The 65th GRAMMY Awards are upon us and conveniently happening during Black History Month. You know what that means – we must celebrate the Black history moments our artists achieved at past GRAMMYs.
Although some of our favorite Black artists have been cheated of victory and the Recording Academy itself has been accused of racial bias, that didn’t stop us from taking the spotlight.
In no particular order, here are some of the times Black people made history at the GRAMMYs, whether it was refusing to go or making a hell of a memorable performance.
1. Lauryn Hill’s Epic Sweep
In 1998, Hill won five Grammys in one night, including Album of The Year for “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, per the Academy. Even though we haven’t heard a peep from her since, she goes down in history as one of the only artists to be this successful off just one album. Raise your hand if you still listen to it.
2. Will Smith’s Controversial Boycott
Will Smith was sparking conversation long before “the slap.” In 1989, he decided to boycott the Grammy Awards despite winning the first ever Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. He and DJ Jazzy Jeff ditched the ceremony. Their reasoning? While their victory was historic, the Recording Academy decided not to televise their category, per HuffPost. Pretty shady if you ask me.
3. Lady Marmalade
What we thought was going to be the remixed “Lady Marmalade” performance by Christina Aguilera, Mya, P!nk and Lil’ Kim turned into a full blown collaboration when The Godmother of Soul herself stepped onto the stage. Her 1975 record was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003, per CBS 8. She reminded us whose vocals put that song on the map.
4. Michael Jackson’s Historic Win
Before Lauryn Hill’s category sweep was the one and only legend, Michael Jackson. He was the first artist to win eight Grammys in one night. Mind you, those wins were out of the 12 nominations he landed which he was also the first to accomplish, per the Academy. Did anyone else even stand a chance? Thriller was IT, honey.
5. Rolling on the River
In an electric tribute, Beyoncé joined Tina Turner on stage in 2004 in a historical duet. The two legendary performers sung Tina’s timeless classic “Proud Mary.” Tina and Bey hit that choreography like it was 1971 all over again (or Angela Basset in What’s Love Got to Do With It in 1993).
6. Outkast’s AOTY Victory
Listen, people were really praying on Outkast’s downfall when they first entered the rap game. Ultimately, they earned their respects after letting their unique sound and swift increase in popularity do the all the talking. Even so, the group’s earlier album “Stankonia” went four-times platinum and still didn’t take home a trophy at the 2002 Grammy Awards. When Outkast won Album of the Year in 2004 for “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below,” their victory was long overdue but it was so, so sweet.
7. Ella Fitzgerald Breaks the Glass Ceiling
The first woman to receive an Album of The Year nomination was the one and only Ella Fitzgerald for “Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book.” Additionally, this award nomination took place in 1958 when the very first Grammy Awards ceremony was held. That night, she didn’t win AOTY but still managed to take home awards for Best Female Vocal Performance and Best Individual Jazz Performance, per the Academy.
8. Two Pianos, One Alicia
One thing Alicia Keys gon’ do is be on them keys. At the 2019 Grammy Awards, she put on an unforgettable performance sitting between two grand pianos paying tribute to renowned Black pianist Hazel Scott. In a soulful medley, she mixed Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly,” King of Leon’s “Use Somebody” and more. She was the perfect candidate to display such a masterful performance.
9. Janelle Monáe’s Time’s Up Speech
To take a pause between the flashy performances and lofty wins, Monáe used her time at the mic to deliver a fiery message addressing the #MeToo movement and Time’s Up campaign – which at the time, brought Hollywood and entertainment under serious ridicule. To say the least, folks were shook.
“Artists, writers, assistants, publicists, CEOs, producers, engineers, and women from all sectors of the business. We are also daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, and human beings. We come in peace, but we mean business. And to those who would dare try and silence us, we offer you two words: Time’s up,” she said.
10. Stevie Wonder by Stevie Wonder (by Stevie Wonder)
Stevie Wonder was the only artist in Recording Academy history to win Album of The Year with three consecutive albums: “Innervisions” (1973), “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” (1974) and “Songs In The Key Of Life” (1976). He was also the first artist to win AOTY with an entirely self-produced album with Innervisions.
