LOS ANGELES: The 67th Grammy Awards on Sunday was a history-making evening that served as a warm tribute to fire-hit Los Angeles and celebrated music’s finest with dazzling performances.
It also included not-so-subtle swipes at the new administration of US President Donald Trump.
Here is a look at the unforgettable moments of music’s biggest night in Los Angeles:
Black women shine
It was a historic night for Black women including Beyonce, who finally notched a win for Album of the Year for her deeply researched, genre-spanning record “Cowboy Carter.”
The win comes after years of snubs that somehow saw the 43-year-old become the artist with the most Grammys ever… who had never taken home the top prizes of best album or best record.
Her win Sunday makes her the first Black woman to win top album in this century, and only the fourth ever.
Florida rapper Doechii meanwhile won for best rap album with “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” becoming only the third woman to do so.
“So many Black women out there, that are watching me right now, and I want to tell you, you can do it,” she said.
“Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, to tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough, or that you’re too dramatic, or you’re too loud.”
Jabs at Trump
Immigration, diversity, health care, transgender rights: the night celebrating music’s best was punctuated with political statements.
Shakira dedicated her Grammy for best Latin pop album to “all my immigrant brothers and sisters.”
“In this country, you’re loved, you’re worth it, and I will always fight with you,” the Colombian singer said.
Trump has vowed mass deportations of undocumented migrants in the United States.
Alicia Keys, who received a special “global impact” award, said that diversity, equity and inclusion programs — which Trump’s administration has begun dismantling — are “not a threat” but “a gift.”
“When destructive forces try to burn us down, we rise from the ashes like a phoenix,” she said to applause.
Best New Artist winner Chappell Roan demanded the music industry support artists in a precarious industry with little safety net.
And Lady Gaga used her Grammy acceptance moment to say that “trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love, the queer community deserves to be lifted up.”
LA Strong
Grammy organizers decided the gala should proceed despite the wildfires, and it became a touching tribute to the city’s resilience, the first responders and the artists who call the City of Angels home.
Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis and drummer Chad Smith took the stage to present an award, and offered a few a cappella bars of the Los Angeles band’s smash hit “Under the Bridge.”
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars sang a rendition of “California Dreamin’,” a classic from the Mamas and the Papas, while Billie Eilish donned a Dodgers cap for her performance.
Throughout the broadcast, a QR code was displayed on screen, urging viewers to donate to various wildfire relief efforts. Host Trevor Noah said that at least $7 million had been raised.
And when a group of LA firefighters took the stage to present the Album of the Year prize to Beyonce, they earned a prolonged standing ovation.
Pop’s new guard
It was a big night for a buzzy class of pop stars who all went home with a prize: Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX snapped up one, two and three prizes, respectively.
And the trio all delivered performances that matched the blockbuster years they’ve all enjoyed: Charli, for one, turned the hall into a rave with her medley of club hits “Von Dutch” and “Guess.”
Carpenter kept up her comically coquettish Old-Hollywood-but-make-it-slapstick act, prancing around the stage as she sang “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.”
Roan turned the room into a trippy circus rodeo with an enormous pink pony to sing — you guessed it — “Pink Pony Club,” waving her cascading mane of red curls as she commanded the stage.
And a medley featuring Best New Artist nominees Doechii, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and Raye offered an electrifying show of diverse talent.
Monae moonwalk for Quincy
The performance-heavy night also included a moving tribute to Quincy Jones, the late icon of the music industry who connected the 20th century’s constellation of stars, working with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson.
“In his 91 years, Q touched countless lives, but I have to say he changed mine forever. You probably wouldn’t even know who Will Smith was if it wasn’t for Quincy Jones,” said the actor who Jones cast in his breakout role on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”
Cynthia Erivo delivered a stunning rendition of Sinatra’s “Fly Me To The Moon,” while Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock led a performance of “We Are the World.”
Janelle Monae closed the homage with a convincing performance of Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” complete with a moonwalk.