The 66th annual Grammy Awards took place on February 4, 2024, celebrating the best in music of 2023. It was a night filled with amazing performances, memorable moments, and it raised some eyebrows. 

 Miley Cyrus gave an iconic performance of her hit song “Flowers” at the award show, the same song that won Record of the Year just minutes before, and Best Pop Solo Performance. Miley brought excitement and enthusiasm to the stage that night, dancing like Tina Turner in a sparkly silver dress. Fans across all platforms are raving about how fit and lively Miley looked during her performance and are even raising questions regarding her workout regimen. 

Autumn Miller, a second-year student at Northern Essex Community College, shares some conflicting opinions on Miley’s achievement. “I don’t think Miley should have won two awards for Flowers, especially over her competitors in those categories. But her performance was amazing, and it is nice to see her win her first Grammys,” Miller says, “I think that’s the best part of these award shows, seeing how happy the artists are to be appreciated for their work.” 

 Taylor Swift won Album of the Year for her top selling album “Midnights”. Not only is this Swift’s thirteenth Grammy, but it also makes her the first artist to win Album of the Year four times. However, there has been a lot of debate on whether or not she was more deserving than the other artists nominated for the same award, and many viewers have become skeptical on the reliability of the Recording Academy voters. 

Lana Del Rey’s fan base have been very apparent about their disappointment in Swift’s win, saying that Del Rey’s album “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard” should have won, and that Del Rey has been getting “snubbed” for years. Many clips and photos of Del Rey at the award show wearing a saddened expression have been shared online as fans discuss this controversial misprize. 

Swift is also receiving backlash for her actions after receiving her award. After her name had been announced, Swift proceeds to bring a disheartened Lana Del Rey onto the stage with her while she accepts her award and gives her speech. Ana Brandolini, a newly transferred student at NECC, discusses her annoyance at this occurrence. “To me, it just seems like a slap in the face to be dragged by a peer onto a stage to celebrate her loss. I don’t doubt that she felt humiliated up there,” says Brandolini. To further add to an already awkward situation, Swift decided to announce her upcoming album, the “Tortured Poets Department”. Many people found this announcement to be inappropriate, as the audience was filled with her peers and competitors, not her fans. “The Grammys are for celebrities and artists to celebrate each other and themselves. There is a time and place for most things, and this was the wrong time and place,” Brandolini mentions. 

 Phoebe Bridgers left the award show with the most Grammy’s of any other artist that night. She had won the award for Best Pop Duo alongside SZA, for their song “Ghost in the Machine”, along with three other awards won by Boygenius, a three person indie rock band where she is a member. This is the first year that Boygenius has attended the award show with six nominations, as they only have two albums that are five years apart. They had won Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for their single “Not Strong Enough,” and best alternative album for “The Record.” Sydney Riley, a high school student attending Northern Essex’s early college program, shares her thoughts on their win. “I am a huge fan of Boygenius, and I am so happy that they got the recognition that they deserve,” Riley says, “But, I don’t know if I would even consider them to be a rock band. I wish that they had won in another category so that Lana could have had her moment.”