her acceptance speech for Best New Artist, her youth shone through as she exclaimed an overwhelmed “Ay yi yi!” as she took the stage. She gave an earnest speech focused on her appreciation for her fans and the hardcore fanbases of her fellow artists, saying, “I love all fandoms. Thank you to the fans — you guys make this worth it.”

Eilish also won for Best Pop Vocal Album, and Finneas received two more awards for his production on the album, including Best Producer (Non-classical) and Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical).

Balancing Celebration with Mourning

Updated 9:09 p.m.

Tonight’s show is darkened by the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who passed away in a helicopter accident this morning just hours before the show started. The ceremony is taking place at the Staples Center, where Bryant played on the Los Angeles Lakers for the majority of his career.

There’s a solemn feel in the air as artists memorialize Bryant while performing and accepting awards.

Before pop sensation Lizzo kicked off the ceremony with a stirring medley of her songs “Cuz I Love You” and “Truth Hurts,” she declared, “Tonight is for Kobe.”

She was followed by host Alicia Keys speaking candidly on the tragedy from her heart. “Kobe and his daughter Gianna, and all of those that have been tragically lost today are in our spirits, in our hearts and our prayers today,” she said. “[Music is] the most healing thing in the world, so let’s get some healing going on right now.” Keys was then joined members of Boyz II Men to sing an a cappella version of their classic “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” as a tribute to Bryant.

Bryant’s Lakers jersey has also been prominently featured in the performances of the night. During their surprise appearance alongside rock legends Aerosmith, Run-D.M.C. lifted up Bryant’s Lakers jersey in tribute, and Lil Was X started his “Old Town Road” remix medley with the jersey spotlighted next to him.

A night of performance hits and misses …

Updated 10:35 p.m.

Camila Cabello gave an emotional rendition of “First Man,” but fell flat with whispery vocals and a lackluster stage presence. Ariana Grande’s medley of “imagine,” “7 rings,” and “thank u, next” featured strong vocals and choreography, despite an awkward, silent pause during a costume change. Billie Eilish took the stage for a soulful performance of “when the party’s over” backed by her older brother, producer, and co-writer Finneas O’Connell. The young star is nominated for six awards tonight and has already won Best Engineered Album (non-classical) and Best Pop Vocal Album. Aerosmith performed a raucous and rowdy medley ending in the 1975 classic “Walk This Way.” They were joined for the last song by surprise guests Run D.M.C., who held up a Kobe Bryant jersey onstage.

Lil Nas X’s highly anticipated Grammys performance featured several of the artists he’s collaborated with on remixes of his chart-topping country rap-song “Old Town Road.” He shone with cowboy joy alongside K-Pop heartthrobs BTS, 12-year-old yodel star Mason Ramsey, music industry giant Diplo, and of course, Billy Ray Cyrus, who fought hard to get this song the recognition it deserved. After “Old Town Road,” he was joined by his namesake, legendary rapper Nas, or “Big Nas” as they referred to him onstage. The pair performed a new remix of “Rodeo” which was released officially the next morning. Lil Nas is nominated for six awards tonight, and has already won for Best Music Video with Billy Ray Cyrus for “Old Town Road.”

Demi Lovato deservedly earned a standing ovation for her heartrending rendition of her new song, “Anyone,” in what marks her first performance since she overdosed in July 2018. “Anyone,” which she wrote and recorded before her overdose, details her fight against addiction, and it was an emotional triumph watching Lovato overcome her tears on stage for a powerful performance.

Complete with a white fringed leotard and chaps, red lipstick, and her signature long nails, Rosalía lit up the Grammys stage with a performance of her new single “Juro Que” and one of her most beloved songs, “MALAMENTE. “ Maintaining her flamenco flair, the Spanish singer brought along an entire crew of backup dancers and performed a beautifully choreographed dance routine. Earlier in the night she won Grammys for Best Latin Rock, Alternative, or Urban album for her 2018 LP El Mal Querer.

Host Alicia Keys donned denim from head to toe and took the stage to perform “Underdog” for the very first time. The uplifting song was released earlier this month, and Keys describes it as a “celebration of choosing to keep going.”

R&B powerhouse H.E.R. followed with a soulful performance of her new single “Sometimes,” released earlier today. The singer brought along a brass choir and string instrumentalists and topped off her performance with a fierce guitar solo.

Country legend Bonnie Raitt honored John Prine, a folk artist legend and winner of the year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, thoughtfully covering “Angel From Montgomery.”

