It’s the biggest night in music, but before the 68th Grammy Awards telecast kicks off at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the Premiere Ceremony takes place at the Peacock Theater.
The ceremony, which is streamed on YouTube, honors the winners of Grammy Award categories that aren’t included in the CBS broadcast. While many will be glued to their screens to see what happens during the main show, many big moments have already taken place.
Here are a few standout moments.
Shaboozey has an emotional response to Grammys win
The country singer won alongside Jelly Roll for best country duo/group performance for “Amen.” As he held his Grammy in one hand, he brought his other to his eyes, overcome with emotion. The singer said he had never written a speech in his life, but yesterday he decided to write one in anticipation of the award, as a tear began to stream down his face. Another tear appeared on the other side of his face as he opened up about his gratitude for his mother, who had just retired as a registered nurse in a psych ward. “She worked three to four jobs to provide for me and my four siblings as an immigrant in this country.”
Backstage in the media room, Shaboozey added through tears, “I’ve shed so many tears this year . . . God just keeps making me cry.
“I’m a child of immigrants. My parents were born in Nigeria and came here. And my dad, I know the things he sacrificed to be here, and my mother as well.
“To know that I’m an example of that, from that lineage, inspiring people hopefully, and trying to live up to my fullest potential. I’ve had so many dreams of being able to do something like this. I’m from a small town in Virginia. I wasn’t the most talented kid in any respect, but I had dreams. I was a dreamer, and I think this is a representation of one of my dreams.”
Wicked wins after Oscars snub
Fans were thrilled online after “Wicked” stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande took home the award for best pop duo/group performance for “Defying Gravity.” Although neither singer attended the premiere ceremony, it became a major topic of discussion on social media. Fans of the film felt “Wicked: For Good” was snubbed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after not receiving a nomination, and were grateful that Grammys voters were recognizing the music from the first film.
Winners use their platform and speeches to speak up for immigrants
Grammy nominees could be seen wearing “Ice Out” pins as they walked the red carpet ahead of the award show, including Joni Mitchell.
After winning her first Grammy Award, Kehlani, who was also wearing the pin, spoke out against the recent ICE raids across the country.
“Everybody is so powerful in this room, and together we’re stronger in numbers to speak against all the injustice going on in the world right now,” said the two-time winner for best R&B song and best R&B performance for “Folded.”
“I’mma leave this and say, F– ICE.”
She wasn’t the only winner of the night to use their speech to talk about immigration issues. Shaboozey further touched on the topic.
“Immigrants built this country, literally, actually. So this is for them. For all children of immigrants. This is also for those who came to this country for better opportunities,” said Shaboozey. “To be part of a nation that promised freedom for all and equal opportunity for everyone willing to work for it. Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories and your traditions here. You give America color, I love you so much.”
Durand Bernarr radiates joy on stage
From the moment Durand Bernarr took the stage, his speech for the best progressive R&B album for “Bloom” felt like a celebration.
“Happy Black history month for the rest of my life,” said Bernarr as applause and cheers erupted inside the Peacock Theater. While expressing his gratitude for the award, he paused to hug his parents, who had joined him on stage. After finishing his speech with a scream of joy, Bernarr fell to the ground and began kicking up his feet in excitement.
When asked about the moment later on, Bernarr shared, “Just to be up here, representing for independent artists, Black men who are colorful personalities in how we show up, this is beyond me. But I’m here, where my feet are, inside of myself, being present. So this is an honor.”
Gesaffelstein turns heads with eye catching look
What was perhaps the shortest speech of the night was also one of the most memorable. Gesaffelstein took the stage after winning the award for best remixed recording for Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra.” The French DJ wore a unique ensemble, complete with his signature solid black face mask. After accepting the award, he simply bowed and extended his hand to the stage. Then he held up his Grammy and blew a kiss to the audience.
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