Austin native R&B rocker Gary Clark Jr. gave a rousing performance of “This Land,” which won him the award for “Best Rock Song” earlier tonight. He received a standing ovation after belting his heart out, the audience clearly moved by the song’s lyrics about black Americans’ fight for belonging in this country.

John Legend introduced a star-studded tribute to Grammy executive producer Ken Ehrlich, as this is his last year producing the award show. Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Ben Platt, Common, and several others performed “I Sing the Body Electric” from the 1980 film “Fame,” a favorite of Ehrlich’s. The singers were surrounded by a full choir, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and Misty Copeland, principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre.

Despite the star-power, several critics and viewers alike questioned how appropriate the five-minute tribute was, given that the program only budgeted time to televise 10 awards and Ehrlich has recently been linked to controversy regarding corruption the Grammys selection process.

Memorializing Artists Passed

Updated 9:45 p.m.

Usher led a stunning tribute to pop-funk icon Prince, who passed away away in 2016. He performed alongside drummer Sheila E., who worked closely with Prince, with tantalizing choreography from FKA Twigs. They gave a lively, powerful rendition of “Little Red Corvette,” “When Doves Cry,” and “Kiss,” with dance moves and vocal flares that channeled the genre-defying legend himself.

Rap and R&B heavyweights Meek Mill, DJ Khaled, Roddy Rich, YG, John Legend, and Kirk Franklin teamed up for a tribute to the late Nipsey Hussle, who was killed in March of 2019. While each of the men have completely different sounds, their talents meshed together perfectly to give a tribute to the late star, who was also known for his humanitarian work. Legend, as well as the backup singers, wore East African-inspired garments in honor of Hussle’s Eritrean heritage. The performance wasn’t the only recognition of Hussle tonight; he won a posthumous award for Best Rap Performance for his performance of “Racks in the Middle” featuring Roddy Rich and Hit-Boy.

Best Rap/Sung Performance goes to DJ Khaled and John Legend

Updated 10:10 p.m.

DJ Khaled and John Legend released “Higher” in May 2019 in honor of Nipsey Hussle, who passed away last March. The pair performed the song earlier tonight during the collaborative tribute to Hussle. In their joint acceptance speech, Legend spoke on the tragedy of Hussle’s death and how it resonates more tonight in the wake of Kobe Bryant’s passing, saying, “Let’s love each other. Let’s love our families. Let’s hold each other tight.”

Dave Chapelle Takes Home Best Comedy Album

Updated 8:20 p.m.

Dave Chappelle won Best Comedy Album for the controversial Sticks & Stones, which features jokes about not believing Michael Jackson’s sexual assault accusers. Chappelle himself was not present at the ceremony to accept his award.

Tyler, the Creator Wins Best Rap Album

Updated 8:54 p.m.

IGOR is Tyler, the Creator’s most popular project to date, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. This is his third Grammy nomination ever and second nomination for this award, but his first time winning. Onstage, he emphasized the importance of having strong support in the process of creating, thanking his mother and team members repeatedly for “trusting [his] ideas.”

Best Country Duo/Group Performance goes to Dan + Shay

Updated 8:13 p.m.

Nashville country duo Dan + Shay won Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their tender song, “Speechless” off their 2018 self-titled third album. Member Dan Smyers noticeably thanked record executive Scooter Braun, who was the center of a controversy surrounding Taylor Swift’s rights to her masters recorded with his label, Big Machine Records. Dan + Shay are current clients of SB Projects, a subsidiary entertainment and media company owned by Braun.

Lizzo wins Best Pop Solo Performance for “Truth Hurts”

Updated 7:45 p.m.

It’s looking like a good night for Lizzo, who just received her third award for Best Pop Solo Performance for her hit song, “Truth Hurts.” Earlier in the day, she won the Urban Contemporary Album award for Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) and the Traditional R&B Performance award for her song “Jerome.” Lizzo went into tonight with eight nominations, the most of any artist.

Lizzo, who dedicated her opening performance to Bryant, seemed to allude again to Bryant’s death in her acceptance speech for the award, saying “Today all of my little problems that I thought were as big as the world were gone. And I realized that there’s people hurting right now.” In a burst of emotion, she mused on the healing power of music, saying to her fellow artists: “You guys create beautiful music. You guys create connectivity.”

Afterglow ATXJanuary 26, 2020grammys, delaney davis, selome hailu, annie lyons